Carbon rush could backfire
The scientists are concerned that a poorly-planned plantation boom could cause needless land clearing, add to invasive species and damage natural ecological processes. Image: borchee/iStockphoto The rush to plant trees to offset carbon emissions could have a harmful impact on Australia’s native environment if it is not very carefully managed, some of the nation’s leading ecologists have warned. Professor David Lindenmayer of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) and the Australian National University (ANU) says scientists are concerned that a poorly-planned plantation boom could cause needless land clearing, add to invasive species and damage natural ecological processes. “It’s what we term ‘bio-perversity’, meaning that something which is done for the right environmental reasons but not thought through, can end up having unintended adverse consequences – especially in Australia’s fragile landscapes,” he says. “Like it or not, the carbon economy has come to town – and putting a price on carbon is going...