Ban on Wood Burning Fireplaces? (Freedom: home, public schools, tax)

[Colebrook]

Originally Posted by Jamsrk

Many poor people are also getting asthma at alarming new rates and the particulates from wood burning has been shown to be pretty toxic. Others have to battle emphysema and shortness of breath. Many times poor people and the middle class can't afford the health insurance that goes up almost 10 to 15% a year as its inflation rate. Smoke pollutes everyones air and people should have the right to breath air that won't damage their health. Often lung damage and loss of lung capacity is irreversible. Particulates cause inflammation of the blood vessels as they pass through the lung lining and into the blood- this has been shown to thicken the blood and lead to easier clotting and heat attacks, something Zocor cant do anything for. So whose going to take care of people getting emphysema and needing to be on pure oxygen or those having their first "premature" heart attack? We should be going to green technology which is safe and not going back to the dark ages with allowing any type of wood burning stove regardless of the emissions. This has nothing to do with elitism and liberal versus conservative, but rather justice under the law which requires regulation so that one person's pollution does not infringe on their right to life.

I would love to see someone standing on a corner here in Colebrook spouting this BS. Over 90% of the houses here burn wood in one form or another.

[CometVoyager]

Originally Posted by MtnFlyer

I read a reference in another thread about areas of Colorado that have implemented bans on wood burning fireplaces. Are there such laws in NH?

As always, thanks in advance.

It is disgusting how politicians try to control the normalcy of ever day life! These bans on burning bring us all closer to a regime described by George Orwell from his book 1984!

Personally these so called green wackos remind me of Nazi Storm Troopers!

[GraniteStater]

I think more builders ARE transitioning to gas fireplaces with the propane insert. I think traditional wood fireplaces are nice, but gas is generally more energy efficient- especially if you don't use it very often. We NHites tend to have many different heat sources that we do use. I do not know much about kerosene, but have seen houses for sale that use it as a primary heating fuel.

[BF66389]

Isn't the requirement for various heaters to meet environmental regulations only for NEW installations? Therefore not really affecting people with existing (or used) systems...

I don't see a problem with this...it drives the cost of more efficient equipment down AND has a two-fold benefit for society 1) Users spend less on fuel & do less work, 2) The air is cleaner. No real "loser" except the manufacturers who are incapable of engineering a better solution (and if thats the case really don't have the know-how to make a SAFE solution to begin with).

[GregW]

Public Health trumps private preference and always should. Wood combustion pollution is generally a site-specific problem limited to small mountain valleys that frequently have inversion situations where the limited volume of air results in unhealthful concentrations of pollutants. Reducing the production of pollutants, by limiting burning for specific times or banning inefficient smoky wood cookers, are a couple of ways of reducing the concentrations during inversions.

I am familiar with the design of several efficient wood burning devices from "Russian/Finnish" heat storage fireplaces to long burn forced draft, with over fire air and combustion gas recirculation, water heaters and traveling grate wood chip fueled commercial boilers.

I also believe in "Live Free or Die" in the manner General John Stark meant. Living free does mean expressing your opinion but does not include harming my neighbor’s health because I need to be "Free" to pollute.

[Captjob]

Originally Posted by MtnFlyer

It's something I would expect out of California, but apparently it's being enforced in areas of Colorado which surprised me as well. Glad to hear it's not happening in New Hampshire.

Yes, surprisingly there is no talk of banning fireplace wood burning here in Cali. We have the most restrictive burning and open burning regulations around but they seem to have overlooked fireplaces for now. Right now they are working on banning all gas powered lawnmowers.

Thats the next crusade, right after they complete the banning of the pledge in public schools. Go California, you are such a model for the rest of the country.

Captjob

[MtnFlyer]

Originally Posted by Captjob

Go California, you are such a model for the rest of the country.

Our short list of "better places" to transplant a family for the benefit of future generations came down to only a few areas, but aside from NH, Idaho was one of them. I love many things about the make-up of the state, but its close proximity to California concerned me. Much of the mentality has apparently spread into Oregon and Washington.

[Alex Libman]

The Free State Project members won't allow it!

Originally Posted by GregW

Public Health trumps private preference and always should. [...]

Please move to North Korea, or at least Taxachusetts.

[arctichomesteader]

Watch out for the EPA, they ordered residents of Juneau Alaska to stop any woodburning recently and had local cops enforce it. They care little if you freeze to death (and it's absurd given Alaska's wildfires each year and the smoke they generate). Wood burning is much less toxic than the fumes from automobiles. Being around wood smoke bothers me far less than being around crowded streets full of cars/etc.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by GregW

Public Health trumps private preference and always should. Wood combustion pollution is generally a site-specific problem limited to small mountain valleys that frequently have inversion situations where the limited volume of air results in unhealthful concentrations of pollutants. Reducing the production of pollutants, by limiting burning for specific times or banning inefficient smoky wood cookers, are a couple of ways of reducing the concentrations during inversions.

I am familiar with the design of several efficient wood burning devices from "Russian/Finnish" heat storage fireplaces to long burn forced draft, with over fire air and combustion gas recirculation, water heaters and traveling grate wood chip fueled commercial boilers.

I also believe in "Live Free or Die" in the manner General John Stark meant. Living free does mean expressing your opinion but does not include harming my neighbor’s health because I need to be "Free" to pollute.

There are no public rights in our country, only individual rights. A person who is sensitive to virtually anything being burned does not trump my right to keep warm in a cold climate.