The Carbon Neutral Cycle

How is burning trees a green alternative?

Wood fuel contains stored energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis. The chemical energy in trees can therefore be passed on as heat energy to us. Wood fuel is a renewable energy source because by growing more trees the C02 will always be kept within the cycle as long as a new trees are planted. New trees will always be planted otherwise those who cut them down would be soon be out of business. This is unlike fossil fuels where trapped C02 underground is released into the atmosphere adding to the cycle.

The diagram below helps demonstrate this: