As the days get hotter, the number of Southerners standing up to protect and fight for forests increases steadily: it’s almost as if unrest is in direct proportion to the degrees on a thermometer. Summertime in the South conjures up images of being sleepy and slow-moving; and yet, the opposition to burning forests for fuel is livelier than ever.
We came from all across the region to peacefully gather in Romare-Bearden park to physically and symbolically stand tall to protect Southern forests, public health and Southern communities. The world’s largest biomass conference, The International Biomass Conference and Expo, was gathered just down the street, scheming new ways to turn our precious wetland forests into pellets and ship them across the ocean to be burned for fuel in Europe.
