Which is most harmful to the environment - using my gas central heating or lighting a log fire with logs from trees that have fallen due to high winds etc (as opposed to cutting them down)
2007-09-23 06:04:35 · 5 answers · asked by Meggan's Mum 4 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
To johnyearn - if I found that it was better to use my log fire than gas heating, I wouldn't stop using the gas completely otherwise I'd probably end up with frozen pipes in the winter, but I would definitely use the fire more.
2007-09-23 06:42:28 · update #1
Hi Meggan's Mum
I think it works like this:
A tree is considered to be CARBON-NEUTRAL because it absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere during growth. The carbon (C) forms part of the substance of the wood and the unused oxygen (O2) is released back into the atmosphere. When you burn the wood, oxygen is absorbed to combine with the carbon in the wood to form CO2. The CO2 is released into the atmosphere during the burning. The total amount of carbon remains the same. If another tree is planted in the place of the first one, the CO2 you've released by burning it, gets absorbed again.
With natural gas it is different. It is a fossil fuel. That means it comes from animals and/or plants that died a long time ago and it is locked in the depth of the earth. From the point of view of the modern eco-system the fossil fuel represents a SURPLUS of carbon. When you extract the gas from the earth and burn it to heat your house you generate a net amount of CO2.
Therefore a logfire is considered less harmful to the environment because it produces no net CO2. However you would have to consider how far the wood needs to be transported (because this would again require the use of fossil fuels and net carbon emissions). If you can gather the logs locally then that would be excellent.
chirpy
2007-09-23 08:43:02 · answer #1 · answered by chirpy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Processes to make natural gas do have an effect on the environment while burning limbs that have fallen can also pollute the air. It would be hard to heat an entire home with a wood fire though.
2007-09-23 06:46:51 · answer #2 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would agree with Chirpy, we have a log fire and an electiric pump for central heating. Only use gas for cooking. My husband has a contract with local woodland group and he cuts down old trees or cuts up fallen trees so we get our logs free.
2007-09-24 12:54:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are log burners that will run central heating, also dual fuel ones, check out people like aga and parkray, some can be used for cooking too, will cost a few quid, but if you have plentiful logs, and in an area that will allow it, using one fuel for all has got to be a benefit.
2007-09-23 07:25:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you found it was the gas heat , would you stop using it ? Gas production is an associated cost when using your system which is probably not in the manual. Burning wood isn't great either but at least you can't leave the meter running by accident.
2007-09-23 06:35:07 · answer #5 · answered by johnyeam 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋