Emission targets - should the government be promoting wood burning stoves?

[BowlandStoves]

The latest trend in politics is saving the environment and reducing emission targets. Should the government be promoting wood burning stoves (modern stoves which are more efficient) or is the rather bizarre current stance justified - lumping stoves in with open fires and ignoring modern stove efficiency ratings.

 

Interested to hear what people think......

[The avantgardener]

I think hitting wood burner users is just a method of trying to guarantee continued tax revenue from gas/oil.

All my wood is self supplied from renewable coppice sources very close to home so very small carbon footprint but no money going to the government coffers.

On the reverse of that, just along the coast from me at Sandwich is a giant bio mass burner, producing 800 tonnes of chip per day.

 It’s like an all consuming black hole, imagine Jordan and Kerry Katona combined, its is drawing in wood for bio mass from all over the country to supply its quota, even importing from the Baltic states on the cheap, hardly “green” but government backed.

Edited May 9, 2019 by The avantgardener

[BowlandStoves]

I have sussed the politicians out lol

 

Promises like "in 20 years we will be carbon neutral" are promises by people who wont be around to keep them lol By the time the deadlines come they will be long gone and it will be the problem of the next batch of career politicians

[Woodworks]

No, we shouldn't be promoting them. For many and admittedly not all it's a lifestyle statement. Sure it's good for log sales but in the big picture, I think it would be better to push other renewable technologies that don't have all the problematic variables running a stove can have. Spend the rather large sums of money involved in fires and lues on insulation and just need less heat

Edited May 9, 2019 by Woodworks

[The avantgardener]

9 minutes ago, Woodworks said:

No, we shouldn't be promoting them. For many and admittedly not all it's a lifestyle statement. Sure it's good for log sales but in the big picture, I think it would be better to push other renewable technologies that don't have all the problematic variables running a stove can have. Spend the money on insulation and just need less heat

I am all for renewables, hydro, wind, solar, waves, but unfortunately I need to keep my family warm in the present, and at present I don’t have access to any of these options yet.

I have done both attic and wall insulation, new windows, efficient burner, self supplied wood from renewable sources.

I think I am doing the best I can and spend a tiny amount on gas each year, better than making Russian oligarchs richer?

Oh, and I have planted the best part of 250,000 trees in the last 25 years.

[axehaircut]

No, we shouldn't be promoting them. For many and admittedly not all it's a lifestyle statement. Sure it's good for log sales but in the big picture, I think it would be better to push other renewable technologies that don't have all the problematic variables running a stove can have. Spend the rather large sums of money involved in fires and lues on insulation and just need less heat

I understand your point but does the fuel stock being sustainable and locally sourced not come into an equation in this. Low transport, income helps long term CFC management etc etc. also having a stove in an urban environment that has the infrastructure to use a cleaner alternative vs people living rurally is not on par in a decision on promotion
To summarize
Open fires are balls
Location of stove rural vs urban
Fuel stock source, nearby and aiding CFC or replantation
I’ll stick my chairmen mao hat on!

[The avantgardener]

I think most people who buy a stove as a lifestyle thing are occasional users anyway, mine is my main heat source throughout the Winter.

[BowlandStoves]

From personal experience I find that stove use seems to be higher in the countryside than towns and cities. Is this a fair comment?

[Woodworks]

 

 

 

1 hour ago, axehaircut said:

 

also having a stove in an urban environment that has the infrastructure to use a cleaner alternative vs people living rurally is not on par in a decision on promotion
 

 

• Hence I said "For many and admittedly not all it's a lifestyle statement" We live rurally and many of our customers do depend on wood to keep them warm but we also have plenty of customer in nice insulated centrally heated homes in town who get through a fair amount of wood. I don't think the later needs promoting. Not talking about putting up barriers to stop it just don't promote it. Don't think that sounds unreasonable 

 

[axehaircut]

• Hence I said "For many and admittedly not all it's a lifestyle statement" We live rurally and many of our customers do depend on wood to keep them warm but we also have plenty of customer in nice insulated centrally heated homes in town who get through a fair amount of wood. I don't think the later needs promoting. Not talking about putting up barriers to stop it just don't promote it. Don't think that sounds unreasonable 

 

Fair enough.
Perhaps promote through educating (which has been said previously on Arbtalk many times) beau do you find many of your customers (firewood) resentful(resentful maybe too strong a word) I’m not being funny, I found that the difference between customers attitude in general buying planks and firewood night and day for the most part. Is this because they’re burning what they buy psychologically. I always got a kinda happy comforting feeling out of a nice pile of good firewood.