Unlike fossil fuels, wood from trees is a completely renewable and sustainable resource. Proper harvesting and managing of this wonderful natural resource is essential. Many homes include wood burning fireplaces that can heat a home effectively for a lower price than electric or gas heaters. Patio fire pits have become very popular in the past few years. With the cost of traveling and entertainment outside the home, the patio is becoming a popular place for entertaining. Choosing the type of wood or fuel source is a bit confusing. Whether the fuel choice is for an inside fireplace or a fire pit outside on the patio, a bit of research goes a long way.
A natural wood fire provides ambiance that is second to none. The environmentally conscience person is usually very cautious about burning raw firewood as a fuel. The fear is the release of harmful carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. While the widely publicized view on this subject is certainly controversial and debatable, fortunately there are several alternatives to raw firewood that prove to help the environment in many ways.
The first of these alternatives is bricks or manufactured logs made from recycled materials. They are composed of things like wood, recycled paper products, and cardboard that is compressed into various shapes such as bricks or logs for easy, energy-efficient burning. It is safer to burn these manufactured products as opposed to paper or cardboard itself. They burn very clean, meaning they release less carbon monoxide and other chemicals into the air we breathe.
Manufactured logs made from recycled materials are also more energy efficient than firewood. They have a lower burn rate than a log of raw firewood. This means that they will burn much longer than traditional wood, providing more heat for a longer period of time. This also makes them more cost-effective. The main reason that manufactured logs or bricks made from recycled materials are one of the most eco-friendly alternatives to firewood is because they promote recycling of materials. The materials that are contained in these products would be decomposing if they were not utilized for use as a fuel. When paper products decompose they produce methane gasses and release them into the air. While this is not usually mentioned by those completely opposed to wood burning of any kind, this decomposing contributes to problems similar to those noted by those who fear global warming and the thinning of our earth's protective ozone layer.
Even with the advance in education on the subject, recycling is not considered as an option frequently enough in this day and age. Many people see it as too difficult or time consuming. Using recycled manufacture logs or bricks is a wonderful way of using things that would be harmful to our environment, for something beneficial like providing heat for a home. This is also a way of spreading the word that recycling can be done without wasting a lot of time or effort. If these products are not used for something beneficial like home heating or patio entertaining, they will likely end up in a landfill or even worse left as unsightly litter strewn across our landscape. In either case, they will eventually release these harmful gasses through decomposition.
Another good choice out of the many eco-friendly alternatives to firewood that are available is manufactured logs or bricks made of compressed sawdust. The sawdust is collected from mills and lumberyards, compressed into usable logs or bricks, and sold at many retailers. These sawdust products are eco-friendly because they also release fewer chemicals into the atmosphere. Sawdust logs or bricks are great for the environment. They are another form of recycling; meaning fewer trees will be used for firewood. Trees are quite important to the health of our planet. They take in bad chemicals from the air and transform them into oxygen for all the creatures on the earth to breathe. While the US lumber and commercial forest industry has become very efficient in managing the ratio of trees harvested to trees planted, not all harvesting of trees in the world is done responsibly. Less trees on the earth's surface means less oxygen in the atmosphere. That is why it is important for us to conserve the trees we have left and try to plant new ones whenever possible.
Aside from conserving trees, these manufactured logs and bricks also provide less of a mess in your fireplace. They produce less ashes and creosote. Ashes can make a large mess, and creosote can build up over time wherever things are burned. An excess of creosote can easily catch fire and contributes to the many fires every year in chimneys of people who burn wood regularly.
Both types of manufactured logs or brick whether made from sawdust or those made from recycled paper materials offer many benefits as alternatives to firewood. Unlike firewood, which takes a lot of effort to gather, chop, and carry into the home. It can take several days to prepare enough wood to heat a home for a decent amount of time. Wood brought into the home can also lead to infestation from various bugs and spiders. Creatures that chew through wood quickly-like termites-could be brought into the home through infected wood and cause damage to the home.
If one decides to buy pre-chopped lumber, there is usually less risk of bug infestation. But the person buying the wood should still consider the benefits of alternatives to firewood, even if they are not especially concerned about the environment. They are more cost effective because one log or brick will burn longer than a piece of wood that is the same size or a bit larger. The manufacture logs and bricks will also catch fire easier, meaning it will save the buyer money on kindling and lighter fluids, and they buyer will not have to worry about them being damp. That being said, there are many advantages to considering alternatives to firewood this winter season.
We should point out that choosing raw firewood is not all bad. Firewood that comes from trimming of trees in our landscapes is much better burned than rotting in a landfill. Firewood harvested from naturally downed trees in the wooded areas will provide an inexpensive form of heat for our homes or ambiance in the fire pit outside on the patio. Leaving downed trees or trimmings to decompose only contributes to the carbon monoxide released into the atmosphere without harvesting any of the benefits that burning it provides. If you choose to burn raw firewood, it is always best to let it cure for at least one season prior to burning. This allows the moisture content to be reduced and the wood will provide a more pleasant and eco-friendly fire. Burning freshly cut un-cured firewood will produce an annoying amount of harmful smoke.
Choosing to utilize your wood burning fireplace or patio fire pit does not have to come with the quilt that has been associated with it in recent years. It is always a good idea to be well informed on all sides of any debate. Conserving our natural resources is vital and a very noble thing to do. Our beautiful planet is ours to enjoy and ours to manage. Stripping old grove forest without regard for replenishing this very renewable resource is unwise. Using the forest products wisely as pointed out in this article, is the responsible thing to do.
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