When a tree grows, it uses the energy from the sun to manufacture sugars and cellulose. This process absorbs carbon dioxide and generates oxygen. At the end of its life, the process of decomposition releases heat, carbon dioxide and water.
Whether wood is burned as fuel or left to decay in the forest, it will release the same amount of heat and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Normal decomposition releases heat slowly – which is why a compost heap generates heat. Burning wood in a stove releases the same amount of heat in a short period, and the best way to use this heat is with an efficient, good quality stove. If you are heating with wood, you are heating in an environmentally friendly way. Supplementing or replacing your heating with an efficient stove is a significant step towards energy independence.
Wood fuel is described as carbon-neutral because it recycles carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and does not release carbon trapped in fossil fuels like oil and coal. In practice, some energy is used in cutting, sawing, splitting and transporting wood, but burning wood only releases between 1% and 5% as much carbon as that released when burning gas or oil. Of course, this depends on how the timber is harvested and how far it travels to your home.
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