Montreal Pledges $6M to Reduce Wood Smoke
Families for Clean Air applauds the recent move by the city of Montreal to start a $6 million rebate program for homeowners who remove their fireplace or wood stove, or replace them with alternatives that burn cleaner fuel such as propane or natural gas. The rebate program is the latest step by the city to improve its air quality–two years ago, Montreal banned the installation of new wood burning fireplaces and stoves, recognizing that wood burning is a major source of air pollution and causes serious health problems.
We particularly liked this quote from the article: “If you consider that using a wood-burning stove for nine hours generates the same quantity of fine particles as a car does in one year, you can understand that this program will make a major improvement in Montreal’s air quality.”
We’d like to see U.S. cities and counties where wood smoke is a significant contributor to air pollution, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, adopt similar rebate programs. Replacing old wood burning stoves with new wood burning stoves, even if they are EPA certified, is not the answer, because they still emit particulate pollution, dioxin and other toxins.
Wood Smoke is Unhealthy—Even for Healthy People
Despite the many reports documenting its toxic effects, many people still express skepticism that exposure to wood smoke is harmful to healthy adults. They seem to think that it only affects people who already have lung or heart problems.
An interesting new study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine reveals that smoke from burning wood affects even healthy adults. The 10 study subjects did not report overt symptoms, such as wheezing, after exposure to the smoke, but lung and blood tests showed increased numbers of immune cells, which are indicators of inflammation. The authors conclude that wood smoke exposure leads to both pulmonary (lung) and systemic (whole body) inflammation.
In general, inflammation is a response to physiological damage and serves as an indicator that the body is responding to damage. In this case, damage is most likely induced by wood smoke particles and the associated toxins. Notably, inflammation is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung condition that is characterized by shortness of breath. In addition, systemic inflammation is linked to both heart disease and stroke.
In short, this study clearly shows that wood smoke is not only harmful to populations we know are vulnerable, like infants, the elderly, and people with lung and heart disease. The bottom line is that wood smoke is harmful to everyone.
EPA Expected to Lower the Fine Particle Standards to Protect Our Health
Changes are in the wind at the U.S. EPA, which is currently considering revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5).
Wood smoke is a major contributor to fine particle pollution, which is hazardous to health in many ways. The EPA is expected to issue the final rule for PM 2.5 NAAQS later this year and is expected to make the standards more stringent to protect the public’s health. A lower PM 2.5 standard has long been advocated by leading scientists, physicians, and health professionals.
Supporting information from the EPA regarding this rule includes an “Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter” report and the document “Policy
Assessment for the Review of the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards.”
The policy assessment discusses revising the current annual PM 2.5 standard level of 15 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) to a level of 11 to 13 µg/m3. It also discusses whether the current 24-hour standard of 35 µg/m3 should remain or be revised to 30 μg/m3.
The EPA’s decision on the 24-hour standard for PM 2.5 is important because, in conjunction with the new NAAQS, EPA is also considering a rule that would revise Air Quality Index (AQI) values.
The current PM 2.5 AQI value of 100 is set at 40.5 µg/m3, and anything above 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive people such as the elderly and those with asthma or cardiovascular conditions. The proposed rule would change the AQI value (when air quality is considered “unhealthy”) to 35 µg/m3, which is the current 24-hour standard for PM 2.5. This change would increase the number of days on which air quality is considered unhealthy.
We think a lowering of the PM 2.5 standard is long overdue and would reflect the recommendations of health professionals and protect the public’s health from the effects of fine particle pollution.
Summer’s Almost Here: Enjoy the Beach and the Fresh Ocean Air
Even in chilly Northern California, summer means trips to the beach. And for many people, a cool evening at the beach means a bonfire. A recent New York Times article, “36 hours in San Francisco” listed “Beach Bonfire” as one of the ‘things to do’ when you visit. We at Families for Clean Air suggest that this year you enjoy the beach—and the fresh beach air—without wood smoke pollution.
Bonfires are a mixed pleasure. Capricious gusts mean that everyone, no matter what their position, is ‘downwind’ part of the time. So along with the sparkling flames, you get the occasional (or even frequent) lungful of smoke. This is not only unpleasant, but also hazardous to your health.
Would the beach experience be as enjoyable without the bonfire? We at FCA think so. Here are some things we like to have with us at the beach:
- Blankets. The beach is cold at night!
- A guitar. Whether you play, sing, or listen, music on the beach is magical.
- Binoculars. Telescopes can be complicated, but anyone can use a decent pair of binoculars to bring the night sky closer. Plus, binoculars are easy to carry. You may be surprised at the details you can see on the moon with the binoculars currently gathering dust in the hall closet.
- The Star Walk app. For you techies who admire the skies but don’t know your stars and planets, this iPhone app helps you identify what you are looking at.
- A lantern. Lanterns, either battery- or gas-powered, provide a focal point and a bit of light if you’re not stargazing. Plus, no (or little) smoke.
So wrap up and enjoy the sound of the pounding waves. Take a deep breath and savor the scent of the ocean. Look up and enjoy the night sky. Happy (almost) summer from Families for Clean Air.
Racing for Clean Air
On Saturday, May 7th, FCA will join other non-profit groups and schools as part of the Marin Human Race. We invite you to be a part of the action. This 5k run and community fair is a fun way to help raise funds for your favorite causes and to learn more about their programs and activities.
Sign up to be on FCA’s team or come out on race day to cheer us on. Be sure to stop by the FCA booth and register to win a free solar oven. If you can’t make it to the race, you can still donate to FCA on our own Marin Human Race fundraising page. To reach our page, go to www.marinhumanrace.org, click on Participating Organizations on the left panel, and then click on ‘Families for Clean Air’.
Speaking of other non-profits, Families for Clean Air (FCA) recently attended an Earth Day breakfast in honor of environmental organizations that was hosted by California State Assembly member Jared Huffman, who represents the 6th Assembly District. FCA was proud to be among the groups recognized for making air and water cleaner, food production more sustainable, and fish and wildlife populations more viable.
We applaud Marilee Eckert, CEO of the North Bay Conservation Corps, for receiving the Environmental Hero award for her excellent work teaching youth, conserving natural resources, and building a stronger, more sustainable community.
