Post-harvest carbon emissions and sequestration in southern United States forest industries
Whether the forest industries in the southern United States are net emitters or sequesters of carbon from the atmosphere depends on one`s viewpoint. In the short-term, the solid-wood industries-lumber, plywood, and panels--appear to sequester more carbon than is in the fossil fuels they use for processing. The paper industries, however, emit more carbon from fossil fuels than they sequester in the pulp and paper they manufacture. This viewpoint is quite limited. If one considers the life-cycles of solid-wood and paper products from seedlings to landfill, these industries sequester more carbon than they emit from burning fossil fuels. These industries also generate large amounts of energy by replacing fossil fuels with biofuels from processing residues, and wood-based products produce more energy from incineration and landfill gases. Use of the carbon in these biofuels in effect keeps fossil fuel carbon in the ground, considering that at least that amount of carbon would be emitted in producing alternative materials. Another way of looking the emission balances is that wood-based materials, pound for pound or use for use, are the most {open_quotes}carbon efficient{close_quotes} group of major industrial materials. 5 refs., 12 figs.
- Research Organization:
- International Climate Change Partnership, Arlington, VA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 577050
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970687-PROC.; ON: DE98003129; TRN: 98:001159-0014
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International climate change conference and technologies exhibition, Baltimore, MD (United States), 12-13 Jun 1997; Other Information: PBD: [1997]; Related Information: Is Part Of Incorporating climate change into corporate business strategies. Conference proceedings; PB: 195 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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