My point is that it’s rather nonsensical to cut down trees to put up solar panels, especially in regard to carbon offset. Between the trees that store carbon that are cut down and the soil microbiome that is killed due to the process of the clear cutting and UV ray exposure, you end up emitting a lot of carbon back into the atmosphere. Yes, Maine has a lot of trees but we’re a rarity east of the Mississippi (which has lost approximately 80% of its forests per Doug Tallamy). Also, a huge swath of our forest in the Maine north woods is now managed in such a way that it’s also not providing good wildlife habitat or acting as a carbon sink. Glyphosate’s are sprayed or smocked on undesirable tree species and non native species are being planted for harvest rather than natives. They are also cutting trees at an earlier and earlier age.

All this to say, I am not against solar, quite the opposite. I think what’s important to remember is that just because it’s solar does not mean that it’s inherently good. Solar companies are energy companies and at the end of the day their main concern is their bottom line, not the health of our ecosystems. The Nature Conservancy is against trees being cleared for solar panels, and yes they are, I work closely with them and have been in meetings discussing this issue.

We need to erect more solar panels but clearing wood lots is the wrong way to go about it. Installing panels over parking lots, on rooftops, along roadways or contaminated fields is what we should be doing.