Green Energy Scandal - Drax

WTF !? This is just mental – Rare and ‘Old-Growth’ forests in Canada and the U.S. being felled, sold and globally shipped to the UK to burn in Drax Power Station – See the incredible BBC TV Panorama investigative report* – This is why geothermal drilling matters TODAY and why we have so many BURNING questions! Read on….

The fact that we're hauling wood pellets, across oceans to burn in the UK, all while dressing it up as a green energy solution, is baffling. Incredibly, international rules exclude the emissions of burning this precious resource from the UK's carbon accounting!

The situation really makes you question the logic and integrity behind what's being sold to us as 'sustainable' energy. It's a stark contrast to the truly sustainable ground source geothermal energy options we advocate for.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Greenwashing Statistics!

So what’s going on?

The Drax Power Station in the UK was all over the headlines for switching from coal to wood pellet burning. It was hailed as a big green leap forward, meeting all those lofty environmental targets. But boy, has that move been mired in controversy. Instead of a green revolution, we've ended up with a slew of environmental headaches—deforestation, loss of biodiversity, you name it—all thanks to those wood pellet imports from Canada and the U.S. ?And here's the kicker: they claim it's all 'carbon-neutral.' But when you look at the CO2 belching out from those pellets, it's enough to make your head spin. And somehow, this massive carbon footprint just gets swept under the rug, thanks to some convenient international regulations.

Absolute madness, right??

Consider the below facts that the BBC reporters exposed:

• Drax, a UK Power Plant Company receiving ￡6bn in ‘green’ subsidies, to transition from coal to wood pellet burning, and are classified [misleadingly] as ‘renewable’.
• Despite previous exposés, Drax continues to burn wood from some of the world's most precious, rare forests, including "old-growth" forests in Canada and the U.S. blatantly contradicting their sustainability claims.
• The burning of wood pellets at Drax releases around 12 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
• International rules conveniently exclude these emissions from the UK's carbon accounting, disguising the true environmental cost.
• Investigations reveal Drax's procurement of over 40,000 tonnes of wood from critical old-growth forests, raising concerns about the impact on biodiversity and native species.
• The UK government is considering further subsidies for Drax, potentially funded by energy consumers, despite the company's controversial wood sourcing practices.
• Critics argue Drax's practices undermine forest conservation efforts and question the sustainability of biomass energy, given the long growth time required for new trees to absorb emitted CO2.?

The ongoing endorsement of such environmentally harmful practices under the guise of green energy is not just disappointing but absurd. Why aren't we channeling our efforts and investments into genuinely clean, renewable solutions like ground-source geothermal energy for heating and cooling our buildings? This ridiculous situation underscores the dire need for authentic, impactful change in our renewable energy strategies.

We are so proud to be part of a fast-growing energy production sector, which is truly on the right side of the argument – the Ground Source Geothermal Heat Pump (GHP) industry. Our small but significant contribution toward NET ZERO with GTD Desco, a manufacturer dedicated to geothermal-specific drill rigs and equipment, is genuinely making a difference in the energy and climate crisis, without any need for greenwashing.

?A big shoutout to all the geothermal drillers and specialist manufacturers out there – your efforts in drilling down to net zero are truly making an impact, and it's something worth celebrating!

The true scandal is that the likes of Drax get elevated into the moral conscience of a huge and diverse audience instead of championing and embedding the real sustainable energy solutions.

#GTD #DESCO #Geothermal #Drilling #Drax #Scandal #Sustainability #Greenwashing #RenewableEnergy #ClimateAction #GeothermalEnergy #TransatlanticComplicity #EnvironmentalAccountability #Renewable #Sustainable

*Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68381160 Based on findings from the BBC Panorama investigation into the Drax Power Station's practices and the involvement of US and Canadian wood pellet supply in UK green subsidies.