“I don’t have a wooden heart” – recalling the Elvis Presley song of the 1960s – but I must say that wood is on my mind most of the time.
Not only because I’m thinking about what I can write about for Wood Central! I believe in wood and all its qualities – visual, structural, thermal – and perhaps most of all because wood is carbon positive and stores carbon.
In fact, as I noted in my 2009 book “The ABC of Carbon”, the word “carbon”, from the Greek “carbo”, literally means “burnt wood”.
So, if we stop burning wood, it will it retain its “carbon store” qualities for ever, whether in buildings, furniture, products, even books and magazines, as they continue to made from paper from the trees we love to hug!
I’ve collected a few examples of where wood, trees and timber – in many forms and places – have caught our eyes over the last few weeks:
- On South Golden Beach (NSW), a driftwood find, but too heavy to take away.
- A blooming Poinciana tree in Dave Hickson’s waterside garden at Ocean Shores (NSW)
- The prominent sustainable wood sign in the IKEA store at Logan (QLD), sighted when purchasing a bed base and outdoor furniture – all wood of course – for a new home at Wynnum (QLD)
- At the World Architecture Festival in Singapore, wood featured prominently in presentations, displays and awards, notably in this one on a remarkable bamboo structure.
- Wooden furniture incorporating recycled plastic in this display by Semula in Singapore
- When packing up in Singapore to move to Brisbane, we had to make sure the movers, like Willie here, did a good job to protect our 50 year-old Heart Rimu bed, made to order by a master wood craftsman in Christchurch, New Zealand.
- A rather severely trimmed tree spotted at Manly (QLD)
- Wood features in all its natural glory in the outdoor lounge of the very trendy Quincy Hotel, Singapore
What more can I say or show except express firmly that wood is “in my heart and in my soul” to adapt one of my favourite Rod Stewart songs from the 1970s. Like songs like that, wood is here to stay.
Here’s an extract from Ken’s 2009 book “The ABC of Carbon”:
Wood. If one cannot see the wood for the trees, it best illustrates the most important role that trees, timber and wood play in the total carbon and climate conundrum. Wood, after all, is central to carbon. The word carbon, from the Greek carbo, literally means burnt wood. See the Age of Carbon and carbon. From wood comes charcoal – also designed to burn – and if we go even further back in time, we see that wood gave us coal. If it was left where it was found – underground and unburnt – we would obviously not have what the world is getting too much of – emissions from coal-fired power stations. Getting rid of wood, by way of chopping down trees and burning them – as with deforestration and forest fires – is a major contributor of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is a double whammy. The act of burning puts out an overload of greenhouse gases. Once the trees have gone, there’s nothing to act as a sink – to naturally absorb CO2. See burning and firing carbon. Planting trees is seen as welcome contribution to mitigation efforts – to help put things back where they belong – and as a carbon offset plan for individuals, organizations and companies. Sustainable forestry – growing and harvesting timber – can be economically and environmentally beneficial. Making the best use of wood this way – and not burning it in situ – can be a carbon positive. We hear from IPCC, UNFCCC and NAFI that wood – which used correctly in buildings and products – can continue to store carbon. See also ITC forestry, native forests, Tasmania, Treehugger, tropical deforestation, wood products and wood to good use.
Note: While officially out of print, The ABC of Carbon is often found online as a second-hand book and if you email: Kenhickson@outlook.com he might be able to tell you how to get hold of a copy, in print or as a pdf. of the complete book.
