Biofuels Threaten Wood Fiber Supply for Mulch Producers
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Wed, Feb 10, 2010 @ 09:37 AM
The more I research the more confused I become about alternative fuel sources. Reading all the articles available about what is fact vs. fiction at least most sources agree that the biofuel debate will continue. Being related to the wood fiber industry I was interested in what Pete Stewart, the CEO of Forest2Market, had to say at the annual meeting of the Mulch and Soil Council. He threw out some statistics about the growing demand for renewable fuels using wood fiber. "The United Kingdom is targeting a rate of 20% of its fuel needs coming from renewable supplies by 2020. To reach this goal it will need to import around 12 million tons of fuel pellets, at least a third of which will likely be imported from the US." He also estimated that the demand for pellet fuel in the US may double in the next decade depending on the renewable resource legislation pending in front of Congress today.
This means a lot to my industry and that is why we are working diligently to provide an economical and sustainable alternative to replacing wood mulch every season. My favorite article I have read I found in Foreign Policy Magazine and encourage you to read it and give your opinions. As the world realizes that the impact of depleting fossil fuels and Sarah Palins "drill baby, drill" is a short term solution to our dependency on foreign oil, there are renewable alternatives for our energy needs and wood may or may not be the best choice. I look forward to continuing this interesting and relevant debate and appreciate your feedback.