Author, Affiliation, Date:
Jessica Kitchin, Daily Progress, 31 March 2006
Body:
Energy experts painted a bleak picture to a crowd of several dozen people Thursday night as they described the questionable future of oil for an oil-dependent society.
Then the outlook brightened.
“I hope that after tonight, you and others who follow [energy debate in Virginia] will be able to say that the alternative to off-shore drilling is on-shore growing,� said Al Weed, chairman of Public Policy Virginia. The progressive non-profit group sponsored the discussion, called “Biofuels: for America’s Environment, Economy and Security,� at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist in Charlottesville.
The presentation involved a look at the current energy situation as well as a snapshot of some biofuel alternatives, including the use of switchgrass and biodiesel to create power in a world where there are an estimated 1.5 billion heavy oil users.
Tom Whipple, editor of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil’s weekly newsletter, was the first to speak. He described what he sees as the end of cheap oil in the near future. “We’re facing a liquid energy crisis,� he said.
The world is not running out of oil itself, he said. Rather, it is running out of the capacity to get oil out of the ground and into people’s gas tanks. “There’s some number at which you’ll stop [buying gas],� he said. “We all have our price.�
Whether society has reached “Peak Oil� - the point at which the world oil production reaches its maximum - is questionable, but Whipple said people had better be prepared. “You won’t know you’re there until you’re looking back over your shoulder at it,� he said.
Following his remarks, Jeff Waldon, executive director of the Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech, spoke about the potential for switchgrass to be burned and used as an energy source. He focused less on energy potential than protecting animal habitats and the economic viability of farms. “I’m coming at it from the farm perspective, from the wildlife perspective,� he said. “To me, that means a great deal.�
Switchgrass fields, he explained, are important habitats for quail, cottontail rabbits, sparrows, meadowlarks and other animals. Additionally, he said, creating a market for switchgrass could keep farmers - particularly those in Southside Virginia - in business. “They need help, to be honest,� he said.
Waldon, Weed and Kevin Comer, of the energy-consulting firm Antares, spoke about the decreased pollution that would come from switchgrass energy, as well as the economic viability of the option. Comer showed photos of a coal power plant in Iowa that has developed a switchgrass co-firing project. Under the test run, 2.5 percent of the energy comes from switchgrass, which Comer said has decreased the levels of several pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain.
Chad Freckmann, of Blue Ridge Clean Fuels, continued the discussion by talking about the potential for biodiesel fuel in vehicle power. The feasibility and pollution reduction are there, he said, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. “There’s no silver bullet in all of this.�
Audience members questioned the speakers about whether the net gains in pollution and cost would be worth it. The speakers generally agreed that there would be decreased pollution if there were a transition to biofuels. On the economic side, the speakers said viability was more complicated, but is possible, particularly in a state where farmland is so abundant and many farmers are struggling.
For more information on the discussion, log on to www.ppvir.org.
Contact Jessica Kitchin at (434) 978-7263 or jkitchin@dailyprogress.com
Link to original posting
Jessica Kitchin, Daily Progress, 31 March 2006
Energy experts painted a bleak picture to a crowd of several dozen people Thursday night as they described the questionable future of oil for an oil-dependent society.
Then the outlook brightened.
“I hope that after tonight, you and others who follow [energy debate in Virginia] will be able to say that the alternative to off-shore drilling is on-shore growing,� said Al Weed, chairman of Public Policy Virginia. The progressive non-profit group sponsored the discussion, called “Biofuels: for America’s Environment, Economy and Security,� at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist in Charlottesville.
The presentation involved a look at the current energy situation as well as a snapshot of some biofuel alternatives, including the use of switchgrass and biodiesel to create power in a world where there are an estimated 1.5 billion heavy oil users.
Tom Whipple, editor of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil’s weekly newsletter, was the first to speak. He described what he sees as the end of cheap oil in the near future. “We’re facing a liquid energy crisis,� he said.
The world is not running out of oil itself, he said. Rather, it is running out of the capacity to get oil out of the ground and into people’s gas tanks. “There’s some number at which you’ll stop [buying gas],� he said. “We all have our price.�
Whether society has reached “Peak Oil� - the point at which the world oil production reaches its maximum - is questionable, but Whipple said people had better be prepared. “You won’t know you’re there until you’re looking back over your shoulder at it,� he said.
Following his remarks, Jeff Waldon, executive director of the Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech, spoke about the potential for switchgrass to be burned and used as an energy source. He focused less on energy potential than protecting animal habitats and the economic viability of farms. “I’m coming at it from the farm perspective, from the wildlife perspective,� he said. “To me, that means a great deal.�
Switchgrass fields, he explained, are important habitats for quail, cottontail rabbits, sparrows, meadowlarks and other animals. Additionally, he said, creating a market for switchgrass could keep farmers - particularly those in Southside Virginia - in business. “They need help, to be honest,� he said.
Waldon, Weed and Kevin Comer, of the energy-consulting firm Antares, spoke about the decreased pollution that would come from switchgrass energy, as well as the economic viability of the option. Comer showed photos of a coal power plant in Iowa that has developed a switchgrass co-firing project. Under the test run, 2.5 percent of the energy comes from switchgrass, which Comer said has decreased the levels of several pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain.
Chad Freckmann, of Blue Ridge Clean Fuels, continued the discussion by talking about the potential for biodiesel fuel in vehicle power. The feasibility and pollution reduction are there, he said, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. “There’s no silver bullet in all of this.�
Audience members questioned the speakers about whether the net gains in pollution and cost would be worth it. The speakers generally agreed that there would be decreased pollution if there were a transition to biofuels. On the economic side, the speakers said viability was more complicated, but is possible, particularly in a state where farmland is so abundant and many farmers are struggling.
For more information on the discussion, log on to www.ppvir.org.
Contact Jessica Kitchin at (434) 978-7263 or jkitchin@dailyprogress.com
Link to original posting
