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    Why Europe's Energy Crisis Burns Our Forests | The Pellet Problem



    Scarce resources are causing problems around the world. Along Egypt’s lifeline, the Nile, water scarcity could even end in war: ▶️ https://youtu.be/WKCW5Gg6Ffo

    Biomass makes up roughly 60% of the EU’s renewable energy, supported by large subsidies worth €13bn in 2020. Demand is growing – this year the EU is expected to burn 24 million tons of wood pellets. But there’s one major problem: burning wood is far from green.
    How does biomass damage the planet? Where do the EU’s wood pellets come from? How might this energy source threaten our ancient protected forests? Why are even US forests threatened? And have recent warning calls at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh/Egypt been heard? Join Eva as she investigates Europe’s little-known pellet problem.

    Join us again in two weeks for another environmental story. In the meantime, like and subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

    #terramatters #terramater

    ➡️ If you want to learn more about the work of the NGO Agent Green, follow the links: https://www.youtube.com/@agentgreenromania, https://www.agentgreen.ro/

    🔗 SOURCES:

    Graphic Sources:

    [1] TC 02:08-02:15
    Official Journal of the European Union
    https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2009:140:FULL&from=EN
    [2] TC 02:16-02:19
    2022 Report on the achievement of the 2020 renewable energy targets
    https://energy.ec.europa.eu/2022-report-achievement-2020-renewable-energy-targets_en
    [3] TC 02:34-02:41
    EU limits subsidies for burning trees under renewable energy directive
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/14/eu-limits-subsidies-for-burning-trees-under-renewable-energy-directive
    [4] TC 02:42-02:46
    European Wood Pellet Consumption
    https://biomassmagazine.com/uploads/posts/web/2016/10/AEBIOM16-9_14773468476234.JPG
    [5] TC 02:46-02:56
    WPAC promotes Canadian pellets in Italy

    WPAC promotes Canadian pellets in Italy


    [6] TC 02:57-03:02
    Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action,
    website 2022
    https://www.bmwk.de/Redaktion/EN/FAQ/Market-Incentive-Programme-MAP/faq-map-02.html
    [7] TC 03:03-03:09
    United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agriculture Service: EU Wood Pellet Annual
    https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=EU%20Wood%20Pellet%20Annual_The%20Hague_European%20Union_E42022-0049.pdf
    [8] TC 03:10-03:14
    Bioenergy Europe’s 2022 Pellets Report
    https://bioenergyeurope.org/article/389-sr-22-pellets.html
    [9] TC 06:17-06:44
    Woody Biomass for Power and Heat, Chatham House 2017
    https://www.chathamhouse.org/2017/02/woody-biomass-power-and-heat/2-accounting-biomass-carbon-emissions

    In-Video Quotes:

    TC 00:01, 00:04
    Energy expert Tom Kloza warns diesel prices could go haywire over the next 100 days, CNBC Television

    TC 00:02
    Calls for government to intervene in energy crisis, 9 News Australia

    TC 00:03
    Cost of living crisis: Why are energy bills going up so much?, Sky News

    TC 00:05
    Sky high energy bills: Will it get worse?, Sky News

    TC 00:10
    UK energy crisis: Plan for three-hour power blackouts unveiled, Sky News

    TC 00:16
    Russian Navy ships seen in the vicinity of Nord Stream pipeline leaks, CNN

    TC 00:23
    EU Ministers Call for Emergency Energy Measures, Bloomberg Markets and Finance

    TC 00:27
    Chevron CEO: ‘Painful’ energy crisis could push Europe into recession, CNN

    TC 00:50-00:52
    Investigation into habitat degradation in Făgăraș, Domogled, Maramureș and Frumoasa Natura 2000 sites. Agent Green, ClientEarth, EuroNatur – 2022.
    https://www.saveparadiseforests.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Investigation-into-habitat-degradation-in-Natura-2000-sites_Feb-2022.pdf
    TC 01:31, 09:11
    Ursula Von der Leyen, World Economic Forum 2020
    TC 01:51
    António Guterres, Opening Speech COP27, 2022
    TC 03:24
    Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire Definitions, European Commission
    https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/timber/mis/jfsq/2016/jq2016def-e.pdf
    TC 03:35
    Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire Definitions, European Commission
    https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/timber/mis/jfsq/2016/jq2016def-e.pdf
    TC 05:27-05:46
    CBS Mornings

    TC 05:47-05:50
    Global markets for biomass energy are devastating US forests, Natural Resources Defense Council 2022
    https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/global-markets-biomass-energy-devastating-us-forests-202209.pdf
    TC 07:56-07:58
    Dutch government rules out new subsidies for burning wood for energy, biofuelwatch 2022

    Dutch government rules out new subsidies for burning wood for energy


    TC 08:01-08:09
    Antti Kurvinen on Twitter


    TC 08:10-08:15
    Amendment A9-0208/2022
    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0208-AM-042-048_EN.pdf
    TC 08:46
    Al Gore, Opening Speech COP27, 2022

    View 14 Comments

    14 Comments

    1. Eva Schmidt on

      Hi friends! The fact that we are burning trees on such an enormous scale has honestly struck me. Why is it so difficult to use our planet's resources wisely? This is a question that my colleague Philip has also been grappling with – in the case of the Nile, Egypt's lifeline, which is drying up more and more: https://youtu.be/WKCW5Gg6Ffo

    2. Selale Z on

      The saddest part is that these pellets were supposed to be a way to use waste material from the lumber industry. The fact that live trees are being destroyed for this makes it an utter tragedy.

    5. Dan Clarke on

      Should have went to nuclear power.
      Most of Europe is not prone to large earthquakes or tsunamis, so it's one of the safest, cleanest and most efficient energy sources around.

    6. Cynical Robot on

      At this point humanity deserves what it's going to get: total ecological collapse and possibly extinction.

      Anyone that supports biomass heating and energy should be banned from the clunate discussion, discredited, and blacklisted permanently from ever holding positions in governmental bodies that deal with environmental issues and energy.

    13. Rex Colubra’s All-Animal Channel on

      When you actually get to doing your homework on the governments/corporations “green agenda” you will quickly find out that it’s got nothing to do with saving the environment and everything to do with control and power over the people. Want a good place to start looking??? Take some serious time and look into the billionaire playboys from the World Economic Forum. That should yield the answers that you need.

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