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!
The European Union (EU) Commission recently announced an investigation into the state aid provided for the world’s largest forest destroyer for electricity, Drax. The taxpayer dollars that the UK is providing Drax to convert to burning Southern US forests for electricity is another example of why this destructive industry is moving us backwards away from a healthy, truly sustainable future.
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.
Soaring demand for woody fuel has led to the construction of more than two dozen pellet factories in the Southeast and special port. European officials promote the trade as part of the fight against climate change. But that claim is increasingly coming under challenge.
