“Stuff” Has To Come From Somewhere -- Even If It’s Biorenewable!

The More You Grow

When was the last time you sat in a wooden chair? Blew your nose into a tissue? Wrote down
your to-do list or the grocery items you needed to buy on your next trip to the store? Ate
breakfast? Each of these things -- ranging from paper to Kleenex to cooking oil -- depend upon
products that are sourced from biomass resources (“Importance of Forests”). So whether we
realize it, or we simply eat our breakfast without giving thought to the various agricultural steps
that had to occur before the fluffy pancakes could be stacked on the plate in front of you, these
biorenewable resources and subsequent products are a vital part of each and every one of our
daily lives.

Figure Source: Bartuska

What makes these resources unique, though? Why do we care? Living things -- and, by
extension, biomass resources -- have the unique capability to be renewable sources of energy
thanks to the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the conversion of air, sunlight, water,
and nutrients (often provided through the soil) to energy. This natural process brings many
benefits to the environment including the removal of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the
atmosphere, which can add to the rising global climate. It can also provide bioresources, which
can contribute to the production of bioproducts and bioenergy. The term bioenergy may seem
like it only applies to sustainable sciences or the scientific realm, beyond the scope of the
average citizen like you or me, but it is actually incredibly important to each and every one of us.
Bioenergy has been used to enhance national security, benefit the environment in comparison to
alternate methods of energy production and consumption, balance trade deficits, and bolster
developing or rural economies (Bartuska). The biorenewable resources that provide these
benefits come from three main sources: forests, dedicated crops (farming), and the recycled
wastes from these two industries (Lesson 08).

Is Wood Good?
Wood is the most used non-food bioresource in America, and the country leads the world as the
largest producer and consumer of wood products (Bowyer). It’s super important, therefore, to
know its impact and the ways in which we grow and manage forests. In the US, 90% of forests
are natural, meaning they rely upon natural regeneration and ecological processes, and 10% are
plantation forests, meaning humans purposefully plant and manage specific species using various
methods to maximize the production of wood (Lesson 08).

The products we use each day that include woody biomass can come from either of these forest
types. The waste produced from the industry is then used to create energy.

Image Source: Lesson 08

So, now knowing our heavy reliance on forestry, we must ask the ever-important question: is
wood good? There is no one straight answer. Ultimately, the environmental impact of woody
biomass product production depends upon the ways in which the forest it came from was
managed. Sustainable forestry management refers to the practice of managing a forest whilst
maintaining surrounding and internal biodiversity, productivity, vitality, and regeneration
capacity. The forest must be able to fulfill, both now and in the years to follow practices, relevant
ecological, economic, and social functions at local, national, and global levels so that damage is
not caused to other ecosystems. If sustainable management is not practiced, there can be a whole
slew of environmental problems to follow. Illegal and unsustainable logging are some of the
leading factors in forest degradation today. Overwhelmed yet? It’s a lot to balance! Ensuring that
all forests across the country are meeting economic, social, and environmental standards both
now, and will be able to continue to meet projections in these sectors for the generations to come
in future years, is no easy task. On the bright side, though, when sustainable forestry
management practices such as forest thinning, replanting, low-impact harvesting, and rotation
length optimization are implemented, the ecological systems can greatly benefit. Wood products
and forests in the United States sequester approximately 11% of total annual US greenhouse gas
emissions -- that’s the equivalent of over 750 million metric tons of Carbon Dioxide each year
(Bartuska)! Clearly, for the sake of the planet’s health, it is important to understand and practice
sustainable forestry management.

This Section May Be Corny

In addition to forestry, another main source of bioenergy is agriculture. Farming is further broken
down into the subsections of food production, herbaceous plants, and dedicated crops. Dedicated
crops are plants that are grown specifically for the production of bioenergy or bioproducts, not
for the production of food. These crops, therefore, are super important to include in the
conversation of biorenewable resources. In the US, the most common dedicated crops are
soybeans and corn. Corn is especially important in the production of biofuels in America, as 62%
of the corn grain is starch which can be converted to energy (Lesson 10). Of all of the corn
produced in the US -- where over one third of all corn in the world is grown -- 30% is used for
biofuel production and another 1.6% goes to byproducts (Mumm). Those are some truly
shucking​ statistics! Despite the large yield of approximately 400 gallons of ethanol per acre of
corn grown, the use of land for agricultural practices and dedicated crops means that it cannot be
used for other purposes. When too much land is devoted to growing corn for ethanol production,
the environment suffers from the lack of plant variation, as well as increases in pesticide use to
produce higher yields (“Biomass Energy”). Other disadvantages include disturbance from soil
turnover, energy expenditure in machinery used to maintain the land and farming tasks,
waterlogging from intense irrigation, and increases in fertilizer runoff (Lesson 11). Alternative
strategies such as nutrient management, crop rotation, conservation tillage, and the use of
contour buffer strips can help mitigate these negative effects. Technology has also helped to
increase our yields to reduce land use changes, which require extensive energy expenditure, as
our demand for bioenergy and food increases. As society has advanced and technology
innovation has increased, the amount of corn and other dedicated crops that can be produced per
land area has increased by over 175%. This increased yield has spared roughly 1.26 billion acres
of land worldwide from being converted to farmland. A-​maize-​ ing! Finding the balance for how
much land use to dedicate towards dedicated crops, food, and forests can be difficult though, and
remains an ongoing debate.

Shop Smarter Not Harder

So how do we apply this information to our daily lives? Is there a way we can reduce the
negative environmental impacts felt? Of course, all it takes is a little research when making
purchases that source from biomasses! First, as a consumer, you can look for Chain-of -Custody
certification on wood products. Forestry certification systems such the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Programme for the Endorsement of
Forestry Certification (PEFC), and the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) conduct analyses of
the products and track the raw material from the time that it is harvested all the way through to
the production, manufacturing, transportation, and end use. A certified product ensures that the
product uses a woody biomass that was sustainably managed in the forest it came from, as well
as sustainably handled in its life cycle prior to becoming the good you are purchasing in the
store. Looking for a label from the FSC, SFI, PEFC, or ATFS indicating verified Chain of
Custody is a fast and simple way to practice good consumerism with regards to environmental
impact. Other labels also exist to indicate organic practices were used in agriculture, food
production, the avoidance of pesticides, and other ecological impact mitigation strategies.
Choosing to purchase a product with one of these certifications, though it may be more
expensive, can have positive implications for the health of the planet and generations to come.
 Image Source: Lesson 12

The label is not a guarantee for the best compromise of price and eco-friendliness for every
person, though. Be sure to look at the label in full, as there may be an alternative that better fits
your budget, lifestyle, and ecological health. It all depends on your needs and values...there’s no
one right way to go about it, but being a more informed consumer is the first step in the right
direction for a healthier environment!

Works Cited
Bartuska, Ann. “Why Biomass is Important -- The Role of the USDA Forest Service in
Managing and Using Biomass for Energy and Other Uses.” ​USDA Forest Service,​
https://www.fs.fed.us/research/pdf/biomass_importance.pdf

“Biomass Energy.” ​National Geographic Society​, 14 Nov. 2012,

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biomass-energy/​.

Bowyer, Jim L. ​The Irresponsible Pursuit of Paradise,​ Levins Publishing, 2017, pg. 121.

Mumm, Rita H, et al. “Land Usage Attributed to Corn Ethanol Production in the United States.”
PubMed Central,​ BioMed Central, 12 Apr. 2014,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4022103/​.

“Importance of Forests.” ​World Wildlife Fund,​

https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/forests/importance_forests/​.
Lesson 08: Woody Biomass Production, BBE 1002, UMN.

Lesson 10: Herbaceous Biomass Production, BBE 1002, UMN.

Lesson 11: Conventional Agriculture - Impacts and Alternatives, BBE 1002, UMN.

Lesson 12: Environmental Certification, BBE 1002, UMN.

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