Dr Felmingham and thin ice

Frank Nicklason

Dr Bruce Felmingham skated onto some very thin ice when he asserted that “the forestry industry sector is the only sector in Australia actively reducing greenhouse gases”.
He crashed through the ice when he suggested that “the pulpmill is greenhouse positive”. (The Mercury 20/6)

Tasmanian forestry practices should not be included in any discussion of Australian forestry as a whole as our rates of native forest clearfelling vastly exceed those of the mainland.

Clearfelling exposes soil and allows greenhouse gases more readily to enter the atmosphere. Typically, in Tasmania, there is a huge residual biomass which is burnt, releasing more gases.

Over ninety percent of timber removed from coupes ends up as paper and cardboard and much is soon decomposing in landfill.

Road and sea transport of logs and chips results in the burning of enormous quantities of fossil fuel.

Our response to climate change, in addition to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, must include safeguarding of our water, soils and seas for food production and managing the increased fire risk (dry monoculture plantations are much more susceptible to fire than the mixed wet native forests they replace).

A “world scale pulpmill” will inevitably further drive industrial conversion of farms and forests to plantations accentuating all the above negatives.

Dr Frank Nicklason

West Hobart