Interview with Matthew McCandless

On February 7th, I interview Matthew McCandless, a project manager who specializes in next generation biofuels at the International Institute of Sustainable Development. I just learned of the existence of this institute a couple months ago - it is so incredible to have such an important organization based right here in Winnipeg! Matthew was really helpful by explaining how viable a biofuel-based economy could be, why it is necessary that we beginning developing sustainable energy sources such as biofuels, and why biofuels are more effective than other "green energies" such as solar, wind, and hydro.

The most interesting part of the interview was when Matthew was describing the advantages to biofuels over petroleum and other green energies. He explained that "what they can be made from can depend on where they are being made." For example, in Manitoba it would be possible to restore wetlands to grow cattails for use as a biofuel. This is advantageous not only because it is possible to create biofuels in creative ways that do not interfere with the food supply, but also because this would decentralize the energy industry. Matthew described how currently in Western Canada most of our petroleum comes from the Northern Alberta oil sands, while in Eastern Canada most of their petroleum comes from overseas. All of this transportation produces a lot of emissions, only for us to create more emissions when we burn the fuel! Having region biofuel operations would eliminate the need for such massive transportation projects such as the Northern Gateway Pipeline to move fuel from the site of production to the site of consumption. 

One element of this discussion that I have not considered, but that I think it important, is the economic impact of a biofuels. The petroleum industry is of course a huge employer, and it contributes significantly to Canada's as well as many other country's GDP. What would the impact be if we reduced our reliance on petroleum? This is a question that I will try to answer in the coming weeks. 

Pitch to the Winnipeg Free Press

On January 30th, I pitched my piece to Gerald Flood, the editor of the Winnipeg Free Press' "Opinions/Analysis" section. Although my piece will not be written as an opinion piece (as in I will not be stating "I think ... etc"), due to the obvious spinning slant that I am giving my piece in favour of further research into sustainable energies rather than into pipeline developments, I believe that it would be fit with Mr Flood's section.

Mr Flood responded promptly, stating that he would like me to send him the completed article as he could not tell if he would want it in his section or not after reading my pitch. He also added that he was skeptical about the idea of biofuels as an alternative to petroleum fuel. I have been feeling a bit uneasy about this as well. I believe that biofuels could function as one energy alternative, but that we would need to rely on other energy alternatives as well if we want to completely phase out oil consumption. My idea remains that biofuels are a good place to start, but I may try and focus more on the idea of developing these energy alternatives rather than continue investing in petroleum production and transportation when we know that it is unsustainable.

Interview with Umesh Ramachandran

On January 28th, I had the pleasure of speaking with Umesh Ramachandran, a researcher at the University of Manitoba. He has done a lot of research into developing biofuels from cellulose, and other waste materials. These biofuels are called next generation biofuels, which is an important distinction to make, because unlike first generation biofuels (those made from plant items such as corn, soybean, and wheat), next generation biofuels do not divert materials from the food supply. Highlighting this point will be important in my article, as the food versus fuel argument is a main obstacle to convincing the general public that biofuels are a viable alternative to petroleum-based fuels.

Umesh was extremely helpful, and was open to answering all of my questions, no matter how silly they may have seemed. During our hour long (!!!) chat, he touched upon his research into biofuels, as well as why he believes that it is necessary for us to develop energy alternatives. He said many quotable things regarding the development of biofuels, such as "the technology is there, it’s just a matter of the right combination of bacteria to do the work." After our interviews I really felt like I had a better grasp of what a biofuel is, and what people are doing to develop biofuel technologies. Following the interview, I also felt very positive about this project, as Umesh repeatedly emphasised that the technologies necessary to use biofuels on a wide scale are available, but that more support from the public and funding from the government is necessary to develop these technologies.