PR 36784
13 March 2015

 Scientists add fuel to biomass debate
 

 "Burning biomass instead of fossil fuels does not reduce the carbon emitted by power plants".

For several years now, the UK's wood panel products industry has warned the UK government that its misguided policy of encouraging electricity companies to burn trees as biomass not only threatens the livelihood of manufacturers but is also bad for the environment.

 Now powerful support for that assertion has come from an unexpected source: an article in the New York Times entitled: "Burning biomass instead of fossil fuels does not reduce the carbon emitted by power plants".

 The article quotes an open letter, signed by 78 leading scientists, sent on February 9^thto US Environment Protection Agency administrator, Gina McCarthy, warning against the widespread burning of "woody biomass" on environmental grounds.

 The focus of the argument is a US government proposal to treat as "carbon-free" all woody biomass - including freshly-cut trees - so long as it is derived from sustainable forests.

 The signatories to the letter point out that an essential (though not sufficient) condition for carbon neutrality is that forest harvesting does not exceed growth.

 The UK forest products industry has long argued that to burn in a few hours timber that has taken decades to grow, is unsustainable and could result in a net increase in carbon emissions rather than a reduction.

 The only sustainable use of timber harvested from living forests is to manufacture products that retain their carbon content for many years. These products, even if they have a relatively short life-span can themselves be recycled without releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

 The open letter to Ms McCarthy points out that to misguidedly declare woody biomass to be carbon-neutral "would harm efforts...to protect forests around the world" and "undercut incentives to use biomass that is truly low in carbon".

 For further information on Norbord, please call 01786 812 225 or visitwww.norbord.co.uk.

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With compliments:
Alison Relf
Taylor Alden Ltd
Unit 2 Temple Place
247 The Broadway
London
SW19 1SD
Tel: 020 8543 3866
Email: alison@tayloralden.co.uk