I recently came across a program that the Nature Conservancy and the Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases, launched a program to educate the public on collecting or purchasing firewood within 50 miles of its point of use. Although this sounds a little dry, the ‘Don’t Move Firewood’ campaign is rather creative and […]
International: Biomass the Neglected Energy Source
Taking a step back, lets take a worldview on biomass energy. Biomass energy currently makes up 10 per cent of the world’s primary energy supply, but the International Energy Agency predicts that this will rise to 30 percent by 2050. In a recent report, “Bundles of Energy: The Case for Renewable Biomass Energy“, the authors […]
Sustainable Forestry: The Key to Unlock the Potential of the Forest
There is no question that the raw material and potential energy resources in our forest lands are significant. In fact, sustainable harvesting of forest renewables (woody biomass) is “preventive medicine” for our forests and forest communities. Mike Schmidt, outlined some of these benefits in a recent Biomass Magazine. Fewer and Less Intense Forest Fires: Less […]
International Year of Forests
The United Nations has declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. The website provides and interesting array of tools and resources to promote discussion on forests. Some interesting facts about world’s forests: Forest cover 31% of total land […]
The Global Economics of Energy: Libyan Crisis
According to the latest Lundberg Survey of cities in the continental United States, gasoline prices have risen 82 cents since September 2010. Ouch! That is a more than 25 percent increase over a six month period. So what is driving this dramatic increase? Unlike the 2005 crisis, which was driven by damages from Hurricane […]
Biomass Fuels: A Remedy to High Heating Oil Prices
According to estimates from the Energy Information Administration, prices for U.S. home heating oil were up 24 percent in February 2011, compared to a year ago. With prices expected to continuing rise, homeowners are getting nervous about heating costs for the 2011/12 season and many are exploring the move to woody biomass fueled appliances. The […]
Report Card Finds Few States Ready to Wood Heat Potential
Anyone who has made a trip to the gas pump in the last month has felt the squeeze of rising energy prices. With this increase comes higher demand for wood as a heating fuel. A recent study by the Alliance for Green Heat outlines how states are doing in their effort to balance between heating […]
Residential Retrofit Guidelines
The Department of Energy announced the release of the new Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades. Energy improvement programs and homeowners can adopt these guidelines to increase the consistency and effectiveness of energy upgrades, and training providers can use them to improve course curricula and training materials. These guidelines were developed through a collaboration between […]
New Hampshire Enhances Pellet Heat Rebate Program
The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission has made some improvements to their Residential Bulk-Fuel Fed Wood-Pellet Central Boilers and Furnaces program to allow more systems to qualify. If you live in the state of New Hampshire and are interested in installing a automated wood pellet boiler (like the Greenwood Denali Series), you may be eligible […]
No More Easy Green for Homeowners
Anyone contemplating a big home improvement project to make their homes more energy efficient has missed a rather significant window. Beginning January 1st, the federal government slashed the tax credits for energy efficiency home upgrades from 30 percent to 10 percent and reduced the total available credit to $500. For more check out the 2011 […]