How much carbon do we store in wood compared to the carbon emitted by energy use for everyday activities?
Forest Research of the UK carried out some work to determine specific amounts of wood that are equal to certain energy activities. The work was based on Sitka spruce timber.
- A 5 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm block of wood has the same amount of carbon as would be emitted by boiling a kettle of water or driving a moped/scooter 1 km.
- A cubic metre of timber has the same carbon as the emissions of two return flights to the Mediterranean from the UK, or driving a heavy goods vehicle from London to Edinburgh.
- Six cubic metres of timber (about the equivalent of a timber framed house) is the same as driving an average petrol car for a year (11,000 miles).
This makes us more aware of using energy wisely and the value of locking up carbon in timber! Source: Tim Randle, Forest Research News, March 2010. www.forestresearch.gov.uk