4 minute read
THE LAST WORD
By Murray McLaughlin
The BioEconomy and Sustainability
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Role of CellulosiC Biomass
Murray McLaughlin
is Executive Director of the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre and President and CEO of the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance.
In my area of bioindustrial development we see our vast Canadian resources in agriculture and forestry that provide tremendous amounts of biomass which is not used today - Forestry bark; sawdust; straw (wheat, barley, etc.); corn stover; and purpose grown crops. Some people call it waste, some underutilized opportunity - regardless it is biomass that creates opportunities to create more sustainability for the future.
There are those that question the efforts to work with biomass and convert it to chemicals, energy, biofuels, and biomaterials because they are unsure of the long term sustainability and meeting the promises made or the costs of getting there. Certainly in Canada, it has become very clear that our forestry industry will not be sustainable without moving to a broader focus on bioindustrial opportunities - chemicals, fuels, energy, new uses for wood, and improved processes from our present biorefineries for wood.
In agriculture the use of our biomass is a new component of our farm production that is being recognized as a way to improve the bottom line at the farm gate. As Atul Bali, Competitive Green Technologies, describes it - “We need to think of agriculture (and forestry), not just at the farm and traditional uses of crops, but think BEYOND.” Where can we see products from agriculture impact our daily lives - automobiles, planes; clothing, tires, furniture, plastics, paints; cosmetics, running shoes, and the list goes on. Think about making products sustainably and you can understand the importance of agriculture and forestry, (the producers of cellulose); in the 21st Century (The Sustainable Century).
I do worry about our ability in Canada to really move to building sustainable industries from cellulose biomass because we are not willing to step up and support the movement in the ways needed, - be it funding for Research and Development; investments for start-ups; ensuring our regulatory system is modernized to handle new technologies in a expeditious and timely manner; having appropriate taxation; etc. to ensure Canada is business friendly. However, let me put worry in context, because it reflects the Canadian cautious way of always getting to the right decision, so I am fully confident that we will make the decisions needed to be the global leader in cellulosic biomass as a key part of our bioeconomy.
So here I am talking about the importance of sustainability for our cellulosic industry and the importance it has in ensuring a future for agriculture and forestry that will be viable long term.
However, I am assuming everyone thinks about sustainability the same way, and as we all know, we should never “assume.”
We hear the words “sustainable” and “sustainability” on a regular bases, but what does it mean? Is it about people and culture, our environment, jobs or money? Is it about urban or rural? Is it something for you and me or others to worry about? In actual fact, sustainability is about all of the above and more. It is about taking what we need to live now, without jeopardizing the potential for people in the future to meet their needs. A sustainable activity should be able to continue forever.
Bringing this back to the discussion on cellulosic biomass and its importance to the forestry and agriculture industry, it is just as important to a sustainable bioeconomy. Hence at Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) we are strongly focused on the development of green and sustainable technologies for the future and cellulosic biomass is a key part of that focus.
Looking at the knowledge we have gained about biomass and biomass opportunities, many will think that we are on the verge of break through ideas, however that is the easy part and is already done - our challenge now is to implement the ideas by staying focused on the tasks.
Greg Van Alstyne, futurist, stated “The secret to achieving breakthrough is to grasp and combine the “normal” and the “new”. Innovation is inevitably “the new normal.” This quote fits nicely with cellulosic biomass and its use to create the new normal in agriculture and forestry - sustainability for the 21st Century.
As my friend Don McCabe, farmer and VP of Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) would tell you, when he hears the term “Biomass (corn stover, straw, etc.) is just a waste material”, he will quickly correct you - “In agriculture there is no such thing as waste, just underutilized resources waiting for us to find the right opportunity.”
So, cellulosic biomass is the opportunity for us to add value to Canadian agriculture and forestry. We need to recognize this and move forward with the right programs to ensure Canada is a Global Leader in the bioeconomy. This is important to creating the sustainability needed to ensure agriculture and forestry continue to be thriving industries.
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