Better Start Stockpiling

[jlow]

I thought y'all would find this of interest. Wood could become alot tougher to come by.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-10-13-wood-power_N.htm

 

[ChrisNJ]

I also just read that and thought the same thing, I wonder if they worry about it being sufficiently seasoned as much as we do?

 

[rdust]

Just doesn't sound like a good idea to me. *IF* they kept it to burning waste I'd have no problem but I wouldn't expect that to last. Most of use are using tree's that are dead or dying. I don't think leveling our forests for energy production is a good idea, it's renewable but can it be renewed as fast as we'll have to use it?

I have 12 cords and was going to stop at 15 cords figuring that would get me 3 years, I may have to rethink it now.

 

[Skier76]

I'd imagine a lot of this would depend on location. If one of these plants is close to where you live, sure, wood may be an issue. But if one is far, it's not going to be benefitial to anyone to ship the wood long distances.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I don't go for these highfalutin, new fangled ideas, I think they should stick to good old fashion plutonium powered nuclear power plants.

 

[maplewood]

In New Brunswick (just East of Maine, for some of you globally challenged), we have a few plants that use waste wood for steam / power generation. It makes for good housekeeping, as they are burning waste bark, chips, etc. from their pulp/paper or saw mill operation. We truck wood all across our province (about 250 miles tip to tip) - no 50 mile limit here. We have lots of wood. Lots and lots of wood. No such thing as 1-ply TP up here.

The good wood is too valuable for electrical energy making. It's used for lumber and paper. The waste wood (bark, dirty chips, rotten pieces, etc.) is called "hog fuel", and is great for on-site boilers.

I can't see wood-fired plant(s) using so much wood that us fire-burners need worry.

But, then again, I'm using reading glasses now.... Maybe my sight isn't so hot....

 

[mattinpa]

Just my opinion, but when driving through New Brunswick last year, the amount of clear cuts just was unbelievable. I was talking with my hunting guide and he operated a piece of wood harvesting equiptment in 2007 until the providence shut him down due to over harvesting. Not just him, but the entire company. But that might have been just that particular region. I'll say one thing for your forests, they aren't just big, they are thick!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I seriously doubt that many on here will have anything to worry about.

We have a couple of places that use wood here in Michigan and it hasn't even made a dent in the available wood. An 80 acre woods was mostly cut off next to us about 15-20 years ago; on the 40 to our north the chippers came in and took quite a bit and there were others. It has actually helped our deer herd.

Mostly what they take though is softwoods. They cut a lot of popple around here plus pines and soft maple. They won't take oak or any of the dense woods, so wood burners rejoice!

 

[LLigetfa]

The company I work for put in a huge biomass boiler that can consume 3 B-trains of fuel per hour. It put a dent into the firewood supply here.

 

[JustWood]

Biomass to power is only 1 piece of the puzzle moving towards 100% energy independence.
Check out http://earthanet.com/2008/01/28/plasma-arc-gasification-turning-garbage-into-gas/
A 100% renewable resource that never runs out.

I woodn't be too concerned about future wood supplies but on the other hand the drier the wood the better sooooo,,,,,, stockpile away.

 

[savageactor7]

If you buy wood a bio mass 70 m from here has marginally affected supplies...I've mentioned it here a few times. It seems that crew leaders ( the guys with the money and brains) can chip and ship entire logs for profit. A plus to doing that is less hassles with customers and dealing with fewer employees, wood cutter/splitters too. And more of them are doing that so less guys are cutting.