FYI
----- Original Message ----- From: Chris Matera To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 6:51 PM Subject: {MASS Forest Watch:630} Press Release - Science Magazine debunks myth that Biomass plants are "carbon neutral" - Burning forests removes their ability to absorb existing CO2 *** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** “GREEN” ENERGY INCENTIVES THREATEN CLIMATE AND FORESTS Science debunks myth that Biomass plants are "Carbon neutral" Contact: Ellen Moyer, Ph.D., P.E., [email protected] 413-862-3452 Chris Matera, P.E., [email protected] 413-341-3878 As reported in the New York Times last week, a ground-breaking article debunking the carbon neutrality myth of biomass burning was published in one of the most prestigious, peer-reviewed journals in the world, Science. Authors included researchers from Princeton University, Environmental Defense Fund, Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, Duke University, University of California at Berkeley, Michigan State University, and University of Minnesota. The Science article, “Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error,” clearly states “harvesting existing forests for electricity adds net carbon to the air.” An accounting error that does not count carbon dioxide emissions from biomass burning was made in the Kyoto protocol and then was carried forward into other government policies, including the climate bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year and state laws, including those of Massachusetts. The error can be corrected. Timothy D. Searchinger, the study’s lead author and a Research Fellow at Princeton University stated that "It literally means you can chip up the world’s forests and burn them for fuel without noting the effect on the world’s greenhouse gases.” In reality, if an existing stand of forest land is cleared for fuel, the stored carbon is released and the forests ability to absorb carbon dioxide is diminished, thus concentration of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere goes up. Ellen Moyer, Ph.D., P.E., and Chris Matera, P.E., were relieved to hear this issue finally gain widespread attention since they have been trying to bring awareness to this critical point for several years. “The game is up” stated Dr. Moyer. “The problem has been identified, and the clarion call for course correction has rung out around the world. The days of biomass burning receiving lucrative Renewable Energy Credits are numbered and pending legislation needs to be corrected before perverse incentives to burn our forests are enshrined in law.” Mr. Matera added, “I am glad to see science finally catch up to common sense on this. Burning wood to generate electricity emits 50 percent more carbon dioxide than coal and 150 percent more than natural gas and adds to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations just like any other source, only at a higher rate. The myth that biomass burning of forests is “carbon-neutral” is laughable and a testimony to the power of industry lobbying and greenwashing.” For the Science article, see: http://science-mag.aaas.org/cgi/content/summary/326/5952/527 For the NY Times article, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/science/earth/23biofuel.html?_r=1&hpw ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
