Beware Biomass. Wood chipping in Australia began as a way of clearing non
useable product from the logging area and evolved into unsustainable logging of
old growth forest. The native hardwood was frequently replaced by non native
softwood plantations. I feel sure any proposal to use so-called waste from
North American forests will be followed by vested interests promoting the
tiresome phrase of " jobs, jobs, jobs" after investing more money than they can
afford in vehicles and other machinery in this pseudo green opportunity. The
problem with the jobs is how much will they cost in inevitable subsidies and
benefits to the perpetrators of habitat destruction? One example is our island
state of Tasmania, where if logging is carried out in accordance with a
Regional Forest Agreement, the Commonwealth Environmental Protection
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 does not apply. Logging is currently being
undertaken in the habitat of an orchid species listed under this legislation
and the operation is being termed a trial to determine how the species survives
after being invaded by logging machinery and felling of old growth habitat. See
"The Orchadian" Volume 16 No 1 for this story. Letters and protests to the
Tasmanian government have been of no use as this government is too close to the
logging company involved.
Alan W Stephenson
National Conservation Officer
Australasian Native Orchid Society
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