5 ms·

You'd be surprised how common it is, the largest source of air pollution in the winter in the SF bay area is from people burning wood.

by s0rce 5y ago

apcragg 5y ago
Less that its so common, more that a small percent of people cause all of that pollution. They usually convince themselves they are being environmentally friendly because "I just use the wood I already have from my land!!" And the rest of us suffer their refusal to use a modern heating source.
maxerickson 5y ago
*recreationally
dredmorbius 5y ago
What are the other major sources of air pollution / particulate pollution in the Bay Area? There's no coal consumption to speak of. There's diesel fuel consumption, though that is largely concentrated on transport corridors (I-80, I-580, US-101). Wildfire emissions all but certainly swamp woodstove usage. That said, yes, a small number of poorly-tuned fireplaces can create a large amount of smoke. Where the intent is actual useful heating, and not fireplace-as-decoration, thats' a solvable problem.
- s0rce 5y ago
  See here for the other sources: https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/communications-and-outreach/publications/annual-report/baaqmd-guidebook-08-6-4-09.pdf https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/communications-and-outr... Look on page 7 39% Wood Smoke 12 Cooking 12 Other Mobile Sources 12 Road Dust 7 On-Road Motor Vehicles 6 Combustion: Stationary Sources 5 Industrial/Commercial Processes 3 Construction and Farming Dust 2 Animal Waste 1 Wind-Blown Dust 1 Wildfires Wildfires are basically non-existent in the winter, although the Colorado fire currently doesn't bode well for future California winters.
woodruffw 5y ago
That is indeed very surprising! My understanding is that here in NYC the single largest (non-industrial?) source of air pollution is heating oil. The city banned the two worst heating oils back in 2015, but with a long phase-out period[1]. I would have expected the situation to be the same in most other cities, although SF's weather certainly doesn't justify oil burning the way NYC's does :-) [1]: https://www.ny-engineers.com/blog/how-nyc-is-phasing-out-heavy-heating-oils https://www.ny-engineers.com/blog/how-nyc-is-phasing-out-hea...
- s0rce 5y ago
  I'm not sure how much heating oil use there is in California, seemed like most people without natural gas use either wood or propane.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

You'd be surprised how common it is, the largest source of air pollution in the winter in the SF bay area is from people burning wood.

by s0rce 5y ago

You'd be surprised how common it is, the largest source of air pollution in the winter in the SF bay area is from people burning wood.

apcragg 5y ago

Less that its so common, more that a small percent of people cause all of that pollution. They usually convince themselves they are being environmentally friendly because "I just use the wood I already have from my land!!" And the rest of us suffer their refusal to use a modern heating source.

maxerickson 5y ago

*recreationally

dredmorbius 5y ago

What are the other major sources of air pollution / particulate pollution in the Bay Area? There's no coal consumption to speak of. There's diesel fuel consumption, though that is largely concentrated on transport corridors (I-80, I-580, US-101). Wildfire emissions all but certainly swamp woodstove usage. That said, yes, a small number of poorly-tuned fireplaces can create a large amount of smoke. Where the intent is actual useful heating, and not fireplace-as-decoration, thats' a solvable problem.

s0rce 5y ago
See here for the other sources: https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/communications-and-outreach/publications/annual-report/baaqmd-guidebook-08-6-4-09.pdf https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/communications-and-outr... Look on page 7 39% Wood Smoke 12 Cooking 12 Other Mobile Sources 12 Road Dust 7 On-Road Motor Vehicles 6 Combustion: Stationary Sources 5 Industrial/Commercial Processes 3 Construction and Farming Dust 2 Animal Waste 1 Wind-Blown Dust 1 Wildfires Wildfires are basically non-existent in the winter, although the Colorado fire currently doesn't bode well for future California winters.

woodruffw 5y ago

That is indeed very surprising! My understanding is that here in NYC the single largest (non-industrial?) source of air pollution is heating oil. The city banned the two worst heating oils back in 2015, but with a long phase-out period[1]. I would have expected the situation to be the same in most other cities, although SF's weather certainly doesn't justify oil burning the way NYC's does :-) [1]: https://www.ny-engineers.com/blog/how-nyc-is-phasing-out-heavy-heating-oils https://www.ny-engineers.com/blog/how-nyc-is-phasing-out-hea...

s0rce 5y ago
I'm not sure how much heating oil use there is in California, seemed like most people without natural gas use either wood or propane.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]