Archive for July, 2011
A Glance at Biomass Wastes
Biomass energy projects provide major business opportunities, environmental benefits, and rural development. Feedstocks can be obtained from a wide array of sources without jeopardizing the food and feed supply, forests, and biodiversity in the world.
Agricultural Residues
Crop residues encompasses all agricultural wastes such as bagasse, straw, stem, stalk, leaves, husk, shell, peel, pulp, stubble, etc. Large quantities of crop residues are produced annually worldwide, and are vastly underutilised. Rice produces both straw and rice husks at the processing plant which can be conveniently and easily converted into energy. Significant quantities of biomass remain in the fields in the form of cob when maize is harvested which can be converted into energy. Sugar cane harvesting leads to harvest residues in the fields while processing produces fibrous bagasse, both of which are good sources of energy. Harvesting and processing of coconuts produces quantities of shell and fibre that can be utilized.
Tags: agricultural residues, biomass wastes, farming practice, rice husks, wood charcoal
World Bank Optimistic on the Sustainability of China’s Economy
The World Bank released a quarterly report on China on Wednesday, analyzing different aspects of China’s economic growth and policies, as well as forecasting future trends and providing policy prescriptions to advance economic sustainability.
The report observes that economic growth has somewhat leveled off to a rate of 9.6 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of this year, with shifts in the dynamics of the economy.
Domestic consumption and investments have slowed slightly, and China continues to lead in exports, but lags in imports, increasing the existing trade surplus.
Tags: domestic consumption, economic sustainability, policy prescription, policy prescriptions, sustainable economic growth