Plantation trees fit full carbon cycle fuel future

摘要

Aplan that involves large-scale planting of trees on just under seven per cent of Australia's land mass could be the answer to the challenges of providing fuel security for the future, dramatically reducing Australia's carbon dioxide emissions, and reinvigorating rural communities. Futures analyst Barney Foran is advocating that, by 2050, 50 million hectares of trees and shrubs be planted in Australia primarily on private farmland across the wheat/sheep belt of eastern Australia and southern WesternAustralia. These trees would be used to produce biofuel (bio-alcohol either ethanol or methanol) with the expected carbon tax used to offset the "start-up" costs and development costs of the new technology required for such a venture.