If climate change is the problem, we are part of the solution!

Editor's Note: This is the second of an occasional series on the management of technical and business issues in the paper industry.

In November 2001, a group of nations met in Mar. rakesh, Morocco. Their goal was to resolve a number of contentious obstacles to ratifying and implementing the Kyoto Protocol. The Protocol sets near-term limits on greenhouse gas emissions from developed countries and envisions various mechanisms to encourage emission reductions from the developing world. The list of participating countries is currently missing some key names--in particular, the United States--and many details remain unresolved.

In addition, the science behind global warming continues to be fiercely debated. Nevertheless, there is considerable momentum for action to control carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) and other "greenhouse gases" through the Kyoto Protocol and other governmental and non-governmental initiatives. This momentum may significantly affect the paper industry, it is fortunate, therefore, that two strong suits of the forest products industry--biomass energy production and carbon sequestration-are almost universally viewed as important C[O.sub.2] control strategies.

WHY BIOMASS?

Why are biomass fuels part of the solution? Because they contain carbon already cycling between the atmosphere and the biosphere--the thin layer of the Earth's surface that supports life. By contrast, fossil fuels are extracted from geologic reserves and release "new" CO, into the atmosphere and biosphere. Fossil fuel combustion is the primary factor responsible for observed increases in atmospheric C[O.sub.2] concentration during the past century. By relying heavily on biomass fuels, the forest products industry helps satisfy energy demands that would otherwise be met by fossil fuels. Reducing fossil fuel consumption is a key motivation behind climate change policies promoting the use of biomass energy.

The forest products industries in the United States, Canada, and Europe already obtain approximately half of their energy from biomass. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), wood is the source of almost 80% of the biomass fuel used in the United States, and the forest products industry accounts for the vast majority.

Our industry's positive rote in the global carbon cycle extends beyond biomass fuels. In North America and elsewhere, large quantifies of carbon are stored in forests, forest products, and wood-derived wastes. As the overall amount of carbon stored in these sinks increases, an equivalent amount of C[O.sub.2] is removed from the atmosphere.

At present, the amount of carbon stored in U.S. forest products is increasing by about 15 million metric tons/year--almost enough to offset the fossil C[O.sub.2] emissions from all U.S. pulp, paper, paperboard, and wood products facilities combined. Carbon sequestration in all U.S. forests and forest product sinks is about 200 to 300 million metric tons/year, equivalent to about 13% to 20% of U.S. C[O.sub.2] emissions from all sources.

GOOD TRACK RECORD

Fossil fuels are, and will continue to be, important sources of energy in the forest products industry, but the industry is making progress in reducing this source of greenhouse emissions. Using USDOE and AF&PA statistics, NCASI estimates that the U.S. industry's greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels were essentially unchanged from 1991 to 1998 despite substantial increases in production, resulting in a 15% reduction in fossil C[O.sub.2] emissions per ton of production. The Forest Products Association of Canada estimates that, between 1990 and 1997, the Canadian industry's emissions declined by 12% despite significant increases in industry production over this period.

The forest products industry did not have to reinvent itself to respond to concerns about climate change. Biomass fuels and carbon sequestration have long been key components of our industry's sustainability. We are uniquely positioned to play a constructive role in the development of technologies and policies to address the climate change issue.

Reid A. Miner is vice able manufacturing of NCASI, Durham, North Carolina, USA, and is a member of the TAPPI Editorial Board. Contact him at [phone], or by email at [e-mail]

Alan Lucier is senior vice president of NCASI, Durham, North Carolina, USA. Contact him at [phone], or by e-mail or [e-mail]