The Continued Importance of Wood

In the year 2011, the continued importance of wood as an energy source is quite startling. In general, wood is a more expensive resource than many of the other options available and between the use of non-renewable energy sources such as coal and natural gas and renewable sources of energy such as hydropower it would seem that the necessity for wood as a energy source would be all but extinguished. Along with a variety of technological advancements in the realm of energy, there seem to be countless environmental risks associated with the use of wood resources. With the use of wood based energies come increasingly concentrated carbon dioxide emissions and fine particles that contaminate the air. Additionally deforestation threatens various species of animals, the functionality of habitats and it can be detrimental to delicate ecosystems. The combination of all of these factors would seem to be enough to bring the use of wood to a halt, but in reality, this is far from the case; wood is still an important energy source across the world.

Wood is used as energy in a variety of ways. The most common use of solid wood is in personal stoves or fireplaces used for warmth or cooking. Firewood, wood chips, sawdust and wood shavings are all used today as forms of energy on varying levels. For many countries, wood charcoal is a primary source of cooking fuel. By processing wood and turning it into charcoal, wood is able to be a source of energy on an industrial level. It is from this type of use that the utility of wood for developing countries is seen. As of 2001, the total wood consumption used for fuel was about 1800 million cubic meters, but an astonishing 1600 million came from developing countries. Some of the countries that have the highest share in wood fuel use are Zambia, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Mozambique and Indonesia; it is in countries such as these, that wood is used to maintain and improve personal living standards and national industries.

Surprisingly wood use is not limited to undeveloped areas; many other developed counties continue to use wood to this day. The reasons for continued wood use vary. In some cases, countries feel that the use of wood comes with the advantage of being able to control their own energy source and cause fewer emissions than fossil fuels. For some countries, the choice comes down more to availability and efficiency. Countries such as Australia go to great lengths to maintain wood as a resource by replanting 40,000 trees annually, which attempts to counteract the millions of cubic meters of wood they use an annual basis. The reason for the continued use of wood in countries such as Australia, is because the use of efficient wood pallets. These pallets, which are comprised of compressed wood, burn far more efficiently than other forms of wood. This means that the wood pallets are actually more affordable and less harmful than other forms of heating energy. Even the United States continues to use wood as a source of energy. For common American industries such as smoked meats and maple syrup, the use of wood is a cornerstone. Additionally, in more rural areas where it is easily available, wood is commonly used in freestanding boilers, which create more efficient wood energy and heating. While it is clear that wood use in countries such as the United States is more out of availability than necessity, their use of fuel as energy is still prominent.

Despite a host of alternative energy sources, wood is still being used throughout the world today. In some instances wood use is just as it was hundreds of years ago; a natural resource for personal heating and cooking fuel. In many instance however, wood has managed to become a part of the modern industrial world; contributing to the industry of developing nations as charcoal. Regardless of the method, the importance of wood as an energy source in today's world is very clear.