wood burning stoves

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi i tried to find the copd on the conditions drop down menu, it didn't have it. I have filed this under bronchitus as well, but I really meant this message for copd sufferers.

WOOD STOVES, …

I live in Troon , a civilised place to live , you would think. But the proliferation of chic urban wood burning stoves is something that local councils, mp’s, seem reluctant to do anything about.

70% of outside smoke gets into my house, (according to scientific articles I’ve read).

this causes injury to people who have the misfortune to live next to people who burn wood or coal.

My experience so far suggests to me, that what is needed is to disabuse people of the “folksy” glamour they seem to attribute to the use of wood burning and coal burning in urban areas as some deluded expiation of an Adam and Eve primal self sufficiency. This is needed because this lifestyle choice of theirs , is being exported to unwilling beneficiaries of this selfish choice. I am ab out at my wit's end.

My garden is uninhabitable when these stoves are lit. Inside my house, peaking particularly around 8′oclock at night, there arrives the unmistakable sour-sweet odour of my neighbour’s wood burning stove molecules finally achieving a big enough mass for my nose to detect it. Of course, before I can detect this nasally, because these molecules, less than the size of a virus, penetrates my walls, these molecules have been working their way all day invisibly into my body.

Am I consigned to accepting that the liberty of wood burning families is valued higher than my liberty to breathe clean air. Particularly if one has copd

Pete trainor

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    I sympathise, I grew up in pre clean air London (pre 1967) when every house was burning coal.  Now only smokless fuel is allowed here, and for wood burning stoves they have to be the type that 'eat their own smoke'  You would think when the clean air act was passed it would apply to everywhere!
  • Posted

    The council only seem bothered about cigarette smoking, traffic fumes or quality of air in cities.  The concern seems to be in making cities fume free for historical reasons.

    However, If you live in the provinces like troon ayrshire, then you are cut loose by the environmental services. I actually have an email from the council that says and I quote " coal fires and wood fires are a part of normal domestic living!"  It is unbelievable.

    I have a timber frame house so that means that as soon as the smoke seeps through my brick weep hole vents then I only have a flimsey timber frame and polythen sheet to stand between me and two wood burning stoves and 12 houses spewing chimney smove .

    It is an absolute nightmare. I bought an iq air health pro wood purifier which helps but is no way adequate.

     I can't go out in the garden, I can't cook and let the cooking smell out, I am a prisoner of absolutely awful indifference by troon town environmental services.

    The annoying thing is that I stay in quite a respectable lower middle class tidy little area where everyone says good day but are totally oblivious to where they smoke goes once it leaves their chimneys.

    grrr

  • Posted

    Dear Peter

    A few years ago I went to northern BC in Canada and there house was heated by wood stoves. It was Xmas and it was my daughter in law's parents so I had to grin and bare it. Well by January 10 I was home and was so ill I ended up in hospital with a lung infection. COPD people must try to avoid all lung infections. I would like to advise you to move. I don't think you have much choice. They aren't going to give it up.  I am so sorry. 

    Mary Ann 

    Canada. 

  • Posted

    thanks mary ann

    People are oblivious to this issue.  I can only equate the idea that burning solid fuel is viewed as an act of self sufficiency to the frontier mentality of people who like to own guns. Seems quite a reach to say that but when you think about it, one person't self sufficiency is another person's danger. Danger from their smoke, danger from their guns.

    I live in scotland where thank god guns are banned but there has been legal steps to outlaw smoking in pubs and clubs and public places while completely ignoring the much huger risk from pouring gallons upon gallons of acrid poison into the air.  I actually can't quite get my head around why my fellow citizens joyfully do this.

    What about the rights of people who just want to sit in their smoke free garden, or in their own home.

    Where is the state in all this. Why does nobody bother. I get angry like you wouldn't believe.

    Which is probably as damaging as the smoke itself. 

    grrr

  • Posted

    Hi Peter

    I can understaand your problem and as you say they just dont understannd the problem people like have if they had the same poblem they would do something about it.]

    Have you tried talking to your local MP to see if they can do anything about it. You could maybe write to the lock paper and get them to help you by setting up some support group. There many be many prople like yourself suffering because of these wood burners and cole fires and not saying anything.

    Find out how many there are through the local paper and then follow it through

    Hope this helps

    Lin

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