Re: "Tree Power" - Future Energy Source?
Hmm. Interesting.
My concern would be whether or not this is really a sustainable resource if used in mass. Trees, of course, are replantable, but I suspect that the remainder from a timber harvest contributes to soil fertility as mulch. If the leftovers aren't left to biodegrade on site, it's possible that within several generations, the annula timber yield will begin to decrease.
Another concern is that of how thorough they're being in scavenging for fuel parts. The left over roots of felled trees, and to some degree the small branches that litter tree floors, protect against erosion. Over clearing in middle Georgia quickly led to the creation of a broad band of gorges in areas intended as farmland. The gorges were prevented from spreading only be the introduction of kudzu into the area under a program instituted by FDR, with the result that kudzu now fairly blankets the state. Clearing the floors of former forests of their kindling may not, in the long run, but the best idea.
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