A September 2004 report concludes that wood is one of the most environmentally sensitive building materials for home construction – it uses less overall energy than other products, causes fewer air and water impacts and does a better job of the carbon “sequestration” that can help address global warming.

The research showed that steel framing used 17 percent more energy than wood construction for a typical house built in Minnesota, and concrete construction used 16 percent more energy than a house using wood construction in Atlanta. In addition, in these two examples, the use of wood had less global warming potential, with steel at 26 percent more and concrete at 31 percent more.

This $1 million study was prepared by the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) a non-profit corporation of 15 research universities. It was published in the Journal of Forest Products and is the first major update on this topic since a 1976 report by the National Academy of Science.

By using wood from BC’s sustainably managed forests, builders and owners can be sure they have made a decision that supports our economy and our environment.

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