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Danielle Hansen
Brown
English 2010
February 18, 2015
The effects of wood burning
When winter comes around we all know what that means; the inversion. A big topic in
Utah this winter is the bill to ban burning wood in your fireplaces, stoves, etc. I want to go over
the effects that it causes in the environment and on our health, and to find out if banning it will
make a difference. The inversion that settles over the Salt Lake valley every winter always is a
concern for those of us that live here, we always worry about how it is affecting our health and
the environment that surrounds us. I believe it would be good for our air if we didn’t burn wood
or coal during the bad inversion days, therefore it is my goal to prove in this essay that this ban
against burning wood during the inversion is the correct action to take.
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The problem with living in the Salt Lake valley is that the cold air settles and traps the
bad air which causes the inversion. When we drive our cars and have fires all of those bad air
particles gets trapped in the inversion and makes it worse. Governor Gary Herbert has proposed
to pass a bill that will prohibit any kind of wood burning during the winter inversion. There are
many people that believe that this will help with the air quality. There are quite a few different
options out there instead of using wood. There are gas, oil, propane, and electric ones that are
just
heaters
that
look
like
fireplaces.
When
you
are
burning stuff in your fire place avoid burning garbage because some garbage releases bad
chemicals into the air that you do not want in your home. For most people though it would be too
expensive for them to convert their wood burning fireplaces into electric ones. Some families
don’t even have fireplaces or heaters and their main source of heat is from a wood burning stove.
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I don’t think it would be practical to take away a source of heat from people who depend on it to
get through the winter seasons.
There are some major health side effects that go along with burning wood. Trees collect
carbon dioxide and use that to turn into oxygen, but the carbon dioxide stays in the wood. When
you burn the wood you are releasing the carbon dioxide and other chemicals into the air and into
your house. The particles that get released irritate the lungs. With those that have asthma or other
respiratory problems it can cause some serious problems like an asthma attack. You are also
putting yourself and others at the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It also can cause you
irritations in the eyes, coughing, and headaches. The particles are small enough that they don’t
get filtered out and they stay deep down in the lungs for a long time causing damage. The
particles are small enough that they go into nearby houses because they can fit through any small
openings. Therefore you are not just exposing yourself to those particles; you are exposing your
neighbors as well.
To burn smart there are some tips that you can use. Do not burn wood on a bad air quality
day, that helps reduce
the chemicals being
added to the already
bad air. Every time
you are done using
your fireplace or stove
clean out the ashes
because that will help
the air quality in your
home, it also prevents
it from blocking the air
way causing it to not
burn as well. There is
a smart way to burn
wood as well. You
always want to make
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sure that you use cut, very dry wood. The drier it is the more efficient it burns and uses less
energy. When you use wood that is wet or damp it takes more energy for it to burn, therefore you
are burning more wood than you would be if it was dry. When it burns like that it causes a
darker, heavier smoke that holds a lot more pollutants in it compared to the dry wood.
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In the bill that the governor has proposed burning solids in the form of wood and coal, will be
banned for a four month period during the winter inversion times. There have been many public
meetings about the bill where hundreds of people went and waited in very long lines for their
chance to speak their beliefs. Most of the people who attended those meetings were in opposition
of the bill. They have also been allowing written statements from people on how they feel about
it. Many say that this bill is refusing them of their rights. There have been many petitions to have
this bill put down. The bill has passed now; it is not as strict as it was originally proposed. The
bill that was passed says that you are not allowed to burn on medium and high inversion days.
You cannot use a wood or coal fire place, charcoal grill, back yard patio pit, or even bonfires.
Those families who depend on burning wood or coal as their only source of heat are exempt, but
they want those who can to change to other methods of heating their homes. They know that
some families are not able financially to change to cleaner ways of heat, so they are exempt. The
bill will start at the beginning of 2016 in January. They will be educating people through this
year to get them ready for next year. Hopefully, those who can will be able to get another source
of heat like electric or gas fireplaces. Also in the bill, it allows for fines. If you are caught
burning wood or coal on multiple occasions you will be fined a pretty heavy amount. They will
allow wood or coal to be burned in extreme measures for example if there is a major power
outage.
In this essay I have shown what the effects that burning wood and coal do to our health
and our environment. I believe that the bill they have passed was a smart move. They didn’t
completely ban the use of burning wood and coal, so you are still able to use your wood burning
fire places, stoves, and other forms of burning. Some people are not happy because they believe
their rights have been taken away, but this will be better on their health and the environment.
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Those who depend on the use of burning wood or coal as their only source of heat are still
allowed to use it, but they are encouraged to look into other forms of heat. There are a lot of
healthier options out there, and some are cheaper than others, so there are many options.
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Works cited
Edwards, Ashton, and Annie Cutler. "Salt Lake County Approves Wood-burning Ban to Start in
2016." Fox13nowcom. Fox 13, 8 Jan. 2015. Web.
<http://fox13now.com/2015/01/08/salt-lake-county-approves-wood
burning-ban
starting-in-2016/>.
"Home - Utahns for Responsible Burning." Utahns for Responsible Burning. Web.
<http://utahnsforresponsibleburning.org/>.
“Improving
Air
Quality
in
Your
Community.”
EPA.
Environmental
Protection
Agency,19Aug.2011.Web.
http://www.epa.gov/airquality/community/details/iwoodstoves_addl_info.ht
ml
PEMBERTON, JENNIFER. "Right To Burn Or Right To Breathe? Utahns Outraged By Wood
Burning Ban." Right To Burn Or Right To Breathe? Utahns Outraged By Wood Burning
Ban.
22
Jan.
2015.
Web.
<http://upr.org/post/right-burn-or-right-breathe-utahns
outraged-wood burning-ban>.
“Wood Smoke” EHHI. Web. http://www.ehhi.org/woodsmoke/health_effects.shtml