Since We Last Spoke: A Bright Future for Biochar
Updates to stories from the Pacific Standard archive.
Biomass
Why Are America's Wetlands Being Destroyed in the Name of Renewable Energy?
Conservation groups report that wetland forests are being drained, logged, burned, shipped across the Atlantic, and converted to monoculture pine plantations to create woody biomass.
The Future of Biomass After Paris
Amid conflicting assessments of the Paris Agreement, two things are clear: World governments still love carbon markets, and COP21 went a long way toward simply giving slash-and-burn agriculture a makeover.
Not Ready for Prime Time: Making Fuel Out of Invasive Plants
When it comes to making ethanol, taking a hard, second look at seemingly great ideas is smart policy.
Laboratory Looks at California’s Energy Future
John Lennon said imagining world peace is easy if you try. Imagining the energy makeup of a country four decades from now may be a little more difficult.
The Sourdough Approach to Biomass
If you want to be greener than green when harvesting woody biomass for energy production make sure to leave a little bit behind.
Trash Crops to Cash Crops
Two guys in a pickup truck brewing fuel from farmed trees and grasses aim to show Americans that switching to alternative fuels is a viable option right now.
Making Hay From Woody Waste
Biomass, for those areas with a reliable supply of woody waste, could be a dream source of renewable energy and the ideal enemy of carbon release. If only someone would try it ...