Shifting from burning fossil…

Shifting from burning fossil fuels to burning wood biomass for energy is a "false" solution that undermines both climate goals and the world's biodiversity, stated a letter sent to leaders of the EU, European Council, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. (Balkangreenenergynews, Scientists warn replacing fossil fuels with wood is 'false solution' to climate crisis, 15Feb2021.)

"Trees are more valuable alive than dead both for climate and for biodiversity. To meet future net zero emission goals, your governments should work to preserve and restore forests and not to [cut them down and] burn them," reads the letter."

The huge increase in logging for energy is driven almost exclusively by public subsidies in Europe, North America, East Asia, and elsewhere, and political leaders have the power to end these practices, reverse the trends, and protect climate and wildlife.

Wood pellet use grew rapidly from 17 million tons in 2013 to 26 million tons in 2018. "If nothing is done, there are signs that huge growth in extreme weather will accelerate, as European coal plants look to shift to wood burning. This would simply shift the cause of CO2 emissions and black carbon particles from coal to wood, and do nothing to solve the greenhouse gas emissions; increases in atmospheric heating, heat waves, droughts and wildfires; increases in hurricanes, typhoons and extreme wind and rain storms.

Even though re-growing trees and abandoning fossil fuels may eventually pay off the carbon debt created by deforestation, the scientists warn the "regrowth takes time the world does not have to solve climate change." Moreover, the wood burned for energy emits more carbon up smokestacks than using fossil fuels [such as coal], the signatories warned. (Ben Parfitt. 2021. Burning our way to a new climate. Canada Cent. Policy Evaluation, BC Office, June2021)