World Asthma Day, May 4th
World Asthma day will happen on May 4th. Around the globe we will become more aware of those who suffer with Asthma.
One confirmed and definite known trigger of Asthma is Woodsmoke Pollution. Exposure to the toxic emissions from Woodsmoke can worsen or even cause a life threatening reaction. Over 5,900 Canadians die each year due to air pollution. Six million Canadians will experience some form of lung disease. One Canadian dies every 20 minutes due to lung disease. Childhood asthma rates continue to soar world-wide. Millions depend of the use of their puffers (or inhaled medications) which enables them to breathe freely. These statistics are alarming and soaring.
Sadly, even with scientific evidence available, documented research that validates the claims that Woodsmoke is a deadly silent killer, Woodsmoke pollution still continues in many urban areas to destroy health and the quality of life of millions.
A few Canadian cities are becoming informed and taking action to end all outdoor open air burns and Woodsmoke in their community. Most cities have done absolutely nothing to help those with Asthma. These cities and communities sit idly by and silent instead of taking action to end outdoor open air burns and Woodsmoke. These elected officials are neglecting the health and safety of all their residents. One outdoor open air burn can affect an entire neighbourhood and contribute to the suffering and severity of Asthma patients and those with other respiratory disease.
The Canadian Lung Association states: “Do your part to reduce air pollution and encourage others to keep the air clean” Now, if only our political leaders, City Mayors and Members of council would follow the wise words of our Lung Association, many would be able to breathe the fresh unadulterated air so needed in order to stay healthy.
The American Lung Association goes further in their advice stating: “Avoid burning wood. Avoid use of wood burning in indoor and outdoor fireplaces. Just like tobacco smoke, wood smoke pollution is harmful to your health. Wood burning comprises 33 percent of particle pollution during the winter in some areas. Cleaner burning alternatives such as natural gas and electric fireplaces are available for the glow without the smoke!”
Take the steps needed to end Woodsmoke Pollution in your community. Taking action will help those who suffer daily trying to breathe. We all deserve the right and common decency to breathe healthy air—woodsmoke-free. Become Informed about Asthma and Woodsmoke Pollution!
Make ending Woodsmoke Pollution Your Number One Priority! Your life and breath depend on it. Whether you have Asthma or not, we all need to breathe air that is not polluted with woodsmoke emissions. To take action to end Woodsmoke will be the best way to recognize and support World Asthma Day! Don’t sit idly by and silent like too many of our local and national leaders in Canada are doing right now. Tell them to Ban Outdoor Open Air Burns and Woodsmoke....Now!
Submitted by:
Linda Baker Beaudin
Founder, Air Is Precious
975 Brookdale Avenue
P.O. Box 22049
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
K6J 4P5
e-mail airisprecious@gmail.com
BARRIE CITY COUNCIL SAYS NO BAN-BUT PEOPLE SAY WE WANT BAN!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Note...The city of Barrie, Ontario, Canada, recently said NO to banning outdoor open air burns. Mostly these outdoor open air burns were fueled by wood. Woodsmoke saturated air aimlessly drifts over all the residents of Barrie everyday. But, many Barrie residents are saying...enough is enough. Ban ALL outdoor open air burns..NOW!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From the Barrie Examiner:
April 15, 2010
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Fires not fun for neighbours
Posted By
Posted 8 hours ago
(Re: "Shut your windows," in the April 10 edition of the Examiner)
Chimineas should have been banned two years ago when the first debate in council was held.
I lobbied my Ward 7 councillor (John Brassard) in this regard, to no avail.
Thank you to Alex Harvey and Jennifer Mills for their common sense approach to this nuisance and health concern.
Coun. Lynn Strachan, thank you for your concerns, as well. Keep it going.
What mentality needs to light a fire when the humidex is in the high 30s to 40s, the air quality is dangerously high and we are asked to keep our air conditioners at a minimum due to hydro consumption at a peak.
Not to mention sparks flying on top of neighbouring roofs.
To Sue Watson I say: "I may have to keep my windows closed, but I will never shut my mouth (as suggested by you in your letter) as long as my taxes are paid and the Canadian flag flies in my country."
If you want to pollute the air and cause your neighbours distress, then by all means move to the bush.
People living on 30-and 40- foot lots should not be allowed to light fires for any reason. Cook your hot dogs on the stove in your kitchen.
To Daryl Bradshaw, I am so thankful that I live in a city knowing there are firefighters at the ready if I need them. I have lived in Barrie for 48 years and have never seen fire trucks driving around aimlessly.
Hopefully, city councillors can make a decision for a change and ban these health hazards once and for all.
Why it has to go on for another two years is extremely poor judgment.
Doris Falkeisen Barrie
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Looking for relief from the smoke
Posted By
Posted 8 hours ago
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
(Re: "Chiminea group fighting for freedom," in the April 8 edition of the Examiner)
We have been all through this with cigarette smoking -- freedom to poison the air of others.
My wife and I, in our seventies, have spent many evenings the last three years unable to enjoy our backyard due to heavy smoke pollution from neighbours enjoying their campfires.
On the hottest, stillest nights, we have been forced to keep our windows shut, overheated from the day's sunshine, and still the smoke penetrates into our home.
My wife is on medication and puffers for lung congestion, and after spending eight hours from eight o'clock in the evening, to three o'clock in the morning breathing in the toxic fumes, she spends the next several days with a terrible cough and throat congestion.
The smoke bothers me as well, as both of us must use unscented soaps and cleaning fluids.
The provincial and federal governments have information related to wood-burning smoke that details particulates and cancer-causing chemicals released in the smoke. As well, burning wood produces tons of carbon dioxide that the experts tell us is causing global warming.
Breathing in this smoke is extremely unhealthy for yourselves, your children, and your neighbours.
This city has banned burning leaves in the fall due to pollution, banned smoking around others for health reasons, and should not allow wood smoke to be forced into our lungs.
We require the freedom to enjoy clean air, to be able to enjoy our backyard every summer night, and to be able to sleep comfortably at night with our windows wide open for clean, fresh air.
There is a better way to enjoy a backyard fire.
There are gas outdoor fire places available that do not harm the health of others, and are safe for all to use.
Gary Taylor Barrie Barrie
+++++++++++++++++
City should ban chimineas right now
Posted By
Posted 5 days ago
Letter to the Editor
(Re: "Chiminea ban the last straw" in April 3 edition of the Examiner)
Regarding Steve Chapman's letter concerning the ban of chiminea backyard appliances.
I just want to say that I wish the City of Barrie would ban them immediately instead of making me suffer two more seasons with those smelly, smoking firepits, until 2012. I wrote a previous letter concerning these backyard fire contraptions and the health issues associated with burning wood. Not only did I mention the health aspect, but also the cost to the taxpayers of Barrie to attend all the false fire calls. The City of Barrie issued 4,500 permits for these devices and every night in the spring, summer, or fall I have to suffer breathing thick smoke in my townhouse, or I have to shut every window in my house.
I am upset these chimineas were allowed to be used in Barrie in the first place.
At least towns like Newmarket were smart enough to ban them before the problem started.
If the people in Barrie want backyard cookouts over a wood fire, let them go rent a campsite and let us breathe clean air.
Alex Harvey Barrie
++++++++++++++++++
No chiminea ban means gas masks
Posted By
Posted 42 mins ago
April 16, 2010
I am very disappointed that Barrie City Council decided not to ban chimineas totally and forever. If my councillor voted to keep these smelly backyard chimineas, he will never get my vote again.
You reported that there were 202 calls for fire assistance for these chimineas in 2009 and that 10% of the calls were to the same address. Well, that makes at least 20 calls to the same address at $450 a visit. I would charge the homeowner of this property the $9,000 he owes the taxpayers of Barrie or put it on his next municipal tax bill. The fire chief of Barrie should stand up and demand that these chimineas be banned, now. Look at what these chimineas have done to our neighbourhood.
Now we have neighbours yelling and fighting with each other. With chimineas come the alcohol, loud music, cigarette and pot smoke, and loud voices. I'm moving to Newmarket if Barrie does not ban chimineas . The mayor of Barrie does not get my support either. Does anybody know where I can buy a good respirator or gas mask? I'm going to need one now that chimineas are not banned.
Margaret Swanson Barrie
Webmaster comment to above letter by Ms. Swanson. In addition to chimineas, you also want all outdoor open air burns banned. This includes outdoor wood boilers (OWB), wood burning fire pits, fireplaces, fire pots, fire rings, etc.
++++++++++++++
Webmaster---The City of Barrie needs to hear these pleas. It is time to ban all outdoor open air burns...NOW!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From the Barrie Examiner:
April 15, 2010
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Fires not fun for neighbours
Posted By
Posted 8 hours ago
(Re: "Shut your windows," in the April 10 edition of the Examiner)
Chimineas should have been banned two years ago when the first debate in council was held.
I lobbied my Ward 7 councillor (John Brassard) in this regard, to no avail.
Thank you to Alex Harvey and Jennifer Mills for their common sense approach to this nuisance and health concern.
Coun. Lynn Strachan, thank you for your concerns, as well. Keep it going.
What mentality needs to light a fire when the humidex is in the high 30s to 40s, the air quality is dangerously high and we are asked to keep our air conditioners at a minimum due to hydro consumption at a peak.
Not to mention sparks flying on top of neighbouring roofs.
To Sue Watson I say: "I may have to keep my windows closed, but I will never shut my mouth (as suggested by you in your letter) as long as my taxes are paid and the Canadian flag flies in my country."
If you want to pollute the air and cause your neighbours distress, then by all means move to the bush.
People living on 30-and 40- foot lots should not be allowed to light fires for any reason. Cook your hot dogs on the stove in your kitchen.
To Daryl Bradshaw, I am so thankful that I live in a city knowing there are firefighters at the ready if I need them. I have lived in Barrie for 48 years and have never seen fire trucks driving around aimlessly.
Hopefully, city councillors can make a decision for a change and ban these health hazards once and for all.
Why it has to go on for another two years is extremely poor judgment.
Doris Falkeisen Barrie
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Looking for relief from the smoke
Posted By
Posted 8 hours ago
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
(Re: "Chiminea group fighting for freedom," in the April 8 edition of the Examiner)
We have been all through this with cigarette smoking -- freedom to poison the air of others.
My wife and I, in our seventies, have spent many evenings the last three years unable to enjoy our backyard due to heavy smoke pollution from neighbours enjoying their campfires.
On the hottest, stillest nights, we have been forced to keep our windows shut, overheated from the day's sunshine, and still the smoke penetrates into our home.
My wife is on medication and puffers for lung congestion, and after spending eight hours from eight o'clock in the evening, to three o'clock in the morning breathing in the toxic fumes, she spends the next several days with a terrible cough and throat congestion.
The smoke bothers me as well, as both of us must use unscented soaps and cleaning fluids.
The provincial and federal governments have information related to wood-burning smoke that details particulates and cancer-causing chemicals released in the smoke. As well, burning wood produces tons of carbon dioxide that the experts tell us is causing global warming.
Breathing in this smoke is extremely unhealthy for yourselves, your children, and your neighbours.
This city has banned burning leaves in the fall due to pollution, banned smoking around others for health reasons, and should not allow wood smoke to be forced into our lungs.
We require the freedom to enjoy clean air, to be able to enjoy our backyard every summer night, and to be able to sleep comfortably at night with our windows wide open for clean, fresh air.
There is a better way to enjoy a backyard fire.
There are gas outdoor fire places available that do not harm the health of others, and are safe for all to use.
Gary Taylor Barrie Barrie
+++++++++++++++++
City should ban chimineas right now
Posted By
Posted 5 days ago
Letter to the Editor
(Re: "Chiminea ban the last straw" in April 3 edition of the Examiner)
Regarding Steve Chapman's letter concerning the ban of chiminea backyard appliances.
I just want to say that I wish the City of Barrie would ban them immediately instead of making me suffer two more seasons with those smelly, smoking firepits, until 2012. I wrote a previous letter concerning these backyard fire contraptions and the health issues associated with burning wood. Not only did I mention the health aspect, but also the cost to the taxpayers of Barrie to attend all the false fire calls. The City of Barrie issued 4,500 permits for these devices and every night in the spring, summer, or fall I have to suffer breathing thick smoke in my townhouse, or I have to shut every window in my house.
I am upset these chimineas were allowed to be used in Barrie in the first place.
At least towns like Newmarket were smart enough to ban them before the problem started.
If the people in Barrie want backyard cookouts over a wood fire, let them go rent a campsite and let us breathe clean air.
Alex Harvey Barrie
++++++++++++++++++
No chiminea ban means gas masks
Posted By
Posted 42 mins ago
April 16, 2010
I am very disappointed that Barrie City Council decided not to ban chimineas totally and forever. If my councillor voted to keep these smelly backyard chimineas, he will never get my vote again.
You reported that there were 202 calls for fire assistance for these chimineas in 2009 and that 10% of the calls were to the same address. Well, that makes at least 20 calls to the same address at $450 a visit. I would charge the homeowner of this property the $9,000 he owes the taxpayers of Barrie or put it on his next municipal tax bill. The fire chief of Barrie should stand up and demand that these chimineas be banned, now. Look at what these chimineas have done to our neighbourhood.
Now we have neighbours yelling and fighting with each other. With chimineas come the alcohol, loud music, cigarette and pot smoke, and loud voices. I'm moving to Newmarket if Barrie does not ban chimineas . The mayor of Barrie does not get my support either. Does anybody know where I can buy a good respirator or gas mask? I'm going to need one now that chimineas are not banned.
Margaret Swanson Barrie
Webmaster comment to above letter by Ms. Swanson. In addition to chimineas, you also want all outdoor open air burns banned. This includes outdoor wood boilers (OWB), wood burning fire pits, fireplaces, fire pots, fire rings, etc.
++++++++++++++
Webmaster---The City of Barrie needs to hear these pleas. It is time to ban all outdoor open air burns...NOW!
Air Quality Monitoring Is A Charade-Canada
Friday, April 9, 2010
Air quality monitoring is a charade
Red Deer Advocate
By Advocate news services
Published: April 07, 2010 8:49 AM
No sophisticated air quality studies are needed to realize that Red Deer has a serious air pollution problem.
The air stinks of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals in acres of the city where residents are burning wood in their stoves and fireplaces.
The smoke and fumes are a threat to the health and lives of neighbours but dissipate before reaching an air quality monitor.
Even if emissions reach a monitoring unit, only a few simple chemicals are being monitored and the complex toxins and carcinogens produced by burning wood are not detected.
Surprisingly, only Toronto, which also relies on basic, Alberta-style monitoring, has checked to see if the Air Quality Index (AQI) is an effective indicator of the health impact of air pollution.
It is no surprise that 92 per cent of the pollution related illnesses and deaths are on days when, according to the air quality data, the air quality is “good” to “very good.”
Similarly about 12 years ago, the Suzuki Foundation identified the obvious: neglect of the Big Three sources of urban air pollution — domestic wood burning, automobiles and commercial trucks, was resulting in pollution-related deaths in Edmonton and Calgary (Red Deer was not included.)
Instead of seeing these findings as a need to start addressing urban air quality issues, the findings were rejected as there was no correlation between the AQI and the number of pollution-related deaths.
It is puzzling that so many people are prepared to believe that monitoring a few simple chemicals in a few locations will identify the health implications of urban air pollution.
Monitoring is even too basic to identify the source of pollutants and, in the absence of normal environmental data, several studies have shown that Albertans are most concerned about industrial pollution.
In reality, for urban residents, it is the pollution sources a few metres from your home that are the greatest threat to your family’s health — a busy road or a neighbour’s wood burning stove or fireplace.
The level of toxins and chemicals that cause cancer and birth defects was increasing rapidly in wood-burning areas.
There is nothing surprising about these findings as the emissions from wood or coal burning stoves and fireplaces are a world-wide concern and have been since historical times.
Unfortunately, most cities in the U.S. and Canada use basic Alberta-style monitoring which provides no protection from the most dangerous source of urban pollution — wood burning stoves and fireplaces.
In the seventies, when families found their health affected by the smoke and chemicals from a neighbour’s fireplace, politicians would point out that the data from the monitoring unit, possibly a kilometer away, “proved,” that the city had clean air.
Then as the number of wood burning appliances increased and finally air quality standards were being exceeded, politicians invariably decided that so many residents (voters) were burning wood, that it was now too political to do anything.
Several hundred North American urban centres have already followed this path and there are more every year.
Once fouled by woodsmoke, no city as been able to correct this situation and it will take a future generation that cares for the urban environment for cities to, once again, be healthy places in which to live.
Hopefully, city politicians will institute burning bans along the lines of U.S. cities when calm conditions are forecast and smoke is not expected to disperse.
In addition, the city needs to ban further installation of wood burning appliances and borrowing an idea from the British, all levels of government should cover the cost of converting existing dirty-fuel appliances to burn natural gas.
Allan Smith is a former member of the Urban Environmental Study Group of the Environmental Council of Alberta
From: Red Deer Advocate website
By Advocate news services
Published: April 07, 2010
Red Deer Advocate
By Advocate news services
Published: April 07, 2010 8:49 AM
No sophisticated air quality studies are needed to realize that Red Deer has a serious air pollution problem.
The air stinks of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals in acres of the city where residents are burning wood in their stoves and fireplaces.
The smoke and fumes are a threat to the health and lives of neighbours but dissipate before reaching an air quality monitor.
Even if emissions reach a monitoring unit, only a few simple chemicals are being monitored and the complex toxins and carcinogens produced by burning wood are not detected.
Surprisingly, only Toronto, which also relies on basic, Alberta-style monitoring, has checked to see if the Air Quality Index (AQI) is an effective indicator of the health impact of air pollution.
It is no surprise that 92 per cent of the pollution related illnesses and deaths are on days when, according to the air quality data, the air quality is “good” to “very good.”
Similarly about 12 years ago, the Suzuki Foundation identified the obvious: neglect of the Big Three sources of urban air pollution — domestic wood burning, automobiles and commercial trucks, was resulting in pollution-related deaths in Edmonton and Calgary (Red Deer was not included.)
Instead of seeing these findings as a need to start addressing urban air quality issues, the findings were rejected as there was no correlation between the AQI and the number of pollution-related deaths.
It is puzzling that so many people are prepared to believe that monitoring a few simple chemicals in a few locations will identify the health implications of urban air pollution.
Monitoring is even too basic to identify the source of pollutants and, in the absence of normal environmental data, several studies have shown that Albertans are most concerned about industrial pollution.
In reality, for urban residents, it is the pollution sources a few metres from your home that are the greatest threat to your family’s health — a busy road or a neighbour’s wood burning stove or fireplace.
The level of toxins and chemicals that cause cancer and birth defects was increasing rapidly in wood-burning areas.
There is nothing surprising about these findings as the emissions from wood or coal burning stoves and fireplaces are a world-wide concern and have been since historical times.
Unfortunately, most cities in the U.S. and Canada use basic Alberta-style monitoring which provides no protection from the most dangerous source of urban pollution — wood burning stoves and fireplaces.
In the seventies, when families found their health affected by the smoke and chemicals from a neighbour’s fireplace, politicians would point out that the data from the monitoring unit, possibly a kilometer away, “proved,” that the city had clean air.
Then as the number of wood burning appliances increased and finally air quality standards were being exceeded, politicians invariably decided that so many residents (voters) were burning wood, that it was now too political to do anything.
Several hundred North American urban centres have already followed this path and there are more every year.
Once fouled by woodsmoke, no city as been able to correct this situation and it will take a future generation that cares for the urban environment for cities to, once again, be healthy places in which to live.
Hopefully, city politicians will institute burning bans along the lines of U.S. cities when calm conditions are forecast and smoke is not expected to disperse.
In addition, the city needs to ban further installation of wood burning appliances and borrowing an idea from the British, all levels of government should cover the cost of converting existing dirty-fuel appliances to burn natural gas.
Allan Smith is a former member of the Urban Environmental Study Group of the Environmental Council of Alberta
From: Red Deer Advocate website
By Advocate news services
Published: April 07, 2010
North St. Paul, MN - The Most Polluted City In The World
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Recreational Fires Must Be Eliminated
WELCOME TO HELL ON EARTH
http://northsaintpaulresident.blogspot.com/
The air is smoky from burning wood in North St. Paul, MN, all the time. It is a nightmare. What used to be a nice place to live has become a living hell.
Fresh air is very rare around here. If you are considering moving to North St. Paul or buying a home here, I strongly recommend that you do not do it no matter how good of a price you get. The only way you will be happy in this town is if you love breathing smoky air almost every day.
The air was smoky 25 out of 31 evenings in July 2009. We had 37 hours of continuous wood smoke in the air Aug. 29th - 31st. There was wood smoke in the air 19 consecutive evenings from Aug. 21st to Sept. 8th. It rained heavily on Aug. 20th, providing the only relief we got from wood smoke for almost three weeks.
Is this a good way to live? No. It is a horrible way to live. Take it from someone who knows. Breathing smoky, polluted air every day is misery.
Every day in this city several people are having recreational fires. Every evening the air is filled with the stench of burning wood. I am one person sick and tired of breathing smoky air every day. Is it too much to ask to be able to breathe fresh air in your own home?
Who is responsible for this wood smoke nightmare? The four city council members are responsible. Council members Jan Walczak, Bob Bruton, Terry Furlong, and Dave Zick support wood smoke. They don't care if you have a child with asthma. They don't care if you have to live like a shut-in because the air is so polluted. They don't care if your sinuses burn because the wood smoke is so heavy.
Our four Council members have defended the rights of a small percentage of households to burn wood daily over the rights of all the rest of us to breathe.
You have no right to breathe under Walczak, Bruton, Furlong, and Zick. Burners have the right to burn wood 49 hours a week recreationally. The rest of us have no rights at all.
If you are considering purchasing real estate in the city of North Saint Paul, Minnesota (55109), factor this blog carefully into your decision. Buying a home in this city means that your kids will breathe smoky air while playing in the yard almost every day. Your baby will breathe smoky air in her crib should you leave the windows open around your house. If you leave your windows open you will wake up in the middle of the night choking on smoky air.
Perhaps worst of all, your utility rates will be high because you will have to run the air conditioner instead of leaving the windows open on a cool summer evening. You have no other choice because almost every night the air is too smoky to breathe in this city. Consider this blog your warning.
North St. Paul, Minnesota, is a wonderful community other than the wood smoke. If we could restore fresh air like we used to enjoy, life would be happy again.
Tell others about this blog!
http://northsaintpaulresident.blogspot.com/
Webmaster comment----Visit this great blogsite. Day after day woodsmoke terror is faced by these residents.
WELCOME TO HELL ON EARTH
http://northsaintpaulresident.blogspot.com/
The air is smoky from burning wood in North St. Paul, MN, all the time. It is a nightmare. What used to be a nice place to live has become a living hell.
Fresh air is very rare around here. If you are considering moving to North St. Paul or buying a home here, I strongly recommend that you do not do it no matter how good of a price you get. The only way you will be happy in this town is if you love breathing smoky air almost every day.
The air was smoky 25 out of 31 evenings in July 2009. We had 37 hours of continuous wood smoke in the air Aug. 29th - 31st. There was wood smoke in the air 19 consecutive evenings from Aug. 21st to Sept. 8th. It rained heavily on Aug. 20th, providing the only relief we got from wood smoke for almost three weeks.
Is this a good way to live? No. It is a horrible way to live. Take it from someone who knows. Breathing smoky, polluted air every day is misery.
Every day in this city several people are having recreational fires. Every evening the air is filled with the stench of burning wood. I am one person sick and tired of breathing smoky air every day. Is it too much to ask to be able to breathe fresh air in your own home?
Who is responsible for this wood smoke nightmare? The four city council members are responsible. Council members Jan Walczak, Bob Bruton, Terry Furlong, and Dave Zick support wood smoke. They don't care if you have a child with asthma. They don't care if you have to live like a shut-in because the air is so polluted. They don't care if your sinuses burn because the wood smoke is so heavy.
Our four Council members have defended the rights of a small percentage of households to burn wood daily over the rights of all the rest of us to breathe.
You have no right to breathe under Walczak, Bruton, Furlong, and Zick. Burners have the right to burn wood 49 hours a week recreationally. The rest of us have no rights at all.
If you are considering purchasing real estate in the city of North Saint Paul, Minnesota (55109), factor this blog carefully into your decision. Buying a home in this city means that your kids will breathe smoky air while playing in the yard almost every day. Your baby will breathe smoky air in her crib should you leave the windows open around your house. If you leave your windows open you will wake up in the middle of the night choking on smoky air.
Perhaps worst of all, your utility rates will be high because you will have to run the air conditioner instead of leaving the windows open on a cool summer evening. You have no other choice because almost every night the air is too smoky to breathe in this city. Consider this blog your warning.
North St. Paul, Minnesota, is a wonderful community other than the wood smoke. If we could restore fresh air like we used to enjoy, life would be happy again.
Tell others about this blog!
http://northsaintpaulresident.blogspot.com/
Webmaster comment----Visit this great blogsite. Day after day woodsmoke terror is faced by these residents.
Clean Air Matters...In Alberta, Canada
Saturday, April 3, 2010
From: Clean Air Matters! In Alberta
Date: February 21, 2010 9:46:49 AM MST (CA)
To: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
Subject: Environment Canada Public Education Materials: Wood Smoke Needs to be a Major Focus
Hello,
It's good to see the increased focus on clean air for Canadians. However, it's concerning that residential wood burning, a growing cause of indoor and outdoor air pollution, is not directly addressed on the Clean Air Act brochure, and not more strongly discouraged on other pages of the Environment Canada web site.
Wood burning is becoming a problem in many Canadian communities, as wood smoke releases much more fine particle pollution than heating with cleaner burning, non-solid fuels like natural gas and propane. Wood smoke in our neighbourhood has affected the health of my children and me - smoke from outdoor burning this past spring, and neighbourhood wood smoke pollution over this past fall and winter, caused health issues for us that were at times quite serious.
"The time for talk is over. The time for action is now." This statement at the end of the Clean Air Act brochure is so true, but Canadians visiting the Clean Air Act brochure web page and other Environment Canada and government links need to see that it's time to take action immediately toward the elimination of wood smoke emissions in all residential areas where less polluting fuels are available. Many communities are already taking action through public education efforts, regulations and bans, to prevent wood smoke pollution, and protect residents from toxic wood smoke emissions.
Environment Canada needs to show strong leadership and direction in this area. In some US states, air quality has been so harmed by wood burning emissions that major efforts are now needed to turn the tide and actively encourage people to switch to cleaner burning fuels. The American Lung Association has officially stated that people need to choose cleaner burning fuels instead of wood whenever possible. In places like California, even the fireplace industry is making the shift toward gas burning fireplaces in response to the movement away from unnecessary residential wood burning.
The disproportionate emphasis on vehicle and fossil fuels emissions in recent years has obscured the increasingly urgent problem of wood burning emissions, which produce pollution in great amounts that directly impact entire neighbourhoods, and the air quality of whole communities. Environment Canada needs to step in and make a clear distinction between the relatively miniscule emissions from heating with natural gas, propane, or even fuel oil, compared with wood burning, which can produce hundreds of times more particle pollution. In all regions of Canada where cleaner burning fuels are available, Environment Canada should strongly encourage people to use those cleaner burning fuels instead of wood.
In all areas where protective local bylaws are not yet in place to restrict or eliminate wood burning, the need to make people see that burning wood is very harmful for the environment and for community health is urgent. I hope that Environment Canada will consider making wood smoke a major focus of its website, links, and publications. Thank you very much for your consideration of increased attention to this important environment and health issue.
Sincerely,
Cathy Baiton
Lethbridge, Alberta
Date: February 21, 2010 9:46:49 AM MST (CA)
To: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
Subject: Environment Canada Public Education Materials: Wood Smoke Needs to be a Major Focus
Hello,
It's good to see the increased focus on clean air for Canadians. However, it's concerning that residential wood burning, a growing cause of indoor and outdoor air pollution, is not directly addressed on the Clean Air Act brochure, and not more strongly discouraged on other pages of the Environment Canada web site.
Wood burning is becoming a problem in many Canadian communities, as wood smoke releases much more fine particle pollution than heating with cleaner burning, non-solid fuels like natural gas and propane. Wood smoke in our neighbourhood has affected the health of my children and me - smoke from outdoor burning this past spring, and neighbourhood wood smoke pollution over this past fall and winter, caused health issues for us that were at times quite serious.
"The time for talk is over. The time for action is now." This statement at the end of the Clean Air Act brochure is so true, but Canadians visiting the Clean Air Act brochure web page and other Environment Canada and government links need to see that it's time to take action immediately toward the elimination of wood smoke emissions in all residential areas where less polluting fuels are available. Many communities are already taking action through public education efforts, regulations and bans, to prevent wood smoke pollution, and protect residents from toxic wood smoke emissions.
Environment Canada needs to show strong leadership and direction in this area. In some US states, air quality has been so harmed by wood burning emissions that major efforts are now needed to turn the tide and actively encourage people to switch to cleaner burning fuels. The American Lung Association has officially stated that people need to choose cleaner burning fuels instead of wood whenever possible. In places like California, even the fireplace industry is making the shift toward gas burning fireplaces in response to the movement away from unnecessary residential wood burning.
The disproportionate emphasis on vehicle and fossil fuels emissions in recent years has obscured the increasingly urgent problem of wood burning emissions, which produce pollution in great amounts that directly impact entire neighbourhoods, and the air quality of whole communities. Environment Canada needs to step in and make a clear distinction between the relatively miniscule emissions from heating with natural gas, propane, or even fuel oil, compared with wood burning, which can produce hundreds of times more particle pollution. In all regions of Canada where cleaner burning fuels are available, Environment Canada should strongly encourage people to use those cleaner burning fuels instead of wood.
In all areas where protective local bylaws are not yet in place to restrict or eliminate wood burning, the need to make people see that burning wood is very harmful for the environment and for community health is urgent. I hope that Environment Canada will consider making wood smoke a major focus of its website, links, and publications. Thank you very much for your consideration of increased attention to this important environment and health issue.
Sincerely,
Cathy Baiton
Lethbridge, Alberta
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