Letters to the Editor -
Dear Editor,
This rural scribbler from the Straight Shore so desires to script a few lines regarding firewood.
For decades now, Newfoundlanders, Labradorians, as well as other Canadians, have been going into the forest to cut down trees for firewood. In this province it's part of our culture and our identity. But, is burning firewood environmentally friendly to the atmosphere or a silent contributor to the climate change?
Scripted below are some valid scientific facts. Please read and inwardly digest these facts and then make your own unbiased judgment.The standard measurement unit for wood used for paper and fuel is the cord. This is a stack of wood 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. containing approximately 128 cubic feet of bark, wood, and air space. Air space can actually be as high as 40 per cent but usually averages 25 per cent. These calculations are assuming that the wood is dried.
I assume a cord is 75 per cent wood, per the discussion above = 128 ft.3 x 0.75 = 96 ft.3. 96 ft.3 x 31 lbs./ft.3 = 2976 lbs. per cord.
2976 lbs. = 2.541 t CO2 e. So, burning 1 cord of firewood will emit roughly the equivalent of 2.541 tones of CO2. If the wood is burned green the CO2 increases.
In Newfoundland and Labrador the Department of Forestry will issue, upon request, a domestic permit for 10 cords of firewood per household for a fee of $21. Let's use the $21 fee in argumentation and, in superficiality, to be a carbon tax. So, if one household burns 10 cords of wood a year, it will emit roughly 25.41 tones of CO2 into the atmosphere at roughly 8.3 cents per tone carbon tax.
The volume of firewood cut in this province is approximately 400,000 m3 or roughly 110,711 cords, on an annual basis. Assuming we collectively burn this amount of wood in a year, then we will be emitting 281,316.651 tones of CO2 into the atmosphere for the total sum of around $23,349.28 carbon tax. The provincial government collects around $232,493 in permit fees per year.
This rural scribbler inquires: What happens to this money? Or, what should the government be doing with this money?
Wood burning emissions can be largely offset by harvesting in a sustainable manner. How closely and consistency is our government monitoring the harvesting of trees for firewood? "In a haphazard way, void of agility" says this rural scribbler. Are there adequate trained personnel employed to do the supervision?
Replanting trees in an area where they will survive to maturity will allow the CO2 emissions released to be recaptured by future trees. When was the last time you heard about or actually saw the execution of a silviculture program in your area?
How much longer can our forest last if the prevailing attitude of government appears to be one of cut, cut and cut but plant not? Trees growing within a five-kilometre radius of any community should be sheltered by a joint provincial and municipal decree, especially for communities with a high density of wood smoke in the lower atmosphere.
Burning firewood to heat your home can be beneficial because wood is a renewable fuel. However, the smoke from wood stoves pollutes the air outdoors. There are some effective things we all can do to reduce the risk of health effects from wood smoke. One way to minimize this risk is by installing an advanced combustion wood stove that reduces toxic emissions, one that carries the Canadian Standards Association sticker.
Secondly, burn dry, clean wood that is properly seasoned. All firewood should be cut, split, and stacked in a covered area for about six months, including summer months, before burning.
Thirdly, when starting a fire, allow more ventilation and close the dampers when the wood is well charred. This will produce more heat so you use less wood.
And fourthly, burn smaller pieces of wood and not junk size wood. These smaller pieces will burn more efficiently; hence, they are a better source of heat.
In this province we will be burning firewood for years to come. We must treat the forest with respect, the great absorber of the CO2 and fountainhead for clean oxygen. Collectively, we must all learn to be more efficient in this use. Our wood burning motto must be: the cheapest form of energy is energy we don't use!
What say you?
Harold Hayward
Musgrave Harbour
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