Investors With $53 Billion in Assets Call On SEC To Scrutinize Bioenergy Sector Claims That Burning Wood Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Benefits Forests.
Last week, Rita Frost and I left the office for a two week Outreach Tour to meet with people across the South who are passionate about protecting our Southern forests. We are here to learn what issues are important to them in their communities, and how Dogwood Alliance can support them. We are here to understand what their relationships are to their local and global forests.
Two weeks ago Senator Susan Collins from Maine sponsored an amendment to the “Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015”. A US Senate committee approved it for an upcoming vote by the whole chamber. The amendment claims the “carbon neutrality” of biomass (forests being burned for electricity). This amendment is essentially a boondoggle that is a giveaway to an antiquated and destructive industry.
As we celebrate World Wetlands Day, it is appropriate to acknowledge the critical role that our wetland forests here at home play in the fight against climate change. In light of recent increased periods of drought, impending threats of sea level rise and the increasing frequency and intensity of storms, keeping wetland forests standing strong along our coasts is one of the smartest investments we can make over the coming decades to keep our coastal communities safe from the impacts of a changing climate.
The European Union (EU) Commission recently announced an investigation into the state aid provided for the world’s largest forest destroyer for electricity, Drax. The taxpayer dollars that the UK is providing Drax to convert to burning Southern US forests for electricity is another example of why this destructive industry is moving us backwards away from a healthy, truly sustainable future.
