Hi Deb,
I'll have to check out the PBS docu-series. I generally like documentaries about the past, future, space, history, etc.
We do a lot to conserve, recycle, and repurpose, but not quite as much as you. One thing did catch my eye I wanted to comment on.
Now I am going to use them to build shade structures for my strawberry beds. I am getting ready to burn all the extra pieces that I can't use for the structures (I know... it releases carbon into the air but what can I do?) and turn them into biochar which is awesome for my gardens.
It is my understanding that even if you left the wood to rot, it would release as much carbon back into the air; it would just take longer. It is just sequestered for a longer period if the wood rots. On the plus side, the biochar keeps a lot of carbon sequestered which is released over time in the garden. Every living animal/plant in the world is mostly carbon - made from carbon and will return to carbon once the living animal/plant dies. Particular circumstances will dictate how long the carbon is sequestered or how fast the carbon is released after the death.
I'm not sure if the above is totally correct, but it is my understanding at this point.
We burn wood to heat our house during the winter. We have tons of biochar we use in our gardens.
