PGAQ #34 by Vic Steblin, Sep 14, 2008

2570 Laurier Crescent, Prince George, BC, 250-564-1123

Prince George needs to stop burning wood to improve its air quality. I also doubt the so-called wisdom of the forestry experts and believe that more of us need to change our attitude about wood.

The recent Citizen article about Prince George topping BC with the worst fine particulate pollution is no surprise. Tour any subdivision and you see many stacks of wood, ready for their lethal dose. The best stoves still fill the air with fine particulate and only a decent wind helps.

Our city leaders should have banned wood burning long ago, but too many don’t care. Put on a sweater, get active, turn down your central heating and stop burning wood. Even all the cigarette smokers can’t match a few wood burners.

A tour of any forest shows that wood should be left to rot into soil. One can see moss-covered stumps and logs crumbling. Why would any expert say that we should burn? What is the rush? Leave all the mess and if a fire starts then deal with it! There should be no slash burning at all! What’s the point of having a job that gives lung disease?

Get off the biomass burning bandwagon. Only a few people have considered the health consequences of fine particulate. Throw your wood pile back into the bush and take a deep breath of fresh air.