Since the discovery of fire, man has relied upon heat for fuel.  It has cooked our food, lit our spaces and heated our environs.  But in these times of heightened sensitivity to pollution and depletion of natural resources, is wood heating environmentally correct?

Walk in any grocery or hardware store in the fall or winter and you are likely to find a number of wood-based heating options.  Wax infused fire starters, split kindling and synthetic wood tubes nestle amongst bundles of rustic logs tantalizingly packaged to keep the home fires burning.  How do you know which choice is right?

Much of the world’s available firewood comes from unrenewable sources such as ancient forests being leveled to free the land for other commercial use.  The origin of the wood is not always apparent, so be ready to ask questions of the retailer and read the fine print.  In some cases you might even research the retailer’s products online to determine whether they obtain their wood products from renewable sources.

Synthetic and wax infused wood simulated products are typically manufactured as a byproduct of timber production.  Mills began introducing wood byproducts when sawdust was mixed with glues and binders to create “particle board.”  This is a dense material that binds toxic chemicals that off-gas for years after production and emits a distinct formaldehyde scent that often lingers beyond the life of the product.

Not only is burning these products toxic to the environment, but they rely upon energy hungry manufacturing to create costly extrusions of compressed chips that emit alarming colors and offensive odors when burned.  The unpredictable rate of burn has caused many an unsuspecting homeowner to rush out of doors to greet the fire department to put out an inopportune fire.

If you are one of the nearly 50% of the world’s population that relies upon wood for heat, how do you make an environmentally correct decision about your fuel source?  There are several simple steps that will lead you to the peak of green living.

1. Do it yourself:  If you are fortunate enough to live near a state managed forest, for a nominal fee you can purchase a permit to harvest deadfall from the forest floor.  Your modest contribution supports civil forest management efforts and by removing the deadwood you help to reduce fuel available for costly wildfires.

2. Source locally:  As with food choices, find a local purveyor who offers wood from local sources.  Not everyone is handy with a chainsaw, and a Prius is ill-equipped to cart wood home from the wilderness, so these weekend lumberjacks offer a valuable service.  Many offer home delivery in sturdy trucks, reducing the number of trips required to tuck in a cord or four of wood for the winter, and for an extra Jackson or two are usually willing to stack the wood neatly in a designated space.

3. Burn resourcefully:  While we all love to hear the crackle of a blazing fire, inserts and modern woodstoves are much more effective at distributing abundant heat from moderate amounts of fuel.   Once their thermal mass has achieved a static temperature, they radiate residual heat for hours.

No fuel source is totally clean, and in these trying times we all need to conserve.  Rather than toss another log on the fire, grab a comfy throw, grab a glass of sparkling water and snuggle up with a loved one.  After all, the most efficient fires start from within.