Bioenergy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bioenergy - Term Paper Example When forests are managed sustainably, their biodiversity, vitality, productivity, and capacity to regenerate both at present and in the future is conserved. As a result, the forests maintain their capacity to perform social, economic, ecologic functions without interfering with other ecosystems negatively at the local, national and global levels. There are several challenges to sustainable use of forest-derived bioenergy sources including the land-use conflict and land availability in many areas (Oko Institut 10). When selective logging is done at a rate that is sustainable, the forest is bound to be conserved. By adopting Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) practices such as establishing buffer zones along watersheds and streams, applying modern technologies to mitigate effects of log extraction and careful planning of the forest to prevent forest encroachment by humans, the productivity of the forest will be sustained according to CBD (Oko Institut, 8). Even as forest resources are harves ted, the way they are used determines the how much sustainable the resources will last. Wood products can be recycled to reduce the rate at which forests are harvested. Furthermore, when agro-forest bi-products and residues such as leaves, husks, shells, and straw are used in producing energy, the rate at which felling of trees is done can be greatly reduced. Developing countries have a lot of forest resources compared to developed countries according to Tomaselli (V). In this respect, the capacity of developing nations to produce high amounts of bioenergy compared to developed countries. However, with respect to sustainability, the developing countries have a long way to go. This is so considering that the policies instituted by their governments with an aim of making sustainable development are never well implemented. Furthermore, the technologies that they commonly use in the production and application of the energies are less efficient. In overall, both developed and underdevelo ped countries have a huge capacity to increase their share of forest bioenergy production, the former having the need to capitalize on the technological advantage that they have. 2. Realizing the potential a. Compare and contrast developed and less developed countries with respect to the potential for increasing the share of energy supplied by forest resources. Both developed and developing countries to some extent depend on forest resources to provide energy used in industries and for domestic purposes. However, forest resources can easily get depleted when used in a manner that is unsustainable whether in developed or underdeveloped countries. Forest derived bio-energy in most places is used in the form of fuel wood or charcoal. In developed countries, using biofuels including those from forests has often been considered old fashioned, its share in the national economy grossly declining until the period succeeding the oil crisis that hit the world in the 1970s. However, production of this kind of energy has been on the steady rise following growing concerns related to climate change, and the development of new biomass technologies among other factors. Following several studies conducted on the potential of bioenergy on a global scale taking into consideration population, yield and agricultural factors, it has been realized Africa and