ON THE GRILL: GAS VS. CHARCOAL

It’s summertime and people are firing up their gas grills or lighting up those charcoal briquettes. There are differing opinions on which method is “greener.” If one considers point of consumption, then gas grilling is the more environmentally conscious approach. Gas burns much cleaner and more efficiently than charcoal briquettes, which give off soot when burned. The use of charcoal briquettes, which are made of wood, can hasten deforestation, unless the trees are replaced. And lighter fluid adds one more chemical to the household mix.

However, charcoal briquettes come from a potentially renewable resource, while drilling for gas has its own list of environmental impacts. Makers of hardwood charcoal in particular say their product burns cleaner, hotter and faster than standard briquettes, plus it can be made of furniture scraps, saving wood.
Another way to look at it: according to www.greendaily.com, the carbon that charcoal releases into the atmosphere closes a cycle that started when the tree the charcoal came from first started drawing carbon in. Propane, on the other hand, releases carbon that was never in the atmosphere but was instead trapped underground.

The bottom line: to keep your immediate surroundings cleaner and healthier, use gas.
If you are more concerned with the impacts of gas drilling, want to stay “carbon neutral” – and love that charcoal flavor – then go with the briquettes, or try hardwood charcoal.

And of course, it’s not “green” to run out and buy a new grill when the one you’re using works just fine.

TIP: Some natural food grocers like Whole Foods sell charcoal made from recycled scrap wood or from sustainable forests. Find out more about earth-friendly charcoal online at www.greenlinkcharcoal.com.