Wood IS an Eco-Friendly Way to Heat Your Home
There are times when naysayers of the world are misinformed, and that statement applies to anyone who denies that wood-burning is an environmentally friendly method of home heating. Wood-burning is by far more eco-friendly than heating your home strictly using power from electric companies. The remarkable innovation behind contemporary wood-burning stoves and fireplace inserts has a lot to do with this go-green success story. But it all starts with the wood-burning itself. There is no longer a reason to shed a tear over deforestation, when you see a tree being burned; and there are other reasons wood-burning is a good choice for the environmentally conscious.
Carbon Neutrality
When gasoline and certain other fuels are burned, a large amount of carbon dioxide is released into the air; and many fear that this contributes to a dangerous global warming threat. Burning wood is not part of the carbon emissions problem when it comes to fireplaces, heating stoves and fireplace inserts because wood is carbon neutral. You can make a pretty big carbon footprint by using fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and petroleum. Wood, on the other hand, doesn’t release any more carbon into the atmosphere when it is burned than it does if it erodes naturally in a forest.
Renewable and Sustainable Fuel
Wood is a completely sustainable and renewable resource. The U.S. Forest Service has been enforcing timber harvesting practices in recent decades, and the results have been remarkable. The U.S. now has more trees than it did a century ago because of the fact that harvesters are required to plant more trees than they harvest.
Keep in mind that if you are interested in lessening your carbon footprint, you should always buy local firewood. When wood is brought in from other regions, pollution is emitted during transit. But besides buying firewood, you may be able to gather firewood from your own or someone else’s property. Always ask permission before removing someone else’s wood. Recycling facilities may have wood available that you can pick up for free and use in your fireplace or wood stove.
Low Emissions Appliances
Modern wood-burning stoves are required to meet high environmental standards as set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and they often exceed requirements. Between EPA restrictions and technological innovation, contemporary appliances are highly efficient. A room can be heated for three times as long with a modern wood-burning appliance as with an open fireplace, using the same amount of firewood. The room will remain warm longer partly because there is no longer a heating method which involves exchanging cool air from outside for hot air. With modern wood-burning stoves and fireplace inserts, the warm air is circulated in the room.
The efficiency of top-of-the-line wood-burning appliances is incredible enough that they are ranked by the EPA as smokeless, and they are approved for areas that are restricted and only allow smokeless heating methods. Yes, wood can be as clean-burning as that!
If you have any questions about the environmental friendliness of wood-burning or would like help choosing a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert, contact our friendly chimney professionals.
Northeastern Chimney, Inc.
37 Cody Street, West Hartford, CT 06110
Phone: 860-233-5770