Pollutionwatch: wood fires are bad for planet, more evidence shows

Notion of wood burning as climate neutral source of energy is quickly being invalidated by hard factsWe like to think of wood burning as a climate neutral source of energy. This has led to subsidised wood burning for electricity generation and is part of the appeal of an evening around a roaring fire. This idea relies on the carbon released from wood burning being reabsorbed by forests and woodland. Reality is more complex.Firstly, it takes time for new forests to regrow and absorb the carbon. For large-scale wood burning for power generation using wood imported from North America, it can take decades or perhaps more than a century for forests to reabsorb this additional carbon from our air. This means greater chances of irreversible climate tipping points before any possible benefits accrue. Continue reading...