Suzuki: Tree Planting Good, Renewable Energy Better

 

While no-one doubts the critical role that trees play in our ecosystem in relation to the cleaning up of carbon dioxide emissions, the David Suzuki Foundation has weighed in on the tree offsetting debate to question the effectiveness of such programs compared to uptake of renewables such as wind power and solar energy.

Responding to a story on Canada's The Tyee, the David Suzuki Foundation said said that tree-planting projects are not the most effective way to avoid dangerous temperature levels as a tonne of carbon stored sequestered in a forest is not equivalent to a tonne of offsets generated by energy efficiency programs or renewable energy projects.

The Foundation says that it is much more difficult to gauge amount of carbon that trees absorb from the atmosphere than it is to quantify reductions in fossil fuel use. Levels of greenhouse gases sequestered by tree-planting offsets can also vary wildly depending on the species, climate, geography and methods used for establishing and maintaining such projects.

Trees are also at risk from natural phenomenon including wind, insect infestations and fire. When a tree dies or is killed, much of its carbon content is given back to the atmosphere as it decomposes or is burned.

The other pressing issue according to the Foundation is time - trees can take years to sequester appreciable levels of carbon, whereas the greenhouse gas reduction benefits from solar power systems and wind turbines can be relatively immediate.

While the David Suzuki Foundation strongly advocates the planting of trees to address many issues including global warming, when it comes to carbon offsets, the organization maintains that consumers and companies should invest products that are timely, permanent, and accurately quantified under such certifications as the  Gold Standard, a certification that tree planting projects cannot be granted due to their potentially unstable nature.

Florida Solar Feed In Tariff Reaches Target Before Launch

 

Even before Gainesville Regional Utilities in Florida officially launches its solar feed in tariff program, the initiative has already seen the lodging of completed applications to install grid connected solar power systems that in total will be capable of producing approximately 4 megawatts of energy - GRU’s first-year target for the solar program.

GRU modelled the their gross feed in tariff program on similar strategies that have been successful in European countries such as Germany. Under the program, the utility will buy all of the electricity produced by registered solar power systems at an initial fixed rate of USD $0.32 per kilowatt hour (AUD 50.9c) through to 2010. The program offers guaranteed  payments for 20 years. 

While the utility has reached its target for 2009 it will continue to accept and approve applications to fulfill the 2010 target of 4 megawatts. Construction of the successful applicants' solar energy systems is expected to be spread across the two-year period.

GRU's experience has by no means been an isolated case, demonstrating the incredible popularity of gross solar feed in tariff programs and their potential to rapidly increase the uptake of renewable energy in any country by home owners and businesses. 

Spain recently announced a new feed in tariff program after the original initiative launched in 2007 with a goal of 400 megawatts capacity to be installed by 2010 was reached by the end of 2007. Ontario, Canada's feed in tariff program experienced a similar response where a 10 year target of 1,000 megawatts was reached within a year.

News for Monday 02 March, 2009

 

• ACT Feed In Tariff Launched - Canberra Solar Power To Boom
  


• Survey: Australians' Solar Power Motivations
  


• Solar Energy To Help Power Coffee Company
  

View all news for Monday 02 March, 2009 on one page

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