A comment to "Large-scale bioenergy from additional harvest of forest biomass is neither sustainable nor greenhouse gas neutral": Important insights beyond greenhouse gas accounting

Abstract

In their recent editorial, Schulze and colleagues (Schulze et al., 2012) discuss the implications of a large-scale increase in the harvest of forest biomass to provide 20% of the current global primary energy supply. They present several well-founded concerns regarding the economic and ecological sustainability of such a scenario, concerns we largely share. However, the authors express particular apprehension regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) consequences of expanded forest bioenergy production that we do not entirely share. GHGs - while important - should not be the sole evaluation criterion when the objective is climate protection. The peer reviewed literature provides important insights beyond that presented which warrants additional commentary in order to give a more holistic and balanced perspective on the subject of forest bioenergy and climate.