Europe is calling, with water being scarce, are the forests next ?

olmec said:

What are your thoughts on how this will impact residential sales in the US?

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As very often happens, the public's impression is skewed or glossed over with intentional misrepresentations with mass marketing by the corporations and politician’s who have vested interests. An example are the CFL's (Compact Florescent Lights), they were spun by the corporate shills as a green alternative. I bought right into it and spent an unreasonable amount of $ on them only to find out that they are equally as bad as incandescent lights. Another example might be the idea of an electric car the salvation for saving the planet; only to find out that during the early production of the batteries more harm was done to the environment than the burning of fossil fuels.



Europeans have been sensitized to environmental issues for decades. When I lived there, the price for gas was outrageous, circa 1969. Cars were small to fit down narrow streets and they had to get decent gas milage to be affordable. Through necessity they have evolved as a culture of green thinking folks that take the time to stay in touch with the environmental movement. When I read this article I had to wonder if they had been hoodwinked also?

In order for wood pellets to burn “carbon free” the carbon emitted into the atmosphere must be recaptured by regenerated forests, which take several decades to grow. If these emissions aren’t offset, then burning wood pellets releases as much or more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than coal. A 2013 study published in Environmental Research Letters broke down the biomass lifecycle according to GHG emissions. It found that while the actual pellet production accounts for nearly half of the emissions, shipping the pellets across the Atlantic Ocean is a close second, making up around 31 percent of the total GHG footprint of the process. The actual burning of the pellets accounted for about 10 percent of the overall emissions.

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So are the needs of the European Union to find a cleaner alternative to burning coal, going to be made at the expense of our forests, and the world's clean air?

BrotherBart said:

Anybody know of any pellets they bought this year that were from Georgia?

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The industry as a whole needs to be more responsible. The pellet industry will be judged on the whole picture that is being portrayed by the fossil fuel industry, who will certainly put their spin on why we shouldn't turn our backs on filling that fuel oil tank. The average American, I don't want to throw the rest of the North American's in the same category, will listen to their local TV news and believe whatever bilge water is feed to them, as sponsored by corporate interests.

“This is the Wild West of logging,” said Macon. “There is an extreme lack of regulation on private land in the South so companies are not required to replant or to notify authorities of their plans. The forests in Europe are very protected.”

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So if to meet the needs of an industry in a foreign land we allow the clear cutting of our forrest's, how soon will it be before we're clear cutting to meet the needs of our pellet stove industry. I just bought my stove, how many thousands of folks are willing to jump onto this movement, believing that they are being environmentally responsible? Will the surge of new owners be stymied by the lower fossil fuel costs long enough to get new plants made and source enough waste product to meet demand?

SidecarFlip said:

Knowing American capitalism I'm not sure if the pellet producers will practice renewable conservation. Thats a long term commitment versus a quick profit. The Ontario Canada pellet mills are also exporting their entire production, no residential pellets being produced.

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My point revolves around your statement. If we can clear cut forests in Georgia for Europe, where does it end? Cord wood got scarce here with the bio mass Godzilla near Fort Drum in northern New York. It has an insatiable appetite for all things wood. I see trucks rolling by me stacked to the hilt with cordwood, passing many times a day for years. Can't get some for residential use though, which is what led me to get the pellet stove. As demand increases, what happens to our forests?

Lake Girl said:

Depends on the tree type ... around here the pine get harvested and we're left with a lot of poplar, the weed of trees. So yes, you get trees, just not the good ones that were cut down...

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I can't imagine looking across the bay of Beverly Lake and thinking about a day's fishing with the forests around the lake cleared out in the name of corporate profits. When forests are selectively managed, the wood is still harvested and the forests improve. If they clearcut the forests, they should be mandated to replace the timber.

There's a need for fossil fuels, it doesn't mean we should gouge out every last drop and leave the landscape and ground water polluted, so that a few can make a ton of money. Same goes for the forests, Europe and other emerging markets may want and need more wood and wood by products for pellets...do it responsibly.

Highbeam said:

Ah, see here in the NW they are required to replant. In fact, what most folks see as forests have already been clearcut 2 or 3 times and regrown. To not replant the forest would be a conversion from forest to something else and would require permits not unlike building a parking lot.

Timber is agriculture. It is a long rotation crop business and CAN be done sustainably. I see two issues emerging with this. 1) Some timber companies cutting their own throats by not replanting due to lax local laws, though forests are natural and will eventually return on their own. 2) The export of product which drives up the prices for us. That's called a global market.

If you don't want a particular forest clearcut then go buy it. Somebody else is farming those trees and would be happy to sell you the whole parcel for enough money.

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ah, they do that here. folks from NYC come up to the Adirondack's and form a co-op and buy tracks of land. Infuse themselves on local town boards, set the pace and way of life for the indigenous folks, makes for a very resentful way of live. I would much rather have a responsible governmental agency, oversee proper managerial practices by properly managed and ethical companies.

So how does sustainability work out in Mirkwood