On the Road to a Bioeconomy
WSU Agricultural Research Center:
Feed the World,
Power the Planet
For generations, America’s agricultural industry has been challenged to increase production “to feed the world.” Today, agriculture is being called upon not only to continue feeding the world, but also to help power the planet with new petroleum- replacing products and sources of energy. Scientists in the Washington State University (WSU) Agricultural Research Center (ARC), focused on both agriculture and forestry, are actively working to bring the benefits of the emerging bioeconomy to Washington with world-class research and innovation.
The principles are simple. Plants capture the abundant energy of the sun and store it in their seeds, stalks, branches, and roots. Animals consume plants, partially use the energy they contain, but leave a lot behind. Add humans to the mix, and you end up with large quantities of what scientists see as energetically valuable materials but most people call waste products, from lawns, gardens, paper, and cardboard. The issue? How to extract and use that stored energy in ways that preserve the environment, pump the economy, and decrease dependence on foreign oil.
WSU scientists are exploring ways to address the issue by converting plant components and waste from animals, food, and wood-processing operations into fuels, electricity, and other useful bioproducts. The new, environmentally beneficial and sustainable bioproducts, biofuels, and bioenergy industries that result are becoming important sources of jobs and economic development for Washington State, the nation, and the world.
Here are just a few highlights of the research internationally recognized faculty scientists in WSU’s ARC are conducting. In partnership with faculty members from across the university and federal scientists from the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Department of Energy’s national laboratories, they are working to meet the research needs of the emerging biofuel and bioproducts industries. The national Biomass Research and Development Initiative’s Roadmap for Bioenergy and Biobased Products in the United States is the guide for this journey; energy independence is the destination.
- Feed the World, Power the Planet
- Laying the Foundation for Change
- Feedstock System Development
- Processing and Conversion
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Infrastructure
- End-Use Markets
View the brochure in PDF format here.
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