I initially wrote the following in June of 2005 for a company that is now dormant.
It would appear that not much has changed since then. Here is the article. I look forward to comments by email to postmaster[at]terra.ngo.
Renewables and Sustainability
Biogas/Biomass/Bioethanol “Renewable Energy Production” – Is bigger better ?
Economies1 of scale is a term often used to imply that bigger is better and small can’t be profitable or sustainable.
If we look at large and small in nature we find dinosaurs, mamooths, insects and bacteria with us somewhere in between. Nature appears to favour small and diversifed for survival – large doesn’t seem to fare so well in times of crisis.
Our very own extremely short history is full of examples of good intentions according to economies of scale starting with the Romans right up to present time monopolies and cartels.
Overall it seems that plans based on ‘traditional’ economies of scale don’t seem to pan out to well.
As latest success economies of scales have managed to significantly decimate in less than a century what it took our planet millions of years to produce : fossil fuels are successfully appearing on the endangered species list, with us along for the ride.
Now economists for s(c)ale want to try renewable and sustainable.
Energy does make the world go round.
Considering that we have reached a very significant fork on the road of consumer society and are feeling nature’s ‘limits’ on our pocketbooks and wallets for the very first time – fuel and energy prices have never been higher – economies of s(c)ale that got us into this mess want to continue to run loose…
Bionomic systems work based on real balances – in equilibrium – not based on imaginary, invented or rationalized scales. Yes, there are sustainable sizes for organic bioenergy facilities – but there is no single right-scale “economic” size.
One thing is for certain, we will only achieve energy sustainability by looking towards renewable agri – cultural stewardship solutions taking into account the biological complexities of our planet. – This means looking at life cycle analysis and balances according to nature’s principles.
Who would want to build skyscrapers in rural Canada in their right mind anyways?
Synergistic agri-cultural bioenergy systems (biogas, bioethanol, biomass) will work by almost any ‘rural’ balance to produce surpluses to feed and fuel cities, urbanites and our society as a whole. Sustainable and equitable surplus production can work at the ‘small’ family farm right up to a very predictable natural maximum.
Unfortunately it seems that economists are still missing nature’s synergistic limitations. Ignorant of bionomic equilibria they propose to build far beyond natural sustainable limits.
Whenever someone suggests a ‘large’ bioenergy plant according to economies of scale, for starters you might want to ask: “does it run on its own fuel and produce a surplus? How about value added co-products” ?
Nils Semmler, June 2005
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1) The term economy comes from the greek oikonomia, or oikonomos, manager of a household . oikos meaning house. I suppose a good question might be just who is managing whose house at what expense.
