“Developing Our Energy Future: Residential Heating With Wood in Hancock County, Maine”

1. “Developing Our Energy Future: Residential Heating With Wood in Hancock County, Maine” Gray Cox, Don Cass, Davis Taylor, Ken Cline, Craig Ten Broeck, Gordon Longsworth, Phin Ramsey, Nick Harris, Jake Wartell, Eliza Ruel Steve Wagner, Meg Trau, Erik Bond Aditi Desai, John TaggertWass, Austin Bamford,, Moises Flores Baca, Renae Lesser, Miguel Valencia Center for Applied Human Ecology -- College of the AtlanticSponsored by NSF & University of Maine EPSCoR Grant

2. Motivating questions • Are there ecological, economic and/or social reasons to burn more local wood for residential heating? • If so, how might a community based approach to this best be undertaken?

3. Some Initial Hypotheses: • Use of local wood could increase economic security – especially for low income folks – and economic development • Use of local wood could increase energy security – locally, regionally and nationally • Use of local wood could reduce carbon footprint and help with climate change

4. Research methods 1. Background research 2. Ethnography 3. Risk analysis 4. Economic analysis

5. Hancock County • is ~1,000,000 acres • ~450,000 acres = hardwoods • It has 52,000 people in 22,000 households • If 50% use 4cord/yr & harvest ½ cord/acre/yr, you’d need to manage ~100,000 acres • This is ~10% of the county or ~23% of hardwood land

6. The US census reports ~11% of county residents now use wood for heat

7. Research methods 1. Background research 2. Ethnography 3. Risk analysis 4. Economic analysis

8. a) House to house survey Add a picture of survey team

9. b) Focus groups and informal polls a picture?

10. The H.C.F.P. and Local Schools: Helping To Inspire The Innovators Of Tomorrow • The H.C.F.P will present lesson plans onenergy, efficiency, and local home heating. • Students will also collaborate with the H.C.F.P bycreating a surveythat will be used to collect data throughout the Hancock County. • The H.C.F.P, through it’s interactive classroom workshops dedicated to forest ecology, management, and sustainability will inspireMaine’s energy innovators of tomorrow.

11. Preliminary Results: This is much higher than the census data It suggests that demand for wood may be relatively elastic

13. Role of Economic Reasons in fuel choice (sample of 67): • 29 have things other than economy as first reason • Of the 25 who mention cost as first reason, 14 use at least some wood, 11 heat exclusively with other fuels • Important Conclusion: Choice of heat is often tied strongly to culture, values and identity • This may make demand less elastic for some

14. Next steps • Complete: • Household Survey • In-depth Ethnographic • Interviews • School Collaborations • Develop: • Public Lands Wood • Supply Project • Neighborhood • Forests Project The Airline School, Aurora Possible Neighborhood Forest

15. Research methods 1. Background research 2. Ethnography 3. Risk analysis 4. Economic analysis

16. REASONS PROBABLY OK REASONS TO WORRY 2007 injury rates: logging only~4% vs wood products~9%, paper~10% not sure about injuries at smaller scales most nutrients are in unharvested tree parts weathering can replace those removed may increase value of what is not harvested can decrease fire danger Unsure about invasive species selective harvest  more diverse habitats  more diverse wildlife May spread insects & pathogens effects on flow minimal with <20% harvest harvest spreads out snowmelt  less flooding must beware of vernal pools N, Si runoff may  eutrophy, red tide… unclear effects of faster element cycling Managed forests are nicer Un-managed forests are nicer Clearing undergrowth = smaller fires local harvest should decrease impacts on highways & fuel use Harvesting FACTOR harvester health soils other vegetation wildlife hydrology element cycling Aesthetics fire safety infrastructure

17. Started looking at Burning FACTOR REASONS PROBABLY OK REASONS TO WORRY Wood storage Rustic appeal Insects? Rodents? Lyme disease? Home transport Exercise Injury Actual Burning Stove accidents Chimney fires Ash Nutrient source Decrease acidification May contain toxins (Cd) May increase Al & nitrate leaching Air emissions Rustic appeal Adverse health effects

18. >100% 41-100% 1-40% <1% Estimated emissions as %sof current emissions (if 50% use the BTU equivalent of 4 cords/yr) smog toxicity GHG

19. So we’ve been measuring levels of particles throughout the county

20. Particle levels vary from week to week in Hancock County: MDI EAST WEST

21. Average levels of <.25m particles over 9 weeks So what? 1472 >2500 2001-2500 1500-2000 <1500 1423 2549 2572 1369 2012 1483 2621 2758 1139 1522 1629 2397 2633 1618 1279 2852 2667 • Current Maine asthma rate is ~15% • 15% of 55,000 = 8250 • Current particle levels of ~”2000” could account for ~1% or ~80 cases • An increase of “2000” particle units could cause an additional ~80 cases 1385 1176 1403 2628 2852 2222 2246 2170 1441 1626 1932 1797 2120 1761 2272 1917 1782 2092 1870

22. To assess impacts of different heating methods, we’re trying to model local air using STELLA

23. Next steps: Assess their toxicity (MICROTOX method) Collect particles

24. Research methods 1. Background research 2. Ethnography 3. Risk analysis 4. Economic analysis

25. Background • Economic Development Approaches • Demand side: self-development approaches such as RMI’s Economic Renewal • Supply side: economic gardening, technical assistance approaches • Successful economic development requires: • assets within the community, mobilized through self-interest, awareness, leadership, and volunteer commitment (bonding and bridging social capital) • assets from outside the community, in the form of grants, technical assistance, and other resources (linking social capital)

26. Current and next steps • Determine the industrial structure of local firewood production • number and size of firms • ease of entry and exit • level of investment, technology • cost structures, pricing power, profit levels • Determine cross price elasticity of demand for firewood: how much does demand for firewood change with the price of heating oil? • Use this information to assess opportunities for expanded local production

27. Where are we headed?

30.  One person is economically distressed and in need of heating assistance. Paying bills is a struggle each month and work is hard to find. They would be interested in switching away from oil to wood or other options, if they had the money to do it. “If I had the money I would put up a wind turbine & solar panels.”  Another person is moderately wealthy, owning a large home outside of town. This person grew up locally, heating with firewood. Throughout their childhood they had to cut wood in they forest and haul it to the house to be dried and stored. They heat with 100% oil now. “I heat with oil because I can afford it” A third person heats almost exclusively with wood, notes that it involves lots of hard work -- but enjoys the family activities associated with harvesting, splitting and burning and comments, “The nice thing about wood is that it heats you three times. Once when you cut it, once when you split it, and once when you burn it.” A fourth says: “I don’t heat with wood. My time is worth more than that!”