Municipalities should promote clean wood burning Take some time to read the following and you will have a better understanding of why wood, when burnt responsibly, presents many advantages for our society.
Following the decision on November 3rd 2008 by the municipality of Hampstead, in the Montreal region, to ban wood-heating in all its forms, some of the media coverage of this new municipal by-law has promulgated the idea that somehow heating with wood is an unsound environmental choice. The wood-heating industry has evolved. The vast majority of appliances sold on the market now meet the emissions limits set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the Canadian standard CSA B415.1. Wood, when burnt in an appliance that has been tested to these standards, emits up to 90% less particulates. It is a clean, renewable energy source. As for stoves burning wood pellets, they have amongst the lowest particulate emissions of all solid-fuel burning appliances. They are manufactured from waste products and other renewable resources right here in Quebec and across Canada. They represent a huge source of heating fuel from material that could otherwise be sent to landfills. Wood-heating enables millions of North Americans to heat their homes at a reasonable cost. It represents a reliable source of energy, independent of electricity, which reduces our dependence on fossil fuels such as oil and gas. Burning fossil fuels for heating is a major source of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. In comparison pellets have only a small carbon footprint and wood is essentially carbon neutral. Numerous countries, provinces and municipalities, have adopted laws that regulate the sale of wood-heating appliances that do not meet the latest standards in terms of particulate emissions. Among them, we can name the United States, Australia, New Zealand, as well as numerous countries that are part of the European Union. In Canada, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland have also introduced laws regulating the sale of wood-heating appliances. In most cases, financial incentives were given to homeowners in order to replace their old stove with new, certified wood or pellet heating appliances. The problem has not been ignored or side-stepped. It has rather been transformed into an opportunity through carefully designed initiatives. Why would a municipality go against the worldwide trend of energy diversification by banning the use of a clean, renewable energy source such as wood? North America is home to many stove and fireplace manufacturers that are amongst the leaders in this important worldwide industry. Those enterprises represent thousands of quality manufacturing jobs. They work hand in hand with government and municipalities in order to establish intelligent and responsible regulations on wood-heating that will have a positive impact on the environment and local economies. Our industry is there to support states, provinces, and municipalities to adopt measures that will lead to the responsible use of wood as a source of heat. Do not hesitate to contact HPBA (www.hpba.org) or HPBAC (www.hpbacanada.org) for more details. Residents of Quebec are invited to contact APC - l'Association des professionnels du chauffage (www.poelesfoyers.ca).
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