High energy costs fuels illegal logging in the UK

Woodland wood piles are becoming targets for people in the UK looking for cheap fuel. (photo credit: David Masters)

We often think of illegal logging taking place in South America, Asia or Africa. Trees are chopped down for timber or firewood threatening habitats of the local wildlife. Illegal timber thefts and more worryingly chopping down of trees is now happening in the UK and it’s driven by high fuel prices.

High fuel prices puts 25% of households in fuel poverty.

Almost everyone is now being affected by high fuel prices. Increasing green taxes and legislation that forces energy companies to pay artificially high energy production prices - such as the subsidies paid to solar power – have led to 25% of households in the UK now living in fuel poverty. It’s only going to get worse in the future. NIMBY’s are forcing more and more wind turbines out to sea – not only are wind turbines extremely expensive and inefficient in producing energy but electricity from offshore turbines cost 3 times more to produce than land based turbines.

People reportedly chopping down trees at the roadside for fuel.

It’s little wonder then that thefts of timber is soaring as people try to keep warm and there are increasing reports that it’s not just pre-felled timber being stolen but people are stopping at the side of the road, getting out chainsaws and chopping living trees down for firewood. Illegal logging is almost certain to rise in the coming years as energy prices become ever more unaffordable.

I’m very fortunate as I live in a flat that has an open fireplace so as I write this blog I’m sat in front of a roaring coal fire to keep me warm. Last year the fire was used just a handful of times – more for looks than heat. This year I’ve only had the electricity night storage heating on a couple of times and the coal fire has been my main source of winter heating. I have no garden to store bulk purchase of coal in so I have to buy 5 Kg bags at a time from the local hardware store. Even purchasing coal is such small quantities will mean that I’ll still save about 40% on my winter space heating bills this year.

Is the green lobby forcing people away from clean energy?

The question that has to be asked this year above all years is have the green lobby killed off active support for the environment because of their high cost ideology?

Electric space heating is now just unaffordable for me to use on a regular basis. So I use house coal. I have an open fire so 80% of the heat goes straight up the chimney. It’s nowhere near as energy-efficient as a polvarized-coal fuelled power station. We’ve closed down almost all the coal mines in the UK so the coal I use is imported. British coal was high quality coal, high calorific value, low in soot and particulates, low in sulphur. Cheap imported coal tends to be much dirtier. I see this every-time I put a shovelful of coal on the fire there’s an initial blast of thick sooty smoke goes up the chimney. I have no de-sulphurisation filters or filters to catch particulates that modern coal-fired power stations have, it all just goes straight up the chimney and into the atmosphere.

I don’t see how shutting down modern coal-fired power stations is having any major impact if it forces people to burn the coal directly at home in open fires – or multi-fuel stoves – that don’t have the clean up technologies that can be fitted to commercial power stations.

How many people are going to have to install photovoltaic panels on their roof to offset the increase in pollution that I’m producing this year compared to last year? And I’m not the only one that have resorted back to burning coal or logs to cut electricity bills.

Green energy lobbyists push for ever higher fuel prices.

As the green lobbyists continue with their push to make energy prices ever more expensive for the majority - while they and their friends rake in money from subsidies, rents and grants – will more people shrug their shoulders and resort to finding alternative energy sources to keep themselves warm even if it’s taking us back 30 or 40 years where air pollution is concerned.

Illegal firewood threatens British wildlife and woodlands.

But much more worryingy is the trend for people going out to local woodlands and chopping down trees for their log burners or stealing firewood from forestry and woodlands. The outcry over plans to sell off the public forest estate shows how highly valued the land is. But the Forestry Commission relies heavily on income from timber to remain viable. Many woodland and wildlife charities derive a good income from timber and firewood sales to maintain the habitat.

People use illegal firewood to stay warm on a budget.

People are being forced into finding ways of heating their homes within their budget and increasing numbers of people see stealing this timber as a way to stay warm. The woodland owners suffer a loss of income and this means less money is available for spending in habitat management and species conservation.

Even more worrying is the people who go out with chainsaws and chop down trees directly. Professional foresters and woodland managers will have an understanding of the trees that they mark for felling. They’ll know whether the tree is being used as a bat roost or the host of a rare plant or lichen, people pulling up in cars with chainsaws have no knowledge or even care what they may be destroying.

The increasing incidents of firewood theft has led the Country Lands and Business Association to issues warnings to its members to safeguard their timber and firewood stores. The Forestry Commission has also been forced in some areas to use special metal cages to protect logs in woods from thieves.

If we don’t want to see illegal logging and habitat destruction become more common place in the UK perhaps the green energy lobby should start to include affordability into their equations too.

External sites:

Telegraph: Love of log-burning stoves leads to timber thefts.
Illegal tree felling causes concern.
Increased stolen firewood puts nature at risk.
Warning over thefts of firewood.
BBC: Concerns after timberstolen.