On March 28, 2017, President Trump, with the stroke of his executive pen, attempted to roll back U.S. progress towards addressing climate change. Under attack is President Obama’s historic Clean Power Plan which set about to regulate carbon emissions from power plants as well as other important steps taken by the Obama administration to address climate change.
Today is the International Day of Forests, a day to celebrate the ways forests sustain life on Earth. Around the globe, the prominent role forests play in the fight against climate change is at the forefront of efforts to keep global temperatures at a level that ensures an inhabitable planet. Yet, forest protection in the U.S. is barely a blip on the radar of environmental organizations, corporate sustainability leaders, and policy makers.
Unfortunately, climate deniers and special interests are fighting tooth and nail to destroy or water down this plan. Despite the fact that our forests are our best defense against climate change and the scientific community widely views burning forests for electricity as the wrong direction, the Environmental Protection Agency is considering including biomass electricity as a potential pathway for meeting the goals of the plan.
The forests of the world play a critical role in each breath we take, Each cup of water we drink, our history and our future. So why is our Clean Power Plan issuing a free pass to clearcut and burn American forests?
We applaud the important first step to regulate carbon in the US and highlight the loopholes that could be bad for our forests urging the EPA and states to clarify and move away from burning toward a future that embraces protecting forests as the best defense against climate change.
