Forests more valuable for carbon: former Treasury official
A former senior Treasury officer has waded into the heated debate about the future of Australia’s native forests. Dr. Frances Perkins worked as an economist in Canberra for 30 years for Treasury, the Department of Foreign Affairs and at the ANU. Dr. Perkins has launched a stinging critique of the economics of native forest logging … saying that the forests are more valuable for carbon credits than logged timber.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck, disputes the findings, which will be discussed tomorrow at the 3rd Annual Forests and Climate Action Forum at the Australian National University. Senator Colbeck is also challenging new research on forest carbon, accusing the ANU’s Fenner School of running an anti-forestry political agenda.
The Vice-Chancellor of the ANU, Professor Ian Young, said in a brief statement to Breakfast: “Academic staff at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, like many ANU staff, work in fields where controversy and heated debate are part of the landscape. The active contest of ideas is a feature of life at any university. We stand by and are proud of the quality of our scientific research, which has earned ANU the highest rankings in external measures of research quality.” Professor Ian Young AO, Vice-Chancellor”.
ABC Radio National RN Breakfast, Friday 21 February 2014 8:17AM
Listen now or download – www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/forests-more-valuable-for-carbon-ex-treasury-official
Originally Published at http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/forests-more-valuable-for-carbon-ex-treasury-official/5274300