[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Bartlett Wrong on Forest Carbon Benefits_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

BARTLETT OUT-OF-STEP ON FORESTRY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Where is 'data-driven' Premier's Data Coming From?

Nick McKim MP
Greens Opposition Leader

Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today rejected Premier David Bartlett's assertion
that Tasmania's old growth forests are "irrelevant" to the global
climate change debate, and called on the self-described "data-driven"
Premier to get across the peak climate change science currently coming
out of the EU, the IPCC, the UNEP, the IUCN and the World Bank.

Greens Opposition Leader Nick McKim MP said a recent Australian National
University study revealed that Tasmania's old forests sequester 40-60
percent more carbon than disturbed or commercial-use forests, and there
is zero evidence to back up the Premier's opinion that logging forests
will be more valuable than preserving them as carbon sinks. 

Mr McKim also called Premier Bartlett to consider the future financial
implications for Tasmania following his decision to turn his back on
climate change science, particularly the foregone profits from carbon
sequestration in Tasmania's remaining old forests.   

"Mr Bartlett has revealed himself as woodchip driven rather than data
driven," Mr McKim said.

"David Bartlett says its more valuable to log old forests for woodchips
before we've even heard what price we will receive for carbon
sequestration in standing forests - without a known price for carbon
sequestration, how could the Premier possibly know what he is talking
about?" 

"Despite the industry's head-in-the-sand rhetoric, about 90 percent of
Tasmania's forest harvest currently goes for woodchips which make paper
which does not capture carbon over the long term."

"The forest carbon science from the ANU has been in for months yet David
Bartlett seems to be stuck in the 1950's and is now parrotting the
unsustainable position and unscientific assertions of a woodchip
industry focussed on resisting change."




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