To think our air quality is getting worse due to the rise of woodburners

[Brownbootscoldheart]

I live in a semi rural area - a large village surrounded by other large towns and villages and since the start of winter there is a constant smell of woodsmoke In the air. It’s especially strong in the evenings and the air is still thick some mornings if it’s a still day.
I agree it can sometimes smell quite nice but mostly it’s an acrid smell, not dissimilar to creosote so I assume people are burning wood treated with something.
I feel we are going backwards with regards to air quality, the clean air act went a huge way to improving the situation in the later decades of the last century but due to the rise of this needless accessory (I say needless as I would expect most people have central heating and it’s just a fad to have a woodburner) I would think we are going backwards.

Anyone else agree?

Yep! I want a form of heating which isn't reliant at all on electricity. Even oil and gas burners require electricity. It's all very well saying you don't need wood fires but the minute there's a power cut most other forms of heating are off the table.

If you have an open fire you can keep a couple of rooms warm at least. In the bad winter we had last year I wouldn't have wanted to be without the fire if the power had cut out. Imagine how cold it would have been otherwise!

It's the usual double standard. Pin the blame on woodburners, as one government minister did recently (can't remember who though), but at the same time there are government plans to increase the amount of massive incinerators for domestic waste. A huge one in our area is due to come online soon, which will be pumping out particulates a lot more poisonous than woodburner smoke. One rule for industry, another rule for householders.