Wednesday June 8, 2016 is Clean Air Day, part of Canadian Environment Week. From Environment and Climate Change Canada's website we learn that:
"Clean Air Day raises awareness and encourages action on clean air and climate change issues. Canadians can show their commitment by participating in activities that contribute to cleaner air, healthier comunities and a better quality of life for all."
The day used to appear on Woodstock's City Services Calendar, but seems to have been dropped from this year's edition.
The omission is hardly surprising, given that Woodstock allows one of the dirtiest air-related practices imaginable: open air burning.
So, in honour of Clean Air Day, here are some excerpts from "17 reasons to ban wood burning", by the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment:
"1. Wood smoke is the most toxic type of pollution in most cities, more dangerous than auto pollution and most industrial pollution. Lighting a wood fire...is like starting up your own toxic incinerator."
"8. If you smell wood smoke, you know you are being harmed. The sweet smell comes from deadly compounds like benzene."
"16. People should have just as much protection from wood smoke as from cigarette smoke and for all the same reasons."
Clean Air Day is obviously too embarrassing an occasion to be noticed by Woodstock Council - at least as long as we have an Open Air Burning Bylaw on the books.
The above text appeared as a UR Opinion post on the Sentinel Review's website on May 29, 2016.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
A second letter to WEAC
Dear WEAC
I would like to bring to your attention two more items related to wood smoke:
1) the article by Sarah MacWhirter entitled: The quest for cleaner fire, published in the Globe and Mail on Feb. 17, 2016:
www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/design/the-quest-for-cleaner-fire-why-its-time-to-rethink-our-favourite-way-to-get-warm/article28780027/
2) The Code of Practice for Residential Wood Burning Appliances, by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2012.
www.ccme.ca/files/Resources/air/wood_burning/pn_1479_wood_burning_code_eng.pdf
Thank you again for your consideration; I hope you get a quorum at your next meeting.
I would like to bring to your attention two more items related to wood smoke:
1) the article by Sarah MacWhirter entitled: The quest for cleaner fire, published in the Globe and Mail on Feb. 17, 2016:
www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/design/the-quest-for-cleaner-fire-why-its-time-to-rethink-our-favourite-way-to-get-warm/article28780027/
2) The Code of Practice for Residential Wood Burning Appliances, by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2012.
www.ccme.ca/files/Resources/air/wood_burning/pn_1479_wood_burning_code_eng.pdf
Thank you again for your consideration; I hope you get a quorum at your next meeting.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Letter to WEAC
Dear Woodstock Environmental Advisory Committee
I have followed with interest your anti-idling campaign, for which you are to be commended.
Given that air quality is of concern to you, I am puzzled why you have not addressed the issue of wood smoke.
On October 15, 2013, I addressed your committee on the subject of open air burning.
On February 12, 2014, I received an e-mail response from you which included the statement: "At this time we do not feel that there is enough evidence to support a passable recommendation to Council to ban open air burning in the City of Woodstock."
One might wonder why the committee would need assurance that a recommendation would be "passable". Open air burning is prohibited by the Ontario Fire Code, and municipalities have to do end runs around this legislation by passing their own bylaws, as Woodstock did in 2013.
I am writing to you today to request that WEAC revisit this issue.
You could substantially improve local air quality and the health of residents by:
1) advising Council to revoke the Open Air Burning Bylaw
2) launching a public awareness campaign concerning the dangers of wood smoke.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
I have followed with interest your anti-idling campaign, for which you are to be commended.
Given that air quality is of concern to you, I am puzzled why you have not addressed the issue of wood smoke.
To put wood smoke in the context of idling vehicles and anti-smoking bylaws: air quality experts in California (SCAQMD) equate the per-minute particulate emissions from a bonfire to:
- the emissions of three average big-rig diesel trucks
- the secondhand smoke from 800 cigarettes.
There are links to this statement, to a variety of health and government websites, and to examples of superior legislation from other municipalities on my blog:
www.cleanairforwoodstock.blogspot.ca.
For a good overview of the dangers of wood smoke I particularly recommend:
UPHE: 17 reasons to ban wood burning
Harris, Sam. The fireplace delusion
Shufro, Cathy. Wood stove smoke is killing us
Wood smoke is chemically very similar to tobacco smoke, and is a well-documented health and environmental hazard. Residents of Woodstock suffer year-round from recreational burning of wood in fireplaces and fire pits.
On October 15, 2013, I addressed your committee on the subject of open air burning.
On February 12, 2014, I received an e-mail response from you which included the statement: "At this time we do not feel that there is enough evidence to support a passable recommendation to Council to ban open air burning in the City of Woodstock."
One might wonder why the committee would need assurance that a recommendation would be "passable". Open air burning is prohibited by the Ontario Fire Code, and municipalities have to do end runs around this legislation by passing their own bylaws, as Woodstock did in 2013.
I am writing to you today to request that WEAC revisit this issue.
You could substantially improve local air quality and the health of residents by:
1) advising Council to revoke the Open Air Burning Bylaw
2) launching a public awareness campaign concerning the dangers of wood smoke.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
The holiday tradition we would be better off without
Quiz: what holiday tradition is bad for everyone's health, and also bad for the planet?
Hint: "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."
Yes, that cheerful wood-burning fireplace that confronts us everywhere in image and song at this time of year, is actually a little toxic incinerator.
Wood smoke is very similar to second-hand tobacco smoke, comprised of many of the same carcinogenic chemicals, plus an extra dose of lung-clogging fine particulate matter. Seniors and children are at most risk, but anyone with allergies, asthma, heart or lung problems may suffer a medical crisis from exposure to smoke from a nearby home.
The Canadian Lung Association recommends that wood NOT be burned in homes; check their website for their statement on Residential Wood Burning, under "Expert Opinions".
Peace, goodwill, clean air, and good health to all.
The above text appeared as a UR Opinion piece on the Sentinel Review's website on Dec. 15, 2015.
Further reading, links at right:
The fireplace delusion, by Sam Harris
UPHE 17 reasons to ban wood burning
Hint: "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."
Yes, that cheerful wood-burning fireplace that confronts us everywhere in image and song at this time of year, is actually a little toxic incinerator.
Wood smoke is very similar to second-hand tobacco smoke, comprised of many of the same carcinogenic chemicals, plus an extra dose of lung-clogging fine particulate matter. Seniors and children are at most risk, but anyone with allergies, asthma, heart or lung problems may suffer a medical crisis from exposure to smoke from a nearby home.
The Canadian Lung Association recommends that wood NOT be burned in homes; check their website for their statement on Residential Wood Burning, under "Expert Opinions".
Peace, goodwill, clean air, and good health to all.
The above text appeared as a UR Opinion piece on the Sentinel Review's website on Dec. 15, 2015.
Further reading, links at right:
The fireplace delusion, by Sam Harris
UPHE 17 reasons to ban wood burning
Monday, October 19, 2015
Air quality, wood smoke, and health
Congratulations to Oxford Public Health on the recent news as reported by Heather Rivers: "Smoking, asthma rates drop".
The article ends with a quote from Susan MacIsaac (Manager, Health Promotion): "Air quality has been a priority in this community".
Oxford Health has recently updated its website to include information on air quality in general, and open air burning in particular. The County joins the Governments of Canada and Ontario, The Canadian Lung Association, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Heart & Stroke Foundation in publicizing the dangers of wood smoke to human health and to the environment.
The best advice offered is also the simplest: DO NOT BURN WOOD.
Unfortunately for residents of Woodstock and Ingersoll, existing bylaws permit the burning of wood in backyards.
Could we ask our elected officials to join with the County in making air quality a priority, and rid us of open air burning?
The above was published as a letter to the editor in the Sentinel Review on October 1, 2015, with the headline: DO NOT BURN WOOD.
The article ends with a quote from Susan MacIsaac (Manager, Health Promotion): "Air quality has been a priority in this community".
Oxford Health has recently updated its website to include information on air quality in general, and open air burning in particular. The County joins the Governments of Canada and Ontario, The Canadian Lung Association, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Heart & Stroke Foundation in publicizing the dangers of wood smoke to human health and to the environment.
The best advice offered is also the simplest: DO NOT BURN WOOD.
Unfortunately for residents of Woodstock and Ingersoll, existing bylaws permit the burning of wood in backyards.
Could we ask our elected officials to join with the County in making air quality a priority, and rid us of open air burning?
The above was published as a letter to the editor in the Sentinel Review on October 1, 2015, with the headline: DO NOT BURN WOOD.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Why Woodstock is a great place to live
Woodstock is a great place to live, because:
1) We are considerate of our neighbours; we even have a noise bylaw (Chapter 0825)
2) We care about air quality; we have an anti-idling bylaw (Chapter 818)
3) We worry about damaging our children's lungs; we have a bylaw that prohibits smoking near playground equipment (Chapter 0835)
But wait a minute; we also have an Open Air Burning Bylaw (Chapter 0827), which shows that we:
1) don't care about bothering neighbours
2) don't care about air quality
3) don't care about damaging everybody's lungs, including our children's.
What was my opening statement, again?
This was submitted to the Sentinel Review as a letter to the editor and published on July 3, 2015, although the title was changed by the newspaper.
1) We are considerate of our neighbours; we even have a noise bylaw (Chapter 0825)
2) We care about air quality; we have an anti-idling bylaw (Chapter 818)
3) We worry about damaging our children's lungs; we have a bylaw that prohibits smoking near playground equipment (Chapter 0835)
But wait a minute; we also have an Open Air Burning Bylaw (Chapter 0827), which shows that we:
1) don't care about bothering neighbours
2) don't care about air quality
3) don't care about damaging everybody's lungs, including our children's.
What was my opening statement, again?
This was submitted to the Sentinel Review as a letter to the editor and published on July 3, 2015, although the title was changed by the newspaper.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Clean Air Day: shall we light the fire pit?
June 3 2015 is Clean Air Day, part of Canadian Environment Week.
The day seems to pass unremarked in Woodstock, probably because we are home to more than 1200 little legal toxic incinerators, otherwise known as fire pits, thanks to our Open Air Burning Bylaw. In Ontario most open air burning is prohibited by the Fire Code, unless the municipal government does an end run around that legislation and grants permission by passing its own bylaw, as Woodstock Council did in 2013.
So to mark the day, here is an excerpt from The Fireplace Delusion by Sam Harris (full text can be found on the internet):
"Here is what we know from a scientific point of view: There is no amount of wood smoke that is good to breathe. It is at least as bad for you as cigarette smoke, and probably much worse. (One study found it to be 30 times more potent a carcinogen.) The smoke from an ordinary wood fire contains hundreds of compounds known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and irritating to the respiratory system. Most of the particles generated by burning wood are smaller than one micron--a size believed to be most damaging to our lungs. In fact, these particles are so fine that they can evade our mucociliary defenses and travel directly into the bloodstream, posing a risk to the heart. Particles this size also resist gravitational settling, remaining airborne for weeks at a time."
To all those who are ready to comment that they "LOVE THE SMELL OF WOODSMOKE!", please remember that "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts". Try to locate and quote some credible sources to support your position, if you would like to convince us that it's okay for you and everyone around you to breathe the smoke generated by your fire pit.
The above text appeared as a "UR Opinion" on the Sentinel Review's website on June 2, 2015.
The day seems to pass unremarked in Woodstock, probably because we are home to more than 1200 little legal toxic incinerators, otherwise known as fire pits, thanks to our Open Air Burning Bylaw. In Ontario most open air burning is prohibited by the Fire Code, unless the municipal government does an end run around that legislation and grants permission by passing its own bylaw, as Woodstock Council did in 2013.
So to mark the day, here is an excerpt from The Fireplace Delusion by Sam Harris (full text can be found on the internet):
"Here is what we know from a scientific point of view: There is no amount of wood smoke that is good to breathe. It is at least as bad for you as cigarette smoke, and probably much worse. (One study found it to be 30 times more potent a carcinogen.) The smoke from an ordinary wood fire contains hundreds of compounds known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and irritating to the respiratory system. Most of the particles generated by burning wood are smaller than one micron--a size believed to be most damaging to our lungs. In fact, these particles are so fine that they can evade our mucociliary defenses and travel directly into the bloodstream, posing a risk to the heart. Particles this size also resist gravitational settling, remaining airborne for weeks at a time."
To all those who are ready to comment that they "LOVE THE SMELL OF WOODSMOKE!", please remember that "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts". Try to locate and quote some credible sources to support your position, if you would like to convince us that it's okay for you and everyone around you to breathe the smoke generated by your fire pit.
The above text appeared as a "UR Opinion" on the Sentinel Review's website on June 2, 2015.
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