Wood or Woodn't

I have recently moved into a rental property in Northcote and as the evenings are becoming cooler, I have been sitting looking at my Coonara wood heater and wondering whether I should use it. At the moment I am using a shonky old wall gas heater which seems very efficient, but it has got me thinking – which has a greater negative impact on the environment?

The main argument that comes to mind is that wood can be a renewable resource, when we chop a tree down we can replant it- whereas fossil fuels are irreplaceable. In addition, it has been estimated by the Australian Dept of Climate Change that wood produces between 3 and 10 times fewer green house emissions per unit of heat compared to other energy sources. It is also considered by many as carbon neutral- that is burning it releases no more CO2 than when it biodegrades or rots.

However, the smoke from wood can pollute the air we breathe and reduce our local air quality. According to the EPA, the burning of wood in Melbourne is said to account for as much as 60% of our air pollutants in Winter. These pollutants can cause health problems for not only our families but for those who live around us.

It seems on chilly nights, we are particularly inclined to fill up our wood heater/fire with wood overnight leaving it to smolder. This smoldering just intensifies the problem as even more pollutants are released. In addition, approx 90% of heat from an open fire place is said to go up the chimney. However, that being said, I don’t have an open fire place; I have a slow combustion-wood heater which I believe can operate at 70% efficiency compared to 10% for an open fire.

So, it’s obviously a very personal choice, whether you “wood or woodn’t” in winter. Personally, for me, I think it’s time to see where I can purchase some “good wood” from a sustainable source- such as a local firewood plantation and start up my Coonara. As long as I use it correctly and minimally, I hope to reduce my impact on the environment- particularly by reducing my carbon emissions.

I plan to do this on a trial basis and only when it’s particularly chilly and never overnight. Maybe I will make it a time to sit in a beautifully warm room, with a nice ambient feel and reflect and give thanks to nature for making this warmth possible. If I feel it is creating too much smoke, or is inefficient or too expensive I guess I’ll either just have to wear more jumpers or occasionally light my shonky old gas heater…..

Important Note: When using a wood fire or wood heater, there are some things that are important things the EPA recommends:

· burn only dry, seasoned, untreated wood;
· use smaller logs instead of only one large log;
· do not pack the fire box too full as this will starve the fire of oxygen and cause it to smolder;
· keep the fire burning brightly for the first 20 minutes after lighting and reloading – the faster you can get the fire going the les smoke there will be;
· Always have a visible flame if you plan to keep the fire going overnight.

I would also suggest you never burn household trash or cardboard. Plastics and colored inks on magazines, boxes, and wrappers give off toxic chemicals when burned. Also keep your pile of wood at home dry so as not to get wet or mouldy.

Please take the time to consider your heating options for coming winters. If you own your own house or are building one, take the time to consider building design and heating options. Your decisions do make a difference. Us renters- well, I guess we will just have to work with what we've got!!

Written by Briony
Photo by Rachael Voorhees (flickr.)