Firewood & Its Effect on the Environment

All energy sources impact the environment. The best energy sources are renewable and have a low environmental impact. These include solar power and wind power. Wood is also renewable and, when used correctly, can be a good fuel, especially when compared to oil, coal and gas, which are not renewable and lead to global warming. However, burning wood does present some environmental problems.

Particle Pollution

• Wood smoke adds particulate matter to the atmosphere.

  Wood smoke from wood stoves, fireplaces and outdoor wood-fired heaters adds 420,000 tons (6 percent) of fine particle pollution to the U.S. atmosphere every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Particle pollution includes soot and smoke that's produced when wood is burned. This pollution has an impact on the environment. Fine particles cause haze that reduces visibility. The particles erode buildings and statues, including important cultural objects. They contribute to the formation of acid rain which kills fish, frogs and insects, stunts the growth of trees and other plants, depletes nutrients in the soil, and deposits dangerous metals into the dirt.

Loss of Trees

• Trees protect the environment by absorbing CO2.

  Trees prevent erosion, protect watersheds and absorb CO2, thus limiting the greenhouse effect. Almost two-thirds of all species on Earth live in forests. Wood burning can threaten forests if sustainable harvesting of trees isn't followed. This means not cutting down more trees than can be naturally replaced or replanted. When sustainable harvesting is practiced, wood burning is carbon dioxide neutral. That means no more carbon is put out in smoke than the tree took out of the air while it was alive.

Loss of Wildlife

• Many animals make their homes in dead trees.

  Fallen trees and dead trees provide homes for birds and other wildlife. In addition, they attract insects that are food sources for many animals. As deadwood decomposes, it puts important nutrients back into the soil. When their homes are destroyed, and food is no longer available, wildlife is lost because animals die or don’t breed.

Insects and Disease

• When people transport firewood, bugs and disease often come with it.

  "Firewood is becoming a major pathway for moving invasive species," according to Dan Hilburn, administrator of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Plant Division. Many trees that provide firewood died because they were attacked by an invasive species like the Asian longhorned beetle or the emerald ash borer. The emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees in Michigan and parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Ontario, Canada. It's also been transported to a number of other sates. When people cut trees for firewood and then move it, they move bugs and diseases along with the wood.

What To Do

• Trading your old wood stove for an EPA-certified one helps the environment.

  Reduce fine particle pollution by only burning dry seasoned wood, regularly cleaning and removing the ashes from your wood stove, and replacing your old wood stove with an EPA-certified model that causes less pollution and burns less wood for more heat. When gathering firewood, never clear an entire area of deadwood. Always leave some behind. To avoid spreading disease and insects, ask your wood seller where the wood he sells comes from. If he doesn't know, find another seller who does, and only buy and burn local wood.