The Greens support International Day of Action on Forest Biomass Energy. There is no place for forest furnaces in clean, green lutruwita/Tasmania.
Unfortunately, it’s only the Greens in Parliament who oppose the burning of native forest for energy. Just a fortnight ago, the Liberal and Labor parties united to allow native forest biomass to be classified a future renewable energy source in lutruwita/Tasmania.
Forest biomass burning accelerates the loss of carbon stored in forests, and releases enormous amounts of CO2 emissions from biomass furnace stacks.
Despite the warnings of leading scientists, and a concrete precedent by the Victorian Labor Government, Labor and the Liberals voted against the Greens’ legislative amendment to explicitly exclude native forest biomass to be classified as ‘renewable energy’.
While, both Federal Labor and the Victorian Labor Government both have a clear position that native forest biomass is not renewable energy, the Tasmanian Labor Party is lagging behind.
The science is clear, forest furnaces are a disaster for the climate. Any consideration of establishing such an industry in lutruwita/Tasmania is nothing more than climate madness.
While Resources Minister Guy Barnett’s cheerleading of native forest destruction knows no bounds, the Greens will always stand up for a safe climate. In a climate and biodiversity emergency, there is no place for burning of native forests to provide electricity.
