According to a survey by the Stadspanel most residents of The Hague are unaware that wood-burning stoves release unhealthy emissions in the air. In big cities smoke from wood-burning fireplaces and stoves will soon become a larger source of air pollution than traffic. Now that winter is approaching, the municipality is launching a campaign to make residents more aware of their fire burning behaviour and to give tips for cleaner wood burning.
Approximately 1 in 6 homes in The Hague has a fireplace or wood-burning stove. This is slightly higher than the national average, which is 1 in 10 (source: Milieu Centraal). Not many people are aware that smoke from wood burning will soon become the largest source of particulate matter pollution in The Hague. The largest source is currently traffic but these emissions are continuously decreasing. A larger number of vehicles now have a particle filter or are electric and people are taking the bike and public transportation more often.
Nearly all of those questioned in the survey wrongly believed that industry, aviation, shipping and power stations were much bigger sources of particulate matter pollution than wood burning in homes.
Tips for burning wood
Residents often say that the main problems with burning wood are the odour, smoke and danger of fire. However, burning wood also poses health risks to neighbours and to the resident himself. The municipality would like to promote greater awareness. Residents can also do their part to limit the health risks; for example, not to burn a fire in windless and misty weather and to make sure the chimney is swept each year.
Stadspanel
The survey was conducted among participants in the Stadspanel. The Stadspanel is a group of almost 6,000 residents of The Hague who answer questions on municipal policy on a regular basis.
Read (in Dutch) what the municipality is doing to improve air quality under www.denhaag.nl/luchtkwaliteit.
Source: www.thehague.com
Zestee 