DRAFT, WORK IN PROGRESS NOT FOR RELEASE
Carbon circulated through the land, seas and atmosphere. All organic matter contains carbon as a core building block - from coal to DNA.
Trees grow by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and using a process known as photosynthesis they convert this to carbohydrates - trees fuel for growth.
Burning fossil fuels releases CO2 into the atmosphere that has been locked away for millions of years in the form of coal, oil and gas reserves. Burning fossil fuels releases this captured CO2 at a rapid rate back into the atmosphere, much more quickly than it can be removed by the growth of plants and other 'carbon fixing' organisms. This means CO2 levels rise, driving global warming.
Globally, the burning of fossil fuels for electricity production and transportation accounts for 75% of atmospheric CO2 emissions.
Burning woodfuel allows us to limit the rise in greenhouse gases by offsetting carbon emissions, but only if the woodfuel has been sourced sustainably and replanted.