Some quick carbon related grilling facts that may surprise you

BY THOMAS GOUNLEY FOR GREENING OF OIL

With the arrival of warmer weather, you start to see them everywhere, from backyards to campsites to sporting events. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, nothing says summer more than breaking out the grill.

A 2009 study conducted by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association found that 82 percent of all U.S. households own a grill or smoker. And they’re not sitting idle. 97 percent of grill owners used their grill within the past year.

Grills traditionally fall into three categories: gas, electric, and charcoal. And while the typical comparison between the three focuses on which produces the tastiest burger, it’s also possible to look at grilling from an eco-friendly standpoint.

Charcoal is traditionally said to be the least eco-friendly way to grill.

If we consider solely the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air through the cooking process, charcoal does put up some pretty poor numbers.

According to a study released by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2003, a charcoal grill emits about 11 pounds of carbon dioxide per hour, compared to 5.6 pounds for a similarly sized gas grill.

Another study conducted in England in 2009 found burning charcoal to have close to three times the carbon footprint of using propane (the majority of gas grills use propane, though some use natural gas). However, that study also factored in the fact that much of the charcoal used in England comes from Africa, where it is produced inefficiently, thus increasing its carbon footprint. According to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbeque Association, most of the charcoal used in the U.S. is produced inside the country, using more efficient techniques.

Ultimately, charcoal is a less efficient fuel than propane. Nobody disputes that. However, charcoal is made from wood, a renewable energy source. Trees naturally reduce carbon into the environment when they decay (or are burned), and the carbon is absorbed by trees that take their place.

Theoretically, if the trees that go into your charcoal are being replaced, then there is no net carbon impact. Charcoal briquettes are also typically made from wood waste, so they’re a by-product of the lumber industry, not an incentive to cut down new trees.

In fact, the same Oak Ridge National Laboratory that released the earlier study in 2003 posted a press release in 2007 entitled “Grilling with charcoal can benefit long-term.” The release quoted Department of Energy scientist Tris West, who cited the aforementioned carbon cycle that trees are a part of. 

"There is going to be twice as much carbon released from your charcoal grill as there is from your propane grill," West said. "When we consider the total carbon cycle and the charcoal as a renewable energy source because it's from wood, the story is completely flipped and you have more emissions from natural gas because emissions from charcoal are net zero."

The green grilling debate appears to have gone the way of the debate over which option makes the best burger- you can argue all day without coming to a conclusion. The only loser may be the electric grill, but even that’s not unconditional. Electric grills are only preferable if your electricity is coming from a renewable source. If not, electric grills are actually worse than charcoal, releasing approximately 15 pounds per hour in the previous scenario.

Links of interest

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, fourth of July no picnic for the nation’s environment.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, grilling with charcoal can benefit environment long-term.

Hearth, Patio, and Barbeque Association statistics

Interview with researcher Eric Johnson, who studied the environmental impact of gas and charcoal grills

About Thomas Gounley

Thomas Gounley is an undergraduate student at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), where he’s double-majoring in Environmental Conservation Studies and English-Journalism, with the eventual goal of getting into science or environmental journalism. He’s a staff writer for UNH’s twice-weekly newspaper The New Hampshire, where he covers issues related to science and sustainability. When not writing or in lab, he enjoys running, cycling, hiking and any other excuse to get outside. He’s a leader in UNH’s Outing Club, and is looking forward to finishing his quest to summit all 48 peaks in New Hampshire above 4000 feet. Originally from Virginia, he also enjoys traveling and photography.

Email Thomas: tai36@unh.edu

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