This is from page 152 this month, entitled 'How to Help'
The green guide Good Grills Perhaps the only kind
of barbecue that won't irk Mother Earth is a solar grill. But
you won't find one at the nearest hardware store; only a few
websites sell the solar cookers. There's no smoke, but there
are mirrors, which focus the sun's rays on the grill tray.
None of the familiar fuel sources are as noble as the sun.
Gas, electricity, wood, and charcoal each has downsides, but
gas puts out the least carbon dioxide (list at end).
The charcoal-wood crowd can cut the toll. Fans of wood's
smoky flavor might consider a hybrid grill, powered by gas with
a small area to burn fragrant wood chips. Chacoalists can
seek brands that don't add undesirable ingredients like coal
dust, sodium nitrate, and borax. And instead of a squirt of
lighter fluid, which emits valatile chemicals, try an old-school
chimney starter: a metal cylinder with a small compartment
at the bottom for paper, Light the paper and the coals above
come to a hot glow.
The price tag matters. A cheap, short-lived grill has a more
damaging eco-footprint than a durable solid metal model. Stain-
less steel and porcelain-enameled cast iron not only outlast
but also cook more efficiently than chrome-plated aluminum.
Besides, chrome is prone to corrosion. And that definitely
doesn't go well with ribs.
Burning Questions
The four main fuel sources
for grills all get mixed grades.
Gas Both natural gas
and propane are efficient to
produce, and natural gas is
the cleanest burning fossil
fuel. But they are nonrenewable
resources and give off
some pollutants.
Electricity Unless sun or
wind is involved, it's not as
efficient to produce as gas.
But elecric grills burn cleanly.
Wood Trees are felled.
Ash and smoke are exuded.
But wood is a renewable
resource.
Charcoal Most is made
from leftovers: scrap wood
and sawdust. But charcoal's
manufacture creates green-
house gases.
The green guide Good Grills Perhaps the only kind
of barbecue that won't irk Mother Earth is a solar grill. But
you won't find one at the nearest hardware store; only a few
websites sell the solar cookers. There's no smoke, but there
are mirrors, which focus the sun's rays on the grill tray.
None of the familiar fuel sources are as noble as the sun.
Gas, electricity, wood, and charcoal each has downsides, but
gas puts out the least carbon dioxide (list at end).
The charcoal-wood crowd can cut the toll. Fans of wood's
smoky flavor might consider a hybrid grill, powered by gas with
a small area to burn fragrant wood chips. Chacoalists can
seek brands that don't add undesirable ingredients like coal
dust, sodium nitrate, and borax. And instead of a squirt of
lighter fluid, which emits valatile chemicals, try an old-school
chimney starter: a metal cylinder with a small compartment
at the bottom for paper, Light the paper and the coals above
come to a hot glow.
The price tag matters. A cheap, short-lived grill has a more
damaging eco-footprint than a durable solid metal model. Stain-
less steel and porcelain-enameled cast iron not only outlast
but also cook more efficiently than chrome-plated aluminum.
Besides, chrome is prone to corrosion. And that definitely
doesn't go well with ribs.
Burning Questions
The four main fuel sources
for grills all get mixed grades.
Gas Both natural gas
and propane are efficient to
produce, and natural gas is
the cleanest burning fossil
fuel. But they are nonrenewable
resources and give off
some pollutants.
Electricity Unless sun or
wind is involved, it's not as
efficient to produce as gas.
But elecric grills burn cleanly.
Wood Trees are felled.
Ash and smoke are exuded.
But wood is a renewable
resource.
Charcoal Most is made
from leftovers: scrap wood
and sawdust. But charcoal's
manufacture creates green-
house gases.
