Latest news with #LisaCunial
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
A burning issue: why it's time to ditch the wood-fired heater and opt for eco alternatives
There's something romantic about sitting by an open fireplace in winter time. But there's growing evidence of the damage wood-fired heaters and open fires are doing to our health – and the environment. As a group of University of Technology Sydney academics recently put it – 'a wood-fired heater is like having a truck idling in your living room all day (albeit with the bulk of the emissions escaping via the chimney)'. So what do we know about wood burning and are there alternatives for those wanting a cosy open-fire feel in their home without damaging the Earth? According to a 2024 study, wood burning in fireplaces and heaters is one of the biggest sources of air pollution in many parts of Australia. While only about 10% of Australian homes use wood burning as their primary heat source, they create more than half of Australia's fine particulate pollution. The health costs of this are bad enough, but the effect on the planet is also significant. Even so-called eco friendly wood heaters are doing damage - producing more particulate pollution than a modern truck. That's because burning firewood in fireplaces and domestic heaters produces methane and black carbon particles that worsen global heating. One study estimates that wood heaters cause as much or more emissions than gas or reverse-cycle air conditioning. On top of that, much of the firewood sold in urban areas comes from forest timber – further depleting essential carbon banks. Lisa Cunial is a psychologist who has lived in Orange in NSW for more than 20 years. She says Orange is cold for seven months of the year and a lot of people use wood-burning heaters in their homes. 'Being quite a major regional city, it's a real problem.' After the 2019 bushfires, Cunial ended up in hospital with severe breathing difficulties. 'Wood is very much part of the culture here. But for me it means I literally have to stay inside the house with air filters even though I live near bushland and a wetland,' she says. Fay Johnston, the director of the Centre for Safe Air and professor of environmental epidemiology at the University of Tasmania's Menzies Institute for Medical Research recently created a wood heater pollution map showing which parts of Australia are estimated to have the most severe air pollution from wood heaters. 'When people think of pollution they often picture smokestacks, vehicle exhaust and coal-fired power stations, but wood heaters pollute more fine particulate matter into the air we breathe than any of these sources,' she says. Johnston also points to the impact of firewood collection on Australia's forests and habitat. 'One study estimated that, if we stopped burning wood and clearing forest for heating, Australia would reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions by 8.7m tonnes each year, about one-fifth of Australia's car emissions. According to Arabella Daniel, a Melbourne inner-city councillor and clean air community advocate who runs My Air Quality Australia, in the absence of strong public health or climate messaging, wood heating is wrongly seen as desirable and natural. 'That lifestyle image is pushed, but the health [and environmental] impacts are ignored,' she says. Wood heaters are sold cheaply with no warnings, despite evidence of serious environmental harm. 'Burning wood is normalised, yet it worsens air pollution and contributes to climate change. Harvesting firewood damages biodiversity and depletes forests.' She says now is the time for the Australian government to recognise wood heater pollution as a serious public health and climate issue, and to provide subsidies to phase them out over time, beginning with stopping new wood heater installations. 'Providing financial support to help people switch to clean, efficient, electric alternatives is cost effective. Public education is vital – people need to understand the health risks and the benefits of going electric. Such government action is already happening with getting off gas – we need to get off wood too.' Johnston agrees, saying it's time for governments to restrict the installation of new wood heaters in high-density residential areas where people will be affected by smoke pollution. 'Point-of-sale legislation should be introduced requiring wood heaters to be replaced with non-polluting electric alternatives before a property changes hands.' She says while we have sophisticated systems in place for food and water standards, 'the problem of wood heaters has persisted because no environment or health authority in Australia sees themselves as bearing primary responsibility' for it. While there are some wood burning heaters that produce less emissions than others, including this ultra-low emission model developed in New Zealand, Daniel says the emissions from those models may still be too high to be safe for health or the climate. 'Those models were tested on NZ softwoods and not Australian hardwoods so the emissions will be greater here. All of these models still emit climate pollution and threaten our forests. We know the best alternative is for clean, electric split systems.' She says for those who want the cozy appearance of a roaring fire in their homes without the climate impacts, the best option is an electric fireplace. There are plenty of different kinds of systems on the market that offer the appearance of a warm glowing flame but without any emissions. These might not have the same romantic feel as wood, but you'll be doing the climate – and your health – a favour.
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
'It's a living nightmare': inside the regional wood fire pollution crisis
Lisa Cunial cannot go for a walk in the beautiful wetland behind her house. A few minutes in the garden and she can't breathe. "Gardening is one of my passions," she tells ACM. "It is such a shame." Ms Cunial has lived in Orange in the NSW Central West for more than 25 years. "I used to live out of town as a kid and wonder why all my friends in town were always sick and had asthma," she said. Every year, winter brings the haze of wood fire smoke and she is "always on the cusp of a reaction". "Your sensitivity to the smoke gets worse". Agricultural burn-offs in the surrounding areas exacerbate the problem. After the bushfire season in 2019, she was diagnosed with Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS), a type of asthma-like condition that develops after high-level exposure to an irritating substance such as corrosive material, gas, vapour or fumes. "I couldn't breathe," she said. "If I come across wood smoke, it impacts me immediately. I cannot get better." Ms Cunial's story is not unique. ACM has spoken to dozens of people from regional Australia dealing with wood heater pollution. Around 10 per cent of Australians use wood heaters as their main source of heating. For some, they have become a "lifestyle" accessory. But the health effects are dire. Wood heaters emit large amounts of fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5) into the atmosphere. These particulates could reach deep into the lungs, causing respiratory issues and asthma symptoms. NSW Health's former top doctor, Kerry Chant, said wood fire heaters were so detrimental to health that she would consider banning them. "Long-term exposure to particulate pollution, especially finer particles (PM2.5), can cause heart and lung disease while brief exposures can aggravate asthma and worsen pre-existing heart and lung conditions," she said. Children, the elderly, and people with existing health issues were most at risk. NSW Health advises that "instead of using a wood-burning heater in your home, consider using heating alternatives that cause less pollution, such as reverse cycle air-conditioning, flued gas or electric heaters". New modelling from the Centre for Safe Air at the University of Tasmania shows the toll of wood fire heater pollution. The modelling estimated long-term exposure to smoke from wood heaters contributed to 729 premature deaths every year in Australia. In regional and rural locations, where it is colder and more people use wood heaters, emissions are highest. Regional locations take out the top five worst areas for wood fire heater pollution. Find out the emissions for your area: Launceston and Hobart in Tasmania, the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, Armidale in the Central West in New South Wales, and Bunbury in Western Australia top the list for wood-heater pollution. Centre for Safe Air director, professor Fay Johnston, told ACM the modelling found the areas with the most wood heater pollution tend to be "cooler places where wood burning is common and where towns and cities are located in valleys and basins that trap air pollution during winter". The most premature deaths associated with wood heaters, however, tend to be in areas with the highest population densities. "Sydney's basin-shaped topography and high urban density result in over 300 earlier-than-expected deaths every year, more than any other Australian city," Professor Johnston said. Professor Johnston said that many people are surprised by the impact of wood heaters. "When it comes to air pollution, many people think of exhaust pipe emissions from cars and trucks, smoke from coal-fired power stations or hazard reduction burns," she said. "It is often a surprise to learn that the health impacts of wood heaters are much greater than any of these sources of pollution in most Australian towns and cities." Melbourne community advocate for clean air, Arabella Daniel, said wood pollution was behind a raft of neighbourhood disputes. "People exposed to wood smoke often don't get empathy from a neighbour who is burning," she said. "Those who complain can often experience sociopathic revenge behaviour and retaliation." Managing wood smoke pollution is the responsibility of local councils, which were either reluctant to deal with the problem or not resourced to police chimney smoke, she said. "We are stuck without a remedy. We need state and federal laws to protect health." In 2023, the ACT Government announced that it would phase out wood heaters in the territory by 2045. Ms Daniel said it was a welcome step, but the timeline "was absolutely not good enough". "We consider this a public health emergency," she said. "There is very little political will. We need a hero to step up." She wants no new installations of wood heaters and a subsidised phase-out replacement program converting to split systems. Canberra University's Environmental Public Health Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis told ACM that "decisive and rapid policy action" was needed on wood heater pollution in Australian cities and towns. "This is a major public health issue in many ways similar to smoking in public places, which needs to be urgently addressed," he said. Prof Vardoulakis said new installation of wood heaters need to be banned in new and existing properties in urban areas and suburbs. Mandating the removal of wood heaters before a property can be sold would also reduce the number of older wood heaters, he said. Targeted financial incentives also need to be considered, particularly for low-income households. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council is currently reviewing a draft policy that would restrict the installation of wood heaters in some urban areas. For some, any action comes too late. Tasmanian resident Jane (surname withheld) still lives with the trauma from wood fire heaters. She was living in a rural town in north-west Tasmania when friendly relationships with neighbours turned sour after she approached them about their wood heater. "The situation caused a lot of trauma and despair," she said. "I lost work days because I was so sick." She said the smoke intensity coming into her weatherboard house became "alarming". The council would only act if she provided evidence of 10 minutes of footage of the burning. She went to the EPA in Tasmania, which calculated that the emissions from the heater were at dangerous levels, but the council still would not intervene. "Why does it appear that people with wood heaters have all the rights?" she said. "I understand they are cosy, but they are a significant health compromise. How can the government say on one hand smoking kills, but allow heaters to burn 24 hours a day?" Do you know more? Email the journalist: Lisa Cunial cannot go for a walk in the beautiful wetland behind her house. A few minutes in the garden and she can't breathe. "Gardening is one of my passions," she tells ACM. "It is such a shame." Ms Cunial has lived in Orange in the NSW Central West for more than 25 years. "I used to live out of town as a kid and wonder why all my friends in town were always sick and had asthma," she said. Every year, winter brings the haze of wood fire smoke and she is "always on the cusp of a reaction". "Your sensitivity to the smoke gets worse". Agricultural burn-offs in the surrounding areas exacerbate the problem. After the bushfire season in 2019, she was diagnosed with Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS), a type of asthma-like condition that develops after high-level exposure to an irritating substance such as corrosive material, gas, vapour or fumes. "I couldn't breathe," she said. "If I come across wood smoke, it impacts me immediately. I cannot get better." Ms Cunial's story is not unique. ACM has spoken to dozens of people from regional Australia dealing with wood heater pollution. Around 10 per cent of Australians use wood heaters as their main source of heating. For some, they have become a "lifestyle" accessory. But the health effects are dire. Wood heaters emit large amounts of fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5) into the atmosphere. These particulates could reach deep into the lungs, causing respiratory issues and asthma symptoms. NSW Health's former top doctor, Kerry Chant, said wood fire heaters were so detrimental to health that she would consider banning them. "Long-term exposure to particulate pollution, especially finer particles (PM2.5), can cause heart and lung disease while brief exposures can aggravate asthma and worsen pre-existing heart and lung conditions," she said. Children, the elderly, and people with existing health issues were most at risk. NSW Health advises that "instead of using a wood-burning heater in your home, consider using heating alternatives that cause less pollution, such as reverse cycle air-conditioning, flued gas or electric heaters". New modelling from the Centre for Safe Air at the University of Tasmania shows the toll of wood fire heater pollution. The modelling estimated long-term exposure to smoke from wood heaters contributed to 729 premature deaths every year in Australia. In regional and rural locations, where it is colder and more people use wood heaters, emissions are highest. Regional locations take out the top five worst areas for wood fire heater pollution. Find out the emissions for your area: Launceston and Hobart in Tasmania, the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, Armidale in the Central West in New South Wales, and Bunbury in Western Australia top the list for wood-heater pollution. Centre for Safe Air director, professor Fay Johnston, told ACM the modelling found the areas with the most wood heater pollution tend to be "cooler places where wood burning is common and where towns and cities are located in valleys and basins that trap air pollution during winter". The most premature deaths associated with wood heaters, however, tend to be in areas with the highest population densities. "Sydney's basin-shaped topography and high urban density result in over 300 earlier-than-expected deaths every year, more than any other Australian city," Professor Johnston said. Professor Johnston said that many people are surprised by the impact of wood heaters. "When it comes to air pollution, many people think of exhaust pipe emissions from cars and trucks, smoke from coal-fired power stations or hazard reduction burns," she said. "It is often a surprise to learn that the health impacts of wood heaters are much greater than any of these sources of pollution in most Australian towns and cities." Melbourne community advocate for clean air, Arabella Daniel, said wood pollution was behind a raft of neighbourhood disputes. "People exposed to wood smoke often don't get empathy from a neighbour who is burning," she said. "Those who complain can often experience sociopathic revenge behaviour and retaliation." Managing wood smoke pollution is the responsibility of local councils, which were either reluctant to deal with the problem or not resourced to police chimney smoke, she said. "We are stuck without a remedy. We need state and federal laws to protect health." In 2023, the ACT Government announced that it would phase out wood heaters in the territory by 2045. Ms Daniel said it was a welcome step, but the timeline "was absolutely not good enough". "We consider this a public health emergency," she said. "There is very little political will. We need a hero to step up." She wants no new installations of wood heaters and a subsidised phase-out replacement program converting to split systems. Canberra University's Environmental Public Health Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis told ACM that "decisive and rapid policy action" was needed on wood heater pollution in Australian cities and towns. "This is a major public health issue in many ways similar to smoking in public places, which needs to be urgently addressed," he said. Prof Vardoulakis said new installation of wood heaters need to be banned in new and existing properties in urban areas and suburbs. Mandating the removal of wood heaters before a property can be sold would also reduce the number of older wood heaters, he said. Targeted financial incentives also need to be considered, particularly for low-income households. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council is currently reviewing a draft policy that would restrict the installation of wood heaters in some urban areas. For some, any action comes too late. Tasmanian resident Jane (surname withheld) still lives with the trauma from wood fire heaters. She was living in a rural town in north-west Tasmania when friendly relationships with neighbours turned sour after she approached them about their wood heater. "The situation caused a lot of trauma and despair," she said. "I lost work days because I was so sick." She said the smoke intensity coming into her weatherboard house became "alarming". The council would only act if she provided evidence of 10 minutes of footage of the burning. She went to the EPA in Tasmania, which calculated that the emissions from the heater were at dangerous levels, but the council still would not intervene. "Why does it appear that people with wood heaters have all the rights?" she said. "I understand they are cosy, but they are a significant health compromise. How can the government say on one hand smoking kills, but allow heaters to burn 24 hours a day?" Do you know more? Email the journalist: Lisa Cunial cannot go for a walk in the beautiful wetland behind her house. A few minutes in the garden and she can't breathe. "Gardening is one of my passions," she tells ACM. "It is such a shame." Ms Cunial has lived in Orange in the NSW Central West for more than 25 years. "I used to live out of town as a kid and wonder why all my friends in town were always sick and had asthma," she said. Every year, winter brings the haze of wood fire smoke and she is "always on the cusp of a reaction". "Your sensitivity to the smoke gets worse". Agricultural burn-offs in the surrounding areas exacerbate the problem. After the bushfire season in 2019, she was diagnosed with Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS), a type of asthma-like condition that develops after high-level exposure to an irritating substance such as corrosive material, gas, vapour or fumes. "I couldn't breathe," she said. "If I come across wood smoke, it impacts me immediately. I cannot get better." Ms Cunial's story is not unique. ACM has spoken to dozens of people from regional Australia dealing with wood heater pollution. Around 10 per cent of Australians use wood heaters as their main source of heating. For some, they have become a "lifestyle" accessory. But the health effects are dire. Wood heaters emit large amounts of fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5) into the atmosphere. These particulates could reach deep into the lungs, causing respiratory issues and asthma symptoms. NSW Health's former top doctor, Kerry Chant, said wood fire heaters were so detrimental to health that she would consider banning them. "Long-term exposure to particulate pollution, especially finer particles (PM2.5), can cause heart and lung disease while brief exposures can aggravate asthma and worsen pre-existing heart and lung conditions," she said. Children, the elderly, and people with existing health issues were most at risk. NSW Health advises that "instead of using a wood-burning heater in your home, consider using heating alternatives that cause less pollution, such as reverse cycle air-conditioning, flued gas or electric heaters". New modelling from the Centre for Safe Air at the University of Tasmania shows the toll of wood fire heater pollution. The modelling estimated long-term exposure to smoke from wood heaters contributed to 729 premature deaths every year in Australia. In regional and rural locations, where it is colder and more people use wood heaters, emissions are highest. Regional locations take out the top five worst areas for wood fire heater pollution. Find out the emissions for your area: Launceston and Hobart in Tasmania, the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, Armidale in the Central West in New South Wales, and Bunbury in Western Australia top the list for wood-heater pollution. Centre for Safe Air director, professor Fay Johnston, told ACM the modelling found the areas with the most wood heater pollution tend to be "cooler places where wood burning is common and where towns and cities are located in valleys and basins that trap air pollution during winter". The most premature deaths associated with wood heaters, however, tend to be in areas with the highest population densities. "Sydney's basin-shaped topography and high urban density result in over 300 earlier-than-expected deaths every year, more than any other Australian city," Professor Johnston said. Professor Johnston said that many people are surprised by the impact of wood heaters. "When it comes to air pollution, many people think of exhaust pipe emissions from cars and trucks, smoke from coal-fired power stations or hazard reduction burns," she said. "It is often a surprise to learn that the health impacts of wood heaters are much greater than any of these sources of pollution in most Australian towns and cities." Melbourne community advocate for clean air, Arabella Daniel, said wood pollution was behind a raft of neighbourhood disputes. "People exposed to wood smoke often don't get empathy from a neighbour who is burning," she said. "Those who complain can often experience sociopathic revenge behaviour and retaliation." Managing wood smoke pollution is the responsibility of local councils, which were either reluctant to deal with the problem or not resourced to police chimney smoke, she said. "We are stuck without a remedy. We need state and federal laws to protect health." In 2023, the ACT Government announced that it would phase out wood heaters in the territory by 2045. Ms Daniel said it was a welcome step, but the timeline "was absolutely not good enough". "We consider this a public health emergency," she said. "There is very little political will. We need a hero to step up." She wants no new installations of wood heaters and a subsidised phase-out replacement program converting to split systems. Canberra University's Environmental Public Health Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis told ACM that "decisive and rapid policy action" was needed on wood heater pollution in Australian cities and towns. "This is a major public health issue in many ways similar to smoking in public places, which needs to be urgently addressed," he said. Prof Vardoulakis said new installation of wood heaters need to be banned in new and existing properties in urban areas and suburbs. Mandating the removal of wood heaters before a property can be sold would also reduce the number of older wood heaters, he said. Targeted financial incentives also need to be considered, particularly for low-income households. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council is currently reviewing a draft policy that would restrict the installation of wood heaters in some urban areas. For some, any action comes too late. Tasmanian resident Jane (surname withheld) still lives with the trauma from wood fire heaters. She was living in a rural town in north-west Tasmania when friendly relationships with neighbours turned sour after she approached them about their wood heater. "The situation caused a lot of trauma and despair," she said. "I lost work days because I was so sick." She said the smoke intensity coming into her weatherboard house became "alarming". The council would only act if she provided evidence of 10 minutes of footage of the burning. She went to the EPA in Tasmania, which calculated that the emissions from the heater were at dangerous levels, but the council still would not intervene. "Why does it appear that people with wood heaters have all the rights?" she said. "I understand they are cosy, but they are a significant health compromise. How can the government say on one hand smoking kills, but allow heaters to burn 24 hours a day?" Do you know more? Email the journalist: Lisa Cunial cannot go for a walk in the beautiful wetland behind her house. A few minutes in the garden and she can't breathe. "Gardening is one of my passions," she tells ACM. "It is such a shame." Ms Cunial has lived in Orange in the NSW Central West for more than 25 years. "I used to live out of town as a kid and wonder why all my friends in town were always sick and had asthma," she said. Every year, winter brings the haze of wood fire smoke and she is "always on the cusp of a reaction". "Your sensitivity to the smoke gets worse". Agricultural burn-offs in the surrounding areas exacerbate the problem. After the bushfire season in 2019, she was diagnosed with Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS), a type of asthma-like condition that develops after high-level exposure to an irritating substance such as corrosive material, gas, vapour or fumes. "I couldn't breathe," she said. "If I come across wood smoke, it impacts me immediately. I cannot get better." Ms Cunial's story is not unique. ACM has spoken to dozens of people from regional Australia dealing with wood heater pollution. Around 10 per cent of Australians use wood heaters as their main source of heating. For some, they have become a "lifestyle" accessory. But the health effects are dire. Wood heaters emit large amounts of fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5) into the atmosphere. These particulates could reach deep into the lungs, causing respiratory issues and asthma symptoms. NSW Health's former top doctor, Kerry Chant, said wood fire heaters were so detrimental to health that she would consider banning them. "Long-term exposure to particulate pollution, especially finer particles (PM2.5), can cause heart and lung disease while brief exposures can aggravate asthma and worsen pre-existing heart and lung conditions," she said. Children, the elderly, and people with existing health issues were most at risk. NSW Health advises that "instead of using a wood-burning heater in your home, consider using heating alternatives that cause less pollution, such as reverse cycle air-conditioning, flued gas or electric heaters". New modelling from the Centre for Safe Air at the University of Tasmania shows the toll of wood fire heater pollution. The modelling estimated long-term exposure to smoke from wood heaters contributed to 729 premature deaths every year in Australia. In regional and rural locations, where it is colder and more people use wood heaters, emissions are highest. Regional locations take out the top five worst areas for wood fire heater pollution. Find out the emissions for your area: Launceston and Hobart in Tasmania, the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, Armidale in the Central West in New South Wales, and Bunbury in Western Australia top the list for wood-heater pollution. Centre for Safe Air director, professor Fay Johnston, told ACM the modelling found the areas with the most wood heater pollution tend to be "cooler places where wood burning is common and where towns and cities are located in valleys and basins that trap air pollution during winter". The most premature deaths associated with wood heaters, however, tend to be in areas with the highest population densities. "Sydney's basin-shaped topography and high urban density result in over 300 earlier-than-expected deaths every year, more than any other Australian city," Professor Johnston said. Professor Johnston said that many people are surprised by the impact of wood heaters. "When it comes to air pollution, many people think of exhaust pipe emissions from cars and trucks, smoke from coal-fired power stations or hazard reduction burns," she said. "It is often a surprise to learn that the health impacts of wood heaters are much greater than any of these sources of pollution in most Australian towns and cities." Melbourne community advocate for clean air, Arabella Daniel, said wood pollution was behind a raft of neighbourhood disputes. "People exposed to wood smoke often don't get empathy from a neighbour who is burning," she said. "Those who complain can often experience sociopathic revenge behaviour and retaliation." Managing wood smoke pollution is the responsibility of local councils, which were either reluctant to deal with the problem or not resourced to police chimney smoke, she said. "We are stuck without a remedy. We need state and federal laws to protect health." In 2023, the ACT Government announced that it would phase out wood heaters in the territory by 2045. Ms Daniel said it was a welcome step, but the timeline "was absolutely not good enough". "We consider this a public health emergency," she said. "There is very little political will. We need a hero to step up." She wants no new installations of wood heaters and a subsidised phase-out replacement program converting to split systems. Canberra University's Environmental Public Health Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis told ACM that "decisive and rapid policy action" was needed on wood heater pollution in Australian cities and towns. "This is a major public health issue in many ways similar to smoking in public places, which needs to be urgently addressed," he said. Prof Vardoulakis said new installation of wood heaters need to be banned in new and existing properties in urban areas and suburbs. Mandating the removal of wood heaters before a property can be sold would also reduce the number of older wood heaters, he said. Targeted financial incentives also need to be considered, particularly for low-income households. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council is currently reviewing a draft policy that would restrict the installation of wood heaters in some urban areas. For some, any action comes too late. Tasmanian resident Jane (surname withheld) still lives with the trauma from wood fire heaters. She was living in a rural town in north-west Tasmania when friendly relationships with neighbours turned sour after she approached them about their wood heater. "The situation caused a lot of trauma and despair," she said. "I lost work days because I was so sick." She said the smoke intensity coming into her weatherboard house became "alarming". The council would only act if she provided evidence of 10 minutes of footage of the burning. She went to the EPA in Tasmania, which calculated that the emissions from the heater were at dangerous levels, but the council still would not intervene. "Why does it appear that people with wood heaters have all the rights?" she said. "I understand they are cosy, but they are a significant health compromise. How can the government say on one hand smoking kills, but allow heaters to burn 24 hours a day?" Do you know more? Email the journalist:
