"Kev" wrote in message
ups.com...

Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
"Kev" wrote in message
oups.com...

VisionSet wrote:
"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...
VisionSet wrote:
Every year I produce many piles of holly clippings like those
below
from
the
trees shown.

http://i3.tinypic.com/wgufdc.jpg

You could always burn them, holly burns very well!

I know, but I've no where to burn it, I don't want to **** the
neighbours
off and mulching is more enviro. But I will be burning the bigger
stuff
in
the fireplace.

--
Mike W

Why is mulching more environmentally friendly than burning. ok is
doesn't make visible smoke but if was well dried there would be no
smoke. Whether its mulched and decomposes or is burnt the end result is
the same. I would put it that burning is more environmentally friendly
since you have not used electricity to shred the stuff and therefore
did not consume any fossil fuel at all. Also take into account the
carbon produced in making and transporting the shredder and the carbon
cost of recycling it at the end of its life.
I like the way that our local council gave everybody a huge green
wheelie bin then every two weeks come around in a huge diesel lorry
collecting grass clippings then say it is environmentally friendly. Yeh
right.

Kevin


Burning does produce smoke whether you can see it or not. and produces
carbon dioxide and a plethora of other substances ,some of which are
highly
toxic, depending on what plant material you are burning. Composting and
mulching keeps the carbon locked in a more complex form.

And composting produces CO2, the organisms that live on the decaying
fibres produce CO2. I accept that burning does produce some nasties but
then so does using a shredder by virtue of the production on the
electricity, making the shredder, the packaging, transportation etc
etc. Plethora of other substances seems a bit OTT given that a tree is
only made up from CO2 taken from the atmosphere and a few trace
elements taken from the soil.
Given the few other substances given out by burning verses those given
by buring fossil fuels, not to mention the noise pollution, I don't see
why burning is looked down upon.

Kevin

By plethora I meant hundreds, if not thousands, of organic substances which
can be analysed and controlled at a power station. In a garden bonfire
environment you do not stand a chance of any control.
You are performing a high temperature reaction on a majority of the
elements in the Periodic table.