This New York Times article, based on the IEA (International Energy Agency) latest World Energy Outlook, suggests humanity is on the downward slope of the oil availability curve.
We’ve often wandered what analogies, if any, existed between the concepts of “peak oil” and “peak biomass.”
After all, both the fossil fuel industry and the biomass fuel community speak of “energy efficiency,” “carbon and particulate emissions,” “transport costs,” “public health,” and “environmental, Climate Change, and social impact” of these fuels.
So, can we speak of “peak biomass?” And are we there yet?
I think the answer is yes and no. Yes, because forests — the main source of biomass — are being destroyed at record pace across the developing world. And, according to the UN’s FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), almost two-thirds of the annual forests destruction is attributable to biomass fuel consumption.
The huge difference with fossil fuels is that it doesn’t take millions of years for seedlings to become biomass fuel. In fact, fast-growing species like bamboo, acacias, and eucalyptus can “come online” in only a few years time. With oil, once it’s gone, it’s gone. Fossil fuel reservoirs are not getting replenished, whereas properly managed forests can be sustainably harvested for a long time to come.
Our hope is that, thanks to the launch this fall of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, governments, multi-laterals, and other stakeholders will start paying closer attention to the sustainable production and use of biomass as an interim fuel for all the people who depend on wood, charcoal, and other biomass for their primary fuel.
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