Woodsmoke victims caught in bureaucratic nightmare-Canada

Woodsmoke victims caught in bureaucratic nightmare

Published on August 4th, 2010 in The Western Star
A Province on the East Coast of Canada

Dear editor: Trapped in clouds of heavy plumes of tainted acrid smelling woodsmoke and in a bureaucratic system wrapped in red tape and apathy, the Victims of Woodsmoke Pollution are left to cope with a nightmare in their lives all alone and with no help in sight.

While millions of Canadians are suffering from woodsmoke health-related issues, the Canadian government, elected leaders and municipalities have rebuffed their pleas for immediate or any action to ban woodsmoke.

Woodsmoke pollution has become a Canadian crisis of monumental proportion. The victims of woodsmoke are physically suffering from asthma, COPD, cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, cancer and other woodsmoke-related diseases. Their quality of life has been diminished. They are receiving no help from their government.

Government has been informed and alerted by victims across the entire nation about this woodsmoke crisis and have done nothing.

Ongoing communication with many levels of government only send the suffering Victims of Woodsmoke Pollution in a circle of desperation without one single iota of help or hope.

They are left with weakened immune systems and an ongoing assault of health concerns and thoughts of their impending demise. One by one the Victims of Woodsmoke Pollution topple into the abyss, neglected by their government.

Too many continue to suffer health-related issues from breathing the toxic chemicals in woodsmoke. Woodsmoke victims will remain vigilant and determined to see that one day the citizens of Canada will have the right and common decency to breathe healthy air, woodsmoke-free. Urban areas must be protected from all woodsmoke pollution. We are protected from tobacco smoke, yet woodsmoke is even worse for our health than tobacco smoke. Both cause suffering, illness and death.

The proximity of our homes and lungs are in the direct line of woodsmoke from neighbours’ woodsmoke. Woodsmoke pollution comes from woodburning fire places, woodburning stoves, and all outdoor open air burns. There no longer exists a need to pollute, saturate, and smother lives in toxic woodsmoke, hazed-filled clouds. Many cleaner methods of heating are available within urban areas.

Our bureaucratic process has failed us. Our life hangs on the balance of impending doom and more continued suffering until our government takes action to ban all outdoor open air burns across our nation and until regulations are implemented to phase out the use of woodburning stoves and woodburning fireplaces in all urban areas. No exceptions.

Will the Victims of Woodsmoke Pollution continue to be lost and forgotten in this bureaucratic nightmare wrapped in red tape or will our government awaken to the suffering and needs of our nation and ban all outdoor open air burns?

Linda Baker Beaudin, Cornwall, Ont.

Webmaster comment: To All Canadians
Please contact and join with this dynamic writer and supporter of wood burning bans in Canada.

Linda Baker Beaudin
Founder, Air is Precious
P O Box 22049
1236 Brookdale Avenue
Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
K6J 4P8
airisprecious@gmail.com