ABSTRACT
The Canadian Government program on Biomass R&D is a reflection of a policy decision to increase Canadian energy independence by substituting a renewable resource for imported petroleum-based fuels and feedstocks. The challenge was to mount an integrated and coordinated R&D program on problems as diverse as the genetic engineering of bacteria for the biological conversion of lignocellulosics, environmental impact assessment, and thermochemical liquefaction of wood-a diversity matched by the number of government departments and agencies that have related jurisdictional mandates.
