How long have we urban dwellers got?

[sime42]

It all seems like a case of lowest hanging fruit to me. Much easier to blame a few woodburners rather than address the much bigger issue of all the filthy Chelsea Tractors, and general excess of vehicles on the roads. We can't possibly stand in the way of the oil companies' profits can we?! 

 

We've been breathing woodsmoke forever. It seems far more likely to me that the seemingly recent raft of pollution related health issues stem from one of the modern sources that have already been suggested. Processed foods, plastics, cosmetics, domestic cleaning products, pesticides, non-stick coatings, take your pick. Most people are exposed to several 100s of different chemicals every single day, in their various home/work/leisure environments. I doubt many of them have been tested for the impacts on human health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[neiln]

A lot of the recent press interest stems from a report from Chris Whitty, government chief medical officer. I've not read in full but I understand it was a report on air pollution and that indoor sources such as products, sprays and offgassing from plastic, MDF were considered.

[GarethM]

Thing is they are looking at something, already with a view to finding a problem.

 

Harm can only ever be reduced not eliminated, I'm sure that was in my CSCS book.

 

Can't remember the exact quote Clarkson made about Austria. They're too bothered about the emmisons from the back than they are from the front of the tank.

[Muddy42]

When properly seasoned and dried wood is burning, the smoke is invisible from the outside of the house.  

[GarethM]

I know that, you know that.

 

I even know that because my boiler was triple the cost as it has to be DEFRA approved. Sadly when it comes to government they fail to read their own rules, smoke control rules have been in since the 60s I think.

 

But like dog fouling, nobody ever gets fined or issued with an improvement notice.

 

If you want to use the lowest hanging fruit idea, enforce the smoke rules and start issuing fine/improvement notices.

Edited March 2, 2023 by GarethM

[neiln]

My frustration with the analysis and conclusions presented is they seem to lump all domestic burning together when it suits, pick a figure from a subset when it suits and then conclude something else should be banned. I've they say domestic burning is the biggest source of pm2.5, old stoves and open fires burning wet wood are terrible, ban all stoves.  It's a shame that policy will likely be driven by such poor papers.

[neiln]

14 minutes ago, GarethM said:

I know that, you know that.

 

I even know that because my boiler was triple the cost as it has to be DEFRA approved. Sadly when it comes to government they fail to read their own rules, smoke control rules have been in since the 60s I think.

 

But like dog fouling, nobody ever gets fined or issued with an improvement notice.

Because enforcing is hard and there aren't the resources.  So I fear the policy will be a blanket ban including a ban on the fuel sales.  Sledgehammer/nut scenario.

[GarethM]

So a £1000 fine for dog poo or smoke isn't an encouraging thing for the council?.

 

Drive around, take pictures over a few nights and send a letter.

 

A week or two later still doing the same, here's a fine.

 

If my council can have a website for faulty street lights, it's not beyond the wit of man to do something similar. If you've an exempt appliance, show certificate and cancel fine.

Edited March 2, 2023 by GarethM

[Muddy42]

15 minutes ago, GarethM said:

I know that, you know that.

 

I even know that because my boiler was triple the cost as it has to be DEFRA approved. Sadly when it comes to government they fail to read their own rules, smoke control rules have been in since the 60s I think.

 

But like dog fouling, nobody ever gets fined or issued with an improvement notice.

 

Sorry.  I hit return before finishing the post.

 

What I meant to add is that I think they are going about it the wrong way by focusing on the specifications of the stove/ fire place insert / flue etc.  One of my fires is just a brick hole, but with decent wood the emissions are invisible.

[GarethM]

6 minutes ago, Muddy42 said:

 

Sorry.  I hit return before finishing the post.

 

What I meant to add is that I think they are going about it the wrong way by focusing on the specifications of the stove/ fire place insert / flue etc.  One of my fires is just a brick hole, but with decent wood the emissions are invisible.

Are you in a smoke control zone tho ?.

 

We always have been, so yes you could use a normal fireplace but for burning coal.

Wood requires DEFRA approved, so while many will claim to burn coal they actually burn wood.