Wood
Timber
How has energy been used in producing timber?
Timber
Planting and cutting down trees
Moving and sawing the timber
Timber
Drying it - seasoning Sometimes this uses energy to heat it gently but sometimes timber is just left to dry on its own under cover and occasionally it is dried in a solar kiln (a kind of greenhouse)
Timber
Sawing to size and planing
Delivering it to shops (by sea and/or truck)
Wood
None of this uses a huge amount of energy
The story of the tree
A tree absorbs CO2 as it grows and stores the carbon as wood. When it reaches maturity it stops absorbing extra carbon.
The story of the tree
Eventually, if not cut down, it will die and gradually give off CO2 as it rots.
Story of a tree
If it is cut down and the wood is used for products such as furniture or buildings this locks up the carbon in the timber. So the carbon can’t escape into the atmosphere as CO2 while it is still timber.
Woodland
What is the most efficient way to manage woodland?
Woodland
We could grow trees to maturity, cut them down, use them for furniture or buildings and replant. That would work well in terms of them taking CO2 out of the atmosphere.
Woodland
But if we did that with all trees we’d never have any of those ancient oaks or beeches. Does that matter?
Woodland
Trees are important for all sorts of reasons but one very important one is that they absorb CO2. Huge numbers of trees are cut down all over the world every year.
Woodland
Many of them are cut down to make way for growing other crops or keeping animals or to make paper.
Woodland
The timber you use in your projects at school is not very much compared to the paper that we use (on average, each person in the UK consumes 198kg of paper and card per year).
Climate Change
What is going to happen to woodlands with climate change?
Climate Change
Like all plants, the trees that grow in Britain are suited to the climate, they are used to getting a certain amount of rain and sunshine at certain times. Some of them will not be able to cope with the changes.
Choosing timber
If you want to use timber, what is the best to choose?
Choosing Timber
To try to reduce climate change there are two issues.
Choosing Timber
using as little energy as possible
making sure forests and woodland don’t disappear
Choosing Timber
Which timber will be most efficient – use least energy to produce?
Choosing Wood
Designing so that you use as little material as possible will also save energy.
Choosing Wood
If you can get timber that grew locally and you know that more trees are being planted locally that would be low impact, whether it is hardwood or softwood.
Choosing Timber
You can buy timber with the FSC logo on it. This means that they have checked that new trees have been planted when this one was cut down.
Rain Forrests
When some tropical hardwoods are cut down huge damage is caused to a large area.
Rain forrest
This is particularly true with Mahogany, which is very valuable and grows in amongst a variety of other species of tree.
Rain Forrest
These rainforests have been called the “lungs of the planet” because of the amount of CO2 they can absorb. It is safest to avoid using any tropical hardwood.