Unfortunately, there is some incorrect information circulating about wood burning. Those opposed to burning wood make it sound like wood is the worst fuel in the world, and that it is somehow dangerous. Let’s consider a few facts about wood burning:

Wood has been safely used as a fuel since the beginning of recorded history – longer than any other fuel. Fossil fuels (gas, oil, coal) have only been used for heating since the early 1900s. Prior to this, wood had been the primary fuel for as long as Planet Earth had been inhabited by humans.

Modern wood stoves burn wood cleanly without polluting the environment:

All fuels produce carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, when they burn. When the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases, they cause the average global temperature to rise. Wood differs from the fossil fuels because it is part of the natural carbon / carbon dioxide cycle:

>>>As a tree grows, it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and stores it in the wood as carbon, which makes up about half of the weight of wood. When the wood is burned, carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere. No additional carbon is released, when wood is burnt correctly, because the same amount of carbon dioxide would be released if the tree died and were left to decompose on the forest floor!

And this carbon released is re-absorbed by new growth biomass in a cycle that, well managed, reduces the amount of displaced carbon in the atmosphere, significantly.
There is some “locked” carbon released during the harvesting and processing activities but this is a negligible amount – especially when compared to the recovery of “locked” carbon resources such as in gas or oil.

The carbon in coal, oil and gas, by contrast, are taken from underground stores, usually from under seas, where they were deposited by nature, and when burnt, release carbon into the air without means for equal re-absorption.

When trees are used for energy, a part of the forest’s annual growth is diverted from the natural decay and forest fire cycle into our homes to heat them. Firewood is a natural energy product from the forest. Burning wood actually helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing the use of oil, gas and coal:

The United States Government states clearly that wood burning is not harmful to the environment in terms of greenhouse gases: “Under international greenhouse gas accounting methods developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, biogenic carbon is part of the natural carbon balance and it will not add to atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. Reporters may wish to use an emission factor of zero for wood, wood waste, and other biomass fuels in which the carbon is entirely biogenic.”

Burning wood (which is an example of what scientists call ‘biomass’) is essentially carbon neutral! In terms of electricity generation, biomass has lifecycle emissions of between 20 to 80 grams of CO2 per kWh. This compares favorably to fossil fuels such as coal, with life cycle emissions of 955g/kWh and gas with emissions of 446g/kWh.

 
Wood is a renewable fuel – in that it can be restored and replenished by nature in a time period compatible with human use. Wood is an abundant resource that is easily sustained – provided they are cared for and managed properly, forests can be a perpetual source of fuel, unlike gas, oil, and coal, reserves of which are being depleted at a rate much faster than the millions of years it took for them to form. Fossil fuels are non-renewable.

Burning waste wood also benefits the environment because it reduces wood waste that would otherwise take space in landfills: “In the US, wood and paper thrown away each year is enough to heat 5 million homes for 200 years.”

Wood is a reliable fuel - in the midst of a winter storm when the power goes out or during an energy crisis rolling blackout, homeowners can still heat with wood. It gives both heat and comfort during times of emergency. Wood also gives freedom. Having the ability to burn wood for heat in a home gives more freedom and options for fuel. Many homeowners live away from natural gas pipelines and are forced to purchase much more costly fuels such as propane or fuel oil. Wood fuel allows a homeowner to no longer be dependent on large energy utilities that may or may not be able to supply energy.

Summary – Reduced pollution and waste reduction
• CO2 emissions from wood fuel burners is reduced by up to 90% compared with fossil fuel systems, supporting the move to a low carbon economy
• Very low emission of other pollutants such as sulphur
• Burning wood in an efficient burner is carbon neutral – no more carbon is released into the environment than through the natural rotting of wood
• Wood fuel can be produced from very low-grade timber material including arboricultural waste from gardens, parks etc, which would otherwise go to landfill or be dumped. Clean waste wood such as off-cuts from sawmills is also suitable for the creation of fuel

In spite of what is being said by those opposed to wood burning, the bottom line is the use of wood as a fuel is much more in keeping with the natural cycles of our ecosystem, is renewable, sustainable and is a secure domestic heating method.

This article is based on content from http://www.worldwise.com/whywoodisbes.html and from http://www.wood-fuel.org.uk/why_global.htm