Quote:
Originally Posted by Wavytone
Glen unfortunately greenies generally think wood is god as it is in principle renewable. My sister is a tree hugger in Tas.
The snag is if you do the maths, hardwoods (eucalypts) grow too slowly to be used in plantations so the reality is we're burning far more than the replacement rate.
Secondly these things are not environmentally friendly - the exhaust gases are well known as a major source of air pollution and contribute to asthma and other respiratory diseases.
This is why there was a major campaign in the 1980 to stop people burning wooden stuff - everything from fireplaces to wood heaters, incinerators anb BBQs.
If it was encouraged the air quality in Sydney for example would be on par with that in Beijing.
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Nothing quite like a balanced, informed viewpoint.
1/ Tasmania has massive eucalyptus plantations, and they are expanding, both here and on the mainland.
2/ If dry wood is burning in a good fire place, the pollutants are negligible and certainly less than mining and burning the megatons of coal/oil/gas used to heat most cities.
3/ There was a big campaign in the 1980's towards eliminating burn-off's as a means of rubbish disposal because the rubbish contained toxics, like rubber, plastic, paint and everything else deemed "junk"... ie, not dry wood in a clean fireplace.
4/ Sydney is largely surrounded by mountains which form a bowl for smoke haze to accumulate. Its very similar in Launceston, (Northern Tas), where smoke also accumulates. Big, localised problem.
5/ Wood is not, "in principle", renewable; it is IN FACT renewable.
The basic reality is if you burn wood and leave the fossil rubbish in the ground, where it belongs, and plant more forest that you burn, there should be a decrease in air pollution... Of course, it is not that simple because people are stupid, ignorant or irresponsible with their fires.
I live in a cold part of Tassie, (snow territory), I burn good clean dry wood which I source from my own forest and I use it sparingly. I take steps to insulate my home and avoid wasting wood. As a consequence, I contribute about 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere p.a. , (many people burn 4 times this... and usually leave the doors open); I use the carbon ash and feral cats, (
), to enrich my soil and my forest generates about 100 tonne of new wood p.a.. Net carbon sink...
This "tree hugger" says, You are
How big is your Carbon foot print?
Tired, boring, Green bashing rhetoric is really irritating and obsolete if you care to do a little research. Someone has to stand up for the environment whilst we have economic & ecological terrorists in power.
Good luck breathing if the oceans are dead and forests are gone.
