Protected forests in Europe felled to meet EU renewable targets – report

Europe’s bioenergy plants are burning trees felled from protected conservation areas rather than using forest waste, new report shows Protected forests are being indiscriminately felled across Europe to meet the EU’s renewable energy targets, according to an investigation by the conservation group Birdlife. Up to 65% of Europe’s renewable output currently comes from bioenergy, involving …

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New economic era for East Gippsland

The call by the Auswest sawmill and Tim Bull for long term log contracts to be renewed (EGN/SRM 2 Nov) is a misguided ‘Magic Pudding’ mindset, according to Environment East Gippsland. “Long term contracts are not being signed because there has been serious uncertainty of resource availability for quite a while”, said Jill Redwood from …

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The plan to prepare plans – the end is nigh

Having a list of rare and endangered species is not much good if there is no binding plan to protect them. As a result of the legal proceedings initiated in the Supreme Court on 21 May 2013 by EDO on behalf of EEG, the then environment Department, DEPI, agreed to immediately prepare protection plans called …

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Liberals’ environment policy has gone AWOL

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost been 10 years to the day since the Victorian Liberals had a comprehensive environment policy. While that might sound ridiculous in the context of global warming and other environmental woes, the sad reality is that an entire decade has passed since the state Liberals offered voters a detailed vision to tackle …

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Burning Forests for Global Energy?

The 19th October is the International Day of Action on Bioenergy. Many countries are burning forests, their own and other countries, as a source of power generation and industrial heat – claimed to be ‘renewable’. Australia is following closely. As the European Union’s renewable energy policies have been one of the most forceful drivers of the …

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All eyes on the Commissioners on the International Day of Action on Bioenergy

October 19th is the International Day of Action on Bioenergy, a day to raise awareness about the impacts of the growing bioenergy industry driven by unwisely designed renewable energy policies. As we know, in many cases bioenergy hasn’t exactly lived up to the promises of renewable energy such as emission reductions and environmental protection – …

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Budget Estimates reveal government ‘assistance’ provided for Eden chip mill

Repairs to the Eden chip mill are under renewed scrutiny, with Minister for Primary Industries, Lands and Water Niall Blair admitting in the Budget Estimates review that “a range of [government] assistance” is being provided to Allied Natural Wood Exports. Last week, ANWE general manager Jarrod Wallis advised the Eden Magnet that the mill was “funding the repair work without government assistance”, …

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Activists present invoice on Threatened Species Day

National Threatened Species Day on September 7 is held each year to commemorate the day the last Tasmanian Tiger died in captivity in a Hobart zoo in 1936. Environment groups Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO), Wildlife of the Central Highlands and Fauna and Flora Research Collective decided to commemorate the day this year by presenting an …

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Taskforce’s first industry/logger agreement

After much blood, sweat and tears, the Forest Taskforce finally gave birth to the long awaited agreed position called the Statement of Claim on Friday 9th September. The basic details are… there needs to be 2 VEAC enquiries – one on our forests and their natural values and one looking at what ‘resource’ is left …

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