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Renewable Energy
Going Green
Going Green: Renewable Energy
When we talk about alternative energy sources, the conversation usually revolves around wind or solar power but a good case can be made to include wood in that circle. It's a renewable energy resource that's readily available in New York.
"In New York State now, 63% of the land is covered with forest. We're a very heavily forested state," said Dr. Timothy Volk, SUNY-ESF.
There is a lot of material in the forest now that would make good firewood because generally firewood is lower quality material. It's not the nice, straight trees of cherry and oak that can go to saw logs, which is a much higher value product. It's the lower value trees in the forest.
Dr. Timothy Volk says using wood to generate electricity or to heat homes does release some carbon dioxide into the air but the growing of new forestland takes that C O 2 back in, a closed loop system unlike oil or natural gas.
"The difference with wood is, the wood is growing out in the forest. We're harvesting some portion of it. We're using it to heat our homes, which releases the CO2 into the atmosphere but in properly, managed forests that forest is still growing and taking in the CO2 to grow more wood," said Volk.
All kinds of energy production have an impact on the environment, even wind or solar, so the question is, can that environmental impact be minimized.
"The way we do that when we're talking about wood is to use good forest management practices and be wise about the way you're harvesting the trees you're choosing, the amount of trees over a given area, and the mixture of species you have in the forest," said Volk.
