Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: fireplaces

[Brian Tremback (brian.tremback]

Besides the risk of being careless, there are also the risks posed by wood
combustion itself. While burning wood has the aura of being green, the
output of a fireplace or wood stove produces very real air pollution. While
burning wood for heating may displace natural gas, heating oil, and other
fossil fuels with something that is renewable, you're bringing the air
pollution right into the middle of your community. Wood smoke is
carcinogenic (much more so than cigarette smoke), is a source of fine
particulates that increase the risks of lung disease, is particularly
harmful to those with respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and can
interfere with normal lung development in infants and children.

This may not be a popular viewpoint but breathing in smoke, from whatever
source, is never healthy.

Brian Tremback
Burlington Cohousing
Burlington, Vermont


Carol Agate wrote:

We are considering adding a fireplace to our common living room, but there
is concern about the risk of people being careless. Do you have a community
fireplace? What have you done to be sure people who use it aren't careless?

Carol Agate
Cornerstone Village in Cambridge, MA