Photos: Matthew Newton http://www.matthewnewton.com.au/
• FT’S PARTIAL BURNS HALT NEEDS TO BE STATE-WIDE & PERMANENT
Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran MP
Greens Health spokesperson
The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed Forestry Tasmania’s reported partial suspension of its planned commercial forestry burns in the south, and said the burns’ suspension needed to be state-wide and to be suspended permanently, not just for a few days.
Greens Health person Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran MP said the south’s Tasmanians could now breathe easy over the Easter break, but could expect to see the skies brown-up again when Forestry Tasmania resumes its unnecessary and medieval burning of our remaining native forests.
“The Greens welcome Forestry Tasmania’s partial suspension of its commercial forestry burns in the south of the state but we would all be healthier and Brand Tasmania stronger if this was a permanent suspension,” said Mr O’Halloran
“Unfortunately, unlike those in the south, residents in the north of the state can expect smoke pollution over the Easter break.”
“Everyone suffers when clouds of acrid smoke swathe the island. It is wrong that everyone be exposed to the equivalent of trillions of cigarettes just because Forestry Tasmania is free to use our atmosphere as a smoke dump.”
“Anyone who saw page nine of today’s Mercury newspaper will have noticed the article about smoke damage to the state’s wine growers and far more serious one about Tasmania’s unique rise in asthma related deaths of children under 15.”
“It may be that there is no scientific link between commercial forestry burns and Tasmania’s rise in asthma-related deaths of the state’s child asthma suffers. But the equivalent of trillions of cigarettes-worth of smoke generated by Forestry Tasmania’s commercial forestry burns, mostly of our remaining native forest, is unlikely to benefit the state’s asthma suffers, whether they are children, seniors or aged in between.”
“New Menzies Institute research adds to the body of work linking wood smoke with asthma. The recent Menzies Institute report found forest, grass and agricultural fires had contributed to 339,000 deaths worldwide per year between 1997 and 2006.”
“This research preceded similar work by the OECD, which predicted air pollution will overtake water pollution and lack of sanitation as the leading cause of mortality by 2050.”
“Yesterday, Forestry Tasmania’s planned burns website was a rash of red dots, red indicating its planned high-intensity burns. Today, twelve hours later, those red dots have disappeared.”
“If those red dots never returned, Tasmania would be better off: Tasmanians’ health would be better, the Easter tourist peak would be smoke free, wine and tourism industries wouldn’t suffer and Brand Tasmania’s clean, green image would no longer be compromised.”
“Unlike Labor, the Liberals and others who shrink from speaking out against this medieval practice, and just how bad it is for Tasmania, the Greens will not cease campaigning until our air is clean again.”
“I urge people who are concerned about smoke pollution to call the EPA’s dedicated smoke pollution hotline on 1800 005 171. You can also email [email protected]”, said Mr O’Halloran.
Note: In a landmark report on its outlook to 2050, the OECD issued a report called the Consequences of Inaction. It predicted that, by 2050, air pollution will overtake water pollution and lack of sanitation as the cause of mortality. The report said “exposure to particulate air pollutants, leading to respiratory failure, could double from current levels to 3.6 million [deaths] every year globally.
Forestry Tasmania regeneration burn in the Plenty Valley (inside the 572 000ha identified for protection). 4 April 2012. Photo by Rob Blakers, http://www.robblakers.com/
• Last Stand: Caught! FT roading, logging and burning in HCV forests
Photos by Rob Blakers, http://www.robblakers.com/
• NEW FOREST SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE MAKES CASE FOR MORATORIUM
The full cycle of logging incursions inside Tasmania’s verified, but unprotected, high conservation value forests has been captured in eye-opening new surveillance aerial footage filmed yesterday, which reinforces the case and urgency for an immediate moratorium on logging activity.
These four environment groups have offered an olive branch comprising a suspension of their market action in Japan for one month on the condition that a moratorium is imposed over the 572,000 hectares under discussion for potential future reservation, whilst forest talks take place.
“We are yet to receive a response on the offer we made to government and the industry, (Rethink FT: The devastating truth about a Rogue Agency ) and in the meantime we have gained spectacular new footage showing forests inside the 572 000ha that are being logged, roaded and burnt right now,” said Jenny Weber of Huon Valley Environment Centre.
“The cycle of forest destruction in Tasmania stems from the roads pushed in to pristine forest, large scale industrial logging operations and high intensity burning. The outstanding values of the forests are completely destroyed and we are losing significant tracts of world-class forests every single day.”
“At a time when the focus should be on moving out and moving on, Forestry Tasmania is instead bulldozing new logging roads deep into wilderness of global significance and logging verified World Heritage forests. Make no mistake, this is strategic destruction and must be reined in,” Ms Weber said.
“The rapid devastation that is occurring in Butlers Gorge is seeing their unique ecosystems lost by ongoing logging operations. This area has been identified by the West report as one of the most significant tracts of Tasmania’s tall eucalpyt forests. The wilderness values of these forests are indicated as a key reason for the recommendation of adding them to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area,” said Miranda Gibson of Still Wild Still Threatened from the Observer Tree.
“Apocalyptic vision of the Forestry Tasmania regeneration burn in the Plenty Valley taken during our surveillance flight shows the unacceptable practice that blanketed The Channel in smoke yesterday. We filmed the aftermath of such fires inside the high conservation value area,” said Ula Majewski of The Last Stand.
“Regarding our olive branch offer, we have delivered a formal letter to government and await their response,” said Peg Putt, representing Markets for Change.
“We reiterate that our offer of a moratorium on market action is conditional on not continuing to log the forests under discussion for protection. Forestry Tasmania’s blatant attack on forests of the highest value which we have revealed, and their refusal to consider moving out, is a serious problem,” Ms Putt concluded.
• RESPONSE TO INTRANSIGENCE OF THE TASMANIAN FOREST INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
The ‘olive branch’ groups say their genuine offer to smooth the way for the forest industry to return to forest peace talks remains on the table despite its rejection by the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania (FIAT) (TT here).
Whilst disappointed by the forest industry position, the groups point out that the Tasmanian government holds the key to ensuring a moratorium on logging high conservation value forests, in return for which they offer to suspend market action in Japan.
“Our offer is genuine and remains on the table despite the forest industry’s very disappointing outright rejection, as ultimately the power to impose a logging moratorium to try and get things on track lies with the Tasmanian government,” said Peg Putt for Markets for Change.
“We sent a letter to the government formally outlining our offer and have had an acknowledgment of receipt of the letter.”
“Just as FIAT has been in communication with Ta Ann customer companies in recent days so have we, providing an update on the independent verification group’s expert reports and on our offer of a market moratorium for a forests moratorium. We do not accept that our international or domestic communications should be censored whilst other forest industry stakeholders remain free to say and do whatever they please.”
“Consumers these days are concerned to know about the environmental impacts of the products they buy and want assurance that it is really eco-friendly when advertised as such, not misleading advertising like that in Japan that wrongly describes Ta Ann Tasmania’s plywood flooring range as plantation grown,” said Jenny Weber of the Huon Valley Environment Centre.
“It is not reasonable to expect that devastation of verified high conservation value forest is not restrained but that campaigns in defence of the forests are scuttled. That is a one-sided recipe without any element of compromise.”
• IGA SIGNATORIES NOW ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, FREEDOM OF SPEECH INTACT
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader
The Tasmanian Greens today said it is disappointing that FIAT has decided not to rejoin the signatories to the IGA as part of the ongoing forestry peace talks.
Greens Leader Nick McKim said that now FIAT has rejected the moratorium offered by Markets for Change, it leaves the way open for the IGA signatories to come to an agreement.
“FIAT is in no position to issue demands and ultimatums while the industry it claims to represent crumbles around it,” said Mr McKim.
“In demanding that all environmental campaigns against continued industrial native logging cease permanently, Terry Edwards is actually demanding the suspension of our democracy.”
“Any agreement coming from the IGA will fail if it seeks to curtail freedom of speech.”
“Now FIAT has ruled itself out of the process, it leaves the way clear for the signatories to come to an agreement.”
“The timber industry requires leadership at this critical time. Those outside the process need to give the signatories time and space. I encourage those at the IGA table to work together to form an agreement the community is holding out for,” said Mr McKim.
• FORESTRY TASMANIA ‘AUDITORS’ MUSTN’T HIDE THE HORRIBLE TRUTH
Kim Booth MP
Greens Forestry spokesperson
The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed today’s request by PEFC International’s that its auditors investigate Forestry Tasmania’s (FT) certification, in the wake of the revelations contained in the Jonathan West report.
These included that FT had over cut and over sold the timber and couldn’t even provide the timber it was contracted to, even if it were to log areas due to be protected under the IGA.
Greens Forest spokesperson Kim Booth MP said he fully understood why PEFC was concerned about Forestry Tasmania.
“The more light shone on the murkiness of FT, the better, in my opinion,” said Mr Booth.
“Professor West has stated that it was FT’s data provided with FT staff on FT computers in FT’s office that provided the results which FT itself finds so hard to accept. Sometimes, though, the truth hurts.”
“I’d settle for Professor West’s findings over FT’s desperate spin any day.”
“FT has already expressed confidence that it will pass PEFC’s auditing investigation ‘with flying colours’. If it does, that will do little for PEFC’s credibility.”
“The gold standard for forest certification remains that of the Forest Stewardship Council, by widespread consent.”
“It is interesting to note FT’s announcement yesterday about the investigation into its certification by its auditors comes on the day it was forced into a humiliating climb-down after a public outcry against its commercial forest burn offs, prompted by huge volumes of smoke pollution.”
“The disturbing photographs, released today by the Last Stand organisation, of FT’s environmental destruction on a massive scale, dressed up as a sustainable logging operation, should cause PEFC to walk away in disgust.”
“These disturbing images reveal the truth which the public can’t see for themselves, the only indicator being the smoke these terrible burns emit. FT’s operations are an assault on nature and are abhorrent to a civilised society.”
“It is now obvious why FT is unable to obtain FSC certification and instead created their own AFS standard as a foil from the truth.”
“If PEFC has any credibility, it will withdraw support for FT’s operations or risk irreparable harm to its own reputation,”
“I would encourage anyone with a shred of concern for our forests to see that destruction for themselves,” said Mr Booth:
Link to Latest Forest destruction on YouTube: here
jack lumber
April 4, 2012 at 18:37
OMG the News of the World has morphed into TT . What is the purpose of the headline regarding HCV Forests who is making this spurious claim . The reports from the IGA panel make no reference to “HCV” . “FFS” ( thanks Ms Crabbe)can we have some respect for terms and enough of this nonsense . People go ballistic the the term “plantations ” yet seem quite casual to the point of negligent or mischievous re HCV.
Estelle Ross
April 4, 2012 at 18:51
It’s high time that Forestry Companies ceased the practice of autumn burns. Why should the rest of the community suffer at this wonderful time of year when we get the last of the summer’s warmth amd the influx of Easter tourists and when grapes and other crops are being smoke tainted at this critical harvet period. This is a 19thc practice and should be banned. I do not call this sustainable forestry practice when following high intensity burns every scrap of life is decimated. The biodivesity of soil flora and fauna and micro organisms is sorely compromised leading to less productive soil for the next crop rotation.
Skid
April 4, 2012 at 18:59
Presummably this time next year someone will estimate the amount of carbon going up in the smoke and send FT a tax bill?
john hayward
April 4, 2012 at 19:45
The Greens need to remember that FT is not some omnipotent foreign power, but a government business enterprise which is theoretically controlled by their senior coalition partner, or is its Frankenstein monster.
In either case, the Greens need to waggle their Damoclean sword over the Giddings government until they have FT radically fixed.
With no redeeming economic qualities except the employment of a shrinking number of loggers at immense environmental cost, FT wouldn’t seem to have much leverage to resist, unless they have incriminating information on someone.
John Hayward
Undergraduate Media
April 4, 2012 at 19:51
Another day in Tasmania, the media carries stories designed to maintain the sinking ship that is News Corporation’s print arm, and the fourth estate more broadly. Forget the ABC it is totally compromised and its airwaves are a strange mix of gibberish and nonsense.
The agenda is clear, play for time, headlines to confound and confuse the issue whilst the greed-heads continue, business as usual. The end product, wood-chips are only a fraction of the whole equation. What counts are those contracts for roads in our forests and the ‘Fire’ agenda.
The roads are the cash cow profit arms of the pigs that would, and do raze Tassie for money. They are the swine who control the agenda, diesel plant, fuel concessions, transport subsidiaries. Follow the money trail, it leads straight to Huonville, ask a few questions, make a few enquiries and the whole thing becomes so foul and corrupted until the bare lies shine through.
The ‘Fire’ agenda is a whole volume to itself. The thing is you can’t argue “Fire Management’, it is tantamount to treason. They are one and the same, the same managers, the same agenda, cash for the petroleum/diesel economy. The fire industry has become a behemoth through which many of these greed heads have reinvented themselves, with the added bonus of hero status. It stinks, the whole thing.
Forget the media show, follow the money, a pipeline from treasury to a few people in Huonville.
And now thirty years on where is our National Parks & Wildlife Service. Silent and complicit. The very agency charged with protecting our biodiversity and wildlife are silent, bullied into submission and complicit in this whole foul, rotten agenda.
russell
April 4, 2012 at 20:21
I betcha there never used to be a mini volcano of smoke coming out of tassie, every year, ever before.
hope the grapes are ok….
Tim Thorne
April 4, 2012 at 20:27
One word: pyrolysis.
Garry Stannus
April 4, 2012 at 20:44
Jack Lumber hasn’t done his reading. Maybe wasn’t up to the job – preferred to rush to print? Only the recalcitrant are ignorant of the IGA-process accepted-definition of HCV. And secondly why the West Report adopted a different approach. And thirdly why it is still appropriate to use the term.
Go answer your own question, Jack Lumber. The truth is out there and the use of HCV in the headline is appropriate, as you will see once you’ve done your homework.
max
April 4, 2012 at 20:53
1 # jack lumber. You are objecting to the use of the word HCV but not to the clear and obvious fact, look at the photos. what ever you like to call these clearfelled and ravaged areas their saw log potential has gone for the next 90 – 100 years. As the Wells report said, forestry as it is being practised in this state is unsustainable. I am a believer in sustainable forestry and against locking up all the state in parks but what I am seeing at the moment is shear lunacy, unsustainable and destroying the future of the timber industry.
pilko
April 4, 2012 at 22:16
I dont know about others but i’d feel a whole lot better if Pullinger, Bailey and their organisations just stepped out of the way, ran their info. sessions and campaign coordination and just let Peg Putt take over the negotiations.
In fact if Putt had been at the table from the outset we wouldn’t have the mess we have now.
Sorry boys. I know i’m not alone in this view.
Maddie
April 4, 2012 at 22:36
#5 Well said! They’ll spin this out for as long as they can get away with it. An absolute disgrace. Thank God for Peg Putt who is managing to do far more now that she isn’t in the Govt. cesspool and it must be driving FT nuts. Go Peg!
phill Parsons
April 4, 2012 at 23:31
#4. The ‘Ãncriminating evidence’ is that they cannot afford to reform or close FT. It owes the superannuation to the employees it stands down and it owes on the investment, which would have to be written off like the $500m debt was when the Commission was wound up. That would amount to more than $1.2B.
Does FIAT hope that a failure to agree will mean the Greens will leave government and force an election like in the Field days?. Outcome the Liberals are returned to running the State and then later Abetz and Abbott rejig some MIS Scheme or other prop for an industry that cannot pay its way in terms of the public’s renewable resources.
Not even the cost of management and replacment can FT raise from its sales. It wasn’t a goer even in the ‘good’ years and now Wells has graphed the pulp market showing the problems for either woodchip exports or a pulpmill.
John Maddock
April 5, 2012 at 01:16
Skid #3 wrote:
“Presummably this time next year someone will estimate the amount of carbon going up in the smoke and send FT a tax bill?”
The estimation was done in 2008.
You should Google ” A preliminary re-assessment of the relative contribution from forest burns and domestic woodheating to the Tasmanian airshed in 2008″. DIER staff did the study.
Quote:” Hence under these revised figures, in 2008 forest industry planned burns were likely to have contributed to the Tasmanian airshed between SEVENTEEN AND TWENTY FOUR TIMES (my emphasis) the particle pollution produced by domestic wood heaters (86,000 to 122,000 tonnes from planned forest burns compared to 5,000 tonnes from domestic wood heaters) not ONE FOURTEENTH (my emphasis) as the “Tasmanian Air Quality Strategy 2006” would indicate.
Industry management has a lot to answer for.
Out with the lot of them.
JV
Robin Halton
April 5, 2012 at 02:43
Some remarkably good photography of the progress of the regeneration burning program, late summer-autumn 2012.
Excellent coupe boundary design, irregular, no reverse curves, ideal burn boundaries leaving a mosaic of coupes scattered throughout the Forest Block.
Within a year or two these coupes will be greened up with regen. and associated scrub and understory species luring back the local herbivore populations for their share of the lush new growth.
To all those forestry employees I wish them a long burning season beyond Easter with ideal burning conditions to continue the great job of regenerating new forest unhindered by protesters who will go to any lengths to stop commercial forestry in Tasmania.
Carol Rea
April 5, 2012 at 08:19
Margate was a smoke filled community on Wednesday afternoon but we were ‘lucky’ compared with Huonville. I downloaded the data from EPA for Huonville at 5.00 on Wednesday. Off the chart. But the website doesn’t keep the data there for long. There was another peak on Thursday when no burn was evident on the various websites.
Here is Wednesdays link. Totally unacceptable smoke pollution.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/?ui=2&ik=8fb90b3488&view=att&th=13683a5d91ca2436&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw;
Clive Stott
April 5, 2012 at 10:08
Cleanairtas condemns Forestry for its pernicious smoke.
Clive Stott says he is not surprised all the needless forestry burning choked our air sheds across Tasmania. It seems every year they get it wrong and they will keep getting it wrong! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-05/forestry-apologises-for-burn-offs/3934842?section=tas
The trouble is an apology from FT’s Tony Blanks is not good enough. This smoke is toxic. It worsens asthma, it causes asthma attacks, and it shortens lives.
Cont …
Clive Stott
April 5, 2012 at 10:08
Cont …
It is also very disturbing to read that asthma deaths are up in our under 15 year olds in Tasmania. http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/04/05/315881_tasmania-news.html
People are being told by the Asthma Foundation to go onto, or adjust, their medication to control their asthma when forestry are burning. This is all so wrong in my opinion. This is putting it back onto suffering individuals and their families when forestry should be stopping their pernicious smoke at the source.
http://www.cleanairtas.com
Barnaby Drake
April 5, 2012 at 11:00
The environmentalists come to the peace talks with an olive branch: Terry Edwards comes with a bulldozer.
jack lumber
April 5, 2012 at 12:09
#9 dear garry always happy to take advice and direction please refer to statements by Mackey et al (page references useful ) re HCV . Where did he say HCV exists ? As to rushing to print agree …. TT used to be an alternative medium and like all of us more good than bad but , i am afraid it is becoming nothing but a dumping ground for MR from all sides . I am reminded of the classic skit in “Frontline “, where the the matrix of “stories : are dragged out when there is nothing to report. TT is becoming ” Tasmania Tonite” .
#10 Max _ you and I did not set the criteria/terms etc re HCV -this isnt about glossy pics . Claims are being made and they are not factually correct .
pilko
April 5, 2012 at 14:34
#22 Absolutely Russell. Thats a given.
Nick Mckim is right & he is also wrong when he asserts FIAT ‘are in no position to issue their ridiculous demands”.
Indeed for FIAT to attempt to hold Tasmania to ransom is not surprising as the logging industry and their political supporters have consistently used this as a tactic in Tasmania for decades. The Pulp Mill saga is a classic case in point.
The logging industry are the party who is broke, struggling, unpopular etc and with an appalling economic prognosis.
However FIAT have ALL the political clout in their corner. In particular the ultimate (arguably – depending on what the legislation looks like) arbiters of new forest reserves firmly in their corner – The Tasmanian Upper House.
Industry also have the backing of Federal Government – the people holding the purse strings & the ability to simply walk in and impose an agreement, as they did when Gillard flew in one weekend in mid 2011 and imposed the Heads of Agreement.
Indeed it is widely known that the ENGO signatories ACF, ET and TWS backstabbed the Greens by agreeing to Gillard & Giddings HOA – an agreement that fell well short of an reasonable interpretation of the SOP’s – despite the ENGO’s having given direct and personal assurances that they would not agree to anything without talking it through with the Greens first.
It then, in the ensuing weeks took some of the wiser heads in the Greens to help clean up the mess the ENGO’s created before the IGA was eventually signed.
It is also well known that were it not for the guiding hand of both the state and federal Greens and Parliamentary Greens alumni the ENGO’s would have served us up an even worse shit sandwich than they already have.
Stabbing other sections of the Tamanian community in the back – Agreeing to a deal in haste – not understanding the consequences of what you are signing up to.
Arent these consistent themes, themes that have been identified as major sources of concern for those excluded by the ENGO’s for over two years now?
This leads me back to my point about the role of Putt and about trust and confidence.
The signing of the initial SOP’s, agreeing to Gillards HOA etc show me that TWS/ET/ACF in their ambition/deperation have been dangerously out of their depth and willing to deal away much more than is neccessary. Paul Harris and the Upper House knows this. Crean knows this, L’Estrange, Edwards, Gordon and all the mates are only too aware of this as well as being acutely aware of the political clout that they wield – despite the appalling economic prognosis facing their industry.
Its not a matter of beating up on nice, well intentioned people its a matter of wanting to have some confidence in the people who are negotiating the future of a large part of Tasmania’s natural heritage and deal that will have massive consequences for Tasmania.
Take your annual leave Phil, Vica & Denise Boyd or for godsakes dont agree to anything without consulting wise heads like Putt, Milne and co.
Tim Thorne
April 5, 2012 at 15:17
If one word (#8) isn’t enough, then how about “smokeless conversion of waste timber to produce biochar, which can then be used to enrich soil”?
Christopher Purcell
April 5, 2012 at 17:46
I’m sure the Tasmanian Environment Protection Agency (EPA) headed by Dr Roscoe Taylor does sampling of these smoke plumes that emanate from forestry ‘regeneration’ burns, (& the ensuing smoke haze left hanging around in the valleys)in order to determine if the smoke contains any toxic substances from the massive amount of Napalm-B, that is used to start the infernos, with its toxic & carcinogenic ingredients of petrol, benzene & polystyrene. No???
Big Sim
April 5, 2012 at 20:35
I spent the day at Marion Bay yesterday. Passed through dairies, vineyards, there was the Falls site to the left and the wilderness of Maria Island ahead. Weather was hot and clear, a perfect Indian Summer day. Perfect day, perfect place, surrounded by all that defines Tassie as clean, green, beautiful and cool. Except…yeah, well, you all know what was wrong. So smoky you couldn’t see anything properly and by the time I got home my eyes and sinuses hurt.
WTF is going on in this place. It’s like living in the 3rd world, complete with tinpot dictators. It’d be a joke but its just too infuriating and sad to laugh at.
rachel howell
April 5, 2012 at 22:55
26# It has been the same in the Tamar Valley today, the Television footage from the Three Peaks Race demonstrated how widespread and disgusting it was -from dawn to dusk. School buses heading home towards Glengarry a week ago disappeared into a thick smoke haze. We try to convince kids not to smoke and spend millions spreading information on the harm it causes. For every Liberal and Labor politician to allow exposure of our whole population and especially our kids to the chemicals and particulates of this shockingly widespread potentially cancer causing smoke pollution is a gross neglect of their duty of care to the entire population of Tasmania
john hawkins
April 5, 2012 at 23:31
#26 Big Sim,
What is going on is cutting edge forestry “The Tasmanian Way”, Minimum cost, Minimum effort and cause the Maximum desecration and Pollution just to piss off those dreadful Greens.
Roscoe and his waste of time EPA with its Permits for the Pulp Mill is in lock step with these Canberra University trained vandals, the so called Foresters at FT.
Remember Forestry in this State is exempt all Heritage Legislation and Tasmania is the only State with no Landscape Legislation.
Bob Gordon and his partner the current Chair of the Heritage Council will keep it that way.
The Tasmanian logging industry calls the shots in Tasmania.
These macho relics of the past will never let anyone forget it even if it means logging at a loss,overcutting, violence and bankruptcy.
Robert LePage
April 6, 2012 at 13:49
I am not a great admirer of commercial TV but I watch the Southern Cross news for local content. They had a good segment on the forestry burn offs that blanketed Huonville including aerial shots of the fire and even some of the streets of huonville.
There was nothing at all on the ABC NEWS that night. Does it not consider this worth reporting? I understood that they had a policy of covering both sides of an event.
Mike W
April 7, 2012 at 01:51
I am sure FT would be happy to pay a bill for the carbon released from 10,000 ha of regen burns in the few weeks over Autumn, so long as they also got a cheque for all the carbon sucked up by 1.2 million ha of State Forest 365 days a year.
It would be good to think that some of that harvest residue could be used to generate power, plant material is after all a renewable resource. However, thanks to the Greens and aided by Mr Wilke it doesnt qualify for REC’s (or what ever the term is for them this month)making it not worth the effort.
FYI most of the smoke over Tassie yeasterday came from Victoria. They are burning 225,000 ha this FY alone. That makes the burning that is happening here just a drop in the bucket by comparison. It took the Vic’s a Royal Commission to realise their aversion to controlled burning of the landscape contributed to loss of almost 200 lives. I hope Tasmanian does not have to go through the same experience to reach the same conclusions.
Carol Rea
April 7, 2012 at 05:38
#29 Robert If more people lobby the ABC to ‘follow’ the story of the day we might have an informed community. Unfortunately ‘smoke’ from burns doesn’t seem to warrant much of a story from any media outlet.
Rob Blakers
April 8, 2012 at 01:58
#30 Mike, once again, we have the (deliberate?) confusion of 2 very different aims of burning. The intention of the Victorian burning that you allude to is to reduce fire hazard. When practiced on such a large and systematic scale it will also have a pretty heavy impact on biodiversity, but that’s another story.
The burning done by FT, pictured above, is done to inhibit rainforest species (well, actually wipe them out) and promote growth of the commercially sown eucalypts. A 2001 FT study, (well hidden since), showed that an average of 700tonnes CO2 per hectare are emitted in these intense “regen” burns. Multiply by the roughly 10,000 ha subjected to this process each year in Tasmania gives total emissions from regen burns alone as 7 million tonnes. This is only slightly less than the combined total of all other measured carbon emissions in Tasmania each year – transport, industry, etc. It does not include the further emissions from scorched soil post burning or the rapid carbon loss from short term products derived from woodchips.
It is misleading to offset this massive loss of carbon to the atmosphere with the carbon sequestered by growing trees on state forest for two reasons. Firstly, if FT claims such sequestration as a credit, then similarly credits should be claimed in national parks and on private land. And secondly, the point is that the emissions are occurring as a direct result of forestry. Simply, if this logging and burning didn’t take place, neither would the emissions.
Shaun
April 9, 2012 at 03:56
There’s always someone complaining about pollution from industry etc. But there would be more smoke coming from these burns than out of every smokestack in the country, brown coal-fired power stations included.
I make that comment with a fair degree of confidence, having seen quite a few power stations and other facilities with my own eyes. Even one forestry burn is an order of magnitude worse than any factory or power station I’ve seen in this country.
Mike W
April 9, 2012 at 04:04
Rob #32, no confusion, simply trying to point out the source of the smoke and relative scale of the burning. In the bigger picture, stopping regen burns will do little to reduce the smoke and emissions this time of year, and nothing at all to stop the emissions in the long term. Indeed stopping forestry and relying on more carbon intensive materials and fossil fuels for societies needs produces a far worse outcome in an emissions sensitive world.
I looked up that “well hidden†study, it came up as the second item on a Google search in 0.16 seconds, well hidden indeed. Looks like it was based on regen burns done in the Warra research area, which BTW is now entirely part of the 570,000 Ha claimed as HCV forest by the ENGO’s. So much for high-intensity burns “destroying†HCV forest.
If the regen burns are meant to wipe out the rainforest species, they don’t do a very good job, just look at any coupe burnt about 20 years ago, Picton 39A for example, they exhibit plenty of rainforest species coming up in the understory. Because forest management these days includes the significant retention of mature elements across the landscape, this will always aid re-colonisation of rainforest species into harvested areas despite the relatively short rotation lengths. This management is shown in the photos above where harvested areas of a few dozen hectares, are surrounded by hundreds of hectares of continuous mixed-forest cover.