LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • October 5, 2021
Two recent columns poorly misrepresent both the science and the global consensus that wood bioenergy is a key part of the solution to achieving net-zero carbon emissions, and addressing the climate crisis. Contrary to the authors’ claims, leading climate science authorities and government bodies such as the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the European Commission clearly recognize a vital role for sustainable bioenergy in decarbonizing the power grid. The authors are also misinformed about the carbon intensity of wood bioenergy, which research finds is actually 85% lower than coal. Finally, according to US Forest Service data, forest stocks in the U.S. Southwest that source wood for bioenergy globally are larger today than when the industry first started some 10 years. ~ Seth Ginther, US Industrial Pellet Association