PGAQ #6 (FP) by Vic Steblin, Jan 11, 2008

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

In the spirit of Councillor Brian Skakun’s “insightful” question from December of 2007 about backyard burning needing more research, I also have some questions and possible answers. Sarcasm comes across poorly in print but so what!

Why does my neighbour get upset when the wind blows my backyard burning directly his way? The answer may be, “He is bothered by smoke, even if he is a smoker”. Why do people far away never complain about my smoke? The answer may be, “Smoke gets diluted, a principle usually evident everywhere in the world until the whole world gets hazy.”

Why doesn’t anyone complain about industry smoke when the wind blows it away from town? The answer may be, “We don’t notice it.” Would air quality be a problem if the wind always steadily blew industry smoke away? The answer may be, “Smoke is only a problem for people who live in its path.”

Why is burning wood to heat homes usually not a problem in the summertime? The answer may be, “Very few people burn wood for heat in the summertime.” Why is road dust usually not a problem in the wintertime? The answer may be, “Snow seems to absorb the road dust, but just wait till the snow is gone!”

Why is the air quality in Prince George excellent during windy conditions? The answer may be, “During windy conditions the particles do not build up.” Why is the air quality so poor during poor conditions? The answer may be, “The particles build up during poor conditions.”

In summary, many questions and answers are very obvious to common sense. Yet every person and industry has potential for abuse, just like other bad things. Few of us use common sense and obviously our local authorities are having trouble dealing with the abuse when it occurs.