Protesters gathered in Portland to challenge the corporate interests behind forest management at the CANOPY conference. The event, attended by industry giants like Weyerhaeuser and J.P. Morgan, has drawn criticism for prioritizing profit over climate solutions. Communities along the West Coast are facing a surge in biomass energy projects, touted as “carbon neutral” at the conference but risking environmental harm and social injustice.
The push to turn forests into energy sources has triggered concerns about deforestation, carbon emissions, and false climate solutions. Activists like Gloria Alonso Cruz are rallying against plans to build wood pellet plants in California, highlighting the industry’s greenwashing tactics. Biomass companies claim sustainability while sourcing trees from old-growth forests and misleading the public about their impact on climate change.
The battle over forest biomass represents a pivotal challenge for the climate movement on the West Coast. As companies like Drax expand their reach in the U.S. energy market, activists are mobilizing to protect forests and combat the harmful consequences of industrializing forestlands in the name of clean energy.