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Tasmanians concerned about global warming should promote forestry and use as much wood as possible.
Forestry Tasmania's Executive General Manager Hans Drielsma said average annual growth in state forests capture and store about 6.75 million tonnes of CO2-e - or about three times as much as the carbon removed in timber products harvested each year.
Dr Drielsma said over the next 50 years, the net carbon store in state forests will grow by about 17 per cent.
"It is therefore odd that the Wilderness Society would choose state forests as its venue for today's Walk against Warming.
"If these environmental groups are genuinely concerned about climate change, they will tell people on today's walk that the best contribution they can make is to promote forestry and use as much wood from Tasmania's sustainably managed forests as possible."
Dr Drielsma said Forestry Tasmania was the most credible source of information about the carbon performance of state forests.
"Data from more than 3,000 sites form the basis of our calculations. Data from three sites form the basis of the Wilderness Society's calculations.
"In fact, the Wilderness Society has acknowledged the value of Forestry Tasmania's research by seeking under Freedom of Information, the release of the data gained from those 3,000 sites.
"However, we have refused the FoI request because the data is valuable intellectual property that provides FT with the opportunity to partner credible scientific institutions to conduct reputable scientific research.
"The opportunity would be lost if we simply gave it away to a lobby group, and risk it being used mischievously to pursue a political agenda.
"We have worked collaboratively with reputable research organisations like the CSIRO and Forest and Wood Products Australia, and we employed our own highly qualified carbon scientist so that we can understand more fully the carbon equation in state forest.
“Back in July 2009, Wilderness Society made public statements that Forestry Tasmania had not carried out studies into carbon storage on state forest.
“Contrary to these claims, a rigorous carbon study was carried out using our data by independent consultants MBAC in 2007, and has been publicly available on our website since its release.
“The report found that state forests are currently storing around 326 million tonnes of carbon. By 2050, the amount will increase by some 31 million tonnes to 357 million tonnes.
“That equates to an average of around 720,000 tonnes a year, or the equivalent to the carbon emitted each year by more than half a million cars.
“It is well recognised by many scientifically credible sources, including no lesser authority than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that forestry is a carbon-positive industry.
“Forestry makes three major contributions to the carbon economy: through the storage of carbon in growing forests, through the storage of carbon in wood products, and through the emissions that are avoided by substituting wood for energy intensive products such as aluminium, concrete or fossil fuels.
“In fact, the IPCC has noted that, if all forest harvesting was stopped, there would be a net increase in greenhouse gases, as society would be forced into an even greater reliance on concrete, aluminium and steel.
“The Australian Department of Climate Change has also acknowledged forestry as the only carbon positive sector in the Australian economy.
“While we congratulate the Society for holding a lawful demonstration, it is disappointing that it continues to ignore the weight of scientific evidence that forestry is a carbon-positive industry.
“As environmentalists, one would expect that they would favour the use of sustainably produced timber above energy-intensive substitutes such as aluminium, steel and concrete.”
Consistent with Forestry Tasmania policy to release to the media all copies of responses to Freedom of Information requests (except those relating to personal matters), FT yesterday posted on its website its response to a request by the Wilderness Society. The response is located at www.forestrytas.com.au in the ‘Maps and Reports’ section under ‘Freedom of Information Requests’.
ENDS
12 December 2009
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