NAFI dangerously wrong on burning wood for energy US study shows biomass is a climate threat

MEDIA RELEASE 21st June 2010
Huon Valley Environment Centre Inc.

NAFI dangerously wrong on burning wood for energy US study shows biomass is a climate threat

Today’s claims by the National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI) regarding the climate benefits of burning native forests for power are contradicted by the findings of a recent, major US study into the carbon emissions profile of biomass energy, says the Huon Valley Environment Centre.

“NAFI’s suggestion that generating power from the burning of timber from native forests would help Australia to meet emissions reductions targets is simply, and dangerously, wrong,” said HVEC spokesperson Will Mooney.

“A recent study commissioned by the Government of Massachusetts into the carbon emissions profile of burning wood for energy has shown that, for at least fifty years, burning wood to generate an equivalent amount of energy would create more emissions than burning coal,” Will Mooney said.

The Manomet Biomass Sustainability and Carbon Policy Study, conducted over six months, found that using wood for energy results in a “carbon debt” because burning wood releases more CO2 into the atmosphere per unit of energy than fossil fuels (oil, coal, or natural gas).

The study found that “For biomass replacement of coal-fired power plants, the net cumulative emissions in 2050 are approximately equal to what they would have been burning coal.”

“The findings of this major, government-commissioned study demonstrate that if Australia is to meet crucial targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2050, then burning wood for energy will be a hindrance, not a help,” Will Mooney said.

“Australia’s political parties must act to remove so called “wood waste” from the list of eligible renewable energy sources in the RET legislation, before this polluting industry is allowed to undermine attempts to chart a low-carbon future,” Will Mooney said.

Download: Executive Summary of Manomet Biomass Report:

Manomet_Biomass_Report_ExecutiveSummary.pdf
Will Mooney, Huon Environment Centre www.huon.org