Activist's Corner

Activist’s Corner

MCS America News, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2008.

This month, in conjunction with the article on pages 18, we have provided a letter to mail to state representatives to urge the banning of wood burning. This letter may be downloaded for use at: http://mcs-america.org/woodsmoke.doc.

Dear XXX,

The seriousness of wood smoke pollution can not be overstated! Recreational wood burning in outdoor fire pits, restaurants, and fireplaces has created a growing and urgent need to reduce fine particulate air pollution. Fine particulate air pollution enters deep into mammalian lungs and cannot be cleared. Wood smoke is far more concentrated than tobacco smoke and contains many of the same toxic, cancer-causing chemicals.

Wood smoke is comprised of fine particulates, many of which are carcinogenic, such as benzene, toluene, formaldehyde and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. It invades our water and food supply with persistent organic compounds that do not break down, but remain for years, causing a host of health problems in mammals and humans. Wood smoke has been implicated in global warming because it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. Carbon emissions and dioxins are released into the air when wood is burned. Burning wood is one of the sootiest, unclean and least energy-efficient forms of energy.

Wood smoke pollutes the air with arsenic, formaldehyde, dioxins, flourohydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and a host of other harmful chemicals are entering our lungs and stressing our immune system. The evidence of harm is present in the contribution to childhood asthma, birth defects, deaths from asthma attacks and heart attacks, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The pervasiveness of wood smoke has become a major livability and air quality problem. Everyone is at risk from wood smoke exposure. Children, the elderly, and individuals with asthma, allergies, or heart disease are in the highest-risk categories.

EPA scientists estimated that over 4,700 premature deaths occur each year in just nine US cities alone. Other studies have estimated the nationwide death toll to be tens of thousands annually.

I urge you to address this burgeoning health hazard through legislation to restrict or ban wood burning. Please act now! I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Name, Address, Phone (required for constituent letter)