Community Forum and Campaign Launch
Over 80 Tasmanians attended a successful and passionate community forum on wood fired power stations in Hobart today.
Speakers, including health professionals, scientists and environmental campaigners raised a number of concerns regarding the environmental impacts of native forest burning power stations and exports of native forest as fuelwood overseas.
The Huon Valley Environment Centre, Environment Tasmania and the Hobart Climate Action group also launched a coordinated campaign aimed at raising community concerns about forest furnaces that includes bus advertising, a petition and lobbying of political and industry representatives.
“Today’s forum highlights the community’s concerns about plans to burn our native forests in power stations in Tasmania and overseas,” said forum organiser and Huon Valley Environment spokesperson Will Mooney.
“Tasmanians are concerned about a range of impacts associated with forest furnace proposals and today’s forum is a reminder to all political candidates that burning our high conservation value and old growth forests to produce power is deeply unpopular.”
“Tasmania has enormous potential to generate a clean, green, renewable future, but burning our precious native forests in polluting power stations tarnishes that opportunity.”
Humane Society International climate and forest expert Alistair Graham also spoke at the forum, highlighting errors with current policies that support wood fired power.
“The current premier David Bartlett has stated that only wood for which there is no other use would be supplied to these power stations.
He seems to be ignoring the fact that the best use of this wood is storing carbon, supporting biodiversity and securing water catchments in living forest. The value of wood standing in the forest is much greater than the value of wood burnt in a power station,” Mr Graham said.
Will Mooney Huon Valley Environment Centre
