From the article: [...] (In the long term it's renewable though, if the trees are replanted.)
From the article:
People in Belgium are rushing to find alternatives to heat their home ahead of what is predicted to be a tough winter. Earlier this year, this was evident in the increase in sales of wood stoves in the country. Now, the rush to firewood is seeing suppliers working at full speed and still struggling to keep up with demand, according to reports from De Tijd.
Traders are not able to meet the demand due to a limited supply caused by the invasion of Ukraine, high transport costs and Chinese buyers on the European market, a survey by the daily showed. This has resulted in an explosion of prices so that this alternative is no longer financially viable either.
The price of a two-cubic-metre pallet of hardwood cost around €250 last year; this has now doubled. According to Fedustria, the federation of the textile, wood and furniture industry, the same trend is being observed in the pellet market.
[...]
Meanwhile, according to the Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij (VMM), almost half of the emission of particulate matter in Flanders is the result of private wood burning, meaning the cutting of trees further drives air pollution. Additionally, the sourcing of wood can also destroy ecosystems, a Greenpeace Netherlands report found.
It also stressed that burning trees for energy emits more carbon dioxide than coal or gas. "It is literally fuelling the climate and biodiversity crisis."
(In the long term it's renewable though, if the trees are replanted.)
In addition to being renewable (potentially), my recollection is that wood (and wood byproduct fuels such as sawdust/paper briquettes) can burn rather cleanly. How clean? I don't know, so this...
In addition to being renewable (potentially), my recollection is that wood (and wood byproduct fuels such as sawdust/paper briquettes) can burn rather cleanly. How clean? I don't know, so this comment is a note to self to look into it.
In a similar vein, well tended fires can cook very efficiently. Another one to research.
CO2 emissions from wood burning can be quite complex to calculate. However air pollution from wood burning stoves and fires is known to cause issues....
CO2 emissions from wood burning can be quite complex to calculate.
However air pollution from wood burning stoves and fires is known to cause issues.
Yeah, wood stoves I know to be not so great, but supposedly Russian stoves can achieve complete combustion of even the flue gasses. It isn't something I can exactly test right now, but if nothing...
Yeah, wood stoves I know to be not so great, but supposedly Russian stoves can achieve complete combustion of even the flue gasses.
It isn't something I can exactly test right now, but if nothing else the traditional construction uses external cold air rather than room air, which would suggest at least less room air pollutants.
From the article:
[...]
(In the long term it's renewable though, if the trees are replanted.)
In addition to being renewable (potentially), my recollection is that wood (and wood byproduct fuels such as sawdust/paper briquettes) can burn rather cleanly. How clean? I don't know, so this comment is a note to self to look into it.
In a similar vein, well tended fires can cook very efficiently. Another one to research.
CO2 emissions from wood burning can be quite complex to calculate.
However air pollution from wood burning stoves and fires is known to cause issues.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/09/eco-wood-stoves-emit-pollution-hgv-ecodesign
Yeah, wood stoves I know to be not so great, but supposedly Russian stoves can achieve complete combustion of even the flue gasses.
It isn't something I can exactly test right now, but if nothing else the traditional construction uses external cold air rather than room air, which would suggest at least less room air pollutants.
Damn, should’ve bought some timberland, especially since I’m down here in SC.