Clear-cutting for power generation?

21 October is International Biomass Action Day. Environmental activists want to draw attention to the increasing conversion to bioenergy - and the consequences for our forests and ecosystems. Burning wood pellets instead of coal is supposed to counteract climate change, because wood is "renewable". But does it really make sense to cut down forests to generate electricity? I talk about this with Dorothee Babeck from the Bob Brown Foundation.

Wälder werden für Strom abgeholzt Source: David Stanley/CC BY 2.0

The BigBadBiomass Gruppe bietet Webinars an Source: Dorothee Babeck

Biomass is a collective term for everything from plant and animal material to animal and agricultural waste. It is commonly used in power generation in the form of wood pellets, which are harvested from forests and burned to generate energy. At a time when coal-fired power plants are being phased out due to climate and environmental concerns, it is increasingly being considered as an alternative energy source.

Das wird aus den Wäldern gemacht Source: D-Kuru/CC BY-SA 3.0 AT

And here is a link to a report on the power plant that is to be commissioned in the Hunter Valley: 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/19/drax-dropped-from-index-of-green-energy-firms-amid-biomass-doubts

https://twitter.com/hashtag/bigbadbiomass