Barbecue season is upon us, and I’m wondering about the greenest method for cooking up my legendary T-bones and sweet sausages. Should I stick with charcoal, which I’ve used for years, or should I finally make the switch to gas?

If you’re concerned solely with the carbon dioxide that wafts off your grill, then gas is the easy choice. But if you step back and consider the whole production cycle, then certain types of charcoal may well be the greener cooking fuel. The real trick, as is so often the case, is to select a product that’s been created conscientiously—a tough assignment, given how little information manufacturers typically provide.