This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Monday 29 May 2023
Chips Off the Ol' Yorkshire Block?
Amite BioEnergy, in Gloster, Mississippi (USA) is owned by the UK power generator, Drax (Selby, Yorkshire, UK). Amite converts trees, from the US deep South, into wood chip pellets. These pellets are burned in Yorkshire, to generate electricity. Amite has recently, again, violated Mississippi's emissions rules. The last time Amite did this (2021), it was fined $2m (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/29/drax-owned-wood-pellet-plant-in-us-broke-air-pollution-rules-amite-bioenergy-mississippi-emissions-limits). Drax no longer uses coal, to generate electricity. However, burning American wood pellets, is light-years away from being a 'green' alternative. 'Greenhouse gas' emissions will be generated by transporting the trees to Gloster. Energy will also be used in the manufacture of the wood pellets. Further substantial emissions will then be generated by transporting these pellets to Yorkshire for burning. The process wouldn't be carbon neutral, even if only local trees were used to provide pellets. This looks like classical (subsidy-assisted) 'greenwash', for an electricity generator that should have simply been closed. It's actually 'adding insult to injury', that Amite are exposing Mississippi folk, to health-damaging emissions. From Yorkshire, with love?
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