The global trend is seeing native forests cut down to be burnt in electricity furnaces and termed ‘renewable power’. This further damages climate, natural carbon stores and our forests and wildlife.

Our native forest regulations need to move with the times

The rules governing our native forests, RFAs, were drawn up nearly 20 years ago. They need to be thoroughly reviewed and updated to reflect the changes in the forestry industry that have occurred in the last two decades. BIT BY BIT, Tony Abbott is dismantling everything scientists are telling us we need to do to …

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Forests at a tipping point – into the furnaces

A new war has been declared on our native forests. The Senate, with the help of Labor has passed legislation that not only allows the liquidation of native forest trees in electricity furnaces, but defines it as ‘renewable energy’ and thereby hands the logging and power industries credits (financial support) to assist this new excuse …

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40 scientists alert cross-benchers to RET clause

The acceptance of a perverse definition of ‘wood waste’ and ‘renewable’ is being questioned by 40 Australian scientists in a joint letter to the Federal cross benchers today. They are alarmed that once the door opens on burning Australia’s native forests in power furnaces, it could see our forest heritage drawn in to supplying an …

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How world’s biggest green power plant is actually INCREASING greenhouse gas emissions and Britain’s energy bill

Drax power station in Yorkshire uses wood pellets to create electricity The move from coal was considered to be environmentally friendly But far from cutting emissions, change is actually increasing them In turn, it is adding millions of pounds to Britain’s electricity bills It is touted as the flagship of Britain’s energy future: the world’s …

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Burning ambition: Why the forestry industry needs the RET

On Wednesday, shadow Environment Minister Mark Butler moved an amendment to the RET legislation on behalf of the Labor opposition, that would disqualify native forest biomass as an eligible fuel source for renewable energy credits in the legislation itself. The fate of the amendment will be decided on the cross bench in the Senate on …

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UN gets it wrong on forests

The respected international think tank Chatham House has released part of a research paper which shows the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is wrong. This assumes burning trees and forests as biofuel for electricity is carbon neutral and therefore climate friendly. It’s a fairly obvious error to almost any thinking person. There …

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Global biomass accounting and the mysterious case of the missing emissions

Written by Matt Williams, Climate Change Policy Officer at the RSPB. Across the world, countries are increasingly turning to biomass to meet a need for low carbon energy sources. Biomass is already the largest source of renewable energy in the EU, and this dependency is predicted to persist in coming decades. However, the European Union has …

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VicForests plans EG forests as industrial furnace fuel

A leaked three-year business plan of VicForests reveals multi-million dollar taxpayer losses among other startling revelations. East Gippsland is mentioned as the most uneconomic region having made losses of $5.5 million p.a. for years. This region supports the most exquisite and wildlife rich forests in SE Australia – that have been clearfelled to sell as …

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VicForests must go

Tax-payer sponsored environmental demolition must end and VicForests must be relegated to history, is the message Environment East Gippsland is sending to the Victorian Government after the exposé that $5.5 million “Community Service Obligation” is funding public forest destruction annually in the region. “Environment groups are feeling vindicated across the state after decades of highlighting …

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