Re: [GBlist] burning wood, was RFH and back-up system

[Sarah Holland/David Foley <hollandfoley@acadia.net>]

on 01/24/2002 3:23 PM, Ralph Bicknese at ralph.bicknese@christnerinc.com
wrote:

> My concern about wood burning stoves and fireplaces is based on a concern
> about cutting down trees and burning them this depleting a living part of
> the ecosystem and creating pollution verses using renewables (solar, wind,
> etc.) instead.

This reminds me of an old maxim of physiology:

"The poison is in the dose."

Ralph's concern is that we use wood wastefully, we'll damage a vital
ecosystem.  No argument there - I hope that this forum will continue to
discuss how to use wood in the most efficient, environmentally-benign ways
possible.

There are folks around here (Maine) who say that they couldn't care less
about insulation, tight windows, etc., because they've got all the wood they
need for the cutting.  I think Ralph is cautioning us against that attitude.

As the gentleman from Norway pointed out, assessing wood as fuel depends on
the region, location of the building, forestry practices, alternatives, etc.
Many of us would benefit from a better understanding of forestry practices
and environmental attitudes in Norway.

I burn wood - a little less than a cord a year, and a small amount of LP
Gas.  I think I could shave another 10% off my space-heating load by
practical measures that my wife would tolerate - but not a whole lot more,
because our house & office are already very well insulated, tight, etc.

I get almost all of our wood from our land (12.5 acres/5 hectares).  I cut
the "dead, dying, diseased or deformed" and improve our little patch of
woods in the process.  Cutting and splitting the wood is exercise and
therapy.  The ashes go into our vegetable garden.  I can harvest all the
firewood we'll ever need, indefinitely, from our land and improve our forest
in the process.

We had a 28-hour-long power outage last week, and a 12-day power outage four
years ago.  Wood burning seems like a good idea at those times.

If we lived in town, we probably wouldn't burn wood - perhaps we'd use a
pellet stove, which are relatively clean burning.

I think our first major investment in renewable energy will be solar
domestic hot water, which will displace LP Gas, not wood.

We've also planted over 1000 trees and shrubs on our land, to atone for our
sins.  Anyway, I think that this is one of those "It all depends" issues.

- David Foley
-- 
Holland & Foley Building Design L.L.C.
232 Beech Hill Rd.
Northport, Maine 04849 USA
p: (207) 338-9869 f: (207) 338-9859 e: hollandfoley@acadia.net


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