Renewable Energy Bill - Burning Forests for Energy is NOT Renewable

The Wilderness Society calls on the Australian Labor Party to vote with the Greens and Australian Democrats in the Senate today to overturn controversial sections of the 'Renewable Energy (Electricity) Bill 2000' that promote the burning of native forests (wood waste) to generate energy.

The Renewable Energy Bill was intended to require Energy producers to source 2% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Instead, the Howard Government, with the support of the Australian Labor Party, has turned this reasonable proposal into a farce by classifying the burning of native forest material to generate power as a 'renewable' energy source.

Ominously, the inclusion of so called 'wood waste' as a renewable energy source in the schedule of the Bill threatens to undermine the South East Queensland Forest Agreement, one of the few Regional Forest Agreements to enjoy the support of both loggers and conservationists.

"It is almost Orwellian that the Howard Government, with the support of the ALP, seeks to con the Australian people by claiming that energy generated by the end product of clearfell logging of native forests is an renewable energy source."

"Accrediting the burning of wood sourced from native forest logging operations as a renewable energy source will only accelerate the destruction of native forests around the country. It will also undermine the commitment of the Queensland Labor Government to phase out native forest logging on public lands in South East Queensland."

"Already the ALP have a far from enviable record on the issue of protecting Australia's Native Forests. It is critical that they don't further lower their colours by supporting the 'wood waste' components of this legislation."