Bioenergy: Plugging into Nature

Charcoal Fuel (2/6)

A worker feeds logs, cut from virgin Amazon rainforest, into one of the nearly 1,200 ovens that produce charcoal for iron smelters and home use. The cutting of trees for the charcoal industry is one of the main causes of the destruction of rainforest.

Mankind has used charcoal for thousands of years. It remains a primary source of energy for cooking and heating in less developed regions. (Photo: Reuters)