The state of the UK

[Scot Dutchy]

All those tree-hugging veganists. Get rid of your wood-burners.

Wood burners cause nearly half of urban air pollution cancer risk – study

Wood burning stoves in urban areas are responsible for almost half of people’s exposure to cancer-causing chemicals found in air pollution particles, new research has shown.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in tiny pollution particles are produced by burning fuels and have long been known to have carcinogenic effects. The new study examined the sources of the PAHs and found wood burning produced more than the diesel fuel or petrol used in vehicles.

The analysis was done in Athens, Greece, but the researchers were clear that this was not an unusual case. They said that home wood burning was a significant issue for urban air quality throughout Europe and that excessive exposure to wood smoke could cause severe health effects.

“Athens is not an exception – it’s more representative of a rule,” said Athanasios Nenes, at the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas in Patras, Greece, and one of the team behind the new study. “On the one hand, it’s: ‘Oh, my goodness, this is terrible.’ But on the other hand, it points to something people can actually do to reduce this risk without too much effort. You basically stop burning wood. That’s the bottom line.”

Wood burning stoves are banned in this country.

[Svartalf]

Never understand that... they want to stop the use of fossil fuels like oil and coal, because of all the nasty byproducts, but they also promote stuff like wood chip or pellet burning stoves which are essentially the same, just with less ancient carbon.

[JimC]

Under the right conditions (plenty of air) wood burning need not produce too much pollution, but many wood-burning stoves are less than optimal, and can definitely produce dangerous forms of pollution in urban settings. It is an issue here too...

[Brian Peacock]

When did wood burners become a vegan thing. I didn't get the memo

[Scot Dutchy]

Here vegans try to be independent as much as possible. Wood burners are part of their life style. You often see a vegan family in the woods collecting wood amongst other things. Normal people use specially prepared chips in approved wood burners usually Swedish stoves for the "gezelligheid" but with vegans it is a primary source of heat.

[Brian Peacock]

Lol.

[pErvinalia]

You didn't actually expect anything better, did you?

[rainbow]

Never understand that... they want to stop the use of fossil fuels like oil and coal, because of all the nasty byproducts, but they also promote stuff like wood chip or pellet burning stoves which are essentially the same, just with less ancient carbon.

I still think BoJo is a Twat.

[Svartalf]

For the Love of Hitchens, if you have to liken him to a hole, use the brown one, not the marvellous one.

[Scot Dutchy]

A big brown hairy hole...

[Brian Peacock]

You didn't actually expect anything better, did you?

I didn't realise the government had to approve when and where I get wood.

[Sean Hayden]

We're obviously working with different definitions of vegan i.e. I would never expect to describe a family out for a walk as "vegan" first, or ever really. You would just laugh if your friend turned to you and said: look at that "vegan" family over there...

Maybe the Dutch vegan, like so much of everything Dutch, is an exceptional case.

[Scot Dutchy]

Well Vegans here look like a Hamish family. Not joking. Their kids are a pain in school. It is illegal to homeschool here. Do you actually have Vegans in your area Sean? Or are they good gun carrying xtians?

[Sean Hayden]

To me vegan is just a set of personal dietary decisions, and therefore not something I'm likely to know about someone without talking to them. Clearly a Dutch vegan is easier to spot, exceptional.

[Scot Dutchy]

To me vegan is just a set of personal dietary decisions, and therefore not something I'm likely to know about someone without talking to them. Clearly a Dutch vegan is easier to spot, exceptional.

Veganism is a philosophy not just a dietary thing. No leather clothes etc. They wear more plastic than other people as it is acceptable in their eyes (weird).