Renewable Energy: Current and Potential Issues

Pimentel, David; Herz, Megan; Glickstein, Michele; Zimmerman, Mathew; Allen, Richard R.; Becker, Katrina; Evans, Jeff; Hussain, Benita; Sarsfeld, Ryan; Grosfeld, Anat; Seidel, Thomas

doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[1111:recapi]2.0.co;2

Cited by 163 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These emissions are small, however, particularly, since predominantly waste biomass is used or bioenergy crops (e.g. willow; Volk et al 2004) that require very little or no fertilizer additions in contrast to ethanol, where high N fertilization of maize or sugar cane contributes to significant global warming potential (Pimentel et al 2002).…”

Section: Renewable Fuels From Biomass Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

Bio-char Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems – A Review

Lehmann

Gaunt²,

Rondón

2006

Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change

2,458

1,242

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The application of bio-char (charcoal or biomass-derived black carbon (C)) to soil is proposed as a novel approach to establish a significant, long-term, sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems. Apart from positive effects in both reducing emissions and increasing the sequestration of greenhouse gases, the production of bio-char and its application to soil will deliver immediate benefits through improved soil fertility and increased crop production. Conversion of biomass C to bio-char C leads to sequestration of about 50% of the initial C compared to the low amounts retained after burning (3%) and biological decomposition (<10-20% after 5-10 years), therefore yielding more stable soil C than burning or direct land application of biomass. This efficiency of C conversion of biomass to bio-char is highly dependent on the type of feedstock, but is not significantly affected by the pyrolysis temperature (within 350-500 • C common for pyrolysis). Existing slash-andburn systems cause significant degradation of soil and release of greenhouse gases and opportunies may exist to enhance this system by conversion to slash-and-char systems. Our global analysis revealed that up to 12% of the total anthropogenic C emissions by land use change (0.21 Pg C) can be off-set annually in soil, if slash-and-burn is replaced by slash-and-char. Agricultural and forestry wastes such as forest residues, mill residues, field crop residues, or urban wastes add a conservatively estimated 0.16 Pg C yr −1 . Biofuel production using modern biomass can produce a bio-char by-product through pyrolysis which results in 30.6 kg C sequestration for each GJ of energy produced. Using published projections of the use of renewable fuels in the year 2100, bio-char sequestration could amount to 5.5-9.5 Pg C yr −1 if this demand for energy was met through pyrolysis, which would exceed current emissions from fossil fuels (5.4 Pg C yr −1 ). Bio-char soil management systems can deliver tradable C emissions reduction, and C sequestered is easily accountable, and verifiable.

show abstract

Section: Renewable Fuels From Biomass Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

Bio-char Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems – A Review

Lehmann

Gaunt²,

Rondón

2006

Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change

2,458

1,242

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These reductions often persist until stem-exclusion and beyond unless mitigative measures such as green tree retention are employed to re-establish CWM stocks on the ground (Ranius and Kindvall 2004). Recently, renewed interest in the use of woody biomass for bioenergy in Europe (Anonymous 2006) and in North America (Hall 2002, Pimentel et al 2002, Perlack et al 2005 has raised the possibility of further reductions of CWM either through increased harvest intensities, such as whole-tree harvesting, or through secondary operations aimed at recovering residual, sound CWM that remains after harvest. The wide-range of forest management activities currently practiced and proposed, may reduce volumes of CWM in managed stands on the order of 100s m 3 /ha (Rouvinen et al 2002) and produce significant challenges for conservation of dead wood dependent species (Betts et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating species loss of saproxylic insects under scenarios of reduced coarse woody material in eastern boreal forests

Work

Hibbert

2011

Ecosphere

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Increased exploitation of forests and residual biomass remaining after harvest has the potential to reduce biodiversity particularly of saproxylic organisms. We compare incidence-based species accumulation curves based on saproxylic flies collected using in situ emergence cages in 2006 and 2007 under two biomass harvesting scenarios. In these scenarios volume-based biomass targets would be achieved by either 1) selective removal of the largest individual pieces of coarse woody material (CWM) or alternatively 2) selective removal of smaller pieces of CWM with preferential retention of larger pieces of CWM with presumably greater conservation value. We then extrapolated a species accumulation curve to estimate thresholds of potential species loss as a function of CWM volume left within a forest stand using binomial mixing. More species would be maintained under the scenario that selectively targets larger individual pieces of CWM because of extremely large species turnover between individual sample logs and little relation between species richness and diameter of CWM. Given these circumstances, the number of individual pieces of CWM present in a stand may be more important in determining species richness than total volume of CWM for flies. When the species accumulation curve was extrapolated to stand-level volumes, species richness began to decline when CWM volumes were reduced below 40 m 3 /ha. We suggest that intensive management strategies aimed at recovering additional woody biomass should not exploit CWM volumes below these thresholds without mitigative measures aimed at replenishing dead wood volumes such as standing retention if maintaining biodiversity is an objective.

show abstract

“…One could mention biomass, solar and wind as examples of alternative forms of energy that would expropriate large land areas that could otherwise be used for farming, recreational or residential purposes. Conflicting reports published by various researchers and agencies (Gagnon, 2002, Pimentel, 2002, Gates, 1985, Gipe, 1995, Ecoinvent, 2004) compare the estimated land use for solar, coal fuel and natural gas sources. A recent study (Fthenakis, 2009) attempts to normalize the land mass used by alternative sources of energy such as biomass, wind, solar, coal, nuclear, natural gas, and hydroelectric, and concluded that on average, the solar (photovoltaic) option has the smallest footprint among the renewable energy sources while the biomass option requires the largest amount of land.…”

Section: Tailing Ponds As Solar Farmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Investigation to Use Tailing Ponds as Solar Photovoltaic Farms

Momayez¹,

Wilson

Cronin³

et al. 2009

JASMR

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Fine-grinding of ores for the liberation of metal-or other valuable concentrates most often results in acreage dedicated to tailings impoundments. A determination of the post-mining land use of such acreage is then required. Tailings impoundments can be suitably utilized as sites for installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The electrical energy produced can be used initially for mining and concentrating operations, and subsequently for the utility grid after mine closure is complete. Since the extraction, processing and transport of minerals is energy-intensive, most mines already have a substantial electrical transmission-line infrastructure. This eliminates one of the major costs associated with PV energy farms. In this paper, we analyze the long-term economic benefit (i.e. payback period) of PV installation and energy production at mine sites. We also discuss integrating PV systems with erosion control and revegetation measures.

show abstract

Renewable Energy: Current and Potential Issues

Cited by 163 publications

References 29 publications

Bio-char Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems – A Review

Bio-char Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems – A Review

Estimating species loss of saproxylic insects under scenarios of reduced coarse woody material in eastern boreal forests

An Investigation to Use Tailing Ponds as Solar Photovoltaic Farms

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About