PGAQ #85 by Vic Steblin, Feb 16, 2009

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

Many wood burners are quick to point out the pollution of the mills. They say that their wood smoke is negligible. One letter to the editor stated, “If people want to point their fingers at polluters in this town, then they should point them at the mills where you physically see the evidence that is causing our poor air quality.”

I disagree. Two wrongs do not make a right. My house is surrounded by wood burners and their smoke is close and disturbing. The stacks of the mills are designed to put the pollution up high and most of it blows away unless there is an inversion.

It is human nature to point out the faults in others that we ourselves have. Wood burners are naturally the first to deflect any criticism over smoke to other sources. Smokers, mills, locomotives, planes, trucks, slash burning, dust are all blamed in order to focus attention on other sources.

The bottom line is that wood burning of any amount is unnecessary. Burning wood for heat in modern cities has substantial health costs. Wood burners should stop pointing the finger at others and should stop burning wood.