PPRC Position Paper on Climate Change
The Forest Products Industry is a major contributor in OFFSETTING
the accumulation of Greenhouse Gases. Numerous scientists and studies
confirm that actively managed, sustainable forests absorb carbon quickly
and efficiently.
Irresponsible legislative action would destroy the forest products and
manufacturing industries in America and cause the loss of millions
of jobs nationwide; therefore Congress must consider the following:
-
Trees remove carbon from the air. The use of wood products creates
unique advantages in addressing climate change.
-
Carbon is locked up in the wood products we produce.
-
Wood is used to generate clean energy in biomass and cogeneration
facilities.
-
Using wood and woody-biomass reduces the need to burn fossil fuels
which in turn reduces the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere.
-
Open burning produces as much as 100 times more conventional
pollutants than controlled combustion in a power boiler. Biomass
energy production is carbon neutral.
-
Over half of energy produced in the pulp and paper industry today,
is generated from wood residuals like bark, spent liquors, fines, etc.
-
Harvesting of trees and promoting forest regeneration increases
the absorption and storage of atmospheric C02.
-
Healthy forests are less susceptible to catastrophic wildfires
that release alarming amounts of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide
into the air, kill wildlife and destroy their habitat and watersheds.
-
Every substitute for wood products requires large inputs of fossil
fuels to create the product (up to 300% more than wood) leading to
increases in Green House Gases (GHG) emissions.
-
Carbon sequestration is 75 tons/acre higher for an actively
managed forest versus no management (let-grow).
-
Trees are the most powerful concentrators of carbon on earth.
-
Since 1972, the industry has reduced its fossil fuel and purchased
energy consumption by nearly 50 percent. The industry's average total
energy use per ton of pulp and paper has decreased by nearly 25 percent
since 1972.
-
On average, one ton of paper contains some 1.33 tons of carbon
equivalents CO2.
The PPRC recommends:
-
Modern forestry will be a key and integral component of any strategy
to reduce US carbon emissions.
-
Facilities within the Forest Products industry that have already
achieved substantial emission reductions should be recognized for those
improvements, and not be placed at a competitive disadvantage, to
developing countries who do not meet our environmental standards.
-
We have the ability to manage forests to further reduce the amount
of carbon in our air. We must find economic and regulatory incentives
to make it happen.
-
Combustion of biomass fuels (including spent liquor, wood waste,
and bark) are carbon neutral and should not be counted as direct
emissions.
-
Carbon stored in forests and in manufactured forest products reduces
atmospheric CO2 concentrations and should be recognized as sequestered
carbon.
-
Recovery and recycling of forest products reduces landfill greenhouse
gas emissions by keeping such material out of landfills and should be
recognized as avoiding emissions.
-
Establish appropriate incentives and support for technologies that
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
-
The most-economically sustainable and environmentally responsible
course of action is to manage forests for long-term productivity and
sustainability.
-
One of the best ways to address climate change is to use more wood,
not less.
-
In order to offset CO2 released by burning fossil fuels, materials
from the forest that aren't appropriate for wood products should be used
to produce clean, biomass energy.
-
Promote forest management plans that reduce catastrophic wildfires,
which release massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.
-
Replant areas destroyed by wildfires so they quickly begin removing
carbon from the air.
-
The forest and paper industry strongly believes that any potential climate change policies for the sector should be based on the carbon cycle approach (Life Cycle of a Tree).
The PPRC is a grassroots organization representing the interests of the
nation's pulp, paper, solid wood products, and other natural
resource-based workers. The U.S. forest products industry is vitally
important to our nation's economy, employing 1.5 million people.
We rank among the top 10 manufacturers in 42 states with annual sales
exceeding $230 billion, which accounts for 7 % of the U.S. manufacturing
shipments. We are people dedicated to conserving the environment while
taking into account the economic stability of the workforce and
surrounding community.
Revised 12/04/08
Position Paper Page