News Finding: Wood-based construction consumes much less energy than concrete or steel construction.
Paper Finding: The energy released does not offset FF CO 2 , so there is no CO 2 or FF savings.
News Context: About 12 percent to 19 percent of annual global fossil fuel consumption would be saved including savings achieved because scrap wood and unsellable materials could be burned for energy, replacing fossil fuel consumption. Wood-based construction consumes much less energy than concrete or steel construction. Through efficient harvesting and product use, more CO2 is saved through the avoided emissions, materials, and wood energy than is lost from the harvested forest.
Paper Context: The analyses were streamlined by assuming "instantaneous" use of additional wood solely for wood construction or wood energy under current circumstances; thus, the added uncertainties of future changes in pulpwood use, total construction, accelerated forest growth, or lag times in increasing wood use were avoided. The energy released does not offset FF CO 2 , so there is no CO 2 or FF savings. Consequently, there would be emissions of CO 2 and added consumption of FF by not avoiding the catastrophic fires or by not harvesting these forests before they burned.