John Keppler

In response to “N.C. forests are under assault; Cooper can help” (Nov. 15 Opinion) and other articles: Leaders from nearly 200 countries met in Bonn, Germany, last month for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aims to advance the global effort to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions and build on the 2015 Paris Agreement.  As these nations seek sustainable and reliable sources of energy that enable the phase-out of coal and other fossil fuels, biomass produced sustainably in North Carolina is playing an increasingly important role in improving the environmental profile of energy generation and in providing economic benefits to communities. …These nations see the benefits of using biomass energy, which offers a 74 to 85 percent lifecycle reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared with coal, while providing a reliable source of energy that complements the intermittency of wind and solar energy.