Public Meeting: A Burning Issue – biomass and its impacts on forests and communities

When: Tuesday, 29th October 2013, 7-9pm

Where: Lumen Centre, 88 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RS (close to St Pancras Station)

What: Speakers from Brazil and the US will present first-hand experience of the impacts of the UK’s biomass policies on forests and people in their countries. This includes a presentation about the first ever case study (from Maranhão, Brazil) published anywhere in the world about a land-grab for tree plantations specifically to grow wood to burn in our power stations. These presentations will be followed by evidence about the impacts of biomass power stations on UK communities, especially on air quality and public health.

Free public event. But spaces are limited so please email us at biofuelwatch@ymail.com to reserve a space.

Speakers:

- Winnie Overbeek, Coordinator of the World Rainforest Movement, on the impacts of eucalyptus plantations in Maranhão, Brazil, being developed to produce wood pellets for export, including to the UK (via videolink)

- Scot Quaranda, Dogwood Alliance about the impacts of wood pellet exports, including to Drax and Ironbridge, on southern US forests (via videolink);

- Sophie Bastable, Biofuelwatch about the impacts of biomass electricity on UK communities

- Speaker from a community opposing a biomass power station in the UK (tbc)

The event coincides with the launch of a new report, Biomass; The Chain of Destruction, published by Biofuelwatch, which includes an investigative report by World Rainforest Movement and CEPEDES (Center for Study and Research for the Development of the Southern Bahia Region) about the impacts of biomass eucalyptus plantations in Brazil.