Results for: Forestry

A report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) alleges that an increasing portion of British Columbia’s forests is being harvested to produce wood pellets for export to Japan, where they are burned as fuel. The report claims that pellet producers are turning to raw logs instead of scrap wood, raising concerns about the use of primary forest trees for overseas powerplant fuel. Conservationists and the report’s analyst, Ben Parfitt, believe there is not enough scrap wood to meet the demand for wood pellets, and that using valuable primary forest wood for this purpose is unacceptable. The B.C. government and the company operating most of the province’s pellet mills deny the allegations, maintaining that pellets are primarily made from scrap wood.

Asia’s abundance of natural resources positions the region as a leader in advancing the bioeconomy, where sustainable development models are created using science and technology to manage biological resources while preserving the environment. RGE, a Singapore-based resources and manufacturing group, plays a significant role in this effort, balancing forestry and oil palm management with sustainability initiatives, renewable energy generation, and ecosystem restoration. The group aims to reduce carbon emissions by 30-50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, while promoting biodiversity, supporting local communities, and driving innovation in waste reduction and circularity in the textile industry.

A new study reveals that half of the global area scorched by fires annually is attributed to deliberately set and controlled burns rather than wildfires sparked by lightning, accidents, or arson. This finding suggests that the projected increase in wildfire-affected areas due to climate change may be underestimated by current computer models.