PGAQ #1 by Vic Steblin, Dec 21, 2007

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

There seems to be quite the double standard between smoking and wood burning. Smokers are blamed for all sorts of health problems and yet wood burners may be as bad or even worse. Who can decide how many smokers equal one wood burner? Some claim this is like comparing apples and oranges but according to a recent article on air quality the PM 2.5 sources that do the most damage to our lungs include diesel and gasoline engines, wood burning and industry.

Smoking is often a localized problem and adults can usually avoid smokers, but it is hard to avoid wood burning during poor air quality days, even if there are only a few in your area. Of course the smoke is most noticeable during the cold winter season and the problem often disappears during windy conditions.

Common sense says that if you have access to natural gas or electricity you should not be burning wood. Even the so-called super-efficiency units are like the silliness of putting a filter on a cigarette. Burning wood is not cheaper, once you take into account the unit itself, vehicle, saw, splitter, cleanup, time, health effects, etc.

The romance of wood fades when compared to lung disease. That recent article mentioned about 60 air quality deaths every year in the north and we should not blame transportation and industry for all of them.

Individuals can really help by stopping any burning and at any time of the year. Obviously, no-one likes to be told what to do, especially if you enjoy wood or have put a lot of time and money into a wood system, but in my opinion caring people would totally butt out with wood burning.