What is the Environmental Impact of Burning Wood?

[RoyJackson]

Is it safe to say that in the not so distant future, wood burning in the home and the open air burning of wood will be targeted for EPA review? Ken Sweet

My opinion...yes.
And this will have little to do with air quality. More to do with the progressives' policies and love of federal government bureaucracy. Also, wehn the EPA runs out of "bigger fish", they'll focus in on the smaller fish...that's for job security.
Now, that statement takes this in to the realm of politics and this is not the Friendly Politics forum....so, be discrete with any response to this post or the thread will be closed.

 

[RoyJackson]

Is it safe to say that in the not so distant future, wood burning in the home and the open air burning of wood will be targeted for EPA review? Ken Sweet

My opinion...yes.
And this will have little to do with air quality. More to do with the progressives' policies and love of federal government bureaucracy. Also, when the EPA runs out of "bigger fish", they'll focus in on the smaller fish...that's for job security.
Now, that statement takes this in to the realm of politics and this is not the Friendly Politics forum....so, be discrete with any response to this post or the thread will be closed.

 

[dave1949]

After watching the early episodes of "Gold Rush" on The History Channel, I didn't think much of the lack of concern for environmental damage in Alaska. Things the local inspectors were okaying there would not fly here for sure.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

My opinion...yes.
And this will have little to do with air quality. More to do with the progressives' policies and love of federal government bureaucracy. Also, when the EPA runs out of "bigger fish", they'll focus in on the smaller fish...that's for job security.
Now, that statement takes this in to the realm of politics and this is not the Friendly Politics forum....so, be discrete with any response to this post or the thread will be closed.

EPA, being a governmental agency, is perpetually subject to being used as a political tool. Targeting small fish like fireplaces and wood burning stoves, particularly when the air quality does not justify it, generates a lot of heat and a lot of local resistance. While any thing is possible, my guess is that targeting these sources without justification scientifically would not be very productive for EPA; they can get a lot more mileage out of targeting green house gas emissions.

 

[rsallen]

Golly and I thought I was in a thread that was about what happens when something is seemingly consumed.
Now it's turned into an ideological debate.

Okay I'll play.
I always find it rather funny that the same side that goes on and on about a sound fiscal future being left for another generation is always so blaise about whether or not there'll be water to drink, clean air to breath or foods that won't poison for that same generation.

Yep, that's the way I understand it HS, in the end it's net zero......it's a wash.

 

[RobertBrown]

After watching the early episodes of "Gold Rush" on The History Channel, I didn't think much of the lack of concern for environmental damage in Alaska. Things the local inspectors were okaying there would not fly here for sure.

That does always make me scratch my head when I see those guys pumping mud and silt all over the place. I'm hoping they are taking precautions with that run off and I assume that there are laws in place to prevent the damage from same.
Even if it's all about the money, the streams have or will have an impact on the tourist or outdoors industries and the food chain that supports it all.
Perhaps where they are the environment is not that fragile, hard for me to say as I've never been that far north.

 

[Katahdin]

The catalytic stoves are suppose to burn a lot cleaner. I do expect the EPA to come down hard on wood stoves. I think there's a lot of people who would be very upset if and when this comes to pass...

I've been using a cat stove for five years and love it. Looking up at the chimney you just see steam coming out and you don't smell any smoke. Yeah, its more work to maintain--it's a little more technical to operate and you have to replace the seals and catalytic combuster every few years, but the heat output is excellent and if it saves me from cutting, splitting, lugging, stacking, and burning an extra cord or two of firewood a year then it's worth it to me.

 

[RoyJackson]

I've been using a cat stove for five years and love it. Looking up at the chimney you just see steam coming out and you don't smell any smoke. Yeah, its more work to maintain--it's a little more technical to operate and you have to replace the seals and catalytic combuster every few years, but the heat output is excellent and if it saves me from cutting, splitting, lugging, stacking, and burning an extra cord or two of firewood a year then it's worth it to me.

What brand and model stove do you have?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Golly and I thought I was in a thread that was about what happens when something is seemingly consumed.
Now it's turned into an ideological debate.

Okay I'll play.
I always find it rather funny that the same side that goes on and on about a sound fiscal future being left for another generation is always so blaise about whether or not there'll be water to drink, clean air to breath or foods that won't poison for that same generation.

Yep, that's the way I understand it HS, in the end it's net zero......it's a wash.

Are you miffed because the topic strayed from the combustion products of wood? If so, you may find this enlightening:


http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/workshop2011/WoodCombustion-Curkeet.pdf

However, it does not seem untoward that since the title of the thread is "What is the Environmental Impact of Burning Wood", that the discussion might eventually turn to the emissions and the regulation thereof. Even so, no harm done in any case.

 

[smstonypoint]

I am curious as to what TBN'ers have to do to obtain permission for the outdoor burning of vegetative debris (leaves, limbs, etc.) in their respective states.

Weather permitting (i.e., no bans due to forest-fire risks), I can obtain a one-day permit via an automated phone system in SC and a multi-day permit via online application in NC. Both situations are outside city limits.

The application processes differ for controlled burns of forest tracts.

Steve