| Many people ask how burning firewood impacts | | | | forest wastes that come from harvesting trees |
| the environment. Usually their biggest concerns | | | | for making other products like lumber. Or it is cut |
| are with the ideas of deforestation and climate | | | | from excess trees that were thinned to make |
| change. In the short term, we know that burning | | | | the remaining trees grow better. In some cases |
| wood can make things smoky. But for the long | | | | cutting trees for firewood can actually enhance |
| term affects on climate change, we can only | | | | forest health or utilize material that would go to |
| speculate. | | | | waste otherwise. Of course there are exceptions |
| The problem of smoke can be manageable. Much | | | | and some people will harvest firewood |
| of the smoke problems are caused by inefficient | | | | irresponsibly. It all comes down to consumers |
| burning. With modern wood stoves you should be | | | | choosing responsible sources. |
| able to burn wood with very little or no visible | | | | For climate change and greenhouse gases, |
| smoke most of the time. This can be | | | | firewood is considered to be carbon neutral. |
| accomplished by burning dry wood with small hot | | | | Burning wood is part of the natural carbon cycle. |
| burning fires. Using smaller pieces of wood can go | | | | When a tree dies naturally ,the wood decays or |
| a long way here. | | | | gets burned by wildfire. In both these processes, |
| In some parts of the world, burning wood does | | | | the carbon in the tree is released into the |
| contribute to deforestation. But in first world | | | | atmosphere as CO2. Since the trees that grow in |
| countries like the USA, Australia and most of | | | | its place absorb CO2 as they grow, there is no |
| Europe, burning wood does not contribute to | | | | net increase in CO2. This is no different if it |
| deforestation in most cases. In most cases when | | | | happens naturally or if you burn the wood in your |
| firewood is harvested, trees are replanted or | | | | stove. So as far as we know, burning wood does |
| grow back naturally from seed, or with some | | | | not contribute to greenhouse gases the way |
| species new trees sprout back from the stumps | | | | burning fossil fuels do. Of course this is only when |
| after the trees are cut down. | | | | firewood is harvested responsibly. |
| Much of the time firewood is produces from | | | | Learn more about burning firewood logs. |