Each home cook has her preference between grilling with gas or charcoal based on ease of use and flavor, but many people are becoming more concerned about the effects grilling has on the environment. Gas and charcoal grills each come with their own sets of pros and cons regarding how their use affects the environment. Whichever type of grill you choose, you can reduce your environmental footprint caused by avoiding chemical lighter fluid and not leaving your grill running for long periods of time.
Natural Resources Used
Both gas and charcoal grills use natural resources to generate heat. Most charcoal briquettes are made from wood, especially the waste products from manufacturing paper such as sawdust. Gas grills are powered by natural gases, such as propane, that are mined and transported over long distances to reach your grill's gas tank.
Emissions
Grills powered with gas emit far fewer emissions than most charcoal grills, according to the Huffington Post. Measurements performed by the Department of Energy show that grilling with gas for an hour creates 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide, while using charcoal to grill releases 11 pounds of carbon dioxide into the environment every hour.
While most charcoal you purchase at supermarkets is loaded with chemicals and creates carbon dioxide as it is burned, grilling with real, pure charcoal, known as lump charcoal, does not produce as many emissions. Lump charcoal can be hard to find, but is becoming more readily available as people become more environmentally aware. You may have luck finding lump charcoal at hardware stores, natural food stores, or stores that specialize in grilling equipment.
Drawbacks
Charcoal briquettes that you purchase at most stores are made from a combination of materials such as sawdust and cornstarch combined with lighter fluid for easy lighting. Burning charcoal can release 105 times as much carbon monoxide into the air as burning propane, according to the Huffington Post. The Daily Green website states that burning charcoal releases carcinogenic volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, into the air, which contributes to smog levels.
Natural gases are non-renewable fossil fuels. When you cook using a gas grill, you are using a finite natural resource.
Efficiency Differences
Eric Johnson, a researcher who has studied the environmental impacts of grilling with charcoal and gas, claims using a gas grill generates one-third the carbon footprint of grilling with charcoal. Using propane to grill is more efficient than using a gas grill because if you're grilling a small amount of food, you can turn on just one burner and run the grill for a shorter period of time. With a charcoal grill, you have to fill the grill with briquettes, light them and let them burn for a while to generate enough heat to cook any amount of food.
Charcoal Grilling Suggestion
Johnson recommends grilling with gas to make the least impact on the environment, but it you have a charcoal grill and want to continue to use it, he has a tip on how you can reduce your carbon footprint even when grilling with charcoal. Johnson suggests putting the fire out when you are done grilling with charcoal by pouring water over the coals. By doing this, you can reuse the briquettes the next time you grill, generating less waste and fewer carbon dioxide emissions.
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