We’re glad to see there’s a consultation, but the proposed actions don’t go nearly far enough.
@mumsforlungs.bsky.social has posted a good overview, with helpful suggestions for responding: www.mumsforlungs.org/news/respond...
Did you know? The pollution caused by wood burning affects everyone who breathes it in. But it's particularly harmful to children, older people, and people with health conditions. Source: World Health Organization
The consultation is open until 19 March 2026 - contribute now: www.gov.uk/government/c...
What are the health effects of wood burning stoves?
@rebeccacoombes.bsky.social and @kamranabbasi.bsky.social discuss the new BMJ investigation that probes the toxic traces wood burners spread over communities
Read the investigation here: https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s360
Are "eco-friendly" wood burners actually toxic?
@rebeccacoombes.bsky.social and @kamranabbasi.bsky.social discuss the new BMJ investigation into strategies used by the stove industry to shut down clean air campaigns
Read the investigation here: https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s360
Our coverage of The BMJ’s recent wood stove industry investigative piece:
A new story on our website from Australia. A family was twice forced to move to escape severe pollution from wood-burning restaurants.
Ella’s Law includes provisions to phase out wood burning.
Lobbyists for the UK wood-burning stove industry threaten councils with legal action over public information campaigns on the harms of #airpollution
- "Straight from the playbook of tobacco" says Jemima Hartshorn, at Mums for Lungs
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“Clean burning” is a myth.
“The code recommends people take steps to protect themselves from air pollution and to reduce their contribution to the problem. This includes keeping homes free of smoke by not burning materials such as coal or wood…”
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“With home woodburning increasing, the [European Code Against Cancer] calls on governments to discourage and phase out solid fuels for heating, cooking and recreation.”
Industry should not be trying to stop councils from communicating the facts.
The health effects of burning are widely known.
Modern stoves are not the answer: some emit MORE tiny particles of soot, carbon and cancer-causing chemicals than older stoves.
Non-essential burning has to stop.
“We know that air pollution has a negative impact particularly on children's health. We know that high levels, be it from wood-burning stoves or traffic, are likely to lead to increased attendances at A&E.”
“Lobbyists for the UK wood-burning stove industry have threatened councils with legal action over public information campaigns warning of the harms of air pollution.”
“I’m shocked. I’ve actually never heard of anything like this - industry lobbying public health servants to ignore a serious public health issue and go against medical advice...”
airqualitynews.com/headlines/co...
Concern over woodburning stoves grows in Northern Ireland
#AirPollution #WoodBurning #Health
airqualitynews.com/headlines/co...
A screenshot from a University of Galway press release showing Professor Jurgita Ovadnevaite. A headline says “Low smoke doesn’t mean low risk: All solid fuels found to emit ultrafine particles.”
Burning “smokeless fuels” increases ultrafine particle emissions.
“Based on this data, we underscore the need to move away from residential solid fuel burning as part of the wider societal aim to decarbonise the economy by 2050.”
www.universityofgalway.ie/about-us/new...
“…longer averaging periods (e.g., daily or annual mean concentrations) do not reflect temporal peak concentrations that can be especially dangerous for high-risk groups…”
Wood burning is a choice…
Tackling residential wood combustion "could lead to outsized improvements in air quality.”
An opportunity to reduce the toll of 8,600 premature deaths each year in the US and 2,600 in the UK.
My latest piece for @theguardian.com.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Good news from Kraków, where a ban on domestic burning of wood and coal is estimated to have saved 6,000 lives so far by reducing air pollution: www.theguardian.com/environment/... .
NEW: Have your say on DEFRA’s solid fuel burning consultation.
If you're affected by #WoodBurning, this is a critical moment to get your views across to the government. We've created some guidance to help you respond - the deadline is 19th March. Please share far and wide!
#AirPollution #Health
