What impact does burning wood have on the environment?
• No net carbon dioxide increase—wood is a totally renewable resource, which, when burned, results in no net carbon dioxide increase. Carbon dioxide is a part of the natural plant-growth cycle and occurs naturally when trees are allowed to rot on the forest floor. • Reduction in greenhouse emission because fossil fuels, when burned, release carbon dioxide which otherwise would stay trapped in the earth. Fossil fuel emissions cause a net increase in carbon dioxide, which is believed to be responsible for the heat-trapping “greenhouse effect.” So when heating with wood rather than fossil fuels, you actually achieve a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. If you are burning wood you are not using fossil fuels. • In addition, harvesting firewood has a pruning effect on forests, which allows net growth to flourish. As trees grow they absorb carbon dioxide. • Most people burn wood from their local area so it helps the local economy. • Using wood as an energy source reduces our nation’s
Wood is an environmentally friendly resource that reduces greenhouse gases and produces no increase in carbon dioxide – this cannot be said for fossil fuels. Also, wood as a fuel reduces our nation’s dependency on foreign oil. Responsible companies in this industry, like Hawken Energy, only sell to customers who either live in rural areas, who properly vent smoke, or who use proper emission control devices. Though heating with wood may sound old fashioned, modern wood-burning appliances are anything but. The use of emissions control devices can reduce 90 percent of smoke emissions. The world is running out of fossil fuels. Experts have shown that in just a few years, the world’s inhabitants will have consumed one-half of the known fossil fuel reserves. Once this happens, fuel prices will skyrocket as fears of “running out” will become more of a reality. This prediction is based on the present world consumption; however, world consumption is expected to increase. Since solar, hydrogen f
