Energy and Fuelwood - environmental impact burning wood
Resources are those parts of the environment that are capable of satisfying various human needs. Trees are a resource. Trees can be used to supply wood for timber and for fuel. In many parts of the developing world, people depend on fuelwood for most of their energy needs.
In rural areas, up to 90% of the energy needed for cooking and heating is supplied by fuel wood. As the population grows, more and more wood is needed. There is no longer enough dead wood to collect. People start using saplings, young trees, and mature trees. This means that wood is being used quicker than it can be replaced by growth. The trees and forests start to disappear. In Africa, 58% of the population face fuelwood scarcity.
The removal of the forests sets up a cycle.
More people need more wood. People removed mature trees and then as people travel saplings are removed. Soil erosion occurs as there are no trees to protect the soil, deserts spread
The removal of trees can cause problems elsewhere. Without the trees to hold water, flooding can take place. It is believed that the removal of forestry in the Himalayas resulted in flooding in the River Ganges destroying crops, homes and killing many people.
Questions
- If removing trees causes so much damage, why do people continue to use trees for fuel for their cooking and heating?
- Examine the fuelwood scarcity cycle, can you think of ways to break the cycle? Why are your ideas not being carried out in poor countries?