Report2017 RECOFTC IDFwebversion
Final report
International Day of Forests 2017
student debate: Forests and energy
Submitted to: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Submitted by: Regional Community Forestry Training Center for
Asia and the Paciic (RECOFTC)
Bangkok, Thailand
June 2 0 17
Report on the International Day of Forests 2017 student debate
On 21 March 2017, an interactive student debate was held on International Day of Forests (IDF) on the
theme Forests and Energy. The debate followed a standardized debate format similar to previous years’
student debates organized by FAO-RAP, UNEP and RECOFTC. The event took place as follows:
When: 9am-1pm, 21 March 2017
Where: FAO-RAP, Bangkok, Thailand
Debate topic: Forests and energy (see Annex 1 for the specific debate resolution topics and
agenda)
Who: 6 high school debate teams and 2 university debate teams from Bangkok (see list of
participants, below)
The debate was conducted in English. The key messages and debate resolutions were in line with those
on the official FAO IDF web page: www.fao.org/forestry/international-day-of-forests.
Three judges representing FAO-RAP, UNEP and RECOFTC took part in the debate: Kenichi Shono, FAO;
Emelyne Cheney, UN Environment, and Caroline Liou, RECOFTC.
A videographer (Fat Mango) videoed the event and editing is currently underway. IDF t-shirts, trophies
and a banner (selfie frame banner) were produced for the event. Lunch and refreshment were provided
for all participants.
To broaden the reach of the debate key messages, RECOFTC highlighted the event on all our social
media channels and e-newsletter (directly reaching more than 12,000 people).
Following a progress report submitted previously, a report (annex 2) and a video
(https://youtu.be/Nvafc_qR3LY) documenting highlights of the event have been finalized and shared with
FAO.
1
List of the debate team:
No
School
Team and resolution
HIGH SCHOOLS
1
Anglo Singapore International School
Forests are the future of sustainable energy - NEGATIVE
2
Bangkok International Preparatory &
Secondary School
Forests are the future of sustainable energy - AFFIRMATIVE
3
Panyarat High School
Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate change - AFFIRMATIVE
4
Mahidol University International
Demonstration School (MUIDS Salaya)
Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate change - NEGATIVE
5
Garden International School
Wood energy helps to reduce rural poverty - NEGATIVE
2
No
6
School
Team and resolution
Wells International School
Wood energy helps to reduce rural poverty - AFFIRMATIVE
7
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
Greater investment in sustainably managed forests is the key to increasing
renewable energy sources - NEGATIVE
8
Thammasat University
Greater investment in sustainably managed forests is the key to increasing
renewable energy sources - AFFIRMATIVE
UNIVERSITIES
3
Annex 1
International Day of Forests 2017 Student Debate - Session plan
Tuesday, March 21, 2017, FAO RAP office
Tuesday,
21 March
0830 – 0900
0900 – 0920
Session/activities
Duration
Person in charge
Registration
Opening session
30 min
FAO team
-
1 min
Chairperson
General welcome by Chairperson (Josil)
Welcome remarks by:
Ms. Kundhavi Kadiresan, ADG of FAO RAP
Dr. David Ganz, ED of RECOFTC
5 min
5 min
- Mr Kenichi Shono, Forestry Officer, FAO
- Ms Caroline Liou, Communication Manager, RECOFTC
- Ms Emelyne Cheney, REDD+ Regional Technical Advisor, UN
Environment
6 min
Debate teams introductions
0920 – 0930
0930 - 1000
1000 – 1030
Setting the scene - Background, structure of the debate
Debating proposition: Forests are the future of sustainable energy
Negative team – Anglo Singapore International School
Affirmative team – Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary
School
Debating proposition: Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate
change
4
3 min
10 min
Chairperson
Chairperson
20 min
10 min
20 min
Chairperson
Tuesday,
21 March
Session/activities
Duration
Person in charge
Negative team – Mahidol University International Demonstration
School
Affirmative team – Panyarat High School
5 min
1030 – 1045
Refreshments
10 min
Team
1045 – 1115
Debating proposition: Wood energy helps to reduce rural poverty
Affirmative team – Wells International School
Negative team – Garden International School
20 min
Chairperson
5 min
1115 – 1145
Debating proposition: Greater investment in sustainably managed forests
is the key to increasing renewable energy sources
Negative team – Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
Affirmative team – Thammasat University
20 min
Chairperson
5 min
10 min
Chairperson
10 min
Chairperson
1145 – 1155
Q&A
1155 – 1205
Result a
1205 – 1215
Award presentation and photo session
10 min
Chairperson
1210 – 1215
Closing session - Closing remarks by all judges
5 min
Chairperson
ou e e t a d judges’ feed a k
Group photo, followed by invitation to lunch
5
Annex 2
IDF 2017 Student Debate report
Forestry Debate on Forests and Energy
International Day of Forests
21 March 2017
In joining the global celebration of the annual International Day of Forests (IDF), the Food and
Agriculture Organization Regional Office for Asia Pacific (FAO-RAP) and RECOFTC – The Center for People
and Forests with the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) organized the 2017
forestry debate under the theme Forests and Energy. The debate event, which has been organized
annually for the past four years, took place on Tuesday, 21 March at the FAO RAP office with eight
debate teams from high schools and universities from the Bangkok area in attendance.
Ms Kundhavi Kadiresan, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative of FAO RAP, and Dr
David Ganz, RECOFTC Executive Director, opened the event and gave opening remarks. They were joined
by three judges: Ms Emelyn Cheney, REDD+ Regional Technical Advisor, UN Environment; Ms Caroline
Liou, Strategic Communication Manager, RECOFTC; and Mr Kenichi Shono, Forest Resource Officer, FAO.
Participating students were from six high schools and two universities in the Bangkok area: Anglo
Singapore International School, Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School, Garden
International School, Mahidol University International Demonstration School, Panyarat High School,
Wells International School, Asian Institute of Technology and Thammasat University. The topic of debate
resolutions followed the overall 2017 theme of Forests and Energy: (1) Forests are the future of
sustainable energy, (2) Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate change, (3) Wood energy
6
helps to reduce rural poverty and (4) Greater investment in sustainably managed forests is the key to
increasing renewable energy sources.
During the opening session, Ms Kadiresan welcomed the participants and guests and applauded many
returning participants for their eagerness to learn and participate in the event. She conveyed on behalf
of the organization her appreciation to the organizers for continuing to arrange this learning platform. In
her spee h, she u derli ed the appropriate ess of this year’s the e as the de ate topi , I am very
i terested i the the e of today’s de ate as climate change is a critical challenge affecting all regions
and countries but hitting hardest those already living in poverty and food insecurity. I am also highly
encouraged to see so many young people coming here today to discuss these important matters
seriously. Finally, I strongly hope that the debate will e fruitful a d that today’s e e t ill o tri ute to
building greater awareness among students and the general public on the importance of forests and
energy.
RECOFTC’s Dr Ga z in his remarks also emphasized how the topic is as relevant to policy makers as to
students who were trying to learn and debate on various angles of argument, Ultimately what you are
going to be debating today is no different than what the politicians debate on a day to day basis. This is
as good a learning experience for you as it is for us to learn from you how you debate this particular
issue.
To inspire participants, he shared examples from his past experiences on biomass energy use in other
countries and how sustainable use of biomass could be greatly beneficial to sustain livelihoods and
influential in mitigating impacts of climate change. There are clearly a lot of opportunities for forests
and wood to help minimize the impact of climate change on the communities and countries in Southeast
Asia. I hope this helps to inspire more thinking and more innovations throughout the regio .
More than sixty people attended the debate event, including participants, peer students, teachers,
parents and forestry practitioners from different UN organizations. All debate participants displayed
youthful spirit and enthusiasm during the debate sessions, showcased their debate skills and articulated
their arguments supported by research. It was apparent that all teams were well prepared and
7
committed going into the debates as could be seen from the wide ranges of information brought out
during the debate and their readiness to respond to counter questions. At the end, participants and
attending guests expressed their appreciation for this exciting learning event and how much all of them
have learned and felt inspired from listening to the debates.
8
Highlights of debate sessions
Debate 1 – Resolution: Forests are the future of sustainable energy
Affirmative Team: Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School
Negative Team: Anglo Singapore International School
Affirmative Team
-
-
-
-
Forest was named as a producer and absorber of
carbon emissions in the Paris Agreement in 2016,
thus they play a vital role in our society to fuel
homes and to also provide clean air
By having biomass as a prime energy source,
societies can create carbon neutral economies
and educate people on how to manage the forest
for sustainable energy consumption
There are a number of fast growing forest species
such as bamboo that have a short regeneration
period with some growing 1.5 feet per day
With sustainable management of the land, we can
solve nature using nature.
Negative Team
-
-
-
-
Energy sources must coexist with nature and not
live off of nature. There is a big time gap between
the extraction of forest resources and the
reforestation of the forest
Constant and unregulated use of wood energy
leads to biodiversity loss and increased emission
of global warming gases in the atmosphere
The use of forest for energy exacerbates food
insecurity because farmers move away from food
crops to crops for biofuel, which is usually carried
out in a monoculture setting that robs soil of its
nutrients
To support the biodiversity of forests, energy
sources such as solar, waste and wind can provide
a platform as alternative energy sources.
Debate 2 – Resolution: Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate change
Affirmative team: Panyarat High School
Negative team: Mahidol University International Demonstration School
Affirmative Team
-
-
-
-
Evidence from a wood energy based project in the
United Kingdom shows the potential of wood to
generate electricity equivalent to the power
consumption of 31,000 houses
While forests can serve as a carbon sink,
alternative energy sources do not absorb carbon
in the atmosphere.
Through sustainable forest management that
incorporates silviculture and innovative
techniques, forest ecosystem services can be
maintained along with the extraction of forest
sources for energy. The emergence of energy
efficient wood burning stoves also provide an
outlet to reduce toxic gas from wood burning in
the atmosphere
By accounting for the carbon absorbed during a
lifetime of a tree, we must recognize that the
carbon emitted when a tree is burned leads to a
Negative Team
-
-
-
-
9
In many countries including Nigeria, 95.6% of
people use wood as their main source of energy;
however, they do not know how to effectively
convert energy from this resource without
releasing toxic gas such as carbon monoxide. The
release of greenhouse gases increases global
temperature, which places more people at risk to
climate variability and change
When people collect wood for energy from
forests, reforestation of the land cover is not
guaranteed. There is no existing international
organization that strongly monitors and enforces
rules and regulations to prevent illegal logging
An alternative source to fuelwood is renewable
energy, which includes wind and solar. In the long
run, these alternative sources are much cheaper
than using biomass to support livelihood needs
The extraction of forest resources fragments a
carbon neutral environment.
natural ecosystem, leading to biodiversity loss and
ecological decline.
Debate 3 – Resolution: Wood energy helps to reduce rural poverty
Affirmative Team: Wells International School
Negative Team: Garden International School
Affirmative Team
-
-
-
Compared to renewable energy sources and fossil
fuels, wood energy is relatively inexpensive with
low transportation cost and a high energy
conversion rate
Wood energy is an engine for development
because it is labour intensive, enhances selfsufficiency and produces more equitable living
conditions. The labour intensive work of
generating wood energy is beneficial for
developing countries since it can increase
employment, which results in greater economic
growth and higher living conditions for rural
populations
Wood energy still is presented as negative for the
environment but the positive aspects of poverty
reduction must also be taken into account when
considering the importance of wood energy for
developing populations.
Negative Team
-
-
-
The long-term effects of using wood for fuel are
severe on the social and environmental
dimensions of a society. On average, a tree takes
10 to 15 years to mature and uses a lot of water to
sustain its growth. Thus, it puts tremendous strain
on the environment.
On the other hand, electric lighting extends the
working day of rural households, allows children
to study for a longer period of time, and
refrigerates vital medicine for village clinics
The hours spent collecting wood can be invested
on education, especially for women who are the
main collectors of fuel wood. By having more time
to study, women can be better educated and
more knowledgeable on reproductive health as
well as sustainable forest management to
overcome poverty.
Debate 4 – Resolution: Greater investment in sustainably managed forests is the key to increasing
renewable energy sources
Affirmative Team: Thammasat University
Negative Team: Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
Affirmative Team
-
-
-
When we invest in forest, we also invest on
energy and a source of life for species. If there is a
way to properly use the forest in a sustainable
manner, we should take advantage of that
opportunity
The construction of alternative energy sources
such as dams for hydroelectricity requires cutting
down a potentially forested area to build the
infrastructure
Many of the renewable energy projects require
government subsidies. Thus, there is great
Negative Team
-
-
10
Biomass energy is inefficient as few tree species
can regenerate at a quick rate to meet the
demands of fueling the global population. With an
increase in mono-cropping practices at a larger
scale for wood energy, more inputs such as water
are needed to produce and process the energy
source
Each year, 3.7 million hectares of forest are
affected by forest fire, which reduces the
productivity of land for future use. It is better to
invest in sustainable renewable energy than wood
uncertainty in using renewable energy when
subsidies run out. Through sustainable forest
management, however, the supply of wood
energy is certain.
-
11
energy because it alleviates the negative
implications of commoditizing valuable natural
resources
On a societal perspective, using biomass for
energy limits the potential of delivering ecosystem
services and increases food insecurity.
Award presentation
Debate 1 – Resolution: Forests are the future of
sustainable energy
Debate 2 – Resolution: Wood energy mitigates
(lessens) impacts of climate change
First place team: Anglo Singapore International
School
First place team: Mahidol University International
Demonstration School
Second place team: Bangkok International
Preparatory & Secondary School
Second place team: Panyarat High School
First place individual debater: Sorawis Itthithavorn
(Anglo Singapore International School)
Debate 3 – Resolution: Wood energy helps to
First place individual debater: Tanchanok Sotajinda
(Panyarat High School)
Debate 4 – Resolution: Greater investment in
12
reduce rural poverty
sustainably managed forests is the key to
increasing renewable energy sources
First place team: Wells International School
First place team: Thammasat University
Second place team: Garden International School
Second place team: Asian Institute of Technology
(AIT)
First place individual debater: Anu Thapa (Garden
International School)
First place individual debater: Gunthorn
Supatadarut (Thammasat University)
13
RECOFTC
P.O. Box 1111
Kasetsart Post Office
Bangkok 10903, Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 940 5700
Fax: +66 (0)2 561 4880
Email: info@recoftc.org
Website: www.recoftc.org
International Day of Forests 2017
student debate: Forests and energy
Submitted to: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Submitted by: Regional Community Forestry Training Center for
Asia and the Paciic (RECOFTC)
Bangkok, Thailand
June 2 0 17
Report on the International Day of Forests 2017 student debate
On 21 March 2017, an interactive student debate was held on International Day of Forests (IDF) on the
theme Forests and Energy. The debate followed a standardized debate format similar to previous years’
student debates organized by FAO-RAP, UNEP and RECOFTC. The event took place as follows:
When: 9am-1pm, 21 March 2017
Where: FAO-RAP, Bangkok, Thailand
Debate topic: Forests and energy (see Annex 1 for the specific debate resolution topics and
agenda)
Who: 6 high school debate teams and 2 university debate teams from Bangkok (see list of
participants, below)
The debate was conducted in English. The key messages and debate resolutions were in line with those
on the official FAO IDF web page: www.fao.org/forestry/international-day-of-forests.
Three judges representing FAO-RAP, UNEP and RECOFTC took part in the debate: Kenichi Shono, FAO;
Emelyne Cheney, UN Environment, and Caroline Liou, RECOFTC.
A videographer (Fat Mango) videoed the event and editing is currently underway. IDF t-shirts, trophies
and a banner (selfie frame banner) were produced for the event. Lunch and refreshment were provided
for all participants.
To broaden the reach of the debate key messages, RECOFTC highlighted the event on all our social
media channels and e-newsletter (directly reaching more than 12,000 people).
Following a progress report submitted previously, a report (annex 2) and a video
(https://youtu.be/Nvafc_qR3LY) documenting highlights of the event have been finalized and shared with
FAO.
1
List of the debate team:
No
School
Team and resolution
HIGH SCHOOLS
1
Anglo Singapore International School
Forests are the future of sustainable energy - NEGATIVE
2
Bangkok International Preparatory &
Secondary School
Forests are the future of sustainable energy - AFFIRMATIVE
3
Panyarat High School
Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate change - AFFIRMATIVE
4
Mahidol University International
Demonstration School (MUIDS Salaya)
Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate change - NEGATIVE
5
Garden International School
Wood energy helps to reduce rural poverty - NEGATIVE
2
No
6
School
Team and resolution
Wells International School
Wood energy helps to reduce rural poverty - AFFIRMATIVE
7
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
Greater investment in sustainably managed forests is the key to increasing
renewable energy sources - NEGATIVE
8
Thammasat University
Greater investment in sustainably managed forests is the key to increasing
renewable energy sources - AFFIRMATIVE
UNIVERSITIES
3
Annex 1
International Day of Forests 2017 Student Debate - Session plan
Tuesday, March 21, 2017, FAO RAP office
Tuesday,
21 March
0830 – 0900
0900 – 0920
Session/activities
Duration
Person in charge
Registration
Opening session
30 min
FAO team
-
1 min
Chairperson
General welcome by Chairperson (Josil)
Welcome remarks by:
Ms. Kundhavi Kadiresan, ADG of FAO RAP
Dr. David Ganz, ED of RECOFTC
5 min
5 min
- Mr Kenichi Shono, Forestry Officer, FAO
- Ms Caroline Liou, Communication Manager, RECOFTC
- Ms Emelyne Cheney, REDD+ Regional Technical Advisor, UN
Environment
6 min
Debate teams introductions
0920 – 0930
0930 - 1000
1000 – 1030
Setting the scene - Background, structure of the debate
Debating proposition: Forests are the future of sustainable energy
Negative team – Anglo Singapore International School
Affirmative team – Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary
School
Debating proposition: Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate
change
4
3 min
10 min
Chairperson
Chairperson
20 min
10 min
20 min
Chairperson
Tuesday,
21 March
Session/activities
Duration
Person in charge
Negative team – Mahidol University International Demonstration
School
Affirmative team – Panyarat High School
5 min
1030 – 1045
Refreshments
10 min
Team
1045 – 1115
Debating proposition: Wood energy helps to reduce rural poverty
Affirmative team – Wells International School
Negative team – Garden International School
20 min
Chairperson
5 min
1115 – 1145
Debating proposition: Greater investment in sustainably managed forests
is the key to increasing renewable energy sources
Negative team – Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
Affirmative team – Thammasat University
20 min
Chairperson
5 min
10 min
Chairperson
10 min
Chairperson
1145 – 1155
Q&A
1155 – 1205
Result a
1205 – 1215
Award presentation and photo session
10 min
Chairperson
1210 – 1215
Closing session - Closing remarks by all judges
5 min
Chairperson
ou e e t a d judges’ feed a k
Group photo, followed by invitation to lunch
5
Annex 2
IDF 2017 Student Debate report
Forestry Debate on Forests and Energy
International Day of Forests
21 March 2017
In joining the global celebration of the annual International Day of Forests (IDF), the Food and
Agriculture Organization Regional Office for Asia Pacific (FAO-RAP) and RECOFTC – The Center for People
and Forests with the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) organized the 2017
forestry debate under the theme Forests and Energy. The debate event, which has been organized
annually for the past four years, took place on Tuesday, 21 March at the FAO RAP office with eight
debate teams from high schools and universities from the Bangkok area in attendance.
Ms Kundhavi Kadiresan, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative of FAO RAP, and Dr
David Ganz, RECOFTC Executive Director, opened the event and gave opening remarks. They were joined
by three judges: Ms Emelyn Cheney, REDD+ Regional Technical Advisor, UN Environment; Ms Caroline
Liou, Strategic Communication Manager, RECOFTC; and Mr Kenichi Shono, Forest Resource Officer, FAO.
Participating students were from six high schools and two universities in the Bangkok area: Anglo
Singapore International School, Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School, Garden
International School, Mahidol University International Demonstration School, Panyarat High School,
Wells International School, Asian Institute of Technology and Thammasat University. The topic of debate
resolutions followed the overall 2017 theme of Forests and Energy: (1) Forests are the future of
sustainable energy, (2) Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate change, (3) Wood energy
6
helps to reduce rural poverty and (4) Greater investment in sustainably managed forests is the key to
increasing renewable energy sources.
During the opening session, Ms Kadiresan welcomed the participants and guests and applauded many
returning participants for their eagerness to learn and participate in the event. She conveyed on behalf
of the organization her appreciation to the organizers for continuing to arrange this learning platform. In
her spee h, she u derli ed the appropriate ess of this year’s the e as the de ate topi , I am very
i terested i the the e of today’s de ate as climate change is a critical challenge affecting all regions
and countries but hitting hardest those already living in poverty and food insecurity. I am also highly
encouraged to see so many young people coming here today to discuss these important matters
seriously. Finally, I strongly hope that the debate will e fruitful a d that today’s e e t ill o tri ute to
building greater awareness among students and the general public on the importance of forests and
energy.
RECOFTC’s Dr Ga z in his remarks also emphasized how the topic is as relevant to policy makers as to
students who were trying to learn and debate on various angles of argument, Ultimately what you are
going to be debating today is no different than what the politicians debate on a day to day basis. This is
as good a learning experience for you as it is for us to learn from you how you debate this particular
issue.
To inspire participants, he shared examples from his past experiences on biomass energy use in other
countries and how sustainable use of biomass could be greatly beneficial to sustain livelihoods and
influential in mitigating impacts of climate change. There are clearly a lot of opportunities for forests
and wood to help minimize the impact of climate change on the communities and countries in Southeast
Asia. I hope this helps to inspire more thinking and more innovations throughout the regio .
More than sixty people attended the debate event, including participants, peer students, teachers,
parents and forestry practitioners from different UN organizations. All debate participants displayed
youthful spirit and enthusiasm during the debate sessions, showcased their debate skills and articulated
their arguments supported by research. It was apparent that all teams were well prepared and
7
committed going into the debates as could be seen from the wide ranges of information brought out
during the debate and their readiness to respond to counter questions. At the end, participants and
attending guests expressed their appreciation for this exciting learning event and how much all of them
have learned and felt inspired from listening to the debates.
8
Highlights of debate sessions
Debate 1 – Resolution: Forests are the future of sustainable energy
Affirmative Team: Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School
Negative Team: Anglo Singapore International School
Affirmative Team
-
-
-
-
Forest was named as a producer and absorber of
carbon emissions in the Paris Agreement in 2016,
thus they play a vital role in our society to fuel
homes and to also provide clean air
By having biomass as a prime energy source,
societies can create carbon neutral economies
and educate people on how to manage the forest
for sustainable energy consumption
There are a number of fast growing forest species
such as bamboo that have a short regeneration
period with some growing 1.5 feet per day
With sustainable management of the land, we can
solve nature using nature.
Negative Team
-
-
-
-
Energy sources must coexist with nature and not
live off of nature. There is a big time gap between
the extraction of forest resources and the
reforestation of the forest
Constant and unregulated use of wood energy
leads to biodiversity loss and increased emission
of global warming gases in the atmosphere
The use of forest for energy exacerbates food
insecurity because farmers move away from food
crops to crops for biofuel, which is usually carried
out in a monoculture setting that robs soil of its
nutrients
To support the biodiversity of forests, energy
sources such as solar, waste and wind can provide
a platform as alternative energy sources.
Debate 2 – Resolution: Wood energy mitigates (lessens) impacts of climate change
Affirmative team: Panyarat High School
Negative team: Mahidol University International Demonstration School
Affirmative Team
-
-
-
-
Evidence from a wood energy based project in the
United Kingdom shows the potential of wood to
generate electricity equivalent to the power
consumption of 31,000 houses
While forests can serve as a carbon sink,
alternative energy sources do not absorb carbon
in the atmosphere.
Through sustainable forest management that
incorporates silviculture and innovative
techniques, forest ecosystem services can be
maintained along with the extraction of forest
sources for energy. The emergence of energy
efficient wood burning stoves also provide an
outlet to reduce toxic gas from wood burning in
the atmosphere
By accounting for the carbon absorbed during a
lifetime of a tree, we must recognize that the
carbon emitted when a tree is burned leads to a
Negative Team
-
-
-
-
9
In many countries including Nigeria, 95.6% of
people use wood as their main source of energy;
however, they do not know how to effectively
convert energy from this resource without
releasing toxic gas such as carbon monoxide. The
release of greenhouse gases increases global
temperature, which places more people at risk to
climate variability and change
When people collect wood for energy from
forests, reforestation of the land cover is not
guaranteed. There is no existing international
organization that strongly monitors and enforces
rules and regulations to prevent illegal logging
An alternative source to fuelwood is renewable
energy, which includes wind and solar. In the long
run, these alternative sources are much cheaper
than using biomass to support livelihood needs
The extraction of forest resources fragments a
carbon neutral environment.
natural ecosystem, leading to biodiversity loss and
ecological decline.
Debate 3 – Resolution: Wood energy helps to reduce rural poverty
Affirmative Team: Wells International School
Negative Team: Garden International School
Affirmative Team
-
-
-
Compared to renewable energy sources and fossil
fuels, wood energy is relatively inexpensive with
low transportation cost and a high energy
conversion rate
Wood energy is an engine for development
because it is labour intensive, enhances selfsufficiency and produces more equitable living
conditions. The labour intensive work of
generating wood energy is beneficial for
developing countries since it can increase
employment, which results in greater economic
growth and higher living conditions for rural
populations
Wood energy still is presented as negative for the
environment but the positive aspects of poverty
reduction must also be taken into account when
considering the importance of wood energy for
developing populations.
Negative Team
-
-
-
The long-term effects of using wood for fuel are
severe on the social and environmental
dimensions of a society. On average, a tree takes
10 to 15 years to mature and uses a lot of water to
sustain its growth. Thus, it puts tremendous strain
on the environment.
On the other hand, electric lighting extends the
working day of rural households, allows children
to study for a longer period of time, and
refrigerates vital medicine for village clinics
The hours spent collecting wood can be invested
on education, especially for women who are the
main collectors of fuel wood. By having more time
to study, women can be better educated and
more knowledgeable on reproductive health as
well as sustainable forest management to
overcome poverty.
Debate 4 – Resolution: Greater investment in sustainably managed forests is the key to increasing
renewable energy sources
Affirmative Team: Thammasat University
Negative Team: Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
Affirmative Team
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-
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When we invest in forest, we also invest on
energy and a source of life for species. If there is a
way to properly use the forest in a sustainable
manner, we should take advantage of that
opportunity
The construction of alternative energy sources
such as dams for hydroelectricity requires cutting
down a potentially forested area to build the
infrastructure
Many of the renewable energy projects require
government subsidies. Thus, there is great
Negative Team
-
-
10
Biomass energy is inefficient as few tree species
can regenerate at a quick rate to meet the
demands of fueling the global population. With an
increase in mono-cropping practices at a larger
scale for wood energy, more inputs such as water
are needed to produce and process the energy
source
Each year, 3.7 million hectares of forest are
affected by forest fire, which reduces the
productivity of land for future use. It is better to
invest in sustainable renewable energy than wood
uncertainty in using renewable energy when
subsidies run out. Through sustainable forest
management, however, the supply of wood
energy is certain.
-
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energy because it alleviates the negative
implications of commoditizing valuable natural
resources
On a societal perspective, using biomass for
energy limits the potential of delivering ecosystem
services and increases food insecurity.
Award presentation
Debate 1 – Resolution: Forests are the future of
sustainable energy
Debate 2 – Resolution: Wood energy mitigates
(lessens) impacts of climate change
First place team: Anglo Singapore International
School
First place team: Mahidol University International
Demonstration School
Second place team: Bangkok International
Preparatory & Secondary School
Second place team: Panyarat High School
First place individual debater: Sorawis Itthithavorn
(Anglo Singapore International School)
Debate 3 – Resolution: Wood energy helps to
First place individual debater: Tanchanok Sotajinda
(Panyarat High School)
Debate 4 – Resolution: Greater investment in
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reduce rural poverty
sustainably managed forests is the key to
increasing renewable energy sources
First place team: Wells International School
First place team: Thammasat University
Second place team: Garden International School
Second place team: Asian Institute of Technology
(AIT)
First place individual debater: Anu Thapa (Garden
International School)
First place individual debater: Gunthorn
Supatadarut (Thammasat University)
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