Summer is coming soon. Many of us are ready for a little fire cooking. You may consider what fuel to grill: gas or charcoal? The question is not simply which produces a tastier burger, but which is better for the planet? If you want to do it in the greenest way, the step 1 is to choose the greenest fuel.

The straight part of the issue is that the briquettes emit more carbon dioxide when they’re burned. So if you’re only concerned with the carbon dioxide that comes out from your grill, then gas is the easy choice.

But let’s step back. Consider the whole production cycle. There are certain types of charcoal deserve to be the greener cooking fuel. The trick behind is to select the charcoal that’s been produced with sustainability. Gas emits less carbon dioxide, but is made from non-renewable fossil fuels. While charcoal sounds dirtier at the first glance, but can come from renewable resources such as trees, so it is actually carbon neutral in the end. Gas, on the other hand, can’t be replenished – or at least not for the millions of years.

On top of that, briquettes are made primarily from plant waste, which would otherwise be thrown away. So, it’s not as if we’re cutting down trees just to make briquettes – they are, instead, smart and green products!

OK. It’s time to prepare the barbecue. I will grill the best not only for my stomach, but also for the Earth. How about you?