National Firewood Association
THE FIREWOOD MANIFESTO
Firewood’s Place in Today’s Environment
Scott Salveson
Director, National Firewood Association
Firewood has sustained mankind since the beginning of time. Much of the United
States is heavily wooded with this abundant resource, yet critics loudly oppose its
use, citing concerns ranging from air quality to deforestation. Despite their good
intentions, these critics fail to consider the larger picture – of the unique aspects
that tip the scales inarguably in favor of firewood for millions in the United States.
Abstract
This document explores the many beneficial aspects of firewood that are often
overlooked – or purposely ignored to devalue it as a renewable resource (like wind
or solar). Whether this is due to ignorance or ulterior motive is irrelevant –
firewood is misunderstood and dismissed in very serious discussions and policy.
Stove changeout programs that only award incentives for replacing a wood stove
with a conventional fuel source are one glaring example. The meager $300 federal
tax credit for installing an EPA-rated stove will not be renewed for 2017.
Firewood is not given serious consideration beyond the attention it receives when it
is poorly burned and creates a nuisance or is quarantined due to pest infestation.
Upsides that are unique to firewood alone validate the enthusiastic use of wood
fuel in the 21st Century, yet go unmentioned in most public discussions. We’re also
at a point in technology and engineering that allows us to burn wood more cleanly
and efficiently than ever before.
Rather than examining firewood as to how this renewable resource might best be
used, it is crucified in comparison to expensive or unproven technology. It would
be more meaningfully compared to the fuel oil and propane that firewood typically
replaces or supplements in today’s world.
There is no perfect fuel. But there are resounding and rational reasons that
firewood makes perfect sense for millions in many parts of the country.
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Burning Wood is Not for Everyone
Burning wood effectively requires long range planning, discipline, hard work and a
long term commitment to feeding and tending the fire. This stands in stark contrast
to our modern world of touch-screen convenience. Longtime firewood aficionados,
however, feel a reverence for the practice of heating with wood. Not just burning
wood, but the entire laborious process of felling trees, bucking logs, cutting rounds,
splitting and stacking for use not this winter but next!
The lazy and undisciplined might do well to test themselves against the schedule
and initiative necessary to cut and burn wood.
Even those who don’t cut their own wood still heft some 3,000 – 5,000 lbs of wood
for every cord they burn just carrying it between the woodpile and the stove.
Burning wood burns calories and builds muscle, if not character.
There are a number of reasons that everyone cannot or should not burn wood. It is
not our purpose to talk people into it – our purpose is to ensure that those who
choose wood heat have the best wood burning experience possible, gaining more
heat and creating fewer emissions. We want to extract maximum benefit from this
sustainable heating fuel resource.
It is our belief that public education on the merits of burning wood will help to
temper the criticism firewood undeservedly receives. We are not saying such
concerns are unfounded – simply that they are only parts of a much larger picture
that includes sustainability and rural economic stability.
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The responsibility of those who burn wood
It is important that each of us do our part to use firewood responsibly – this has a
huge influence on the public acceptance of firewood and helps protect our right to
burn wood. We don’t want to argue about climate change, we want to have a
conversation about the additional benefits of firewood that any such argument must
also consider.
One common theme among critics is to compare firewood to solar or wind power,
which is inexcusably irrelevant in light of the initial investment required. In the
rural areas where it is most heavily relied on, firewood is primarily used in place of
fuel oil and propane – by people of modest means.
Research into air quality and alternative sources of energy must continue; the
critical arguments are important to our understanding of firewood. But it’s foolish
to act as if everyone will abandon their stoves tomorrow and convert to solar. The
real world changes slowly. In the meantime, let’s work with what we have – a
renewable resource with a track record of performance and reliability stretching
back to the dawn of time.
The world today would look quite different if not for firewood.
Firewood’s limitations are also its strengths
You can’t move firewood very far before you reach a point of diminishing returns.
This keeps it a mainly local resource. As such, the money saved by burning and
generated by producing firewood stays within the community. The less fuel that’s
burned hauling it, the higher the net energy gain – it’s a win/win at many levels.
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The more efficiently it is burned, the lower the emissions output. More = fewer
emissions. It’s almost as if firewood were designed to teach us how to use
resources properly.
The considerable labor required to produce firewood for sale creates jobs for
hardworking neighbors. The extremely local limitations and relatively low value of
firewood prevent large corporations from wanting to control the market.
It is the people’s fuel.
Even the fact that emissions output is higher than other fuels might be viewed
positively, in that it warns us against burning wood in cities, which prevents
creating a demand that would greatly outstrip our sustainable supply.
Everything about firewood makes sense. Even the self-imposed exercise routine
and disciplined schedule are common elements of a healthy lifestyle. Splitting
firewood and hefting the blocks is inarguably good exercise, and some report a
zen-like state while chopping wood.
The necessity for long-range planning. The security of knowing you will have heat
no matter how long the electricity is down. The satisfaction of easily lighting a fire
with well-seasoned wood.
Environmentally, we must acknowledge that a firewood spill is nothing more than
a nuisance. We must also remind critics that a comparison to oil or propane is most
appropriate, which lack most if not all of firewood’s associated benefits.
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Greenhouse gas emissions are mitigated by a tree’s lifetime absorption of CO2.
That can’t be said for any other fuel (aside from wood pellets). Whether this
equates to true carbon neutrality is up for debate, but it is nonetheless a positive
quality unique to wood fuel alone, as is the fact that byproducts of firewood are
biodegradeable (tops, branches, bark and chips) and/or nourishing to the soil
(ashes).
Firewood is the only fuel that allows hands-on involvement in the entire lifecycle
of a fuel resource, from extraction (harvest) to refining (cutting and splitting) to
combustion (burning). While more and more attention is focused on air quality and
climate impact, wood combustion science is keeping pace on the way to creating
the cleanest burning stoves the world has ever seen.
We accept that wood smoke isn’t good for people, but we can reduce particulate
output, burn less wood per household and create more heat while stimulating the
local economy, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and the oil companies
themselves, getting some exercise, maybe spending time in the forest -- and staying
safe in cold weather, no matter what happens.
Firewood is Renewable
A well-managed forest flourishes like a pruned and weeded garden. Select-cut
harvest and thinning practices can enhance the environment for wildlife and
vegetation alike. Plenty of slash (tops and branches) are chipped and returned to
the forest floor, creating a new layer of mulch that favors insects and fungi.
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The entire forest’s food chain is given a boost. Imagine a vegetable garden that is
never tended or harvested.
Timber harvests can be performed on a six to 12 year cycle, and the entire ecosystem of the working forest benefits from it. For the landowner, half to one cord
can be harvested per acre each year without impact. Renewable resources are
sustainable when managed thoughtfully.
The National Firewood Association demands that our members support sustainable
forestry. We are encouraged by the work of many who are proving that low-impact
and sustainable logging practices can be profitable. We must protect the renewable
nature of firewood fuel, assuming stewardship of our resource.
It should be noted that loggers don’t get rich by cutting trees for firewood. There
are higher value markets for their harvests. Just as you wouldn’t burn furniture for
firewood, it’s the same in the forest. Good quality sawlogs seldom become
firewood -- it doesn’t make sense. They become furniture or flooring or building
materials. Firewood is made from the lower quality cuttings -- much of which
would have been bulldozed into a pile and burned if there were no market for it as
firewood.
There are loggers who make money from firewood, but it’s rarely their primary
concern (or original intent).
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Firewood can help the environment
The average citizen would be astounded by the amount of wood in their areas that
is simply burned as waste in huge open piles. Arborists must pay a fee to dispose of
the trees they remove (to offset the environmental impact of open burning a huge
pile of green wood by the local waste utility).
Lots are razed for development and the trees are generally piled with bulldozers
and burned. Imagine the benefits of burning that wood in efficient stoves rather
than a smoldering, stinky pile.
Wildfire fuel reduction programs can also supply large amounts of firewood.
Imagine if the wood burned by the tragic fires in the southwest (and now the
southeast) could have been used for firewood. Imagine if effective firebreaks had
been cut, and that wood processed into firewood, saving the rest of the forest.
Don’t underestimate the positive impacts firewood and forestry can have on the
planet.
Burning wood for heat not only makes good use of a renewable resource, it also
affords many opportunities to reduce harm and improve the lives of millions.
Firewood is Security
While it may not meet EPA standards, a 100-year-old wood stove will still keep
you warm, boil water and cook dinner. On the coldest days, in a power outage.
Reliable. Foolproof.
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In the bleakest scenarios, firewood is a lifesaver. In a cold climate it is as precious
as water. It is not hard to foresee the last remaining humans on earth huddling
around a wood fire.
It is the ultimate backup when all else fails. Did you know that nearly half of the
gasoline-powered cars and trucks in Europe were converted to run on firewood
during WWII to overcome interruptions in gas and oil supplies?
Firewood has served mankind well for millions of years, from prehistoric times to
the industrial revolution. Until coal became widely available in the 1900s, firewood
was the only fuel driving civilization forward. Humble firewood.
We might do better to find alternative building materials than to forget about
firewood. History is full of cautionary tales; common sense alone makes the
importance of firewood glaringly obvious.
Reliability is Important
New stove designs offer high-tech features such as catalysts to help combustion,
and most recently, automated controls that monitor the firebox and adjust the
damper accordingly. While these advances are excellent for efficiency and
emissions, we must ask how these stoves (made of cast iron, steel, and stone) will
operate 30-40 years down the road when they are relegated to garage or cabin duty
and the high-tech features are no longer functional. Are they (relatively) easy to
service, or operate manually?
Innovation should never be discouraged, but these issues must be explored.
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Firewood is Simple
A commercial says “So easy, even a caveman could do it.” That describes firewood
perfectly. Oil, coal and gas are fine resources, but what can the average person do
with them alone? Anyone can gather wood and build a fire. The process of building
it in a stove with well-seasoned wood is even easier.
Firewood is Inexpensive
Where it is suitable to burn for heat, firewood is abundant and inexpensive.
Another part of the equation is the time and effort that one trades in exchange for
the savings. For those with the wherewithal to heat with wood, the substantial
savings over conventional fuel is very attractive.
Many low-income families rely on wood heat, making it important to ensure that
access and the ability to burn firewood is not obstructed or unfairly regulated.
When you buy firewood, a large part of the cost is labor. In terms of your local
economy and employment conditions, buying wood is good way to support your
community.
Firewood is Available and Abundant
For millions of Americans, firewood fuel grows literally in their backyards. For
others, it is a short trip out of town or away from farmlands. This ready availability
must is important in emergency circumstances when electricity or conventional
fuel availability is interrupted for an extended period of time.
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In this aspect alone, firewood should be a part of our domestic fuel policy. It is
important to note that our coldest climates are mostly in or near heavily forested
areas.
Firewood Supports Your Local Economy
Those who cut their own wood need chainsaws, chains, oil, gas, service and other
gear to get the job done. Those who burn wood need stoves, a chimney sweep -and nearly half of them need a reliable firewood vendor to buy wood from. Those
who cut and process firewood not only require supplies, but also spend their
income in their local communities -- along with the local saw dealer, the chimney
sweep, and the kid at the gas station.
Moreover, the money saved by burning wood is likely to be spent locally. Money
earned from producing and selling firewood supports families in your
neighborhood and provides them with money to spend into the local economy as
well.
Firewood is Enjoyable
Most people who heat with wood wouldn’t have it any other way. They enjoy the
tasks involved and benefit from the exercise it provides. Psychologically, it
rewards hard work, discipline and planning. An afternoon of splitting firewood
alone is the heartland’s answer to tai-chi. Relaxing in front of a fire on a cold night
can be a zen-like experience, or so we hear.
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What would camping be without a campfire? No roasted marshmallows or
weenies? Where do we tell scary stories or have singalongs? The fact that we
(happily) rely on humble firewood to define our outdoor spaces and create a focal
point for our activities shows the universal appeal of firewood.
The heat from a wood fire with its intense, radiant heat is like no other heat source
on earth. The sun itself is the only comparison. The dancing flames are soothing,
mesmerizing. The sound of a crackling fire recalls fond memories of days gone by.
Firewood is Important
We don’t like to talk about things like emergency preparedness and natural
disasters, but in these events firewood can change from an overlooked remnant of
the past to the only fuel available to anyone.
It is foolish to consider heating with wood obsolete or impractical.
With forethought, firewood can be used in such a way that if everyone followed
suit, we could reduce atmospheric pollution and heat half-a-million additional
homes without burning any more wood than we already do. Analysis shows that
even more homes could be supported by wood heat while still continuing to expand
our woodlands.
We cannot -- and should not -- heat the entire country with wood. But we should be
thinking of it as part of our domestic fuel policy. Used to its greatest potential, it
can help to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, while helping to stimulate rural
economies, and providing clean, inexpensive, reliable heat for millions.
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Ensuring Firewood’s Future
Either way, the future of wood heat in America depends greatly on those who use it
and how it is used. We must “police” ourselves, making sure we’re doing our best
to burn wood cleanly and efficiently -- and helping others do the same. The
alternative is to remain vulnerable to strangling regulations written by people who
don’t like wood heat.
Smoking chimneys are a black eye on our good name. Country cowboys cutting
wood illegally and selling it green just in time for heating season drag us all down.
It’s time we all insist they step up or step aside. For those who enjoy the work,
there are plenty of legitimate and lucrative opportunities.
We believe that large reductions in wood stove emissions and improvements in
burning efficiency can be achieved through public education on basic issues like
seasoning firewood and knowing how to operate your stove at peak efficiency. It
would be impossible to quantify, but it’s entirely possible that better burning
techniques could have a larger impact on air quality than the new stoves mandated
by the EPA.
We also believe that those in the commercial firewood supply chain will benefit
from competition in regard to customer education, relationship, and
professionalism. In nearly every community there’s “that one guy who charges
way too much for his wood!”
It’s in our nature to complain about him. Instead, we should be finding out how to
compete with him for such appreciative customers. If he’s actually getting that
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much, you can be sure his services are professional, personable and reliable. He
spends some money on marketing, and works at the business of being in business
as much as the business of cutting wood.
Please support the National Firewood Association
Your support of our efforts to inform, educate and promote the responsible use of
firewood in today’s America is important. Without your support, firewood has no
voice to defend it from attack or uninformed opinion. There are no large
corporations making sure our interests are protected. (Some look to the stove
manufacturers, but we must ask who controls the oil industry? It’s not furnace
makers.)
Without big money behind us, we must rely on big numbers of people to stand up
for firewood. Part of every dollar you spend on gas and oil goes toward advertising
and marketing, as well as legal and regulatory defense. Firewood gets $0.
Being free from wealthy corporations means we have to do this ourselves. But isn’t
that how we’d prefer things to be? No government interference, no corporations
arbitrarily manipulating prices -- no one but people who value hard work and
common sense – people who burn firewood.
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Imagine consumers being in control of a commodity for a change.
Vast and varied voices standing up to properly manage and direct the
use of a renewable natural resource by common-sense consensus.
That’s the dream of the National Firewood Association.
www.NationalFirewoodAssociation.org
See our website for membership and donation information.
Donations by check may be mailed to the address below.
Please include your email address if you’d like to receive our newsletter.
National Firewood Association
1518 E Superior St, Ste C
Duluth, MN. 55812
Email: [email protected]
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