[aaomidi]

Yep to your first point. Even if we count in heat pumps (or geothermal heat pumps and how expensive they are), you're still probably better off using a newer wood stove (old ones were pretty shit)

Wood stoves in forested places directly contributes to the local economies compared to spending $$$ on the infrastructure necessary for other types of energy. It also adds a capital incentive to keep growing trees and not turning them into cattle-ground.