Forest Health and Fungi

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Forest Health and Fungi

Photograph by Wikimedia; distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license. Modified by CombineZP

Fungi are all around us. It’s estimated that there are at least 5.1 million different species of fungi in the world. One of the reasons why trees grow to be so large is that certain types of fungi pass vital nutrients to them underground that they might not otherwise have access to.

These nutrients help trees grow, allowing to them to sequester carbon from the atmosphere during their growth phase.

Forests Need Fungi

In forests, certain types of fungi play a very interesting role. Research scientist and mycologist Adnan Uzunovic notes,

“Fungi are very important for nature and forest as they are natural recyclers and many decay fungi do a very important job. Many fungi are present in forests have various roles in forest ecosystem. Apart from those that are recyclers, some are mycorrhizae fungi that form symbiotic relationships with plants providing necessary nutrient to trees. A small minority of fungi are plant pathogens that can kill live trees or affect leaves and needles or cause cankers on stems and twigs, or cause root rots.”

When something in a forest dies, decay fungi help ensure those byproducts are reusable to other forms of forest life. In other words, they help ensure that nothing goes to waste. Mycorrhizae fungi, on the other hand, help plants in forests absorb water and nutrients. In return, the plant provides the fungus with carbohydrates it formed from photosynthesis. It’s a symbiotic relationship because the fungus and plant help each other survive.

Trees Trade Resources

In 1997, Suzanne Simard of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver discovered one of the first pieces of evidence that Mycorrhizae fungi is capable of transferring carbon between a Douglas fir tree and a paper birch tree. It was later discovered that they also facilitate an exchange of nitrogen and phosphorus between plants and that when this type of fungi are paired with a tree, the tree’s immune system becomes heightened, allowing it to better defend itself from more damaging threats, like those from insects or beetles.

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Sustainable Fireplace Technology

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Sustainable Fireplace Technology

Burning a fire during the winter months is a time honored tradition yet antiquated structural designs resulted in too many pollutants and unsafe particulates being released in the air. In recent years, stricter government regulations set forth by the Canadian and US governments insist that fireplaces and wood stoves be redesigned so they’re safer for the environment. Improved designs have made it safe and effective for wood to continue being used as a renewable heat source. Wood pellet stoves are also efficient heating systems and demand for pellets is surging in Europe because burning wood for energy is renewable. Two other fireplace designs that could also have a neutral impact in the environment are electric fireplaces and bioethanol fueled fireplaces.

Electric Fireplaces

Photograph by Pixabay; distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license

Electric fireplaces boast the benefit of plug-and-play technology.  They are stand-alone units. They include a mantle and generate a significant amount of heat, although not enough to heat an entire house or office building. They do, however, create the ambiance of burning wood in a fireplace, making them an easy way to heat a home or office building. However, because electric fireplaces rely on the electricity, by running one frequently, your electric usage would spike and you could expect to see a higher electric bill on your next billing cycle.

If your home or office building’s electricity is powered by a renewable resource, like solar panels, wind, biomass, hydro, or geothermal, then using electric fireplaces to heat your home or office building could be a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. The fuel required to heat that building is renewable because it would replenish and regenerate itself indefinitely. Otherwise, you’d be growing your dependence on nuclear powered power plants that depend on uranium, and uranium is not considered a renewable resource.

Bioethanol Fireplaces

Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from biomass. The main benefit of using any kind of gas powered fireplace is that they require no chimney and they’re easy to maintain. Combustion fumes are let out through a hole in the wall and those fumes have a minimal impact on air quality. There are no logs to split, ashes to bag, or chimneys to clean. Although gas fires produce more heat than bioethanol fueled fires, when bioethanol burns, the flames are more lively and have been said to “dance” more than gas powered fires. If your space to heat is small or you want the aesthetic experience of dancing flames in your fireplace, and you care about using a renewable energy to fuel your fireplace, bioethanol is worth considering.

Wood is a renewable resource and burning logs, either in a fireplace, a wood stove, or pellet form, is a time honored tradition. There are other types of renewable fuel sources used in fireplace technology to create the desired ambiance without increasing your carbon footprint, especially if your home or office building’s electricity is powered by solar panels, wind, biomass, hydro, or geothermal technology.

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Wood Stoves in North America

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Wood Stoves in North America

Like a fireplace, a popular home or building heating system is a wood stove. Many people buy wood scraps from pallet yards to burn in these units. Like a traditional fireplace, using a wood stove to heat a home or office building has been a time honored tradition for decades. However, older wood stove units are being phased out across North America because governments have determined that their designs emit an unsafe amount of particulates into the air, causing air pollution.

Photograph by Flickr; distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license

Traditionally, wood stoves have been used as a space heater inside a home or building. Like a fireplace, their systems don’t include ducts that push the warm air throughout the house. In fact, a chimney isn’t always required, as in some cases the smoke can be redirected through a hole in the wall. Wood logs, or cordwood, are burned inside the enclosed stove and the heat generated is usually enough to heat the main room of a home or building. However, according to the Wood Heat Organization, because more buildings have been modified to conserve energy, it’s possible to heat an entire home with a wood stove if it’s placed in the right location.

United States Regulations

Older models of wood stoves were susceptible of releasing excessive pollutants into the air and leaking smoke into living area, causing health concerns for people around the world. The American Lung Association has advocated for wood-burning stoves to be redesigned to limit harmful emissions and in the United State, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responded. As of 2015, wood stove manufacturers are required to redesign wood stoves so they reduce harmful emissions by 70 percent over the next five years. Local governments, however, may still enforce stricter standards.

Canadian Regulations

The government of Montreal in Canada has taken that approach. In Montreal, residents were required to register their wood stoves and wood burning fireplaces and as of October 1, 2018, they’ll be required to replace them with equipment that meets higher emissions standards of 2.5 grams of particulate released to the atmosphere per hour. Residents can either replace their wood stoves or modify them so they meet these standards. If residents refuse to comply, they will be subject to fines.

In Ontario, Canada it’s estimated that more than 500,000 homeowners use wood stoves to heat their homes. Ontario is expected to offer financial incentives to residents to replace older models of wood stoves with more efficient models that will release fewer pollutants into the air. Another anticipated benefit is that never stove models would burn less wood to conserve the valuable resource.

Although the older models released an unsafe amount of particulates into the air, newer models have been redesigned for cleaner emissions, allowing wood to be used as a clean, renewable heating resource. Depending on your location, your local government may offer a credit or other incentive to update or replace your wood stove.

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6 Ways to Improve Your Fireplace

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6 Ways to Improve Your Fireplace

Wood is a renewable resource and burning it to heat your home in the winter is a time honored tradition that has been practiced for centuries.  The relaxing ambience created by a fireplace during the colder months is something people seem to enjoy innately. However, antiquated heating systems used technology that, although provide the ambiance, release an unsafe amount of pollutants and air particulates into the air.  In recent decades, technological advances have allowed for safer, more efficient ways to heat buildings and while enjoying the warmth and glow of natural fire.

Traditional Fireplaces

Photograph by Flickr; distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license

Open-faced, radiant, wood burning fireplaces with a chimney are unfortunately a very inefficient way to heat a home or building. Fire cannot burn without oxygen and in traditional fireplaces, the chimney absorbs air from inside the home, heats it, releases it up through the chimney, and replaces the warm air from inside the building with cooler air from outside.  Traditional, open face fireplaces like this are considered inefficient because they simply don’t do a very good job at heating a home, unless you’re standing right next to the fireplace.

However, there are ways to make traditional fireplaces more efficient and safe.

  1. Consider upgrading to a circulating fireplace. These units are installed with a blower system and are designed to circulate the warm air from fire back into a room.
  2. Add doors. The doors will hold the heat in the fireplace, allowing it to radiate inside the home. Doors will also redirect the pollutants in the smoke from the fire to the chimney so the air inside your home remains pollutant free.
  3. Check the damper. Leaving the damper open without a fire going will make your home cooler. If the damper is warped, then even when it’s closed it could continue to let warm air escape from the house.
  4. Use a cast iron grate. Cast iron grates will absorb the most heat so it can radiate it back into the room. Some newer models include blowers that will redirect the heat from the fireplace toward the room, which add a significant amount of heat to a room.
  5. Get a fireback. Using a metal plate to line the back of the fireplace will radiate heat toward the room when the fire starts to die.
  6. Consider an insert. Inserts are enclosed boxes that use electricity, gas, or wood pellets and are designed to fit inside of your existing fireplace. Although this option is the most expensive, modern inserts are very efficient and will add a substantial amount of heat to your home.

 

Safety

Additionally, open face fireplaces without doors make it easy for smoke and air pollutants to enter the main living area of a building. Inhaling these particulates over a long period of time could degrade the air quality inside of a home and cause health problems. A good rule of thumb is, that if you can smell the smoke, you’re inhaling it and other harmful particulates, and is a good indicator that your fireplace should be upgraded.

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Wood Pellet Demand Creates Jobs for Clean Energy

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Wood Pellet Demand Creates Jobs for Clean Energy

Unlike fossil fuels like coal and oil, wood is widely accepted as a renewable fuel because once a tree is cut another can be immediately planted in its place. When trees are harvested from forests, the logs are sent to sawmills for processing and the trimmings known as biomass – the branches, stems, and leaves – are the biomass used to make energy. One way that forest biomass is converted to energy is by making wood pellets. Like other recyclable wood products, wood pellets have a carbon-neutral effect on the environment.

Wood pellets are made of compacted sawdust that have had the moisture extracted from it. Newer pellet stoves have very low particulate emissions and require electricity for power. Their high density and low moisture content create a high combustion efficiency, making them an effective and clean source of energy. According to the U.S. Industrial Pellet Association, in addition to using byproducts from the processing of wood products, the industry also makes pellets from low grade lumber that has defects, disease, or pest infestation.

Demand Grows for Pellets

Many governments consider wood pellets to be a renewable energy resource. Demand for wood pellets has increased substantially, especially in the European Union. In fact, in December of 2016, Demark converted its largest power station from being powered by coal to being powered by renewable wood pellets. The government believes this change will help the country meet their climate targets.

In recent years, North America has become the primary supplier of wood pellets to the European Union. A report published by the US Forest Service suggests that the Renewable Energy Directive has increased demand for wood pellets in Europe. According to the report, the Directive “requires a 20 percent contribution from bioenergy to the energy use of all EU Member States by 2020.” Moreover, because the EU requirements were extended through 2030, this could have an even greater impact on wood pellet consumption.

The surge in demand for wood pellets in the EU is heavily supplied by the south-eastern United States. According to the U.S. Industrial Pellet Association, the reason North America supplies Europe with its pellets is that North America has significantly more forestland than Europe and our forests are sustainably managed. In the past six years, to meet this demand one Maryland-based biomass company, Enviva, invested $214 million USD and opened five wood pellet mills. According to Biomass magazine, at least four additional plants focused on exports are scheduled to open in the southern United States. By the end of 2017 the industry is expected to create 160 permanent jobs.

Resources

8 Ways to Reduce Your Winter Energy Usage

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8 Ways to Reduce Your Winter Energy Usage

North American winters are typically the time when many folks spend money making their homes comfortably warm. Utility bills and expenses often spike during the winter but there are several things that can be done to mitigate those expenses. Some ways to reduce your utility bill cost money but over several years, those investments will pay off. However, there are many ways to reduce your utility bills that don’t cost any additional money.

Free and Easy Fixes

  1. Use the sleep or hibernation feature on a desktop or laptop computer will also conserve energy. Having a computer on regular mode when it’s not being used wastes energy. Save money by letting your computer rest when it’s not in use by customizing these features.
  2. Print on paper only when necessary. When you do use a printer, consider having two sources of paper: new and recycled. If you’re printing something informal, use the blank side of the recycled sheet and only use the new paper if you’re printing something more formal.
  3. Unplug equipment when it’s not in use, such as during holidays, weekends, and evenings. This includes printers, scanners, vending machines, lights, air conditioners, heaters, or other equipment. Most of these types of equipment continue to draw power while they’re plugged in, even if they’re turned off.
  4. Use the sun’s energy to heat a building. By letting sunlight into a room during the day and covering the windows with thick curtains at sunset, you can trap the sun’s heat inside your home.

 

Invest in your Long Term Energy Usage

  1. Replace existing light bulbs with compact florescent lights (CFL) or light emitting diode (LED). According to the US Department of Energy, CFL’s last 3 – 25 times longer and use between 25% – 80% less energy than regular light bulbs. LED’s boast similar savings and also emit very little heat. Although they cost more money upfront, you’ll reap the savings on your utility bill, especially during peak usage times when energy rates tend to be higher.
  2. Invest in a programmable thermostat or one that connects to your wireless internet so you can control the temperature remotely. That way, if you accidentally leave the thermostat on, you can access it remotely to turn it off.
  3. Install more insulation in your manufacturing facility. Having a well-insulated home allows you to have more control over your home’s temperature during winter and summer months. Over time, this investment will save money by lowering the energy required to heat or cool your home.
  4. Consider solar panels. Although it’s an expensive upfront investment, over time, solar panels could save you a great deal of money. Depending on your location, many solar panel companies offer rebates. USDA programs like REAP offer grant assistance for small businesses in rural areas to switch to solar, though some restrictions apply.

 

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Converting Forest Biomass to Biofuel

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Converting Forest Biomass to Biofuel

A new technology developed by Gaz Metro, the largest natural gas provider in Quebec, has converted biomass from forests into second-generation renewable natural gas.  The conversion process, developed in collaboration with the British Columbia firm G4 Insights, marks an accomplishment for the technological community and for renewable natural gas supporters.

Forest Biomass

Photograph by Flickr, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

Forest biomass has historically been converted to energy in cogeneration plants. This technology burns the forest biomass to create steam, which is used to power turbines that produce power for the electrical grid. The benefits of using forest biomass as an ingredient for natural gas could allow for more widespread uses, allowing people to fuel their home appliances and perhaps one day even cars, with forest-supplied natural gas.

Forests are considered carbon sinks in that they sequester a great deal of carbon from the atmosphere. In fact, the USDA Forest Service estimates that forests absorb between 10-15% of carbon dioxide emissions. That carbon is stored in a tree’s trunk, branches, leaves, soil, and roots and is released into the atmosphere when it decomposes or burns. The process is considered carbon neutral because the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere is no greater than what was originally absorbed during the tree’s growth phase.

RNG

Renewable natural gas (RNG), or biomethane, has been used for many years. In many cases, biomethane is used interchangeably with conventional natural gas.  However, in order for the quality of renewable natural gases to be used on current gas grids, the quality must meet very high standards.

Biomethane, or biogas, has many different source origins. As of March 2015 there were about 645 landfills in the United States generating biogas, called landfill gas (LFG), underground. Another way to produce biogas is from animal manure from livestock operations. For this method, the manure must be processed in an anaerobic digester in order for the methane to stabilize.  Additionally, about 1,500 wastewater treatment plants across the United States use anaerobic digestion to produce biogas from solids removed from the wastewater.

All types of biogases are natural, which means that they come from the planet’s natural byproducts. Large petroleum deposits are the natural byproducts of millions of years of decomposed plants and animals. It’s only after a great deal of processing and refining is the petroleum suitable for use in cars and homes. However, the rate at which we consume petroleum deposits is argued to be much greater than the rate at which it’s replaced, which is one of the reasons why natural gas is made from other renewable sources that will regenerate at a much faster rate.

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How Urban Trees Can Save Lives

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How Urban Trees Can Save Lives

Excess carbon in the atmosphere amplifies the greenhouse effect and planting trees helps mitigate that impact because trees sequester carbon. But in urban areas, planting trees could provide even more localized benefits. A new study published by The Nature Conservancy suggests that if more trees were planted in larger cities, then residents in those cities could benefit from cooler temperatures and reduced air pollution.

Photograph by Flickr, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

Photograph by Flickr, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

Trees cool the area around them by providing shade. Additionally, they use some of the sun’s warm energy during photosynthesis, effectively absorbing it from the atmosphere. Studies show that the combined efforts of these two factors can cool the surrounding local climate, resulting in cooler temperatures. Trees also act as natural filters that eliminate certain particulates and pollutants, effectively cleaning the air.

According to The Nature Conservancy study, cities with a low cost of planting trees, high levels of pollution and heat, and high population density would be expected to see the highest return on their investment. The study suggests that if $3.2 billion were invested among 245 of the world’s most populated cities, then up to 36,000 lives could be saved every year. Moreover, it’s estimated that an investment of this size could provide 77 million people with relief on the hottest days of the year by reducing temperatures and 68 million people would benefit from reductions in particulate matter pollution. This could save up to 48 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity for air conditioning and prevent up to 13 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

Choosing City Trees

Perhaps the number of trees planted in cities isn’t the only factor that should be considered. Urban developers often select trees to plant primarily for aesthetic purposes. However, one group of scientists think the focus should shift from aesthetics to biodiversity. In a new study published in the Journal of Landscape and Urban Planning, Dr. Juliane Vogt observes that city planners frequently use between 10 to 15 different species of trees to plant in a city and suggests that that’s not enough to support biodiversity.

For many species of life, the habitat of urban life presents them with an opportunity for new beginnings. The benefit, then, of having more biodiversity of trees in cities is that it could support the survival and evolution of other animals in cities that otherwise couldn’t survive. Perhaps the benefits of planting more trees in densely populated, polluted urban areas could be expanded if a greater variety of tree species were also considered.  Moreover, the planting of a wide variety of trees would make urban areas less susceptible to widespread loss in the event of an insect or pathogen attack.

To search where tree planting can reduce heat in your city, visit the Planting Healthy Air Report below.

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4 Ways to Recycle Your Christmas Tree

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4 Ways to Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Real Christmas trees are sustainably produced on farms in North America and they are 100% recyclable. Because they are 100% natural and biodegradable, there are many different ways to recycle your real Christmas tree once the holiday season has ended. Many towns offer local pickup services that will grind or chip the tree into mulch, compost, or biomass. However, in some regions of North America, there are special programs that use Christmas trees to have other positive impacts on the environment.

Rebuilding the Louisiana Coastline

Sailors assigned to Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202 and civilians with the Environmental Division at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, place recycled Christmas trees at "E" Beach at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. The recycled trees are used to preserve sand dunes and prevent erosion. (Photo by: Seaman Tamekia Perdue) Photograph by Wikimedia, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

Sailors assigned to Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202 and civilians with the Environmental Division at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, place recycled Christmas trees at “E” Beach at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. The recycled trees are used to preserve sand dunes and prevent erosion. (Photo by Seaman Tamekia Perdue)

It’s estimated that the state of Louisiana loses between 25 and 35 square miles of coastal wetlands per year. Since 1986, 1.5 million Christmas trees have been recycled on the Louisiana coastline of Jefferson Parish. The trees are stacked to assemble a fence-like structure to combat erosion and slow wave action. This tree recycling program is estimated to have restored between 250 and 300 acres of marshland. There are currently about 8 miles worth of Christmas tree fences in this program.

Sand Dune Restoration

In recent years, devastating hurricanes on the east coast washed away protective sand dunes. For coastal towns, sand dunes are frequently the first line of defense against storms. The dunes protect backyards and basements from rising ocean waters. Some localities are using Christmas trees to help restore the sand dunes.

The Christmas trees are laid horizontally on the beach in piles, which forces sand to accumulate around them, so grass can grow. Over time, this will ultimately restore the sand dunes that were washed away during the storm and the trees will naturally decompose through biodegradation.

Bird Sanctuaries

In Illinois, herons and egrets have been forced from their native habitat by development. In 2000, a manmade rookery was built at Baker’s Lake Forest Preserve just outside of Chicago, offering native birds a place to nest. About 300-400 recycled Christmas trees are added to it each winter. The rookery is a tall, vertical structure on a small island at the lake. The Christmas trees hang from the rookery to provide shelter and privacy.

Pickup

Across North America, the Boy Scouts have partnered with local communities to host Christmas tree recycling programs. Programs like these are frequently used as fundraisers to support local chapters to pick up your tree in exchange for a small donation. However, many cities offer free pickup as well. Most often trees picked up in this manner are grinded into wood chips, biomass, or made into compost.

Remember to remove all decorations, lights, ornaments, and tinsels from the tree before donating it. For additional tree pickup services in the United States, consider using this handy recycling search tool by Earth911 listed at the bottom of this page.

Resources

 

(Above photograph by Wikimedia, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license)

Christmas Tree Farms

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Christmas Tree Farms

As this holiday season begins we’re exciting to be sharing some sustainable industry practices from the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA). Each year since 1966, the NCTA has provided the real Christmas tree that is on display at the White House Blue Room. Christmas tree farms are sustainable and real Christmas trees can be recycled into many of the same wood by-products as wood packaging materials.

Christmas tree farm in Iowa. Photograph by Wikimedia, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license

Christmas tree farm in Iowa. Photograph by Wikimedia, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

Christmas trees are harvested, on average, 7-8 years after they’re planted and younger trees sequester a great deal of carbon from the atmosphere. Each year that a tree is harvested from a Christmas tree farm, another tree is planted in its place. Tree stumps are grinded to make space available for new trees to flourish. Grindings from wood stumps can be used to make garden mulch, outdoor walkway paths, or compost. Christmas tree farms are incredibly sustainable. Very little goes to waste!

Over the years, the NCTA has kept a close eye on the industry’s performance. They estimate that there are on average, between 25 – 30 million real Christmas trees sold in the United States every year and there are approximately 310 million Christmas trees currently growing on nearly 13,000 farms across the United States.

Artificial v. Real Christmas Trees

Most people choose artificial trees simply because there are no fallen needles to pick up. Many people also believe that artificial trees are more environmentally friendly than real trees. However, many artificial trees are made with PVC plastic and are non-recyclable. In other words, there is no other way to recycle an artificial Christmas tree once it has reached the end of its life. Additionally, there are questionable practices surrounding the production of PVC. According to a report published by Greenpeace UK, the production of PVC can emit carcinogens such as dioxin, ethylene dichloride, and vinyl chloride.

Real Christmas trees are carbon neutral, they’re safe for indoor use, and they’re recyclable. The selection process alone is a cherished and time-honored tradition among many families. Purchasing a real Christmas tree is a much more environmentally responsible decision. Farm-grown Christmas trees are sustainable.

Selecting the Best Christmas Tree

The NCTA encourages everyone to shop early for the best selection no matter where they live. Always request a fresh cut at the base of the tree’s trunk before you bring it home.  Then, once you get home, immediately place the tree trunk in a bucket of water particularly if the tree is not going to be placed in its stand for a while. For best results and a longer lasting beautiful real Christmas tree, always keep the tree watered throughout the holiday season.

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