Replacing old forests with young forests to increase carbon sequestration is a fool’s errand.
When we manipulate one component of an ecosystem, such as predators, unknown consequences show up…
We pay close attention to human disease, but we let the global transport of exotic species, pests, and pathogens proceed with little notice.
Overall, the energy used in BECCS adds about 30% to the carbon emissions to the atmosphere from burning biomass directly.
When these forests are cleared, the lower rates of transpiration may lead to permanent reductions in regional rainfall, and slow recovery of the forest.
if we are serious about mitigating climate change, we must shift our attention to sources of energy that emit no greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
The shape and volume—not just area—of trees growing in a forest creates an added dimension to the ecological and evolutionary setting.
In the short-term, forests harvested for biomass energy actually put more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than burning fossil fuels,
This speaks to the importance of planting trees in urban areas to lower ambient temperatures and reduce the need for air conditioning.
Since most of the wood pellets are derived from newly harvested trees, the immediate impact on Earth’s climate is worse than coal.
