What the experts say about the need to
protect natural native forests as carbon stores
·
“…emissions
from deforestation are very significant – they are estimated to
represent more than 18% of global emissions, a share greater
than is produced by the global transport sector.”
“Preserving forests has the co-benefit of protecting a
significant proportion of the world’s biodiversity that they
contain.”
“Curbing deforestation is a highly cost-effective way of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
- Nicholas Stern, The Economics of Climate Change, 2006)
·
“Avoiding
deforestation in Australia is a large, immediate and perishable
opportunity to reduce GHG emissions.” An Australian Cost
Curve for Greenhouse Gas Reduction - Stephen Gormer,
McKinseys, 2008
·
“Simulations of
carbon storage suggest that conversion of old growth forest to
young fast growing forest will not decrease atmospheric carbon
dioxide (CO2) in general….. During simulated timber harvest,
on-site carbon storage is reduced considerably and does not
approach old growth storage capacity for at least 200 years.
Even when sequestration of carbon in wooden buildings is
included in the models, timber harvest results in a net flux of
CO2 to the atmosphere.” Effects on Carbon Storage of
Conversion of Old-Growth Forests to Young Forests, Mark E. Harmon; William K. Ferrell; Jerry F. Franklin
Science, New Series, Vol. 247, No. 4943. (Feb. 9, 1990), pp.
699-702.
·
“In Australia,
there is considerable potential for sequestering large amounts
of carbon through changes in land and forest management and
agricultural practices.”- Interim Report,
Garnaut
Climate Change Review, 2008
·
30,697
have joined the GetUp campaign so far for a full carbon
assessment of the impact of logging our native forests.
·
Forests are an essential natural mechanism for stabilizing
atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide in the short and
long term (Professor Brendan Mackie, ANU)
·
Over 90% of timber
extracted from native forest is woodchipped and only 5% of
logged trees end up as sawn timber. The method of burning the
felled coupes to get rid of the mountains of unusable
wood.results in total slaughter of reptiles and other small
animals and organisms - a scorched earth policy which completes
the vandalism". (Mary E White "Listen.Our Land is Crying")