NCSAF Luncheon

Forest Biomass for Bioenergy: Implications for Sustainable Forestry in the Southeastern United States

This event is co-hosted by the Washington Academy of Sciences and
the National Capital Society of American Foresters

When:   Thursday, June 12, 2008, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Where:  American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1200 New York Ave NW Washington, DC 20005, Ableson/Haskins Conference Room, 2nd Floor

Cost:  $5 person (supports luncheon series).  Please feel free to bring your own lunch to this lecture, as a catered lunch will not be included in this event.      

Speaker:  Dr. Janaki Alavalapati - Professor of Forest Resource Economics and Policy in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC), University of Florida; Also currently serving as a Senior Advisor for International Energy Affairs at the US Department of State.   

Lecture Summary:  Biofuel targets specified within the Energy Independent and Security Act 2007, food security concerns over with the use of food commodities for biofuels, greater energetic and emission reduction benefits associated with cellulosic biofuels, and forest health and economic benefits of removing small diameter trees are providing impetus for forest bioenergy. This presentation presents environmental and economic aspects of utilizing pine biomass for energy in the U.S. South. Energy balance, emissions, and unit cost of ethanol production from slash pine biomass will be presented. Challenges of utilizing forest biomass for bioenergy and opportunities to overcome them will be discussed. On-going activities, within the U.S. and abroad, to promote sustainability of bioenergy will be reviewed.

Speaker Biography:  Janaki Alavalapati is a Professor of Forest Resource Economics and Policy in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC) at the University of Florida. He is also a Research Foundation Professor and an affiliate faculty member in the Food and Resource Economics Department, School of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Center for Latin American Studies. Currently, as a Jefferson Science Fellow, he is serving as a Senior Advisor for International Energy Affairs at the US Department of State. He will take up the Head of the Department of Forestry position at Virginia Tech starting August 18, 2008.

His research focuses on exploring market solutions for natural resources, bioenergy, and climate change issues at local, regional, and international level. He has three masters in Botany, Forestry, and Rural Sociology and a PhD in Forest Resource Economics.

Dr. Alavalapati serves as a member of the Editorial Board of Forest Policy and Economics journal, Deputy Coordinator, Social and Economic Aspects of Forestry Unit, International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the chair of Economics, Policy, and Law Working Group of the Society of American Foresters (SAF), and a member of the Policy and Legislative Committee of the Florida SAF.

He served as an Associate Editor of Forest Science and Canadian Journal of Forest Research journals; a Guest Editor for Forest Policy and Economics; and a member of the editorial board of Agroforestry Systems. He also served as a consultant to the Forest Management Trust and Chemonics International, Inc. (USA) and the International Institute for Environment and Development (UK).

RSVP, June 9, 2008 to Terri Bates at batesmt@verizon.net.