New Episode of Resources Radio on the Role of Forests in Energy and Climate Solutions, with Robert Bonnie
Washington, DC—Resources for the Future (RFF) today released a new installment of Resources Radio: “Finding a Future for Forests in Energy and Climate Solutions, with Robert Bonnie.”
Host Daniel Raimi talks with Robert Bonnie, a Rubenstein Fellow at Duke University and the former Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the US Department of Agriculture. Robert Bonnie discusses the role that forests play in a changing climate, and explains how a market for forest products and bioenergy could incentivize landowners to maintain forested land (rather than converting the land to other uses). Bonnie also elaborates on how forests are factored into deep decarbonization goals.
Notable quotes from the podcast:
- “When there are markets for wood, people invest in timber, they invest in reforestation, they keep forests as forests.”—Robert Bonnie (10:06)
- “[Forest biomass for energy] could be a good thing from a carbon standpoint; it could be a less than good thing. I think generally speaking it is, it's mostly very positive.”—Robert Bonnie (9:07)
- “We have to create value for standing forests. People have to want to invest in those forests, and that value can be created through its market incentives as well as governmental incentives.”—Robert Bonnie (25:14)
Resources Radio is a weekly podcast series exploring timely environmental, energy, and natural resources topics, and can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. Its mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may differ from those of other RFF experts, its officers, or its directors. RFF does not take positions on specific legislative proposals.
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