Why does everyone install wood burners knowing how terrible they are for the environment?

[Don'tcallthepolice]

Just this

No-one can independently assess the human impact on climate change. Only organisations can do that, and we are left to accept what they publish, or not. Just like microchips in vaccines, or man on the moon, or flat earth theory, you can't prove or disprove for certain, for yourself. It's down to what you believe is true. What you choose to accept. If you have faith in the climate data, then subscribe to it, and go along willingly with the changes to our way of life that will unfold as a result. But you can't expect everyone to have faith in the published data, any more than to you can expect everyone to have faith in the same religion. You can't shame people into subscribing to a climate agenda. For many people the climate agenda sets off huge red flags, and obvious concessions on hard fought for freedoms. No amount of new studies are going to settle those concerns. It's like repeatedly shouting a passage of the bible at a Muslim, and expecting them to drop Islam and turn to Christianity.

We have no gas supply to the village so we had ground source heating installed and two wood burners. I'm so glad we have the wood burners, the ground source heating is okay but only really takes the chill off the house, it never feels as warm as other houses with gas central heating. We light both stoves at about 5 pm and leave all internal doors open and they warm the whole house throughout the evening. We don't pay for any wood and have enough to last us for years.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/27/wood-burning-stove-environment-home-toxins

You are poisoning yourself , your children and the environment around you. But hey never mind crack on ...

Even a modern, approved, “eco-friendly” wood burner produces 750 times as many fine particulates as a heavy goods vehicle.

These poisons can affect every organ in the body. Tiny particles pass straight through your lungs into the bloodstream. Wherever they lodge they cause harm. They’re associated with a wide range of cancers, heart and lung disease, strokes, dementia and the loss of intelligence. They age your skin and damage your liver. They harm foetuses in the womb and children’s development. It’s especially ironic to find wood burners in the homes of people who buy only organic products, to reduce the chemical load on their bodies

Still no reason to be rude about people on mumsnet.

Our gas boiler was condemned right at the start of the cold snap before Christmas, and it tool a week to get a new one installed. Our stove kept us going during that period, almost for free, as most of the logs that we burned came from a tree that we had to cut down a number of years ago.

@Everyonehasavoice

Consensus on hydrogen was a bit meh from them all. Worcester Bosch do one that can apparently run on a 30% hydrogen mix, if there's not much difference between that and the normal one then we'll probably go with that, but I don't think it makes much difference at the moment.

We leave the holes as they are. DH has basically banned central heating this year - we are trying to see how we get on with having the thermostats at 16 degrees. I either work from home, or I'm overseas on contracts, so I have invested in lots of door curtains (fab deals on ebay) and use those spring-loaded shower curtain rails to wedge them between beams. That has made a massive difference - we now basically heat one room (where the wood burner is) and then have high tog duvets in the bedrooms. DD and I cheat and each have electric heat pads for an hour in bed though.

I have a woodburner because I like the look of it and the heat it generates when it's cold outside. It costs nothing to run either. There are worse things to get your tits in a tangle about tbh.

Our open fire provides heat, light, comfort, a focal point, an ambience.
It gets used regularly in the winter, for about 4 months of the year and we only burn seasoned wood. I have no worries about doing this.
Other people may choose to smoke, drink, commit crime, all sort of other things that affect others but that’s their choice, I have mine.

I thought the question was about the impact on the environment, not the impact on your health. We don't use it often enough to worry about that, I don't think, but thanks for the heads-up! No, I wasn't aware.

Because I live in a rural location which has no gas connection and it’s far cheaper, warmer than my storage heaters that throw no heat out at all. I only burn seasoned wood and it’s defra approved.

@vera99 The problem with quoting Comment is Free from the Guardian is...well, exactly that! These are features written by writers with an axe to grind, who find a space for their opinions. They are not always impartial, because, hey, that doesn't sell papers. The writer will select various quotes and stats to suit their point of view.

If I recall correctly, no one who writes for the Comment is Free gets paid for it as it's a 'free' soap box' for anyone with an axe to grind.

For every bit of 'science' in that feature there will be a counter-argument.

It's not a very good way to prove your point by linking to one article by a freelance writer, in a left of centre paper, and expecting it to be The Truth.

There is more than one side to this.

I have three. I only burn smokeless fuel and kiln dried wood. They have made our very old house habitable.

Because they don’t care, OP. They terrible for lung health.

Some of your figures are a bit off, are you ordering gold plated wood or something?

However thats not the point, the point is that apart from the wood which does need to be purchased every year (in some cases), that is a one off cost.

are these things so different?

Same as people driving (non-electric powered cars), taking flights, not recycling, having air conditioning on all the time, so on and so on. Most people get to what they feel is the right balance with all of these things.

The other point @vera99 is that the writer of that feature was using wood that does not appear to be the right kind. It was covered in moss, so clearly not kiln-dried / seasoned which is what it ought to be for the health of the occupants and the environment.

Great advice here
Am off to Google spring loaded shower curtain rails
Good tip, thanks.

We have open fires.

It's an old (1700) house. Air source heat pump wouldn't work for us, we've investigated.

We aren't allowed solar panels as we are listed and the roof is part of the listing. Again, we have investigated and been told no.

No mains gas.

We do have a lot of wood. Which we season and then burn along with eco coal. Im aware of the risks to health but it's a decision that works for us.

There isn't any perfect solution: solar requires batteries which are made from digging up finite resources, air source doesn't work for old draughty buildings, oil is obviously finite and comes with its own pollution problems, gas the same and isn't available to us

Many rural areas, like mine, aren't connected to the gas mains.

So how would you like me to heat my house?

Also- I live in a Forest. The wood comes from about 1 mile away from a fully sustainable source. I also have wood from my own garden. If people in our village cut down a tree, I'll take it and stack it for next year. Because we are skint. So I can save money that way.

We don't burn coal as the smokeless coal fuel melts the fire grates and they are expensive to replace. Any other questions?

@Everyonehasavoice

Amazon do a black one that looks like wrought iron. I have a really heavy curtain on that at the bottom of the stairs and nobody has managed to dislodge it yet. Also no damage to the lime plaster or wood. I've been really impressed with them. Much cheaper than permanent fixed rails and no need to drill holes into beams.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08CXMT3MW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I can assure you I’m not middle class. I live in social housing with shitty storage heaters. There’s no chance of the housing association paying for anything more efficient and being a tenant of a social landlord leaves you unable to apply for grants. I paid for its installation last march and it will have paid for itself by the end of winter.

Wood is expensive now. It used to be £200 for a truck load, 4 cubic metres of kiln dried wood it’s now £360 where I am and there’s a 3 week wait time on deliveries. Those small bags of seasoned logs are £1 a kilo🤑

Ha ha! If you think that’s rude - a commonly found phrase in mumsnet - how tight are your pearls? And how on earth do you survive in the real world??!!!

And you don’t need to drill holes into the historic fabric
We re on the same page

Thankyou Thankyou