Carbon Loophole: Why Is Wood Burning Counted as Green Energy?

[Althea]

Yeah, one of my neighbors has an outdoor unit, and I see his wood pile is very large pieces, minimally split. Me, I cut 16" wood for my fire box. More labor, but way easier to handle and build fires with. I actually mark my logs with an old tape measure and marking paint, just for uniformity.

I think we have the same unit. Similar to this one
https://www.homedepot.com/p/England...MIjd6a-7u52AIVgkwNCh3TVwdtEAQYAiABEgLwpvD_BwE
Firebox is about 2' deep, but not all that big. I started learning to cut the wood small for night time stoking. During the day, when I'm in the shop I use larger pieces and feed it more often. If I had one wish, it would be for a much larger firebox.

 

[Althea]

I spray my boots with the strongest Deet available. Haven't had a tick on me in years. Pull 'em off the cats all the time though. I also wear a straw hat to keep the sun off, it gets sprayed with Deet too, keeps the flies out of my face.

Last two years I've been lucky. I did some work in a community where they're culling a lot of the trees that were planted in the 1980s. Too close to the houses, and too big. I literally back my trailer up to a pile of wood that's already been cut to size. Worst case is that I have to grab 4 foot lengths. They want it gone, and I need the wood.

Win/win. But yes...I typically go after standing dead in the woods I have access to, so I can wait for colder weather. But I spray deet on my pants/boots if I'm out in the warm weather. Won't put it on my skin.

 

[Rune]

From a carbon point of view...sure. But I'd stop short of calling wood burning 'green', if that term addresses the lack of any pollutants.

The only totaly green heat source is solar passive with super insulation and sealing...there is always a cost to pay somewhere.

 

[Rune]

Hah!!!! We don't ship coal overseas?

His argument is bullshit.
China is buying what little coal the US exports and if it wasn't coal or pellets then it would be oil shipped in tankers...burning oil.

 

[Rune]

I think we have the same unit. Similar to this one
https://www.homedepot.com/p/England...MIjd6a-7u52AIVgkwNCh3TVwdtEAQYAiABEgLwpvD_BwE
Firebox is about 2' deep, but not all that big. I started learning to cut the wood small for night time stoking. During the day, when I'm in the shop I use larger pieces and feed it more often. If I had one wish, it would be for a much larger firebox.

I use a Tempwood, 55,000 BTUs almost 6 cubic feet.
I burn lots of pine, whatever is delivered to my house in stove length for free.
I built a giant splitter, 9 way and I season pine at least two years.
The creosote issue is non-existant provided it is properly seasoned.
The only downside to softwood is twice the volume to process, hence the 9 way splitter.

 

[Teflon Don]

Feasible only for those with an existing hydronic system. But I agree. You can stoke that sucker and leave for the weekend. And many of my friends who have them burn pine, and other woods you'd normally avoid.

I know some people that burn pine in their wood burning stoves and swear they get no creosote from it. They claim to let it season for almost two years before burning. I only burn pine in my outside pit. It lights quick, burns quick and is a really intense flame that I like for outdoors. Most of the research I have done on creosote buildup is that it is due to unseasoned wood with slow burns.

This cold snap is forcing me to turn on the furnace a bit. Don't like it, but the wife hates to be cold. Really going through the wood this year.

 

[countryboy]

I think we have the same unit. Similar to this one
https://www.homedepot.com/p/England...MIjd6a-7u52AIVgkwNCh3TVwdtEAQYAiABEgLwpvD_BwE
Firebox is about 2' deep, but not all that big. I started learning to cut the wood small for night time stoking. During the day, when I'm in the shop I use larger pieces and feed it more often. If I had one wish, it would be for a much larger firebox.

This is the unit I have. Actually came with the house.

http://www.fireplacesandmoreinc.com/brunco.html

 

[countryboy]

Last two years I've been lucky. I did some work in a community where they're culling a lot of the trees that were planted in the 1980s. Too close to the houses, and too big. I literally back my trailer up to a pile of wood that's already been cut to size. Worst case is that I have to grab 4 foot lengths. They want it gone, and I need the wood.

Win/win. But yes...I typically go after standing dead in the woods I have access to, so I can wait for colder weather. But I spray deet on my pants/boots if I'm out in the warm weather. Won't put it on my skin.

Yeah I try not to put it on my skin too, unless I'm going to be out after dark wearing shorts and short sleeves, then I use the weaker stuff. I also cut mostly dead standing. But I will cut the occasional live tree, if it's unhealthy, or needs to be removed for land clearing or whatever.

What type of work do you do, are you in the trades?

 

[cancel2 2022]

His argument is bullshit.
China is buying what little coal the US exports and if it wasn't coal or pellets then it would be oil shipped in tankers...burning oil.

We don't use oil to generate electricity, you cretin. How about you address the real issue of replacing coal with wood, which actually produces more CO2 not less? All your bullshit and bluster cannot explain that, which is why you keep introducing red herrings.

https://www.thegwpf.com/britains-crazy-climate-policy/

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[Cancel 2018.1]

We don't use oil to generate electricity, you cretin. How about you address the real issue of replacing coal with wood, which actually produces more CO2 not less? All your bullshit and bluster cannot explain that, which is why you keep introducing red herrings.

https://www.thegwpf.com/britains-crazy-climate-policy/

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I wish you wouldn't ban McAwful from your threads. I really enjoy watching him look stupid.
https://www.justplainpolitics.com/s...unterthread-ban-thread)&p=2157551#post2157551

 

[cancel2 2022]

I wish you wouldn't ban McAwful from your threads. I really enjoy watching him look stupid.
https://www.justplainpolitics.com/s...unterthread-ban-thread)&p=2157551#post2157551

Yes I might allow him in, just for the entertainment value.

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[Cancel 2018.1]

Yes I might allow him in, just for the entertainment value.

Sent from my Lenovo K8 using Tapatalk

 

[Airstrip One]

That doesn't make any sense, does it? Wood is a renewable resource, but it takes years upon years to replenish when cut down. Plus unless they are using some sort of scrubbers, all the carbon contained in the wood goes right back into the atmosphere when burned. What are they doing with the ashes?

Fairbanks Alaska in the winter is a good example showing why wood-burning isn't green. It sits in a shallow bowl surrounded by hills. In the winter it sometimes gets so heavily polluted due to the use of wood stoves and furnaces, oil - and coal-burning furnaces, etc. that people with respiratory problems can't go outside. At times the pollution is equal to -- or worse -- than Beijing's.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/25/us/alaskans-cost-of-staying-warm-a-thick-coat-of-dirty-air.html

Sounds Fairly smoggy!

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

I actually enjoy getting wood in but it’s labor intensive.

My husband found that he enjoys it too. Last year and this we ordered a couple cords of wood. He also cut up some downed trees and split the wood to supplement that. He's getting a log splitter in a couple of weeks and we're going to start doing it 100% ourselves. I'm the Official Stacker. Sure warms you up on a cold day.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

I know some people that burn pine in their wood burning stoves and swear they get no creosote from it. They claim to let it season for almost two years before burning. I only burn pine in my outside pit. It lights quick, burns quick and is a really intense flame that I like for outdoors. Most of the research I have done on creosote buildup is that it is due to unseasoned wood with slow burns.

This cold snap is forcing me to turn on the furnace a bit. Don't like it, but the wife hates to be cold. Really going through the wood this year.

We cut down a long-dead pine at the end of our driveway a couple of weeks ago. Do you think that wood would be okay to burn in the indoors wood stove? We are concerned about the creosote too.

 

[Rune]

I know some people that burn pine in their wood burning stoves and swear they get no creosote from it. They claim to let it season for almost two years before burning. I only burn pine in my outside pit. It lights quick, burns quick and is a really intense flame that I like for outdoors. Most of the research I have done on creosote buildup is that it is due to unseasoned wood with slow burns.

This cold snap is forcing me to turn on the furnace a bit. Don't like it, but the wife hates to be cold. Really going through the wood this year.

Pine is perfect for you in these temperatures. During the day burn hot fires of pine.
Or at a minimum throw in a few splits when the stove is full of oak coals. The pine will give off intense heat, almost like gasoline but burns fast. This gives the oak coals a chance to burn down, and make room for a full overnight load of hardwood.

The other good use for pine is in the shoulder seasons when you can save hardwood for when it is most needed,
long, overnight burns when it is severely cold.

 

[countryboy]

My husband found that he enjoys it too. Last year and this we ordered a couple cords of wood. He also cut up some downed trees and split the wood to supplement that. He's getting a log splitter in a couple of weeks and we're going to start doing it 100% ourselves. I'm the Official Stacker. Sure warms you up on a cold day.

Lol, my wife is the Official Stacker too. But in all these years I haven't been able to teach her how to stack straight. She always makes what I call, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, LOL. No biggie, I keep a piece of plywood handy to straighten out her stacks. She also helps me load and haul the rounds.

 

[Althea]

Yeah I try not to put it on my skin too, unless I'm going to be out after dark wearing shorts and short sleeves, then I use the weaker stuff. I also cut mostly dead standing. But I will cut the occasional live tree, if it's unhealthy, or needs to be removed for land clearing or whatever.

What type of work do you do, are you in the trades?

Custom cabinetmaker by trade. As the economy changes, I've expanded to condescend to do bathroom renovations for existing clients. Not too much more work than doing a kitchen renovation.

As time passed, I started doing all the plumbing/electrical on jobs in order to negate the need for other contractors.

I'm on call for all of my customers in the event of plumbing/electrical issues

 

[Althea]

I use a Tempwood, 55,000 BTUs almost 6 cubic feet.
I burn lots of pine, whatever is delivered to my house in stove length for free.
I built a giant splitter, 9 way and I season pine at least two years.
The creosote issue is non-existant provided it is properly seasoned.
The only downside to softwood is twice the volume to process, hence the 9 way splitter.

Yea..I don't bother with the pine, for the obvious issues. But those big outdoor hydronic units will devour anything. Many use pine because it's free.

 

[countryboy]

Custom cabinetmaker by trade. As the economy changes, I've expanded to condescend to do bathroom renovations for existing clients. Not too much more work than doing a kitchen renovation.

As time passed, I started doing all the plumbing/electrical on jobs in order to negate the need for other contractors.

I'm on call for all of my customers in the event of plumbing/electrical issues

Ah, you're like me. Jack of all trades, master of one.

I'm a tile guy for about twenty years now. But I was a carpenter before that.