Abstract
Because of its large population and rapidly growing economy, China is confronting a serious energy shortage and daunting environmental problems. An increased use of fuels derived from biomass could relieve some demand for nonrenewable sources of energy while providing environmental benefits in terms of cleaner air and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases. In 2003, China generated about 25.9 × 108 metric tons of industrial waste (liquid + solid), 14.7 × 108 metric tons/year (t/y) of manure (livestock + human), 7.1 × 108 t/y of crop residues and food-processing byproducts, 2 × 108 t/y of fuelwood and wood manufacturing residues, and 1.5 × 108 t/y of municipal waste. Biofuels derived from these materials could potentially displace the use of about 4.12 × 108 t/y of coal and 3.75 × 106 t/y of petroleum. An increased bioenergy use of this magnitude would help to reduce the emissions of key air pollutants: SO2 by 11.6 × 106 t/y, NOX by 1.48 × 106 t/y, CO2 by 1.07 × 109 t/y, and CH4 by 50 × 106 t/y. The reduced SO2 emissions would be equivalent to 54% of the national emissions in 2003, whereas those for CO2 are 30%. It is important to recognize, however, that large increases in the use of biomass fuels also could result in socioeconomic and environmental problems such as less production of food and damage caused to natural habitats.
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Acknowledgments
Support for Fan Shu-Yang as a Visiting Scholar at Dalhousie University was provided by the Government of the Peoples’ Republic of China. Support for Bill Freedman was provided under a Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada. The following people provided invaluable advice and support: Roger Samson, Executive Director of Resource Efficient Agriculture Production, Montreal; Li Wanzhong, Director General, and Zhao Jun, Department Chief, Inner Mongolia Environmental Protection Bureau; and Liu Zhongling, Professor, Inner Mongolia University.
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Fan, S., Freedman, B. & Gao, J. Potential Environmental Benefits from Increased Use of Bioenergy in China. Environmental Management 40, 504–515 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0116-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0116-y