Thread: ABC Four Corners on Renewable Energy.

Originally Posted by rover-56

Well, I burn wood, I am lucky enough to live on a place where the regrowth rate is greater than the cut up rate.
Wood is not polluting if it is burnt properly.
If you see smoke, it is not being burnt properly.
Terry

Depends upon what you call pollution. CarbonDioxide is pollution to some and you can't burn wood without releasing it.

"Depends upon what you call pollution. CarbonDioxide is pollution to some and you can't burn wood without releasing it."

The CO2 is released when it rots anyway.

Terry

Only some of it gets released, and some gets trapped in the soil and if you leave the tree standing it will continue to absorb CO2 while its alive and that could be hundreds of years.

Timber used to build things like houses will store the CO2 while the house stands.

How about a bit of lateral thinking on the subject.
Consumers seem to be buying more and more power guzzling appliances than ever before, and councils allow energy inefficient houses to be built by the thousands.
Living on solar power off the grid you soon learn to rethink what appliances we don't really need!

Pete.

My fire burns all night, I just turn the airflow down on it. It goes to coals and burns slowly like that. Open up the air in the morning with some new timber and away it goes. I definitely get overnight and up to 12hrs depending on how its managed. Also, it doesn't make much difference to the burn duration if you load it right up or only use half of the area - more timber and the burn rate just goes up.

I think the smoke initially is just the resin or something in the timber burning out. It stops smoking reasonably quickly.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Only some of it gets released, and some gets trapped in the soil and if you leave the tree standing it will continue to absorb CO2 while its alive and that could be hundreds of years.

Timber used to build things like houses will store the CO2 while the house stands.

I only burn fallen wood.
I think you are acting as devils advocate?
I suppose like all living animals we have an effect on the environment.
The logical end point to this argument is that perhaps we shouldn't exist?
At least we can use some intelligence to minimise our effect on our surroundings.
Maybe we should feel guilty about the CO2 we breathe out.
Terry

Originally Posted by rover-56

I only burn fallen wood.
I think you are acting as devils advocate? <maybe - it's probably no worse than coal fired power and more enjoyable.>
<snip>
Maybe we should feel guilty about the CO2 we breathe out.
Terry

Maybe there should be a carbon tax on Coca-Cola (or all carbonated drinks)!

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

How do you manage to keep your fire burning overnight, if you don't shut it down so it smolders ...............

sure a nice hot fire has no smoke, you'd burn a HEAP of wood and have a bloody hot house though

I let it go out.
House is insulated and stays above 12deg.C. Not hard to get it going in the morning. Back up to 18+ in 1/2 hour and boils the kettle for my coffee.
I am in NE Victoria and at 900m.
Terry