Adage, your carbon neutrality is just a fallacy!

Submitted to Shelton Blog by John Cox

BIOMASS INCINERATION releases tremendous amounts of CO2 (carbon dioxide). The proponents for this process say that the release is balanced by new trees being planted, which pull the CO2 from the atmosphere as it is incorporated into the trees as they grow.

The problem with this view is that it takes decades, even hundreds of years, for the equivalent amount of CO2 to be completely reabsorbed, depending on the biomass type. Even if you look at it in a simplistic way, it would take at least a century to reabsorb the CO2 when trees and slash are used as fuel.

So, with biomass incineration, just ONE incinerator, like the planned ADAGE unit, would release 1,600 TONS of CO2 per DAY. That's 600,000 TONS per YEAR and that's just ONE incinerator. There are plans in Washington to build 50+ units. All of these incinerators would be releasing MILLIONS of TONS of CO2 into the atmosphere, and this is just in Washington State. In an attempt to neutralize this gigantic amount of CO2 released, we would presumably have newly planted trees that take decades to hundreds of years to remove that same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere.

I ask you, do we really have the luxury of waiting decades or hundreds of years to regain carbon neutrality? It is quite clear that the world has a problem NOW. CO2 is a problem NOW. We cannot wait. We must stop this NOW.

The EPA is reconsidering its position on the carbon neutrality of biomass incineration. That is a hopeful sign, but please remember that the EPA and related agencies allowed the BP disasters to occur, and these agencies are essentially political in nature. We cannot expect the EPA or its Olympic regional version, ORCAA, or any other political agent to act against the wishes of their corporate masters. So we ordinary citizens must force them to act in a way that is beneficial for EVERYONE and EVERYTHING living on this Earth.

So please, don't just sit there. Do something...