The Use of Timber Can Reduce The Greenhouse Effect

There is now a pressing need to turn to an alternative way of life to safeguard our environment. The debate on the sustainability of the various construction materials like timber, concrete or steel is very timely. Various studies have been conducted which puts timber at a strong advantage. New Zealand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry compared the sustainability of timber versus concrete and steel, resulting significantly in favor of timber. The said ministry conducted a research project scrutinizing the use of energy and emissions of carbon dioxide or CO2 of four office buildings with the same designs but used different materials,



The findings showed that the timber building had the lowest environmental impact. Concrete follows second with the steel building with the highest yield. To put it simply, the use of timber can reduce the over-all energy use as well as the environmental effect of the building in a 60 years lifespan. More important, the study also discovered that technically a six storey commercial building can be feasible using timber structure. A timber structure building is a rare sight in New Zealand.



The study measured the environment impact by taking note of the full life cycle of the buildings. A full life cycle involves the initial intrinsic energy of the materials used, its upkeep, transport, operational expenses and end of life situations. The study not only looked into the energy that were used but as well as the wastes produced by the materials in a specific lifespan. The buildings that were studied were all six-storeys and designed to last for 60 years.



Moreover, a related study was conducted in Australia by the University of Melbourne researchers, who discovered that the carbon storage capacity of timber minimizes the greenhouse effect or the gas released into the atmosphere. The study aims to enhance the present carbon stocks used to build houses in Australia, which utilizes 70 percent of harvested sawn wood products in the region. This significant result finally settles the dispute on the use of timber for commercial construction at the expense of our rainforests. Timber that are used in housing like your timber floors has the potential to aid the efforts of Australia in lessening the greenhouse effect. This will also boost the use of timber instead of the other way around. However, this will only be good if the timber comes from forests where carbon stocks are managed properly. This does not mean that we can cut all the trees in the forests. There are specific areas where wood can be harvested for commercial use.



A good way to picture this wonderful scenario is to imagine doubling the wood quantity used in many Australian homes. By doing so, would result to as much as 2.5 times annual carbon storage of the houses in 2050. This figure is equal to more than five hundred thousand cars or .7 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions of Australia in 2006. The study continuously stresses the need for a good forest management to safeguard the sustainability of timber. More focus should be put on bushfires since this is a primary source of gas emissions. There is indeed a greater danger of using wood if it is in its dense form like a log for fireplaces. However, timber is different and can actually protect your from bushfires. The thickness of timber will not easily burn and protection from fire may be provided by some types of timber. You may ask your timber merchants on a suitable type of timber if you live in a bushfire-proned area.



The researchers also discovered that the number of wood products used in houses have been reduced. It urges the government as well as the timber industry to strongly advertise the use of wood for houses. This will be easily accomplished if the price of wood products is greatly reduced. Educating the public is also necessary as well as amending the building regulations in the region. Once all these are accomplished, we may see that timber is not only beautiful for your house, but also plays a mjor contribution on lessening its impact on the environment.