March 1st, 2022
Claims made in Dylan Ramos’ letter, “Burning wood for energy isn’t clean” (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 21), are factually incorrect. Based on scientific fact, growing more trees than used to produce energy is clean, renewable and dramatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Stated plainly, trees consist mainly of carbon. Photosynthesis turns CO2 and water into tree biomass and oxygen. To grow, trees convert the CO2 into biomass.
The size of the tree equals the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere. The 2- to 3-year-old trees at Honua Ola — now between 40-50 feet tall — already represent a lot of biomass and therefore a lot of CO2 removed from the atmosphere. Because Honua Ola will grow many more trees than harvested, more CO2 will be removed than its facility emits.
Those who oppose Honua Ola — a carbon-negative energy project — are in effect supporting the continued use of costly oil-based fossil fuels indefinitely.
Guy Cellier
Forest manager, CN Renewable Resources (a Honua Ola Bioenergy affiliate), Waimea
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 1st, 2022: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2022/03/01/editorial/letters/letters-stores-should-stop-sales-of-russian-vodka/