Families for Clean Air

https://capitalbnews.org/biomass-clean-energy-tax-credit/

America’s Rural South Is Paying the Price for Europe’s Energy The nation’s largest climate bill could fuel the biomass industry, leaving Black communities like Adel, Georgia, to suffer the consequences.

Sickening how this news article about restrictions on illegal wood burning practices gets turned into a promotion for “Stovax as a brand of stoves that burn more cleanly and produce fewer emissions…”

Warning issued to avoid £300 fines 'now' for using your log burner Turning to your log burner may seem like a great idea as temperatures in the UK drop but it could land you a hefty fine if you are not careful.

“Unlike the other super pollutants, black carbon is not a gas but a form of particulate matter released by burning fossil fuels, wood and other biomass…”

Why we must attack black carbon to protect the climate Tackling super pollutants like black carbon, alongside CO2, is vital for curbing global warming and protecting regions like the Arctic.

Many EPA certified wood stoves have catalytic converters that must be replaced periodically to reduce air pollution —yet: “The new data from HETAS found that 41% of people that own wood burners or other solid fuel stoves have never had their appliance serviced.“

Wood burning stove owners warned as one in 10 are at risk There is one number you need to check but many admit they still don't do it

https://www.space.com/wildfire-particles-earthcare-satellite

Satellite watches as hazardous wildfire particles drift into the air This analysis is particularly key as human-driven climate change continues to exacerbate these disasters.

“Statewide, the most common air pollutant is one from smoke, such as wildfires or wood stoves…”

New WA program aims to curb air pollution in parts of state most affected by it • Washington State Standard The Department of Ecology is launching a new grant program to fund local projects in communities that are “overburdened” by air pollution.

“Although the letter does not call for a blanket national ban on wood burners, many healthcare professionals want to see them banned in urban settings...”

Doctors call for ban on 'invisible killer' home appliance amid deaths A group of more than 160 health professionals, wrote a letter calling for a greater effort to reduce air pollution that contributed to Ella Kissi-Debrah's death aged 9 (pictured inset).

New on our site:

Certified Wood Stove Performance in the Real World Continues to Disappoint Certified wood stoves are nowhere near as clean-burning in real life as people think.

https://apnews.com/article/farmworkers-latinos-wildfires-smoke-climate-change-28f4f7f3cb43cdc2f3b079eb44540f3d

Wildfires are growing under climate change, and their smoke threatens farmworkers, study says As climate change fuels the intensity and frequency of wildfires, it's also driving up the health risks for farmworkers who often have no choice but to continue working amid dangerous levels of smoke.

All this pollution before they are even burned…

British energy giant reports violating toxic pollutant limits at Louisiana wood pellet facilities British energy firm Drax Global, already facing scrutiny for violating environmental regulations, disclosed this year that its Louisiana wood pellet production facilities emit hazardous air pollutants above permitted limits.

“David was imprisoned in his home when the neighbor fired up the wood heater, but staying inside didn’t protect him enough...”

News and extras | David’s story from Canberra David Bolton was a 66-year old Australian pensioner with a serious lung disease who passed away after years of struggling with the pollution from a wood-burning neighbor.

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-home/domestic-log-burners-fine-uk-council/

Officials begin imposing fines after finding popular home feature tied to severe public health risk: 'Awareness of the exposure that takes place in the home is currently very low' Wakefield Council in West Yorkshire has issued its first fine for the illegal use of wood-burning fires in homes.

KEEP A SMOKE-FREE HOME THESE WILDFIRE RIDDEN WEEKS
https://www.uphe.org/2024/07/23/keep-a-smoke-free-home-these-wildfire-ridden-weeks/

Good article but would have been better if headline was changed from “may” to ”will”…

Snug but unsafe: your heater may be harming your health. What are your safest choices? Any heater that burns fuel without adequate ventilation is dangerous in a home – and none are as safe or efficient as a reverse-cycle air conditioner.

UPHE has sounded the alarm for years that the most dangerous type of air pollution the average person ever inhales is wood smoke, whether it's from wildfires, prescribed burns, fireplaces, or wood and pellet stoves. A new large study of 1.2 million people validates that claim & more.

The study found a dramatic increase in the risk of dementia over three years with exposure to wildfire smoke. More than 20 times the risk from other types of air pollution.

And the likely reasons are extremely small particles, ultrafine PM, are produced by wildfires, they are saturated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals, and they can bypass the lungs and the brain's normal micro-anatomic defenses (blood/brain barrier), allowing direct access to the brain by being absorbed through the lining of the nose.

We encourage everyone to avoid wood smoke as much as possible. Don't burn wood yourself, don't patronize restaurants that use a wood stove.

The US Forest Service's love affair with "forest management"--logging, thinning, slash pile burning and prescribed burns is malpractice. In most cases it doesn't help prevent wildfires from happening, it's often actually counter productive, because it makes the forest canopy hotter, drier, and windier, the three main risk factors for spreading wildfires.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/wildfire-smoke-increases-dementia-risk-110008555.html

https://canberradaily.com.au/act-government-boosts-rebates-to-ban-wood-fires-by-2045/

ACT Government boosts rebates to ban wood fires by 2045 | Canberra Daily The ACT Government will double rebates to remove woodfire heaters – part of its campaign to ban wood heaters by 2045.

Hopefully the resident being smoked out by her neighbors will move forward with her threat to bring an action under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Sad that she has to, but think some case law here would help everyone suffering from neighbor’s wood smoke pollution.

Curwensville Boro Council takes no action on burning ordinance CURWENSVILLE — Curwensville Borough Council members said for the present time, council plans to make no changes to its burning ordinance, including the section that addresses recreational fires.

https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/when-deep-breath-can-make-you-sick

When a deep breath can make you sick | Queen's Gazette Queen’s-led research team secures $2M to investigate how wildfire smoke impacts asthma patients.

Well, at least it’s a start…

First ‘log burner fine’ issued to Wakefield resident under new council powers Wakefield Council has issued its first fine under new powers to clamp down on illegal use of domestic log burners.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9e940455leo

Reading: Homes smoke fines set to cover whole of town Anyone who flouts the smoke control area from December could be fined up to £300 by the council.

If only the people who cared about clean air would start showing up like this…

Curwensville Council: No immediate plans to revise burning ordinance CURWENSVILLE — Curwensville Borough Council President Sean McCracken had some advice for a large contingent of people who attended Monday’s Curwensville Borough Council meeting concerning a misleading post on Facebook.

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/regional-news/residents-risk-300-fines-using-9229077

Residents face £300 fines for using log burners in South Gloucestershire Council leaders approved the introduction of financial penalties in the district's smoke control area but insisted it was not a blanket ban on domestic solid fuel, fires or stoves

The latest from Dr. Brian Moench:

The Supreme Court suspends the ‘Good Neighbor’ EPA air quality rule – Utah Physicians for Healthy Environment Just prior to the devastating Chevron ruling, the Supreme Court canonized another major environmental/public health setback. It suspended a crucial air quality rule designed to protect states and residents from their neighboring states’ inadequate industrial pollution controls. UPHE and other envi...

https://www.ptleader.com/stories/campfires-are-still-popular-but-more-people-wonder-about-smoke,171527

Campfires are still popular but more people wonder about smoke - Port Townsend Leader Using wood for heat is something humans have done for more than 50,000 years.  A crackling fire has emotional appeal and it is inexpensive.  However, there are a few drawbacks which apply …

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4741195-wood-burning-industry-emissions-climate-report/ #:~:text=Burning%20trees%20for%20energy%20really%20does%20heat%20the%20climate%2C%20scientists%20argue,-by%20Saul%20Elbein&text=A%20rising%20push%20to%20pull,other

Burning trees for energy really does heat the climate, scientists argue A rising push to pull energy from the world’s forests is heating the planet — despite industry claims otherwise, a new report argues. The report from Princeton researcher Timothy Searchin…

https://www.thenewlede.org/2024/06/postcard-from-california-the-human-cost-of-living-with-wildfires/

Postcard from California: The human cost of living with wildfires By Bill Walker The toll of wildfire in California is staggering: In the last 10 years, wildfires have burned more than 13.6 million acres of the state and taken the lives of 144 people, including 15 firefighters. The state estimates property damages from the more than 93,000 wildfires in those years...

https://www.voanews.com/a/report-air-pollution-linked-to-nearly-2000-child-deaths-a-day/7661807.html

Report: Air pollution linked to nearly 2,000 child deaths a day Annual State of Global Air report by UNICEF found air pollution contributed to deaths of more than 700,000 children under the age of five

False Advertising of the Year Award should go to this wood stove manufacturer claiming that wood stoves are the solution to the climate crisis…

Limit Climate Change to 1.5c Will be Won or Lost This Decade. | Charlton & Jenrick The effects of climate change have already been evident in recent months. March this year represented the 10th consecutive monthly record in a warming

https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/burning-wood-is-not-renewable-energy-so-why-do-policymakers-pretend-it-is/

Burning wood is not ‘renewable energy,’ so why do policymakers pretend it is? Justin Catanoso is no stranger to wood pellet plants, as he lives near four of them in the U.S. state of North Carolina, where biomass giant Enviva has several facilities. While that company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this year, it remains the single largest producer of wood pellets globally. T...

“The research is the first to quantify the long-term impacts of chronic exposure to PM2.5 specifically from wildfires, rather than other sources…”

Wildfire smoke prematurely killed over 50,000 Californians in a decade – study Exposure to toxic particles also led to $432bn in health expenses between 2008 and 2018