I was talking to Chris today and we were thinking of transforming our garden in Jette into a nice gathering space for BBQs and gatherings this summer.
And as you all know, @ChrisM and @Sarah are moving out, and they have a nice pile of wood in their garden and it would actually be a pity to throw it away especially since it would be of perfect use for BBQs in a summer garden
Therefore I wanted to check with you if you find it a feasible idea to organize the transportation of the wood, without having to bother Chris and Sarah for this extra task.
What we would need:
Several people to help load and move the wood
A van and driver to get the wood from their place to our garden in Jette.
Proposal: if we donāt have anyone with a van, I have a Cambio subscription but I wouldnāt feel comfortable driving it, so we could use my subscription to hire a van but then just need to appoint another driver
Timing: this is a bit tricky, it should be done by 30 June at the latest.
(As you all know, Chris and Sarah are very busy packing and emptying the house, thatās why Iām making this post)
Please share your thoughts. I personally think it would be really great if we could save the wood and enjoy summer BBQās together but donāt hesitate to say if itās a stupid idea
Hi @mieke, as joyful as a campfire and bbq are, I am not a fan of burning wood because it is very polluting and a source of fine particles as well as greenhouse gas emissions. However I really like the idea of using the garden for gatherings. I am convinced there are other ways to do so and to have fun :-).
Thatās why I choose not to facilitate this.
Although I would be willing to help and transport the wood to a recyparc. I am comfortable driving a van.
We also have a big outdoor plastic table and chairs that can go to the site and live there for awhile
Itās a good point Liesbet, but I think thereās some context here. Because of the fine particles associated with burning wood, as a society we are moving away for using it domestically for heating and in woodturners and fireplaces. Here we are talking about spending one or two evenings sitting around a ācampfireā. The BBQ would use coal, which itself is problematic. While I try to make environmentally responsible decisions with regard to my consumption and waste habits every day, Iām not prepared to live in a world where we donāt have occasional BBQs and sit around campfires with the kids, while at the same time a dozen big companies contribute to 80% of global greenhouse emissions. Itās true that we could choose not to do this, but by that rationale we would never set foot in a privately owned car, or buy/use anything that wasnāt grown or produced in Belgium (food, clothes, electronic goods).
Having said all that, Iām open to accepting that my position might be an outlier, and that in fact this is a bad idea We have a policy at the Reef to not judge peopleās individual decisions, but at the same time, our community decisions should reflect our shared values, including sustainability. And gatherings on the site are community decisions. So looking forward to some reaction belowā¦
I think this is a great idea, my only concern was if the neighbours would be bothered by the smell of burnt wood, noiseā¦ although very manly men are already using the site to gather and drink beer and exchange stuffā¦so maybe itās just fine.
I have a bit the same concern as maria and liesbeth
If I am not wrong (but maybe to be checked) itās illegal to burn wood like that in the open.
And with us introducing our permit soon and want to maintain a good relation with all neighbours, I am personally not in favour to do this now/during the summer holidays.
This doesnāt block having a BBQ though. Using charcoal is - i think- not so expensive, easier to light a BBQ,ā¦
And if the goal is to get rid of the wood so you have less to āmoveā or throw away. My father might want it (depending on the kind of wood, state of the wood: nails/paint on itā¦).
And yes, i have a van and can drop by on the 28th or 29th
Ok, so enough of the group has already spoken to change plan. The wood doesnāt actually need to go anywhere, it just seemed a shame to waste a pile of seasoned pine that I had lovingly split into logs
For the record, I donāt think sitting around a fire in the middle of a big piece of land like that is a problem, particularly as there is a secluded space at the back not visible to anyone. But as weāre about to introduce a permit for a multi-million-euro building project of our dreams, almost certainly the case that we should play it safeā¦
Nice work Michiel! I think the key here is to have some sort of container, like half a metal drum or the inside of an old washing machine. So if anyone has something like that, we could indeed factor an open fire back into our summer BBQ plans. Weāre about to move the table and chairs over to the site, so we may as well fill up the car with wood, just in caseā¦
but donāt hesitate to say if itās a stupid idea 
