An extensive article by industry expert
John Gulland of
Woodheat.org detailing the many advantages of wood heating. Although the article gives Canadian statistics, most information is also valid for the US. This 23 page article is a must read for those interested in the entire scope of efficient residential wood burning.
PDF Document - In Favor of Wood Heating -
http://hearth.com/images/uploads/argument.pdf
Web link to HTML article -
http://www.woodheat.org/argument.html
Part of the Executive Summary reprinted below:
Heating with wood is about a lot more than home heating. It is a tangible expression of self-
reliance, of the courage to buck the trends and to resist the appeal of sedentary, push-button
convenience. Heating with wood reinforces links to the land and is a willing submission to the
cycle of the seasons. It provides stability and security in a turbulent world.
To its owner, the woodlot is a living community in constant evolution, while to the urban observer
it may be seen as a museum in which the removal of a tree exhibit render it diminished. The
woodlot owner watches its quality improve over the years, even as it yields products and creates
employment. The owners household earns part of its income by being a fuel supplier to the
neighbors. It is a gentle way to produce energy compared to open pit uranium mines and nuclear
reactors.
Fuelwood is the ultimate populist energy resource, the most easily accessed and affordable of all
renewable energies. The major environmental impact of wood heating is visible for all to see in the
form of smoke emissions, making everyone who uses it instantly accountable for their actions. The
families that
Heat with Wood and those that supply them with fuel do so privately, without fanfare
or acknowledgment. It seems they wouldnt want it any other way. Heating with wood is its own
reward.
