Marin Conservation League
Climate Action Working Group Meeting
Wednesday 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Zoom Meeting

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwoduysrDMsGt16JMYC3r6_mA1R0EYqLgKn

Pathways to Improved Biomass Utilization in Marin

A presentation of MCL’s Climate Action Working Group and the Ecologically Sound Practices Partnership

How can we responsibly make the best use of all of the vegetation we are removing from our residential and agricultural areas and our parklands, in part to reduce the risk of wildfire?  Participants in the Marin Biomass Project will share findings and recommendations from their multi-year study. The Project addresses increasing flows of biomass (organic) materials generated by wildfire prevention activities and by landfill diversion efforts in the County. These materials include woody biomass resulting from woodland thinning and landscape trimmings to source-separated and mixed organic streams arising from the collection of metropolitan wood debris, food scraps, yard materials, and agricultural biomass.

The Study identifies a system of biomass utilization pathways capable of processing Marin’s expected biomass flows over the next ten years, which are increasing due to wildfire prevention and landfill diversion programs. It compares the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Marin’s current system and this alternative set of pathways, and provides a financial viability and public investment analysis for the proposed system.

This project has been supported by the Marin Resource Conservation District, the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Investment (LCI), and the Marin Climate Action Network (MarinCAN). The Project has also formed a Marin Biomass Collaborative, a broad group of stakeholders who have provided feedback on draft chapters of the Study and insights into implementation of Study recommendations.

We will hear from Chad White who is the Project Manager of the Marin Biomass Study.  Chad is an environmental scientist working on the development of biomass recycling in the Bay Area. He holds a doctorate in energy and resources from UC Berkeley and a degree in chemical engineering from The University of Michigan. He has previously worked as a civil servant, a program-lead with sustainability management consultancies, and a university faculty member in environmental studies departments.