Older forests are less flammable
This research contradicts one of the central assumptions in Australian fire management – that forest accumulate fuel over time and so become increasingly flammable.
Forests are the largest land based carbon capture and storage devices the planet has, yet are being destroyed globally at an alarming rate. Forests are a major climate moderation solution. All logging of native forests should cease and forest restoration must be a high priority to begin drawing down the hundreds of hears of carbon which is lost when a forest is clearfelled and burnt.
Forest biomass = BIO-MASSACRE
Both major parties have chosen to bow down to industry and/or union pressure to allow the burning of public forests for power generation.
Labor’s enviro policy to incinerate forests for power
Labor has said it would allow our forests to fuel furnaces for electricity generation if it gets in – as part of its proposed new environment legislation!
How did the environment fare in the Vic budget 2017?
All up it has $306M was allocated to our environment (sport managed $308M). This is less than half of what the M80 Ring Road has been allocated, and less than half the schools’ budget. Biodiversity Plan 2037 – $86M for reveg and pest control. Parks – $32M for new rangers over 2 years and a …
Forest conservation might be an even more important climate solution than we realize: Study
According to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change late last month, sequestering carbon dioxide is only one of the crucial climate-regulating attributes inherent to the world’s forests. Trees are a crucial regulating factor in the cycle of water and heat exchange between Earth’s surface and atmosphere – and thus forests play …
‘Carbon neutral’ forest resource grab: A corporate detour in climate change race
The Coalition Government can’t resist the logging industry, subsidising the destruction of forests as “carbon neutral” at the expense of pesky wind, solar or other annoying competitors, writes Frances Pike. SUBSTITUTING wood biomass, burning it with coal and calling it “renewable energy”, just because trees regrow, doesn’t make it carbon neutral. Instantly, the combustion emits …
Biomass subsidies ‘not fit for purpose’, says Chatham House
Subsidies should end for many types of biomass, a new Chatham House report argues, because they are failing to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. The report adds that policymakers should tighten up accounting rules to ensure the full extent of biomass emissions are included. The analysis outlines how policies intended to boost the use of …
Most wood energy schemes are a ‘disaster’ for climate change
Using wood pellets to generate low-carbon electricity is a flawed policy that is speeding up not slowing down climate warming. That’s according to a new study which says wood is not carbon neutral and emissions from pellets are higher than coal. Subsidies for biomass should be immediately reviewed, the author says. But the industry rejected …
The EU’s renewable energy policy is making global warming worse
Countries in the EU, including the UK, are throwing away money by subsidising the burning of wood for energy, according to an independent report. While burning some forms of wood waste can indeed reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in practice the growing use of wood energy in the EU is increasing rather than reducing emissions, the …