BENEFITS OF WOOD USE

The many benefits of using wood grown and harvested in the United States stems primarily from the renewability of our forests. Forests constitute an energy system that is an important source of oxygen. To grow a pound of wood, a tree consumes about 1.47 pounds of carbon dioxide and releases approximately 1.07 pounds of oxygen. Realistically, an acre of trees could be expected to grow 4,000 pounds of wood per year. In the process, 5,800 pounds of carbon dioxide would be consumed, and 4,280 pounds of oxygen would be produced.

The energy efficiency of the forest extends to forest products. When compared to other building materials, wood products are among the most efficient. Building products made from aluminum, for example, require 126 times more energy than wood to fashion a final product. Products made from steel, glass, plastic, cement, or brick require approximately 24, 14, 6, and 4.5 times more energy, respectively, than does wood to make a final product.

^* Resistance [R value] per inch of thickness)
Source of Statistics: American Forest & Paper