Coalition Calls on UK to Stop Burning Georgia Forests for Electricity

Atlanta, GA – Today, a diverse coalition of conservationists, student groups and outdoorsmen from across the Southeast held a rally outside of the British Consulate in Atlanta, GA calling on the U.K. to stop burning Southern US forests for electricity. The U.K. is the world’s largest importer of wood pellets from the region, some of which are harvested from endangered wetlands, shipped to Europe and burned to generate electricity as a replacement for coal. Last year, wood pellet exports from southern ports increased more than 70 percent.

Our Forests Aren’t Fuel Update From Europe: Brussels and the UK

just 15 months after our first delegation to Europe, our second trip across the pond proves that our message got through. Today, decision makers are clear that the use of our forests for fuel is an area of big concern. We no longer need to debate whether it is just waste wood or residuals; they all understand that the wood pellet industry and utilities are using whole trees.

Outrage Over US Secret Approval of GE Trees

Groups from around the world today joined together to denounce the US government for allowing the first genetically engineered tree, a loblolly pine, to be legalized with no government or public oversight, with no assessment of their risks to the public or the environment, and without regard to overwhelming public opposition to GE trees.

Plantations are not forests

American Citizens to EU Commision: Stop Cutting Our Forests

Over 50,000 US citizens are appealing to European Commissioners Arias Cañete and Vella for a change in the EU legislation that has caused a boom in the demand for wood pellets produced from Southern US forests. Their demand is today being delivered to the European Commission by BirdLife Europe and the European Environmental Bureau.