The Charcoal Project

Study: Charcoal and patterns of forest degradation in Tanzania

A study presented at the June symposium on charcoal organized in Arusha, Tanzania, finds that,

1. At current rates, no high value timber will be left in Tanzania’s coastal forest in 37 years.

2. The Tanzanian government lost $53 million USD in 2005. This is due to the fact that 96% of the timber harvest was undeclared.

3. China imports 10 times more timber from Tanzania that total declared imports.

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Can growing trees for fuel actually cut down CO2 emissions?

Sustainable forestry practices that provide timber for the building trades can help mitigate the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a new study found.

One reason is younger trees absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere than mature trees. Another is that cutting trees after their CO2 absorption rates taper provides building materials that can be used instead of steel and concrete, which are created in processes that emit large quantities of CO2.

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Why the UN’s report on the State of the World’s Forest is James Cameron’s worst nightmare.

The UN year of the forest in 2011 is being launched with a number of reports outlining a positive role for forestry industries and biomass in particular.

The UN’s flagship study, The State of the World’s Forests 2011, paints a healthy picture for energy crop growers, calling for greater industrial integration, increased productivity and the rapid adoption of technological advances.

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NEWS: Wood, charcoal, viable energy sources – report

Combined sources based on the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) report: Bundles of energy: The case for renewable biomass energy New technologies can convert trees to liquid and gaseous fuel 30 per cent of global energy to come from this source by 2050 Developing nations have an untapped resource that would enable them to fight poverty, create jobs, gain energy independence and adapt to climate changes. A report published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) urges developing nations to take advantage of their dependence on biomass fuels — such as wood and charcoal — and Continue reading