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The news digest below was circulated by the EPA. The
discussion of "biomass" as a replacement for hydrocarbon
fuels seems generally sensible, focussing as it does on
agricultural and forest residues, but opens the door to new
fights over waste-to-energy proposals. I suspect that we will
need to be prepared to point out the superior energy benefits
of recycling and source reduction, and to support "soft path"
processes, such as anaerobic digestion, that achieve the
energy goals without consuming inappropriate feedstocks
or destroying the materials needed for agricultural
sustainability.
-----------------------
Clinton Calls for Coordinated Effort to Encourage Use of
Alternative Technology. Daily Environment Report, August 13,
1999, pAA-1.
President Clinton issued an executive order August 12, 1999
coordinating federal efforts to accelerate the use of
alternative technologies that convert plants, trees and other
organic materials and waste into energy. These technologies and
materials are collectively called "biomass." The goal is to
develop these technologies in order to replace petroleum-based
energy and products with them. Apart from a number of other
benefits, rapid development of these technologies would reduce
the nations's dependence upon foreign oil and reduce emissions
that lead to global warming.
The President said biomass technology will benefit not only
the environment but also farmers, the timber and chemical
industries, and power companies. He also pointed out that
developing countries will be able to take advantage of the
technology to meet their increasing energy needs.
Administration officials say that biomass has great promise
in meeting a wide range of energy and manufacturing needs.
"Biomass is to the next century what petroleum was to this
century," said Carol Browner, Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency. "It is the next generation of fuels and
chemicals." She went on to add that biomass can be used to fuel
vehicles, to replace petroleum in the manufacture of a number of
products, and to generate electricity.
In this executive order and announcement the President has
set the goal of tripling use of bioenergy and biotechnology by
2010. Ethanol produced from plants could replace 348 million
barrels of imported oil by 2020, and tripling the use of biomass
would also reduce green-house gas emissions by 100 million tons.
Power from bioenergy is produced with virtually no emissions of
these gases that contribute to global warming.
Currently, bioenergy from agricultural and forest products
and waste accounts for about three percent of energy use in the
United States. Since 1990 its use has increased by around two
percent annually. This is "too slow" to have any effect upon air
quality or climate change says Dan Reicher, Assistant Secretary
of Energy for Renewable Energy. He went on to add that the
primary obstacle to growth for the bioenergy industry has been
that it is small and segmented with little integration among the
fuel, power and chemical industries.
Presidential environmental advisor, Roger Ballentine, says
that the President is asking for $242 million in his proposed
budget for appropriations and tax credits for biomass and
renewable energy. The President, referring to this sum, said:
"We're talking about a tiny fraction of the budget for the
combined recommendations we have made that can change the whole
future of this country and this world , in the way that the
automobile and the perfection of the petroleum processing did at
the beginning of the century."
To coordinate this effort the President has created a
permanent council consisting of the heads of the departments of
Energy, Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency as
well as the director of the National Science Foundation and other
agencies. The council's role will be to propose a biomass
research program to be presented annually as part of the federal
budget. The council will also review major agency regulations,
incentives and programs to promote the use of bioenergy and
biobased products with maximum efficiency.
**The above story was also reported in:**
Clinton taps bioenergy in global warming fight. The Washington
Times, August 13, 1999, pA11.
Clinton Orders Tripling of Bioenergy by 2010. Lycos Environment
News Service, August 13, 1999. Full text of the story is
available at: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-12-07.html
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charset="iso-8859-1"
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The news digest below was circulated by the =
EPA. The
discussion of "biomass" as a replacement =
for hydrocarbon
fuels seems generally sensible, focussing as it does =
on
agricultural and forest residues, but opens the door =
to new
fights over waste-to-energy proposals. I =
suspect that we will
need to be prepared to point out the superior energy =
benefits
of recycling and source reduction, and to support =
"soft path"
processes, such as anaerobic digestion, that achieve =
the
energy goals without consuming inappropriate =
feedstocks
or destroying the materials needed for =
agricultural
sustainability.
-----------------------
Clinton Calls for Coordinated Effort to Encourage Use =
of
Alternative Technology. Daily Environment =
Report, August 13,
1999, pAA-1.
President Clinton issued an =
executive order August 12, 1999
coordinating federal efforts to accelerate the =
use of
alternative technologies that convert plants, trees =
and other
organic materials and waste into energy. These =
technologies and
materials are collectively called =
"biomass." The goal is to
develop these technologies in order to replace =
petroleum-based
energy and products with them. Apart =
from a number of other
benefits, rapid development of these technologies =
would reduce
the nations's dependence upon foreign oil and reduce =
emissions
that lead to global warming.
The President said biomass =
technology will benefit not only
the environment but also farmers, the timber and =
chemical
industries, and power companies. He also =
pointed out that
developing countries will be able to take advantage =
of the
technology to meet their increasing energy =
needs.
Administration officials =
say that biomass has great promise
in meeting a wide range of energy and manufacturing =
needs.
"Biomass is to the next century what petroleum =
was to this
century," said Carol Browner, =
Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency. "It is the next =
generation of fuels and
chemicals." She went on to add that =
biomass can be used to fuel
vehicles, to replace petroleum in the manufacture of =
a number of
products, and to generate electricity.
In this executive order and =
announcement the President has
set the goal of tripling use of bioenergy and =
biotechnology by
2010. Ethanol produced from plants could =
replace 348 million
barrels of imported oil by 2020, and tripling the =
use of biomass
would also reduce green-house gas emissions by 100 =
million tons.
Power from bioenergy is produced with virtually no =
emissions of
these gases that contribute to global =
warming.
Currently, bioenergy from =
agricultural and forest products
and waste accounts for about three percent of energy =
use in the
United States. Since 1990 its use has =
increased by around two
percent annually. This is "too slow" =
to have any effect upon air
quality or climate change says Dan Reicher, =
Assistant Secretary
of Energy for Renewable Energy. He went on to =
add that the
primary obstacle to growth for the bioenergy =
industry has been
that it is small and segmented with little =
integration among the
fuel, power and chemical industries.
Presidential environmental =
advisor, Roger Ballentine, says
that the President is asking for $242 million in his =
proposed
budget for appropriations and tax credits for =
biomass and
renewable energy. The President, referring to =
this sum, said:
"We're talking about a tiny fraction of the =
budget for the
combined recommendations we have made that can =
change the whole
future of this country and this world , in the way =
that the
automobile and the perfection of the petroleum =
processing did at
the beginning of the century."
To coordinate this effort =
the President has created a
permanent council consisting of the heads of the =
departments of
Energy, Agriculture, and the Environmental =
Protection Agency as
well as the director of the National Science =
Foundation and other
agencies. The council's role will be to =
propose a biomass
research program to be presented annually as part of =
the federal
budget. The council will also review major =
agency regulations,
incentives and programs to promote the use of =
bioenergy and
biobased products with maximum efficiency.
**The above story was also reported in:**
Clinton taps bioenergy in global warming fight. =
The Washington
Times, August 13, 1999, pA11.
Clinton Orders Tripling of Bioenergy by 2010. =
Lycos Environment
News Service, August 13, 1999. Full text of =
the story is
available at: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-12-07.html=