Here is the beginning of the long-running

Greening of America email thread, a post by
Valdosta City Council member James R. Wright.
This is what
Brad Lofton sent his non sequitur response to,
and it is also what prompted my
It’s an opportunity policy proposals.
Here’s

the powerpoint councilmember Wright seems to be referring to.
-jsq

Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:11:48 -0400

I thought you all might find this power point article interesting. It
was sent to me by a group representing local small farmers who are
looking into growing bio-crops for economic opportunities to feed their
families. The information below is from the power point presentation.

THE GREENING OF BLACK AMERICA INITIATIVE:

Generating Economic Opportunities for Low-Wealth, Minority Rural
Communities

Growing Bio-Crops for Sale

Farmers and Producers can grow bio-crops or fast growing trees, which
they can sell to companies, like ours, which wish to convert that
biomass into fuels or energy.

Some things to keep in mind are the cost to produce the
crop, how much biomass is produced per acre and the logistics of
shipping it to customers and their needs.

• Untreated biomass is approximately 50% water, it is bulky and it
  is not, at the point of harvest, in its most efficient or useable form.
  Torrefaction:
  
  
  • Drives off most of the water
  • Reduces the bulk
  • Makes a far superior co-fire fuel to burn with coal
  • Makes superior briquettes and pellets, etc.
• Torrefaction, used near the point of harvest:
  • Reduces transportation costs of biomass, per BTU
  • Produces a more valuable material to ship

Sincerely,

Councilman James Wright

Valdosta City Council, District 1

City Of Valdosta

P.O. Box 1125

216 E. Central Ave.

Valdosta, GA 31603

jwright@valdostacity.com

www.valdostacity.com

Valdosta…A City Without Limits