Thanks for raising some important questions reguarding the burning of wood and it’s effects on carbon emissions. I agree that wood is carbon neutral I think that has been proven.
I guess the larger picture is, can we grow enough timber to heat our homes? The answer is no (in the short term). Not everyone can switch from fossil fuels and heat with wood. It would take a sustained effort and that will take long term planning. Burning wood also creates certain particulates in the air that effects asthmatics and other people with breathing difficulties.
On the other hand, fossil fuels are in decline and we need a new source of energy. Where I live, burning wood goes back to the first settlers. It kept them alive through the brutal cold winters and for many it still does. Many of my neighbor and friends would litterly die without wood heat.
Some facts and figures are in order here. I have been told that in a really harsh winter an average of 15 cords of hardwood are necessary to provide all heat and hot water for the year for the average household. I am also told that one cord per acre is a sustainable yield. Thusly 15 acres are needed for an average house to provide all its heat and hot water. These are 1980’s figures and I’m sure things have changed since then.
I recently bought a wood stove (in the frigid month on January) to cope with the potential oil shortages, I t is not yet installed. I have recently discovered the relatively new corn stove technology, and then again I have PV panels from my many years in that field that are just waiting to make hydrogen to heat my house.
So I will let you know if wood or solar to hydrogen works best for me, I suspect it will be a combination and some conservation and some new technology. And above all a new way of thinking and a new way of doing always saves the day.
Another great show, Kris. Why am I surprised that you are now talking about influencing lawmakers?
The detail that you left out of your story on wood stoves (maybe on purpose?) is that the bad rap that wood heating has gotten in some areas is likely due to poor design of the stoves themselves. Well designed, EPA approved space heater stoves are quite different from the big metal boxes of yesteryear or the giant exterior wood boilers that are not designed for combustion efficiency. I bought a good wood stove, and use it to heat about half of my house. This stove doesn’t smoke much at all once it gets hot, and it does a good job of heating.
Despite my adoption of wood heating as insurance against fossil fuel depletion, I still feel “at risk” if I rely on wood. For one thing, it takes some petroleum to transport trees from the forest to my woodpile. For another thing, if everyone in my area had to heat with wood, the forest would be gone in a short time. Therefore, I know that weatherstripping and insulation and good solar design are more important first steps than heating with wood. If we fix our insulation then we won’t need so much heat, regardless of where we get it.
Finally, I want to recommend a book that details the relationship between civilizations and their forests. It’s called “A Forest Journey” by John Perlin. It points out that civilizations generally failed once they depleted their forests. We rely heavily on wood - even today - for a lot of things. And the reason why we still have a lot of forests in North America is because we have been relying on fossil fuels instead. If the natural gas stopped flowing, the forests would not be around much longer. Although I haven’t done the calculation, I suspect that there are too many of us wanting a warm place to live to keep us all warm with wood.
That’s why I want to put in a solar heating system. If I could just afford it.
dominic on
September 6th, 2009 3:22 am
I think that its not necessarily a scalable alternative unless you begin to allocate this type of alternative to regions/zones.
Maybe what’s also worth emphasizing is the use of wood as a building material. Either as a hybrid with other materials or simply on its own.
Bamboo for instance is becoming extremely popular for obvious reasons. Better still, it also promotes economies of poorer countries (since they seem to be systematically located in the same regions as bamboo.)
Energy should not really be too reliant on wood because of scalability and also because of the impact it will have on the natural environment. Eco systems should be preserved and energy should be harnessed in built areas and to a lesser extent, areas of where there would be very little impact on eco systems (deserts?)
There will always be debate over whether generating electricity in urban areas will provide sufficient energy for the respective populations. What people need to realize is that they need to reduce their consumption of not just energy but materials. Cutting down on energy use does not equate to poverty. It probably equates to a more affluent and healthier nation.
Take it easy and keep up your commitment to the cause. We need as many players as we can get. Its not just about preaching, but also about practicing. Every watt and every joule will make a difference.
I love your website. I look forward to it.
Thanks for raising some important questions reguarding the burning of wood and it’s effects on carbon emissions. I agree that wood is carbon neutral I think that has been proven.
I guess the larger picture is, can we grow enough timber to heat our homes? The answer is no (in the short term). Not everyone can switch from fossil fuels and heat with wood. It would take a sustained effort and that will take long term planning. Burning wood also creates certain particulates in the air that effects asthmatics and other people with breathing difficulties.
On the other hand, fossil fuels are in decline and we need a new source of energy. Where I live, burning wood goes back to the first settlers. It kept them alive through the brutal cold winters and for many it still does. Many of my neighbor and friends would litterly die without wood heat.
Some facts and figures are in order here. I have been told that in a really harsh winter an average of 15 cords of hardwood are necessary to provide all heat and hot water for the year for the average household. I am also told that one cord per acre is a sustainable yield. Thusly 15 acres are needed for an average house to provide all its heat and hot water. These are 1980’s figures and I’m sure things have changed since then.
I recently bought a wood stove (in the frigid month on January) to cope with the potential oil shortages, I t is not yet installed. I have recently discovered the relatively new corn stove technology, and then again I have PV panels from my many years in that field that are just waiting to make hydrogen to heat my house.
So I will let you know if wood or solar to hydrogen works best for me, I suspect it will be a combination and some conservation and some new technology. And above all a new way of thinking and a new way of doing always saves the day.
Another great show, Kris. Why am I surprised that you are now talking about influencing lawmakers?
The detail that you left out of your story on wood stoves (maybe on purpose?) is that the bad rap that wood heating has gotten in some areas is likely due to poor design of the stoves themselves. Well designed, EPA approved space heater stoves are quite different from the big metal boxes of yesteryear or the giant exterior wood boilers that are not designed for combustion efficiency. I bought a good wood stove, and use it to heat about half of my house. This stove doesn’t smoke much at all once it gets hot, and it does a good job of heating.
Despite my adoption of wood heating as insurance against fossil fuel depletion, I still feel “at risk” if I rely on wood. For one thing, it takes some petroleum to transport trees from the forest to my woodpile. For another thing, if everyone in my area had to heat with wood, the forest would be gone in a short time. Therefore, I know that weatherstripping and insulation and good solar design are more important first steps than heating with wood. If we fix our insulation then we won’t need so much heat, regardless of where we get it.
Finally, I want to recommend a book that details the relationship between civilizations and their forests. It’s called “A Forest Journey” by John Perlin. It points out that civilizations generally failed once they depleted their forests. We rely heavily on wood - even today - for a lot of things. And the reason why we still have a lot of forests in North America is because we have been relying on fossil fuels instead. If the natural gas stopped flowing, the forests would not be around much longer. Although I haven’t done the calculation, I suspect that there are too many of us wanting a warm place to live to keep us all warm with wood.
That’s why I want to put in a solar heating system. If I could just afford it.
I think that its not necessarily a scalable alternative unless you begin to allocate this type of alternative to regions/zones.
Maybe what’s also worth emphasizing is the use of wood as a building material. Either as a hybrid with other materials or simply on its own.
Bamboo for instance is becoming extremely popular for obvious reasons. Better still, it also promotes economies of poorer countries (since they seem to be systematically located in the same regions as bamboo.)
Energy should not really be too reliant on wood because of scalability and also because of the impact it will have on the natural environment. Eco systems should be preserved and energy should be harnessed in built areas and to a lesser extent, areas of where there would be very little impact on eco systems (deserts?)
There will always be debate over whether generating electricity in urban areas will provide sufficient energy for the respective populations. What people need to realize is that they need to reduce their consumption of not just energy but materials. Cutting down on energy use does not equate to poverty. It probably equates to a more affluent and healthier nation.
Take it easy and keep up your commitment to the cause. We need as many players as we can get. Its not just about preaching, but also about practicing. Every watt and every joule will make a difference.