On March 25th, Dogwood Alliance joined the Concerned Citizens of Richmond County for a Rally for Health and Environmental Justice. Local residents fear that the proposed Enviva wood pellet facility will bring harmful dust pollution, constant noise, dangerous truck traffic, and forest degradation. The community rallied to affirm and stand for their rights to clean air, clean water, standing forests, and strong and healthy communities.
There’s no better time to embrace nature than in the fall, the season of transformation. Over the past few decades, our forests have come under major threat due to a number of human-induced disturbances. Trees play important roles for not just our ecosystems but for our community as well. Turns out there are many health benefits from wandering around the woods.
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.
Unfortunately, climate deniers and special interests are fighting tooth and nail to destroy or water down this plan. Despite the fact that our forests are our best defense against climate change and the scientific community widely views burning forests for electricity as the wrong direction, the Environmental Protection Agency is considering including biomass electricity as a potential pathway for meeting the goals of the plan.
Our statement on the EPA’s poor decision to not regulate carbon and other pollution emissions from burning biomass for electricity. And why this decision is bad for forests, climate and human health.
