For much of mankind's existence, wood was the primary external energy source. This made for a sustainable world, up to a point. Besides being useful for heating, cooking and building; wood was also used to produce charcoal, the main source of heat for smelting metals. Iron with it's high melt temperature especially needed charcoal for high temperature production. Also the carbon was needed for the reduction process. Charcoal uses a lot of wood.
Trees, the source of wood, were also competitors for agricultural land. Agricultural land is a fairly tree free environment or only has specific species of tree and therefor forests were cut or burned down to produce farmland. All of the use factors added up to forest devastation across Europe and into the Americas.
In the US, wood use for energy peaked in about 1875 at about 3 quadrillion BTU. At that time coal was making a rise and was burned to produce about 1.5 quadrillion BTU. Twenty-five years earlier coal use was negligible and wood use was on the rise. So total energy use was close to 5 quadrillion BTU in 1875.
In the year 2003 the total primary energy use was about 21 times the 1875 value, and the population of the US had only risen by 8 times. The age of the machine-electric had risen. Wood use was at about 2 quadrillion BTU.
In those intervening years and many times previously in other places around the world, the descent of wood use was forced due to reduction in forests combined with poor management techniques. Wood, unlike oil, regrows in a relatively short space of time, given the chance.
With fossil fuels getting more expensive and eventually depleting, wood for heat is becoming a more important primary energy source. Wood stoves are on the rise and pelletizing is also. So as heating fuels become scarce and more expensive, will we face another peak wood scenario as our ancestors faced many times in the past?
Here is a good summary of the history of wood use.
http://www.psmag.com/environment/draft-created-on-may-28-2010-at-534-pm-16596/
I know wood stoves have multiplied in my neighborhood and many trees have been cut and burned. Is that the future, decimated forests? Or will efficiency and other energy sources stop us from repeating the mistakes of the past?
Trees, the source of wood, were also competitors for agricultural land. Agricultural land is a fairly tree free environment or only has specific species of tree and therefor forests were cut or burned down to produce farmland. All of the use factors added up to forest devastation across Europe and into the Americas.
In the US, wood use for energy peaked in about 1875 at about 3 quadrillion BTU. At that time coal was making a rise and was burned to produce about 1.5 quadrillion BTU. Twenty-five years earlier coal use was negligible and wood use was on the rise. So total energy use was close to 5 quadrillion BTU in 1875.
In the year 2003 the total primary energy use was about 21 times the 1875 value, and the population of the US had only risen by 8 times. The age of the machine-electric had risen. Wood use was at about 2 quadrillion BTU.
In those intervening years and many times previously in other places around the world, the descent of wood use was forced due to reduction in forests combined with poor management techniques. Wood, unlike oil, regrows in a relatively short space of time, given the chance.
With fossil fuels getting more expensive and eventually depleting, wood for heat is becoming a more important primary energy source. Wood stoves are on the rise and pelletizing is also. So as heating fuels become scarce and more expensive, will we face another peak wood scenario as our ancestors faced many times in the past?
Here is a good summary of the history of wood use.
http://www.psmag.com/environment/draft-created-on-may-28-2010-at-534-pm-16596/
I know wood stoves have multiplied in my neighborhood and many trees have been cut and burned. Is that the future, decimated forests? Or will efficiency and other energy sources stop us from repeating the mistakes of the past?
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