Seasonal Sunday: Charcoal or Gas?

Grilling season has arrived again and with it comes the debate of which grilling method is better.  Charcoal or natural gas?  This post is not about which grilling fuel is better when it comes to taste but rather which grilling method is better for the environment.  As far as taste goes, most people say charcoal is better but I have no opinion on the matter as I personally can't taste the difference.  

Let's take a look at the pros and cons for each method and I'll let you know who comes out ahead at the end of the post.

Traditional charcoal briquettes are made up of sawdust, cornstarch, and lighter fluid.  Different companies have variations to these ingredients but essentially they are the basic components.  When burned, charcoal emits 105 times more carbon monoxide than propane and it releases dangerous VOCs that are known to be carcinogenic.  The upside of using charcoal is that it is a renewable resource.

Lump charcoal, also known as chunk charcoal, has no additives so burning it is carbon neutral.  Lump charcoal is considered "natural" charcoal as it is made from burning wood in the absence of oxygen.  Lump charcoal is not as plentiful its briquette counterpart and is therefore usually more expensive.  I have to wonder about where the wood is coming from that is turned into lump charcoal.  At face value lump charcoal sounds better but I'm not so sure when you factor where the wood is sourced from.  

Natural gas or propane carries the lowest carbon footprint but since it comes from a non-renewable resource it has that drawback.  Other than coming from a non-renewable resource, I couldn't find any negative aspects of gas.  

Skip the meat?  I read some articles that talked more about the carbon emissions that come from what you grill as opposed to what you grill with.  Apparently the food you grill makes big difference.  For example, chicken, fish, and vegetables have a significantly lower CO2e (carbon monoxide equivalent) than hamburgers, steaks, and hotdogs.   

The winner:  I think gas is the way to go if you want to be kind to the environment but make sure to use it sparingly.  Since I like to have my burger and eat it too, I say go ahead and grill whatever you feel like.