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.
On World Wetlands Day, February 2nd, the Dutch government voted in favor of forest protection over forest destruction and overwhelmingly adopted a resolution to halt dirty biomass subsidies for burning forests in coal-fired power plants. This is great news for our Southern forests and a strong signal that we are winning!
Our new report “Wood Pellet Manufacturing: Risks for the Economy of the US South” sheds much needed light on the economic downsides of this rapidly expanding new industry. The bottom line? The wood pellet export market is simply not a very smart 21st Century economic development strategy for our Southern rural communities. We can and must do better to support the economic well-being of the South’s rural communities.
The White House has taken the right position regarding the myth of carbon neutrality of burning trees for electricity. Dogwood Alliance is pleased to see the Administration taking a position that is grounded in science and that recognizes the massive threat that a large scale-up in burning trees for electricity represents.
Environmental groups delivered a petition signed by over 110,000 people to new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd. The petition calls for an end to government support for Drax’s new White Rose ‘carbon capture’ power station.
