Haiti is what they actually want America to become. If you look at satellite pictures of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic you will notice how the forests that cover much of the Dominican Republic stop at the border. No one will dispute that, it's a well known fact. Here is what they won't tell you. It's because Haiti is a heavy user of renewable energy, wood. Dominican Republic uses fossil fuel for most of their energy needs so does not need to clear cut their forests. Now you might think to yourself, they're not proposing we start burning wood again are they? They're not publicly touting it, but hey are quietly doing it:
And while burning wood is carbon neutral, you can't call good for the environment for 2 main reasons:
Causes as much smog as coal.
Requires wild animal habitats be destroyed to acquire the wood.
Most cultivated bio-fuels are worse. They require wildlife be displaced/killed so farmland can become available to grow them. In addition, most types of bio fuels require almost as much fossil fuel inputs in the form of fertilizer, pesticides, and fuel to harvest and transport as you get back in burning them. It means you would have been better off just burning their input products directly instead of adding these extra steps. Sugarcane is the only crop I'm aware of that is likely a net energy producer. Corn is almost certainly not.
Haiti is what they actually want America to become. If you look at satellite pictures of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic you will notice how the forests that cover much of the Dominican Republic stop at the border. No one will dispute that, it's a well known fact. Here is what they won't tell you. It's because Haiti is a heavy user of renewable energy, wood. Dominican Republic uses fossil fuel for most of their energy needs so does not need to clear cut their forests. Now you might think to yourself, they're not proposing we start burning wood again are they? They're not publicly touting it, but hey are quietly doing it:
https://theconversation.com/british-power-stations-are-burning-wood-from-us-forests-to-meet-renewables-targets-54969
And while burning wood is carbon neutral, you can't call good for the environment for 2 main reasons:
Causes as much smog as coal.
Requires wild animal habitats be destroyed to acquire the wood.
Most cultivated bio-fuels are worse. They require wildlife be displaced/killed so farmland can become available to grow them. In addition, most types of bio fuels require almost as much fossil fuel inputs in the form of fertilizer, pesticides, and fuel to harvest and transport as you get back in burning them. It means you would have been better off just burning their input products directly instead of adding these extra steps. Sugarcane is the only crop I'm aware of that is likely a net energy producer. Corn is almost certainly not.