One of the most important questions in the drive to rapidly decarbonize our society is how to replace fossil fuel generated electricity with clean, renewable sources
And one of the key questions there is, what counts as clean and renewable?
Today’s episode is all about biomass energy, which is essentially the burning of pelletized wood for electricity. The Biomass industry is valued at over 100 billion dollars per year and growing, and many countries count biomass as renewable and carbon neutral.
But is it really? Or is it one more false solution which is polluting communities, exploiting natural resources, and worsening the climate crisis? And with the Biomass industry looking to expand into the Pacific Northwest, what does that mean for our timberlands and rural communities?
To answer these questions, I’m joined by Rita Frost and Peter Riggs
Rita Frost is a forest advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Born and raised in the Southern US, she lives on unceded Kalapuya land in the Willamette Valley. Rita has worked with communities confronting the biomass manufacturing industry in the Southern U.S. for the past 8 years.
Peter Riggs is the director of Pivot Point, which works on a variety of land use and climate change issues in Washington state, nationally, globally. He is based on Harstine Island in the southern Salish Sea.
Research Links/Show Notes:
https://environmentalpaper.org/the-biomass-delusion/
Drax in Longview: https://www.kttn.com/v2-energy-market-for-wood-pellets-globally-threatens-u-s-forests/
https://naacp.org/resources/resolution-wood-pellets-opposition
https://www.southernenvironment.org/news/new-study-confirms-harmful-impacts-of-biomass/