Slate on Eco-Friendly Grilling
Posted by Laura Troyer on Growers & Grocers
If you’re looking to curb the carbon dioxide emissions from your summertime grilling, gas is a popular choice. “But,” wrote Brendan I. Koerner in a June article for Slate, “if you step back and consider the whole production cycle, then certain types of charcoal may well be the greener cooking fuel.”
Charcoal’s advocates say tree products can be carbon neutral and replenishable, and the sawdust that goes into briquettes might otherwise go to waste. But additives, particulate emissions, production energy usage, and disposal issues can offset those benefits.
In the end, wrote Koerner, it comes down more to personal preferences and making good choices rather than one easy answer. Do you agree? A recent article in the Portland Tribune called gas “safe, easy to transport and one of the cleanest-burning fossil fuels,” and, after comparing gas and charcoal on several fronts, gave the thumbs up to gas. Which do you use: gas or charcoal?
If your heart is set on charcoal, Koerner recommends starting with an additive-free charcoal made from sustainably-harvested wood and avoiding lighter fluid in favor of a chimney starter.
To read more, including the rest of Koerner’s tips and recommendations, checkout Slate’s “The Great Barbecue Debate.” And for a detailed comparison of charcoal and gas, read the Portland Tribune’s “Grill this: gas or charcoal?”
Photo: morgueFile/Ladyheart
My roomie and I are having the same debate. We settled on charcoal. There’s a video series about grilling that I found and I noticed that the second clip talks about setting up and the benefits of both gas and charcoal grills. Hope this can help someone else settle the Great Barbecue Grill.