Canberra Times
Wednesday 3/9/2008 Page: 10
Tasmania is backing moves, condemned by conservationists, to export Australian wood to Japan to fuel power plants. Bob Gordon, the boss of Forestry Tasmania, the government body managing the state's forests, said yesterday that generating power froth wood rather than coal was part of the solution to climate change. Mr Gordon said he supported the use of wood from sustainably managed forests as a renewable energy alternative to the burning of fossil fuels. "Unlocking the stored sunlight in wood for the production of renewable energy has taken off across the globe, with good reason," Mr Gordon said.
"Enlightened communities, such as those in Scandinavia, are serious about a solution to climate change and as a result have already commenced using woodfired power stations to produce renewable energy." Mr Gordon was forced yesterday to defend the exports after telling reporters that several such exports to Japan had already been trade by timber companies.
Starting in October, Tasmanian timber giant Gunns will export native "fuelwood" from Triabunna to the Japanese company Chubu Electric, the media reported. Gunns declined to comment. Tasmanian Greens MP Kim Booth called on Premier David Bartlett to intervene and stop the export. "Any state government that had the simplest of understandings of the critical role forests play in mitigating against climate change would rule the practice out immediately," Mr Booth said.
1 comments:
Bob Gordon really doesn't have a clue. How can sending timber to Japan help climate change? Apart from the destruction of our forests, there is the fuel to transport the timber and the resulting smoke from burning. Forestry gives timber such a low value, yet it is a valuable resource which should not be squandered. Bob Gordon thinks we can keep on growing and destroying trees forever - but we can't!
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