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Seminars
Mythology
and Ecology of Biomass Production
Professor Tadeusz W. Patzek
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of California - Berkeley
When: Friday, December 1, 2006
Time: 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Where: 309 Sewall Hall
Abstract:
Humanity faces at least three major problems that must be overcome if we
are to avoid social and ecological collapse on a global scale. First,
we must create an energy supply system that will be commensurate
with the earth’s
ability to sustain it.
Second, we must create an ecologically sustainable agriculture.
Third we must provide people with enough clean water.
In my
seminar, I will discuss the total failure to address
these problems in the US, and how we fool ourselves that biomass-derived
liquid fuels will make
a dent in the current runaway energy consumption in the
US. I will focus attention on the biomass production and consumption
issues. I will also
point out that biomass extraction from the tropics will
accelerate and worsen the consequences of global climate change,
while
never solving the much
smaller problem of liquid fuel supply. My examples will
be
from Brazil and Indonesia.
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