The Effects of Firewood on the Environment

Firewood is an easy and useful solution to heat homes during the cold winter months. Fireplaces are also appealing to homeowners and buyers. The firewood impacts the environment just like any other heating methods, such as heating oil, natural gas or coal. To take care of the environment, firewood must be burned in the most efficient manner possible.

Firewood and Pollution

• Firewood is a natural and handy source of heating fuel but it has its detracting factors. There is smoke that is emitted into the atmosphere. This smoke can contribute to poor air quality in the area around where the wood is burned. Burning firewood also sends particles into the air. These suspended particles can affect air quality and contribute to acid rain. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that during the winter months, up to 50 percent of the air pollution can be caused by wood heat; some of this pollution can be carcinogenic.

Firewood and Ecology

• To get the firewood, trees have to be taken down. Whether they are cut down or fall, this wood represents the loss of trees. Fewer trees mean fewer homes for birds and small animals. Trees that produce fruit or nuts also lessen the food available to some animals. Many states have restrictions on what trees can be cut down and what they can be used for in an effort to preserve not only the trees, but the nature around them.

Inviting Pests Home

• According to Lee Townsend from the University Of Kentucky College Of Agriculture, firewood is home to many insects that attack dead and dying trees. These insects can be brought into the home with the firewood and lead to home infestations. This could make it a necessity to treat the home with pesticides, which often contain chemicals that many people don't want used in their home because they have pets or small children.

Firewood and the Economy

• Firewood is one of the basic forms of heat. As the economy weakens or strengthens, there is a corresponding shift toward or away from the use of firewood. In a poor economy, more people choose to heat their homes with firewood. This leads to demand for an increased amount of firewood harvested; it also encourages methods of collecting firewood that are not the best long-term solutions for either the environment or the economy. When the economy is tough, people do need to conserve money by using the lower cost firewood option; however, they need to be aware that treatment later for insects could raise their effective heating bill above what an alternative heating method would have cost.