DEFORESTATION IS but one of a number of serious problems that would issue from more biomass power in Massachusetts (“On wood, burning questions,’’ Page A1, July 26). Biomass power plants emit an average of 50 percent more carbon dioxide per megawatt hour than coal. Amazingly, these carbon-rich sources are never accounted for - not in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, not in the state Global Warming Solutions Act, and not in the federal American Clean Energy and Security Act.
Belying the fairy tale that biomass is “carbon neutral’’ is the reality that the four biomass plants proposed in Massachusetts would increase power production by a mere 1 percent, but would ramp up carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector by a startling 9.6 percent. Most of that carbon would not be otherwise released if these plants are not built - and would not be re-sequestered for hundreds of years if they are built.
Want an easy, painless way to slice into carbon dioxide emissions? Drop the heavy public subsidies for biomass burning. Let those funds go to truly clean energy sources. The impact of increased biomass power production on human health, river and forest ecology, and atmospheric carbon is proving to be unjustified and indefensible.
Jana Chicoine
Spokeswoman Concerned Citizens of Russell Russell 
