“Biomass as an alternative to Russian gas? The dumbest thing you can do is build more nuclear power plants! † The question

According to the reader J-eelman biomass produces too many CO2 emissions. “It destroys flora and fauna – because if you destroy a forest and replace it with young trees, it’s not yet a forest – and the calorific value of wood is low compared to other fuels.”

Also Angle511 emphasizes the damage it can cause: “Forests provide evaporation and therefore cooling. Chop the woods and it will be (even) warmer. Also, the EU may think it is CO2 neutral, but of course that is not the case. In fact, biomass emits 3 times more CO2 than burning natural gas. Reader Jannigje also don’t think biomass powered power plants actually run on ‘waste wood’. “Antlers will be deliberately felled for this purpose!”

Another reader agrees, saying the more forests are cut down, the warmer the earth gets. “It’s not even talking about the so-called CO2 reduction. This CO2 is absorbed by the trees and transformed into wood and oxygen. Moreover, it is also true that where there are trees, there is shade. It is therefore also cooler there. It is incomprehensible that such development of logging is still allowed and should in fact be criminalized,” he wrote.

Nuclear energy

Instead of biomass, many readers of De Kwestie stress the importance of nuclear energy instead of biomass. So said march08 that switching to biomass “is the dumbest thing you can do since trees are the lungs of nature. Build more nuclear power plants! There will also be protests against this – because of the waste – but of all the options, this really seems to me to be the best.

Reader Bertroele agrees wholeheartedly: “Biomass really isn’t a long-term solution. We should opt for nuclear power plants and then find a solution for the waste. J-eelman also believes that we really should start building more nuclear power stations. But we also have to open the gas tap in Groningen, according to this reader: “But then all the inhabitants of Groningen finally get real compensation!”

Henk Righolt also agrees: “The gas tap must be reopened in the Netherlands. Turn the area affected by gas extraction into a nature reserve and generously compensate all those affected! Make sure they get a house of at least equal value. With the billions in revenue, that shouldn’t be a problem.