British summertime has come unusually early in 2009; the sun is out, the wind is low, and we’ve only seen a minimal amount of rain, so the doom-mongers have had little to whine about. Weather reports have stated an expectation for the glorious weather to last, so the best of Indian summers seems likely.
Naturally, the early sun means that the British love of the barbecue is smouldering, and, whilst it lasts, many-a-meal will be spent out in the garden, enjoying food and drink in the unusual luck of this early summer’s pleasant climate.
Unfortunately for the eco-conscious, though, barbecues, with a base in coal, can produce unnecessary levels of carbon, and with a longer summer, this fact could be amplified.
Cooking with a Conscience
In order to assuage such fears, a number of companies are offering eco-friendly alternatives to conventional products, so that the eco-conscious barbecue connoisseur can sleep soundly.
One particularly successful produce is the Wildwood Sustainable Charcoal, which provides a genuine alternative to the standard coal-based products. In fact, according to one of its stockists, it’s a winner all round:
“Enjoy an environmentally friendly and carbon neutral barbeque using this sustainable, UK charcoal. Made in Sussex, unlike imported charcoal, this stuff gets hot, quickly (in about 15 mins) so you can cook your organic burgers without the wait. In fact it’s much easier to light than imported briquettes: you don’t need firelighters – you use the bag to help light it, so there are no bad fumes. You’ll also need less charcoal.”
With practical and ethical benefits, it’s a must for inclusion in a genuinely eco-friendly barbecue suite; as the chief component in any barbecue, it’s important that any emissions at all are worth every penny.
The Problem with Coal-Based Barbecues
Generally speaking, coal has caused big problems for climate change. And the BBC has outlined the real negatives of continuing to use coal-based barbecue products:
Over 90% of the charcoal we burn on our barbecues comes from non-UK forests, many of which are not replaced when they’re cut down. Deforestation has had such a significant impact on climate change that barbecuing with non-sustainable charcoal is calculated to emit five times more CO2 than cooking with gas.
With these figures in mind shouldn’t we all switch to a more eco-friendly charcoal instead of using those based from coal? Wildwood Sustainable Charcoal is one of the best examples of the alternatives, but many more are now coming onto the market.
Other Ideas for Green-Friendly Barbecuing
Slightly less seriously, there are a number of ways to keep the environment in mind. Paper plates, as much as they remind us of childhood parties, are no good unless they can be recycled, and if not, other plates should be used. There are some great wind-up radios on the market, plus aprons made of recyclable products.
But, most intuitively, look for anything that can be powered using solar power. After all, a good barbecue always relies on a good amount of sun.
