Editing Lumber (section)

== Environmental impacts ==
Lumber is a sustainable and environmentally friendly construction material that could replace modern building materials (e.g. concrete and steel) given its structural performance, capacity to fixate CO<sub>2</sub> and low energy demand during the manufacturing process.<ref name="Roberts 2020 r215">{{cite web | last=Roberts | first=David | title=The hottest new thing in sustainable building is, uh, wood | website=Vox | date=15 January 2020 | url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/1/15/21058051/climate-change-building-materials-mass-timber-cross-laminated-clt | access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref>

Substituting lumber for concrete or steel avoids the carbon emissions of those materials. Cement and concrete manufacture is responsible for around 8% of global GHG emissions while the iron and steel industry is responsible for another 5% (half a ton of CO<sub>2</sub> is emitted to manufacture a ton of concrete; two tons of CO<sub>2</sub>  are emitted in the manufacture of a ton of steel).<ref>{{cite web|title=Energy Technology Perspectives 2016 – Analysis|url=https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2016|access-date=2021-10-08|website=IEA|date=June 2016 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

'''Advantages of lumber:'''

* '''Fire performance:''' In the case of fire, the outer layer of mass timber will tend to char in a predictable way that effectively self-extinguishes and shields the interior, allowing it to retain structural integrity for several hours, even in an intense fire.
* '''Reduction of carbon emissions:''' Building materials and construction make up 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Though the exact amount will depend on tree species, forestry practices, transportation costs, and several other factors, that one cubic meter of lumber sequesters roughly one tonne of CO<sub>2</sub>.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Puettmann|first1=Maureen|last2=Sinha|first2=Arijit|last3=Ganguly|first3=Indroneil|date=2019-09-01|title=Life Cycle Energy and Environmental Impacts of Cross Laminated Timber Made with Coastal Douglas-fir|url=https://doi.org/10.3992/1943-4618.14.4.17|journal=Journal of Green Building|volume=14|issue=4|pages=17–33|doi=10.3992/1943-4618.14.4.17|s2cid=214201061|issn=1552-6100}}</ref> It is estimated that wood can reduce the amount of CO<sub>2</sub> released into the atmosphere by half.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hurmekoski |first=Elias |url=https://efi.int/sites/default/files/files/publication-bank/2018/efi_hurmekoski_wood_construction_2017_oct.pdf |title=How can wood construction reduce environmental degradation? |date=April 2017 |publisher=European Forest Institute |page=3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Could wooden buildings be a solution to climate change? |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190717-climate-change-wooden-architecture-concrete-global-warming |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> In addition, wood has a significant CO<sub>2</sub> storage capacity, which limits its release. However, when wood is destroyed (naturally or by combustion), all of the previously stored CO<sub>2</sub> is released into the atmosphere.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wood burning and our climate |url=https://www.dsawsp.org/environment/climate |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=www.dsawsp.org |language=en}}</ref>
* '''Natural insulation:''' lumber is a natural insulator which makes it particularly good for windows and doors.
* '''Less construction time, labor costs, and waste:''' it is easy to manufacture prefabricated lumber, from which pieces can be assembled simultaneously (with relatively little labor). This reduces material waste, avoids massive on-site inventory, and minimizes on-site disruption. According to the softwood lumber industry, "Mass timber buildings are roughly 25% faster to construct than concrete buildings and require 90% less construction traffic".<ref>{{cite web|date=2018-04-25|title=4 Things to Know About Mass Timber|url=https://www.thinkwood.com/blog/4-things-to-know-about-mass-timber|access-date=2021-10-08|website=Think Wood|language=en-us}}</ref>