[Greenbuilding] Wood by the pound.

[Norbert Senf]

At 01:49 PM 12/22/2010 -0800, Reuben Deumling wrote:
>I found this and don't think it is likely a very 
>good statistic, but it got me thinking.
><http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html>http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html
>"The amount of wood and paper we throw away each 
>year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years."
>
>We have roughly twice that many households in 
>the US which would suggest we have available 10x 
>the required amount of fuel to heat the present 
>housing stock. Hm. Seems doubtful. Anyone?

Assume an average home would take 2 cords of 
hardwood to heat per winter or 6,000 lb.
Multiply by 50,000,000 and by 20, and you get 6 
trillion pounds, or 10 tons of wood per American.

They state that an American uses 680 lbs of paper 
per year or about 1/30th of 10 tons.
Add in the waste wood that is landfilled, and 
you'd have enough to heat the 50,000,000 the 
houses for at least one year. The carbon would 
end up back in the atmosphere either way.

Norbert

-------------------------------------------
Norbert Senf---------- mheat(at)heatkit.com
Masonry Stove Builders
25 Brouse Rd.
RR 5, Shawville------- www.heatkit.com
Québec J0X 2Y0-------- fax:-----819.647.6082
---------------------- voice:---819.647.5092