Some Kenilworth residents have contacted the Weekly News complaining about people burning wood in what they say is a smokeless zone. Several readers have responded defending the practice - and one has claimed that a person is going round the town noting down which houses are emitting smoke. What do you think? Comments welcome.
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6 comments:
May I reply to the ‘brain dead’ person who wrote a letter regarding the smell of wood smoke in Kenilworth.
Many residents in the town have wood-burning stoves, which give out wood aromas! They are perfectly legal in smokeless zones.
Also, ‘for effect’ you can also buy ‘firelogs’ from Sainsbury’s, which are suitable for smokeless fires. These give out wood burning smells and also crackle like a real fire. Maybe this person should get a life or take a college course on sociability and neighbourliness.
I write in response to the letter published January 30 2009 'Residents should not be burning word'.
While the author is correct that Kenilworth is a smokeless zone, there are stoves available to purchase which allow woodburning in such an area.
Further to your letter regarding the burning of wood on stoves etc printed last week.
I wish to state that it is possible to burn wood responsibly without the emission of the so-called ‘pungent smoke’ your reader is complaining about. Modern stoves which are approved by DEFRA are appliances such as stoves which have been exempted by Statutory Instruments (Orders) under the Clean Air Act 1993 and have passed tests to confirm that they are capable to burning an unauthorised or inherently smoky solid fuel without emitting smoke.
Furthermore, it is of course permissible to have 20 minutes of so-called ‘smoking time’ when lighting fires. Also steam can appear from the chimney giving the impression of smoke.
Problems arise where the wood is wet and will therefore cause smoke. If the wood is dry there should be few emissions. Unfortunately with so many of us now turning to this means of keeping wood a lot of wood suppliers are selling wood which is either unseasoned or wet and this is causing problems. We are now on the waiting list to purchase a moisture meter to help prevent such problems occurring when we light our fire. There has been a waiting list since November.
It should of course be noted that wood is a renewable fuel source and carbon neutral and therefore friendlier to the environment. It is far more eco friendly than burning gas or using large amounts of electricity, both of which are extremely expensive. Many European countries such as Norway use wood burning stoves and do not have problems with air quality. It should also be pointed out that cars cause far more damage to the environment than the average wood-burning stove when burnt currently. Also I am informed that cut down wood is often dumped in landfill sites and left to rot.
Your reader also asks if they should contact Warwick District Council. Could I suggest that they approach the neighbours themselves and see if the problem could be sorted mutually?
I would also ask that you respect my privacy and not print my name and address as I have been informed that some unkind person is going around Kenilworth looking for chimneys which may be emitting smoke.
Finally, my neighbours would be most welcome if they need to come in and keep warm this winter.
The clean air act, as I understand it, was instigated at a time when solid fuel fires (and perhaps boilers) were the most common means of heating the home; their numerous emissions caused significant air pollution. But this law was never intended to prevent the odd whiff of smoke from the odd domestic fire offending the odd neighbour's nose. Since the number of fires in Kenilworth is so low, pollution by smoke is absolutely not an issue.
I have a wood burning stove and I use it in winter when the gas bills are so extortionate. I will always have a wood burner and use it no matter who says anything about it. If someone wants to watch the smoke coming out of the chimney, thats ok, but it won't make them any warmer! All the talk of emissions doesn't account for my un-used gas does it? And the unpaid bonus to the british gas executive, who won't be going on so many holidays and thus reducing carbon emmissions.Eat that - moaners.
Reduce reuse recycle i believe is the key word in warwickshire. I have recently moved away(its not the same as it used to be). There are too many do gooders poking their noses into other peoples lives,who have so little going on in their own lives,their minds become too preoccupied with what goes on in others homes,so much so that it becomes thier obsession. Give it a rest,leave these recyclers who transfer wood that would otherwise go to waste,to be converted into usefull energy. Infact,if you have wood to get rid of,offer it to them so you dont get accused of exceeding your carbon footprint on your,no doubt weekly run to the recycle center(where i must point out,most goes to landfill,or is burned anyway). Which,i guess,kind of defeats your argument. As for going around looking for smoke,i suggest there are so many nice walks around kenilworth,you take up walking the many walks. You might actually enjoy it and walk back into town,more relaxed and less bitter with them you might actually need to count on one day. I used to have a sense of,you watch my back,i watch yours. You are exactly the type who is creating the situation,where neighbourhoods have lost their sense of closeness and tend to keep themselves to themselves for fear of some so called do gooder stabbing them in the back. I myself,prefer to live away from town,where i can carry on doing all the things i did in town,under my makers watchfull eye,who punish me on judgement day if my smoke,music,car repairs,or if my lawn isnt cut for a month. Chill out.
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