W O O D

Wood has been used for thousands of years for fuel, as a construction material, for making tools and weapons, furniture, and paper. More recently it emerged as a feedstock for the production of purified cellulose and its derivatives, such as cellophane and cellulose acetate.The growing stock of forests worldwide was about 434 billion cubic meters in 2005, 47% of which was commercial. As an abundant, carbon-neutral renewable resource, woody materials have been of intense interest as a source of renewable energy. In 1991 approximately 3.5 billion cubic meters of wood were harvested. Dominant uses were for furniture and building construction.