Bob Brown Foundation joined a network of more than 190 non-government organisations worldwide today for – the International Day of Action against native forest Biomass – to highlight the impacts of large scale biomass energy, a false solution to climate change that actually emits as much, if not more, CO2 as burning coal.
“We demonstrated for native forest protection outside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office, Tasmanian Senator Carol Brown’s office and later today we will protest outside Senator Helen Polley’s Launceston office and Federal Environment Minister’s Tanya Plibersek office in Sydney. Protests are being held around the world protesting the environmental and social impacts of the global biomass industry which burns native forests to generate electricity,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Jenny Weber said.
The International Day of Action coincides with the Federal Government’s deadline for submissions on potential amendments to the eligibility of electricity generated from native forest biomass in the Renewable Energy Target (RET).
In Tasmania’s ancient forests our campaign climbers have displayed a huge banner in a tall eucalyptus regnans tree threatened by logging.
“Australia’s Labor Government are currently considering excluding native forest biomass from eligibility under our Renewable Energy Act. Failing to remove it would be a climate and biodiversity crime. Our Foundation with many groups across the country have been alerting citizens to write to Minister for Climate and Energy Chris Bowen and urge Labor to reinstate the Gillard government’s ban on treating the logging of native forests and burning the wood for electricity.
Burning of logged wood from native forests releases far more emissions than coal and the loss of native forests also means sabotaging a critical solution to mitigate the impacts of climate breakdown, that is protection of all native forests across Australia. Australia’s native forests, left standing, are one of the strongest tools in sequestering carbon and must be protected,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.