It has to be delt with. It has to be real science that lays this to rest. Pollution from campfires. I'll tell you where the air pollution is, and it isn't from the campfire. The reality is that wood burner will have to organize and lobby as effectively as the NRA. The problem is compounded by having public servants who are biased and blind sighted.
“What worries us? Cancer. Sussex County has the highest incidence of lung cancer in New Jersey. We have kids with rare fatal tumors. I have a neighbor across the street that burns; her baby was born with respiratory issues and spent a month in the hospital. Should I go on? You WHAT?????????????
i like the line about thick black smoke... What is she burning-- tires ??lol my chimney never has thick any color smoke, only upon startup.
Are these people any good? https://app7.vocusgr.com/WebPublish/controller.aspx?SiteName=HPBA&Definition=Home&SV_Section=Home
"They also sent numerous videos of smoke spewing from neighboring chimneys that they say is a constant throughout at least 10 months of the year." As stated in another thread, not all burns are alike. Far too many either fall in one of these categories: The new wood burner - have no idea how to properly collect, store, split, season, operate their wood stove/fireplace, build a proper fire, burn and what not to burn (refuge from their home.) The veteran amateur - have been burning for a while, but still do not understand the basic concepts of seasoned wood, how to operate their stove/fireplace properly, build a proper fire and often what not to burn. The veteran semi-professional - have been burning for a while, might still use green wood from time to time, understand how to operate their wood stove/fireplace properly, and will sometime burns refuge they shouldn't. The Firewood Hoarders Club newbie - one striving to learn how to do it right. The Firewood Hoarder Club veteran - someone that knows how to hoard, store, season, operate, burn efficiently. The Firewood Hoarder Club educator - someone that is a veteran, but takes it to the next level and strives to educate those around them. That is all for now. Jason
This just went to the paper! Good day Ms. Sailer, I would ask you to please print this in response/regards to the wood burning article in today's Herald. Why do people have to try to scare others to get their way, this is absolutely insane. What has our country came to? Are we now going communist? Now dictating to what fuel company we can use whether it be gas, oil, propane, electric, all of which pollute but it "must" be ok because no one can see it, right? Did every one forget 100 years ago nearly everyone heated their homes with wood or coal? But you'll hear the argument that we have evolved and don't need that any more... Last time I looked, we also didn't have 8500 jets in the air at "any given time over the United States" and 350 million cars on the road either back then. I suppose that has "NOTHING" to do with air quality and the amount of cancer, asthma and other ailments huh? Are we now going to outlaw the millions of lawnmowers, weed whackers, chainsaws, blowers and various other "fuel" burning items people use in the summer for yard work? How about the hundreds of "fuel burning ships" that are brining your goods from overseas a day. Do you drive a foreign car? Most likely it was shipped here. How many clothes, electronics, nearly everything you own comes here, "HOW"? shipped, burning fuel! The critics have found all the nice figures and percentages of parts per million, PAH's, Co2, asthma attacks, what else is getting damaged, etc.. Well, are we going to outlaw cell phones and texting that kill over 4500 people a year on the roads? I believe that is way more than wood stoves are killing and you can't even prove they are! Has anyone else forgot that 4.7 million acres "BURNED" last year alone? Where did that smoke go? Most weather travels from West to East in the Northern hemisphere. Did anyone sue the fire companies for not putting out the forest fires? Who put out the forest fires a 100 years ago, "nobody" that’s who! This earth has been here for over 4 billion years and there are people that feel the wood burners are the cause of global warming, "really" do some homework! One solar flare has done more damage to our ozone than you can imagine. How about active volcanoes, what do we do about them, maybe a "big cork". Isn't it funny that states can allow you to smoke marijuana legally but they want to outlaw wood stoves, is this not hypocrisy at its best? Is it "REALLY" about wood smoke? I've been heating my home with wood for over 40 years and "not one" complaint! With that said, what happen to the society that if you didn't like something, go elsewhere. Don't move next to an airport and then complain about the noise! This is about a select few that are complaining and want to get their way and don't like it if they don't. They want everyone to conform to their way of thinking. Here is my next question, what are we going to do about the 90 million BBQ grills, smokers, cookers, 4-H fairs, campgrounds, parks, and many other things that produce smoke. If you live in Cape May, lower township or the surrounding area then you're familiar with the Cape May Lewes Ferry. How much diesel fuel is put into the air "daily" from just one ferry, in the summer they have four running. That is just an example and I know for a fact that they have some of the best mechanics and keep those boats running at peak efficiency. Has any opponent to wood burning really taken a good look around and seen what else is going in the air? It's easy to pick on the wood burners because you can see it from time to time. Maybe these same people are jealous because I'm not paying a $500 plus a month fuel or electric bill. He's another little bit of information for the wood burning haters out there, Wood is the "ONLY" renewable resource we have for fuel! That’s a fact. Coal, oil, gas, propane, kerosene and all the others are not. How do people think we get electric? Not all is nuclear, we burn coal. So what do we do if it is nuclear, we have to get rid of the waste, and people don't think that doesn't pollute? It's also easy to throw the "global warming" thing out there also, "news flash" a few thousand years ago there were glaciers in the United States, did we or my wood stove melt them? A particular individual, (not a Cape May county resident) stated that they suffered for six years. "really" why? For all the wood burning haters that want to throw figures out there, well I can too and just let me know when you want to, everything from garbage disposal to your lawn fertilizer and what that pollutes. Have you bought a computer lately? China burns over 900 tons of plastic a day, where do you think your old, disposed of computer went? "you think you recycled it huh... There are right ways and wrong ways to burn wood. If you firewood is seasoned and dry it will produce "very little" smoke. The new EPA stoves "ARE" EPA compliant. Nearly everyone who burns wood "try's" to comply with the law, and most are good neighbors. Maybe if you went and spoke to some of them, people can work out most things. Before anyone wants to pick on a person trying to heat their home with firewood, save some money or just can't afford to pay crazy prices for warming their family, maybe they need take a "GOOD" look in the mirror and see how they are going to affect people's lives and their own. I'm sure the people complaining are doing their share to damage and hurt others and just don't care as long as they get their way! David Cusick, North Cape May, NJ.
I hate these threads as you guys always seem to think I am on the other side but here we go again. You can talk till you are blue in the face about China, volcanoes, cows farting, camp fires, brush fires, cigg. and doobies (legal in some states ya know) but it will fall on deaf ears. boettg33 post is correct, many who burn wood have contributed to the problem. Did any of you read my post "This is interesting? I can put the link here if you guys are interested. The article that started this thread is one of the worst I have read, a lot of BS in that one.
Yes sparky, and you can direct it to me! I'm trying to get a point out there! and if someone doesn't do it, "WE" will not be heard. I know all the facts, but maybe my artical will make people look at things differently! I will fight for what I believe in, and "DAM" if I won't fight hard! We don't have to debate this again on here. We've all heard it time and time again! So tell us your solution?
In some cases the "clowns" burning wood need to be addressed, a lot of the regulations stemmed from that but hard to back up the truck now. Now we have a bigger problem to deal with and its growing so how do you stop a train wreck? I was hoping a group like the HPBA would be of help. Education is the key here.
Good write up and, that part ,I think hits the nail on the head, and the select few are complaining about many other things also ,for the same reason they want to get their way and don't like it if they don't. TO MANY CRY BABIES IN THIS WORLD TODAY Wa Wa I want things my way
That's the problem I dont think it is just a select few, have any of you ever done any research on how and why the EPA regulations were formed in the first place?
Wood burning is like a lot of other activities - a few problem people give a bad name to the whole group. Nobody is complaining about my wood stove, or most of the neighbors' wood stoves because we are burning relatively cleanly. However, there are a few homes in the neighborhood that have chimneys that smoke constantly, and if I were downwind from one of those homes I might be complaining too. One of the problems with woodburning is that any fool can start a fire in the fireplace, but it takes a little bit of education to burn cleanly. Unfortunately the fools are the ones that get noticed.
Oldspark has a point. People are much more willing to listen to horror stories, such as this inflammatory article (tumours?!!). It also makes for an exciting (if BS) story on a slow news day - much easier to interview some hysterical ill informed neighbour rather than research actual facts/figures and offer both sides of the argument. The EPA need to EDUCATE people on how to burn wood efficiently and cleanly. Many many people have heard the 'environmental' argument - we all know that there are too many cars on the road etc etc. It old old news, has no impact any more and allows those who don't have a woodburner to lay a little bit of the blame at someone else's door. Assuaging the guilt in a way. It must always be stressed first and foremost that users should always burn properly. As long as this comes up every time views like this are given, it will always be clear that wood burning efficiently is safe. The simple fact that there are many thousands of planes, BBQs, cars etc will put burners in the minority and their views need to clarified properly, otherwise no-one will listen - why should they? Its doesn't impact them, so they can wholeheartedly believe that its next doors burner that is causing their kids asthma, not other factors. Theres lots of wallies here in the UK that don't burn correctly, but our version of the EPA are actually very helpful as long as the stove is within the correct guidelines. They are more inclined (in most cases Ive heard of) to educate rather than stamp down.
Excellent response Dave!! Thank you for the support. I especially like the part about people texting while driving. If the nay-sayers want to really save lives that a legitimate issue that could use some help. But it's not about saving lives is it? How may death certificates state cause of death, neighbors wood stove? The smoke won't kill you (unless you stick your head in the chimney) something else will first. Do people really spend that much time outside during the winter that the minimal smoke from my chimney is going to harm them? Go inside where you belong.....I'll come shovel your driveway when it snows so you won't have to be outside while I'm heating my home.
