This message was sent to ##Email##
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Bonner County Daily Bee
Congress' bipartisan spending agreement could fund federal government operations for less than a year, but its effects on climate policy could persist through future presidential administrations. Page 902 of the appropriations bill directs several federal agencies to develop consistent policies that would, in many circumstances, define wood energy as being as friendly for the climate as solar or wind power, despite its heavy climate impacts.
READ MORE
FPS
This year's theme of the 71st International Convention in June is "The Future of the Global Forest Products Industry" and takes place in Mississippi's "Golden Triangle," as featured on a "60 Minutes" segment earlier this year. This eastern-central-portion of Mississippi with a population of more than 128.000, is full of forest-based industry including new greenfield facilities. The forest industry of the region is anchored by the world-renowned Mississippi State University Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, providing a thought leadership and potential employees for the forest products industry.
REGISTER HERE to see for yourself the forest industry boom that has led to a resurgence in the area. Two of the speakers will be Bill Renick and Bill Martin, who will be representing "The Hospitality State" with sessions on "Workforce Development in Mississippi" and "The Mississippi Furniture Industry," respectively. The details of their success will be spelled out at IC '17, June 26-28, in Starkville, Mississippi.
Mississippi State University (MSU) launched the Mississippi Furniture Academy earlier this year. This innovative manufacturing-skills certification program was created as part of a workforce development initiative. The university has partnered with two community colleges and a myriad of other dedicated organizations to germinate a new credentialed program providing training to produce more and better-prepared workers; the program is designed to equip individuals for a furniture career.
The curriculum is comprised of 28 hours of coursework in furniture manufacturing, teamwork and problem solving, work ethics, financial awareness and life skills, work keys, OSHA 10 certification and job pass certification. The first program started in February 2017 at the two-partner community colleges and its satellite campuses, which cover about 90 percent of the cluster of Mississippi furniture manufacturers, according to Bill Martin, director of the Franklin Furniture Institute at MSU. Join us at IC '17 to learn more.
FPS
Academic, engineer, business and industrial professionals interested in learning about the exciting opportunities offered by lignocellulosic nanomaterials and nanocomposites should attend this workshop at the Forest Products Lab in Madison, Wisconsin. You will leave with a strong understanding of the enormous potential of these materials, as well as some of the associated challenges. The workshop will provide a good foundation for anyone looking to begin research in this area or to incorporate these materials into products. More info here.
Eight experts will offer you broad perspective of cellulose nanomaterials and a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges to produce and use them. Workshop attendees will also tour the USDA Forest Service Cellulose Nanocrystal Pilot Facility.
Please contact FPS Member Connection at 855-475-0291 to get signed up for the 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. workshop at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison. Workshop cost of $115 includes lunch.
So you're not attending this year's Advancements in Fiber-Polymer Composites Symposium? No problem: You can still attend this workshop. Just give us a call.
Forest Ecology and Management
Exports of woody pellets from the southeastern U.S. for European power plants have expanded since 2009, leading to concerns about major negative environmental effects. U.S. exports of wood pellets have grown from essentially nothing in 2008 to 4.6 million metric tons in 2015, with 99 percent of U.S. pellets being shipped to Europe.
To examine effects of this recent expansion of the pellet industry on forest conditions, researchers used U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) annual survey data for 2002–2014 to analyze changes in timberland trends since 2009 for two fuelsheds supplying pellets to the ports of Chesapeake, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia.
READ MORE
Woodworking Network
Return One Million Jobs has been created to raise $20 million to bring one million manufacturing jobs to the United States from offshore. The project intends to use global data analytics to help companies compare the total cost of supplying the U.S. market via manufacturing offshore vs. domestically.
READ MORE
Environment & Energy
The broad fiscal 2017 spending bill released overnight includes contentious language to require the federal government to treat emissions from forest biomass as carbon neutral. It calls on U.S. EPA to work with the departments of Energy and Agriculture to align biomass policies that reflect "the carbon-neutrality of forest bioenergy."
READ MORE
Argus
Asian spot wood pellet prices edged up in the first quarter, reflecting strengthening demand across the region. The growth may escalate as supportive government policies pull new entrants into the market.
READ MORE
Canadian Biomass
In the Microbial Sciences Building at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the incredibly efficient eating habits of a fungus-cultivating termite are surprising even to those well acquainted with the insect's natural gift for turning wood to dust. According to a study, when poplar wood undergoes a short, 3.5-hour transit through the gut of the termite, the emerging feces is almost devoid of lignin, the hard and abundant polymer that gives plant cells walls their sturdiness. As lignin is notorious for being difficult to degrade, and remains a costly obstacle for wood processing industries such as biofuels and paper, the termite is the keeper of a highly sought after secret: a natural system for fully breaking down biomass.
READ MORE
Woodworking Network
Installation began Monday for Washington’s fourth mass timber modular classroom project. The four-classroom building at Greywolf Elementary in Sequim was erected in a single day. A pilot project, funded by the state Legislature and overseen by the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, is pioneering the use of cross-laminated timber to build 20 classrooms at five schools across Washington.
READ MORE
Waste Management World
Galston, Scotland-based environmental consultant VG Consulting has partnered with planning consultant LJ Architecture to provide environmental support for a 4 MW wood waste to energy project being planned by Liverpool based CCC Waste Management. As part of the CCC's waste management policy it is installing 4 MW of biomass boiler systems with an integrated drying floor. The boilers will be fuelled with Grade A/B waste wood.
READ MORE
| |
MISSED AN ISSUE OF THE FOREST PRODUCTS REPORT? VISIT AND SEARCH THE ARCHIVE TODAY. |
|
|
|
|
7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063
|
