“This is very scary”: Europe is preparing for a massive transition to firewood
Many Europeans, due to rising energy prices, are switching to heating their homes with wood.
Wired magazine writes about this, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“Since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, energy prices have risen sharply, and this winter they will increase even more. Therefore, many Europeans are returning to wood, seeing it as a cheap and reliable source of energy. In Germany, firewood suppliers are facing an unprecedented increase in demand, and landowners complain that thieves are plundering their forests,” the article notes.
Environmentalists are also sounding the alarm that rising demand for timber will lead to more illegal logging and put protected forests at risk.
“People will burn millions of tons of wood this winter, and we won't be able to do anything about it,” complains activist Martin Pigeon of the forest conservation nonprofit Fern.
He complains that wood causes pollution by harmful particles.
“Now we have a situation where burning wood is profitable, regardless of the law. And this is very scary,” the activist added.
English version :: Read in English "It's very scary": Europe prepares for a massive switch to firewood