Burned: are trees the new coal?

The idea that whole forests are being cleared and burnt in power stations instead of coal seems crazy, but increasingly that is what is happening around the world, and Australian governments want to see it happen here too.

Burned is an award-winning film which will be screened across the north coast over the next two weeks.

‘Many people saw the film Gasland and this spear-headed the movement against fracking,’ says Susie Russell, who has galvanised the collaboration of the participating organisations. ‘People power in the Northern Rivers region rejected this destructive activity and energy source.

‘This film is to forests, what Gasland was to fracking.’

Russell says that due to a perversion of the international greenhouse gas accounting rules, burning wood is considered to be carbon neutral because it’s not a fossil fuel and eventually the carbon can get taken out of the atmosphere by growing more trees. ‘But that will take decades – decades we don’t have.

‘In the meantime, forests, which are the most effective mechanism we have to capture carbon and store it, are being destroyed to fuel power stations that actually produce more CO2 than if they were burning coal! And it’s being subsidised as a “renewable” industry that is “clean and green”.’

Meanwhile the homes of wildlife that depend on forests are gone, pushing many species of plants and animals closer to extinction.

‘The scale of this insanity is documented in the film. It shows what is planned for our forests if people power doesn’t stop it. It’s a cry from the forests, for our help.

‘We really have to stop this madness before it kills us all. Burning forests for electricity must be stopped.

‘The scientific consensus is that saving forests is absolutely key if we want to stop runaway climate change.’

Burned is screening locally

May 7- Mullumbimby, The Mullumbimby Commons, 91/74 Main Arm Rd, 6pm

May 9- Byron Bay, Pighouse, 1 Skinners Shoot Rd, Byron Bay 6pm.

May 10- Lismore Gallery Events Space. Rural St/Keen St, Lismore at 6.30pm.

May 11- Lismore, Community Climate Crisis Rally, Peace Park, cnr Bruxner H’way & Keen St.

Screenings are free but donations towards venue hire and materials would be appreciated.