“Stuff Has to Come From Somewhere, Even if it’s Bioreneweable”

Another nature-related blog post by yours truly, Brooke Burditt. Enjoy the read!

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“There is no better designer than nature.” -Alexander McQueen

I always like to kick off my blogs with a quote to A) introduce the topic, and B) because I love hearing what others have to say on the topic. I like this one in particular because it can have multiple meanings. Does he mean that nature is just simply beautiful and the World looks better with lots of trees and big blue oceans? Does he mean that nature designed the perfect amount of resources for the organisms who live on Earth? Who knows. I think the ambiguity makes it even more interesting. Now that I got you thinking, let’s dive into the topic: how we can use biorenewable resources in a sustainable way.

Woody Biomass

As you can tell by the picture, woody biomass is essentially a fancy word for trees. To be exact, it’s a term used to summarize natural forests, plantation forests, and short rotation coppicing (SRC). You’re probably decently familiar with what forests are, but plantations and SRC are usually new to people, so let’s get all the little details straight. Most of the forests in the United States are natural, meaning they have very little human intervention and don’t use pesticides and what not. However, we also have plantation forests, which means trees are planted in a way to maximize the production of wood. And, you could probably guess this, but I’ll tell you anyways: yes, they are allowed to use pesticides and fertilizers in plantation forests. Lastly, SRC. SRC is more similar to plantations to the fact that they are used to maximize production, but in this case, they usually maximize fibers, not wood. They select trees/plants that grow quickly and product a lot of fibers, so again, this type of woody biomass production allows a lot of human intervening. Woody biomass is a popular source due to the fact that it’s a non-food product, meaning livestock aren’t losing a source of energy, it grows back, and we have a lot of it. However, what do we do with all of this wood and fiber?!

We can divide it up super simply: some of the wood is for PRODUCTS, and some of the wood is for ENERGY. Wood for products would be things such as sawlogs, which will be made into lumber (a product, obviously). And wood for energy would be things like heat. In fact, when I did some research, I found this quote that confirms woody biomass is a great, sustainable biorenewable source:

“Woody biomass has the potential to be used to make any of the products that are already produced or manufactured from wood. And, just like wood it benefits from the same advantages.”

Quote from: https://www.pelletheat.org/assets/docs/industry-data/infoguides43284.pdf

Herbaceous Biomass

Woah, big word! What does this even mean?! Herbaceous biomass are plants without wooded stems. These are types of plants that have roots that survive for a long time, but the head of the plant usually dies and has to regrow in the next growing season. So, think of anything from bamboo to a basic garden flower. However, there is one important thing to note: these are not plants that you would use for food (We will talk about agricultural crops in the next section, don’t you worry). The two main uses that we will focus on here are: chemical and energy usage, and fibers. How do we use plants for energy and fibers?!

When it comes to using plants as a biorenewable resource, there is a lot to know. Science Direct tells us that: “Herbaceous biomass crops, including both annuals and perennials, are usually harvested on an annual basis, and can be broken down into three types depending on their potential utilization: sugar/starch crops, oil-seed crops, and fiber/cellulosic crops.” This means that there are different types of plants for different needs; some are converted to sugars, some are used for fuel, some are used for heat, etc. Sound confusing? Let’s look at an example of herbaceous biomass productions in action…

Quote from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/herbaceous-biomass

Let’s look at corn. Corn is very abundant in the United States, so it’s one of the most popular herbaceous biomasses. Corn works as a feedstock (the raw material needed in industrial processing) to create biofuels. You may be familiar with ethanol, which is a common biofuel created from corn. In fact, looking at the figure below, you can see just how much corn is needed to create ethanol:

Interesting to think about, huh?
Imagine from: https://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/15123/Should-Corn-Be-Used-as-Food-or-Fuel.aspx

Pretty cool that we can turn corn into fuel, huh? The use of plants in production of biorenewable products is very sustainable when done right, and this is why we rely on it so heavily in the United States. (Maybe someday it could replace fossil fuels all together…)

Agricultural Productions

Last, but certainly not least, I want to cover agricultural productions and what it means in correlation to biorenewable resources. Remember, biorenewable resources are supposed to be a more sustainable way to gather resources and energy from the environment over fossil fuels, and agriculture is doing that in a sense. When we grow crops, we use water, resources (like pesticides and fertilizers) to help them grow, and we use up a lot of land for crops. How can we maximize yield from crops by being sustainable? Let’s take a look.

Growing up in the midwest, I am very familiar with how many cornfields there are. Corn to the left, corn to the right, it’s everywhere! As a kid, I never thought about it too hard. However, now that I am older, smarter, and an agriculture major (haha!) I know a lot more about how agriculture can affect our land/environment/planet. Simply, we can put it this way: the amount of fossil fuels and natural resources that go into a product needs to be sustainable and reasonable. For example, if one ear of corn requires 1/2 a gallon of fossil fuels to power the tractor and ten gallons of water, is this actually good for the environment? In order to make agriculture more sustainable, here are some actions being taken:

1. Cover crops. Cover crops are smaller grains planted with larger scale crops, like corn, that help suck up nutrients and water in the soil to keep the soil healthy.
2. Crop rotation. Rotating crops, which is simply not planting the same crop on the same plot of land every year, also helps keep the soil healthy and it helps local wildlife as well–so simple yet so effective.
3. Going organic. Or, even better, practicing permaculture. Permaculture is organic farming on steroids. Permaculture uses all organic practices in a closed-loop system that creates a zero waste environment. This is the most sustainable agricultural method.

Overall, agriculture is needed in our society (we all need food, duh!). However, we must be careful. With a growing population and a planet that is not growing, we cannot ruin the soil, use too much water (and create too much run off), or use too many fossil fuels to run the tractors or agriculture will become a very unsustainable way to create crops and biorenewable resources.

Well, that’s a wrap on my blog about biorenewable resources and where they come from, how we can use them, and some of the problems associated with them. I hope this leave you feeling educated and with more knowledge on the topic than you had before. Thanks for reading, guys!

Works Cited

Woody Biomass Factsheet: https://www.pelletheat.org/assets/docs/industry-data/infoguides43284.pdf

Herbaceous Biomass: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/herbaceous-biomass

Should Corn be Used as Food or Fuel: https://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/15123/Should-Corn-Be-Used-as-Food-or-Fuel.aspx

My First Blog Post

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

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Bioenergy Is The Future. Yes or No?

Welcome to my final blog. Yes, the last one ever (so sad!) Today, I will dive into bioenergy and discuss a controversial source: palm oil.

Image from: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/palm-oil-health-impact-environment-animals-deforestation-heart-a8505521.html

Bioenergy? What’s That?

Bioenergy is a term that refers to energy, heat, or electricity that is created by burning biofuels (something made from a biomass, such as wood chips, corn, etc).

Bio energy is all the rave now due to the burning of fossil fuels becoming so controversial. Bioenenergy can be used to run cars, power factories, and even heat your house!

So What Does Palm Oil Have to do With All of This?

Well, in 2009, the Renewable Energy Directive stated that by 2020, 10% of the energy consumed for transportation needs to be from a renewable resource. In Europe, they found what they thought was the perfect solution: Palm Oil. Palm Oil, once harvested and treated, can be turned into biodiesel. Currently in Europe, 80% of their biofuels come from biodiesel, most of it being from palm oil.

Source: https://www.transportenvironment.org/what-we-do/biofuels

So, it’s a renewable resource, it meets government requirements…what could be wrong with that? Well, palm oil has a bad rep, and there are many reasons why.

For starters, palm oil is killing many rainforests across the globe, specifically in South America, Africa. In order to create more land for palm oil plants, trees are being cut down at a very quick rate. And when I say cut down, I mean they are being burned, putting carbon into the air. Also, this has cut the orangutan population in half.

Source: BBE 1002 Lesson 27

Image from: https://www.transportenvironment.org/what-we-do/biofuels/why-palm-oil-biodiesel-bad

In 2018, more than half of the palm oil imported into Europe was put back into cars. And, as you can see by the picture above, palm oil releases three times more greenhouse gases than fossil diesel; this completely goes against the point for the Renewable Energy Directive! And, the worst of it all is that most people in Europe are putting in into their gas tanks without being fully aware of what palm oil really is/does to the environment.

So, palm oil. A biorenewable resource that works as a biomass to create bioenergy. But it’s killing animals. It’s ruining forests. It’s increasing global temperatures. What does this mean about bioenergy? Is it not as good as fossil fuels?

The Future: Bioenergy or No?

Well, back to square one. Is bioenergy really the answer? It’s hard to say. Europe has come to its’ senses and has decided to ban palm oil from being in transportation (by 2030), so that’s a step in the right direction.

So, does this mean our future will still have fossil fuels or no? Well, the answer is probably yes. Bioenergy is still a relatively new concept, and there isn’t enough behind it to fully support getting rid of fossil fuels. The German Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection says that biofuels and bioenergy is just a bridge for now, and that we will someday convert all of it to solar and wind energy.

Source: https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/which-biomass-is-the-best-source-of-alternative-energy

I’m sorry if this blog did not clear up the future as much as you would have hoped. I, personally, am not 100% sure what I think is best for powering our cars and heating our homes. Fossil fuels work well, but they may run out. Palm oil is renewable, but it is creating climate issues. So, as far as the future goes, I have no idea what it will hold. As a consumer, however, the best thing we can do is stay educated: know where your energy is coming from, how sustainable it is, etc.

Thanks for reading guys! I loved blogging about sustainability & the environment with you all– always remember to reduce, reuse, ands recycle!

Works Cited:

BBE Lesson #27: Global Perspectives

Pytlik, Walter. “Bioeconomy.” Which Biomass Is the Best Source of Alternative Energy?, 28 Nov. 2011, https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/which-biomass-is-the-best-source-of-alternative-energy.

“Why Is Palm Oil Biodiesel Bad?” Visit the Front Page!, https://www.transportenvironment.org/what-we-do/biofuels/why-palm-oil-biodiesel-bad.

3 Things You Need to Know About Bioproducts

It’s me, Brooke again! Today we are going to learn more about bioproducts. If you don’t already know, bioproducts are products, materials, or chemicals derived from renewable resources. Now, here is what you should know about them.

#1: Crops Can Be Converted to Sugar (yum)!

Crops can be great plain, and even better when a little chemistry is involved; they can make sugars! The sugar we most often refer to is glucose. Glucose is made through photosynthesis in plants (crops) and is the most abundant simple sugar on Earth.

For being a simple sugar, it’s actually pretty complicated. But, I’m just gonna get to the main ideas: glucose can be either alpha or beta depending on where the hydroxyl group is located on the molecule. This means that when they combine with other molecules, they create a different outcome. Alpha molecules become starch, and beta molecule become cellulose. How does this become sugar? We have to break the bonds!

For the sake of keeping your interest, let’s focus on just one plant in particular: Sugar cane! Sugar cane is made up of both alpha and beta particles (but we use the molecules to create sugar), so we have to break their bonds open. In order to do this, the cane is chopped, shredded, and washed with hot water to produce bagasse, a sugar juice. It can then take a few routes, but let’s look at what happens when crystalized. Once crystalized, it gets centrifuged and made into dry, raw sugar. After that, it gets sent to a sugar refinery and must be filtered, crystallized, and dried. And then we have what we have been waiting for, sugar!

A big shoutout to chemistry for creating sugar from vegetables!

Facts from: BBE Lesson #19 and “The Sugar Association” https://www.sugar.org/blog/refining-and-processing-sugar-cane/

#2: GMOs Are NOT Always Bad

I know, what a controversial topic, huh? Well, not really. In fact, 93% of the corn and soybean in the U.S. are genetically modified. Why do we need to use GMOs if we already produce SO many crops already? Well, GMOs can actually be used for so much more than just enhancing the growth (such as added nutrition, longer shelf life, etc). For this example, let’s look at Bt corn.

Bt corn gets it name from the Bacillus thuringiensis soil bacterium. (Try to say that sentence 10 times!) This bacterium have genes with many proteins that are toxic to bugs and pests. This is what farmers use to spray on corn (hence the name, Bt corn), and it keeps the bugs out and the corns kernels in! Plus, on the bright side, Bacillus thuringiensis is organic– so no, not all GMOs have to be cancer-causing pesticides!

Facts from: “Bt-Corn” https://fas.org/biosecurity/education/dualuse-agriculture/2.-agricultural-biotechnology/bt-corn.html

#3: Plastic: Biodegradable, Recyclable, Compostable…Which is Which?!

Plastic has a bad reputation lately due to how badly it has been filling our Earth, specifically, our oceans. So, in order to combat plastic use, bioplastics are the new thing. Bioplastics are made from renewable resources, so they are often easier to recycle or compost. But the terms are often confusing, so let’s figure out what they really mean so you can properly recycle!

Biodegradable means the plastic will naturally break down due to bacteria or fungi.

Compostable is biodegradable on steroids. In order to be biodegradable, the plastic must break down 60% of the material in 180 days, be non toxic, and be disintegrated into the soil.

So if it’s made from biomass, is plastic better? Well, it breaks down quicker, but that does mean it can’t end up in the ocean.

Support bioplastics. Limit plastic use. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Facts from: BBE Lesson #21

Well, that’s all folks. I hope I gave you a little preview into the complex world of bioproducts. From where they can be made to where they can end their life cycle, there is a lot to learn. Thanks for reading! -Brooke

“Wood: the Good, the Bad, and the ‘Neutral‘”

Yes, another environmental blog post by yours truly, Brooke Burditt.

Today, I will center my focuses on a very commonly used resource: wood. After doing my research, I came to find that what I thought I knew about wood only touched the surface of what there is to know. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and get ready to learn; as usual, I’m about to throw a lot at ya.

Wood: The Pros and The Cons

Before we dive into the topic too far, I want to give you some background on wood. We all know trees grow from roots underground, and they usually take years to reach their full growth potential, and then they have a few choices on how they “die:” first, a tree can naturally die out when the microbes in the soil digest the fibers of the wood. Second, the wood can be harvested and made into lumber and wood products or for energy. And, lastly, it could go through a natural disaster, like a fire, for example, and burn to reach the end of its life. (And no, these are not all the ways a tree can “die,” but these are the ones I want to focus on)

Okay, so now that you have some background of the life cycle of trees, let’s look at how the tree captures carbon. Carbon emissions, as most of you probably know, are a key factor in global warming. Trees, however, are a good way to fight back at carbon emissions as they trap CO2 (about 25% of the tree is carbon, to be exact) and let off oxygen–they rock! When a tree is standing in the forest, perfectly healthy, it captures a lot of CO2. So, when the tree “dies,” like in the above examples, where does the CO2 go?

Statistic from: http://www.sicirec.org/definitions/carbon-capture

When a tree just naturally decays, almost all of the carbon it captured during its lifetime will be exhaled into the air. This would also be true for if the tree burned down, so as you could figure, this is not the most ideal option. When a tree is harvested and made into a wooden table, on the other hand, the carbon it trapped while alive stays in that table–this means the carbon will remain trapped until the product is destroyed. If it tree is harvested for energy, all the carbon would go back into the atmosphere right away. So, what does this all mean? Are trees good or bad?!

Up to you to decide if you think this is good or bad, because in terms of the environment, trees are carbon neutral. That’s right, they’re smack dab in the middle of good and bad. They help up temporarily, but it’s not the solution forever.

…But Isn’t cutting down trees a bad thing?

If you have the same mindset I do prior to doing research, I would have told anybody and everybody that cutting down trees is a bad thing. However, I learned to open my mind and take in the data, and it did actually show me that cutting down trees is not the worst thing in the world.

Don’t get me wrong, as humans, we have done a lot wrong when it comes to our trees and forests (to learn more about deforestation, watch this short and information packed video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic-J6hcSKa8). However, thanks to companies planting more trees than they’re cutting down (not all of them do this, might I add), we have seen an increase in trees globally. In fact, “the planet’s total area of tree cover increased by 2.24 million square kilometers, or 7.1 percent, from 31 million to 33 million square kilometers.” This is a huge gain since we spent so many years prior to this slashing and burning our precious forests.

Statistics from: https://psmag.com/environment/the-planet-now-has-more-trees-than-it-did-35-years-ago

“But what about all the trees we still cut down? How much of the tree gets wasted? How do we know companies are doing trying to log sustaniabily?” were all questions I had on this topic, but I was glad to learn that logging companies use almost the entire tree after it gets cut down. In fact, technology has gotten so good, that the trees go through a scanner that alerts the tree cutter (not the technical name, but you get the point) how to cut the tree in the most economically efficient way. This way, every inch of the tree gets used and turned into lumber! Also, the scraps, which account for about 11-12% of the tree, gets turned into energy to power the plant– now that’s efficient.

So, moral of the story, logging is not the end of the world when done sustainably. However, I am not promoting you go out and cut down a bunch of trees, because in the end, every tree counts. #savetheplanet!

Is Wood Replacing Steel?

Yes, this is a picture of a wooden skyscraper. Cities produce so many carbon emissions, isn’t it logical to build structures that can counteract some of the CO2 by absorbing it? “But isn’t the building going to burn? Won’t the wood snap?” These are logical questions. But with engineered wood, the sky is the limit (see what I did there?). For example, the University of Maryland is working on a technology known as Densified Wood, and this wood is “strong as steel.” How do they do it? a chemical bath and a hot-press. In fact, this is how they did it (simplified): “…the team pressed the block — like a panini sandwich — at 100 ºC for a day. The result: a wooden plank one-fifth the thickness, but three times the density of natural wood — and 11.5 times stronger.” WOW! Who knew it could be that easy to turn wood, a biorenewable resource, into something that could potentially be building our next skyscrapers?

Quote and statistics from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-01600-6

Wood is the future of construction. There, I said it. I confidently believe that with the advancing technology we have, we are going to make this happen. Why should we replace steel and concrete with wood, you may ask. Well, it’s simple:

1. Wood is environmentally friendly. Steel and concrete account for 16% of carbon emissions globally. Yikes.
2. Wood is cost effective. Similar price to steel but it’s lighter, so you can do more with less of it. Boom. Cost saving.
3. It’s renewable. Wood is something we can keep growing, steel is not. Think about it.

Quote and statistics from: https://futurism.com/three-reasons-skyscraper-wood

And that’s a wrap!

Thanks for reading, guys. I hope your mind was opened to new knowledge and you can take something away from this article. See you next week!

Works Cited:

“Crushed Wood is Stronger than Steel” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-01600-6

“Forest and Carbon Capture” http://www.sicirec.org/definitions/carbon-capture

“Three Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea to Build a Skyscraper Out of Wood” https://futurism.com/three-reasons-skyscraper-wood

“The Planet Has More Trees Now than it Did 35 Years Ago” https://psmag.com/environment/the-planet-now-has-more-trees-than-it-did-35-years-ago

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.