Make people aware of the impact of wood burning
By informing those around you you contribute to greater awareness about the negative consequences of wood burning.
You tackle the following challenges:
This is how you approach it
Many people find a wood fire cozy. Unfortunately, wood smoke is unhealthy. Wood burning is one of the main sources of air pollution, producing substances such as particulate matter and soot. Older people, children and people with sensitive lungs or heart problems are extra sensitive to the effects of wood smoke.
If wood is often burned in your area or if you experience inconvenience from wood burning, you can discuss this with your neighbors. Research shows that two-thirds of wood burners want to take measures to limit the nuisance.
Tips
- Map wood burning in your area. This gives you an idea of the scale of the problem: where does the smoke come from, when is the fire used, are there other people in your area who are bothered by wood smoke, etc.?
- Talk to your neighbors and inform them about the negative health effects of wood smoke. Many people are not aware of the harmful consequences. Provide solutions to limit the nuisance. You can find useful tips on the website of the Flemish Environmental Society ' Hout it healthy ' (Flanders) or Milieu Centraal (Netherlands).
- Organize a measurement campaign with particulate matter meters in your neighborhood to increase awareness of air quality and wood burning.
- Are you unable to reach a solution with your neighbors? Then ask your municipality or the local police officer to mediate.
More information
- Wood stove or fireplace: heating tips (Milieu Centraal, Netherlands)
- Preventing nuisance caused by wood burning (GGD Living Environment, Netherlands)
- Toolkit Wood burning by private individuals, how do you prevent nuisance? (Anzion Advies and ConCEPD, commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands)
- Heat alert (RIVM, Netherlands)
