All - See below from my organization. We are looking for scientists to sign onto a letter on forest protection, climate, and industrial-scale biomass production in North Carolina. You can view and sign onto the letter here: http://bit.ly/2ilBvQR
Thanks, Sam -- While the industrial-scale biomass industry has emerged based on claims of carbon neutrality, evidence continues to build that burning trees for electricity releases more emissions than burning coal. Last year, for example, a group of scientists penned a letter to the Senate expressing their concern over an amendment that claimed forest biomass was carbon neutral. Additionally, investigations of the logging practices of wood pellet companies like Enviva have revealed that they source from ecologically important and sensitive ecosystems, like bottomland hardwood and wetland forests. In this context, the international community is increasingly paying attention to North Carolina, which is home to three Enviva pellet mills and a proposed fourth facility. Though Governor Cooper has expressed his commitment to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Accord, he has yet to issue a statement or take decisive action on this issue. Prominent media sources and our work have exhibited time and time again that industrial- scale biomass coming from Southern forests is bad for our climate, for our forest ecosystems, and for communities. Urgency continues to mount as Enviva breaks ground on their proposed fourth facility in Hamlet, NC, and it is important for Governor Cooper to hear from experts in the fields of climate change, forests, wetlands, ecology, and energy. The letter was written in coordination with Dr. Bill Moomaw, who co- authored our report on forests and climate, The Great American Stand: US Forests and the Climate Emergency. Key takeaways and asks in the letter: - Governor Cooper should integrate forest conservation and restoration into his agenda on climate action. - The wood pellet industry is an urgent threat to North Carolina and Southern forests, and has emerged based on false claims of carbon neutrality. - Governor Cooper should address the threat of the wood pellet industry by reconsidering policies--including sustainability criteria, permitting, and incentives--that facilitate the growth of the industry. Please do forward this email to colleagues who would be interested in signing on as well. Thank you for your leadership in your field, and please let me know if you have any questions about the letter. I can be reached by email or phone. Kind regards, Rachel Weber (845) 825-6528 rac...@dogwoodalliance.org
