San Francisco Bans Wood Burning Amid Health and Pollution Concerns

San Francisco announced a ban on wood burning through Christmas Day and banned the burning of wood or other solid fuel because of the pollution in the region.

Source: KPIX CBS SF Bay Area/YouTube

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced on the Thursday before Christmas that residents would not be allowed to burn wood or other solid fuel, or they would face a fine.

The government agency announced the ban as cool temperatures and light winds were trapping wood smoke at ground level. Fine particulate Pollution in the wood smoke can cause health impacts and is harmful to children, elderly people, and those with respiratory conditions.

“Unfortunately, weather conditions are leading to significant smoke Pollution buildup throughout the region that is expected to cause unhealthy air quality through the Christmas holiday,” air district interim executive officer Sharon Landers said in the announcement.

Those with fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits, or other wood-burning devices were not allowed to use them during the time unless the home was made without permanently installed heating. First-time violators would be encouraged to take a wood smoke awareness course or pay a $100 fine, while second violations were accompanied by a $500 fine.

Officials in San Francisco are allowed to ban wood burning on Spare the Air days all year round to fight climate change and air pollution.

Air Pollution is an invisible killer and has been linked to so many diseases, including fatty liver disease, depression, and other mental health issues, and a study even found that nearly 6 million babies born prematurely in 2019 were likely linked to air pollution. Eating meat has been linked to a rise in air pollution, and factory farms are one of the biggest to blame for our dirty air. According to the WHO, an estimated 4.2 million people every year are killed by outdoor air Pollution, and 99 percent of the global population breathes air that exceeds WHO guideline limits, with low and middle-income areas disproportionately affected. Check out these eco-artists that are using their art to call attention to the massive problem of air Pollution and sign the petition to demand federal clean-up of disproportionately affected polluted areas in the United States.

Related Content:

• Research Finds How Wildfires Contaminate Drinking Water
• Tiny Wisconsin Town Sued After Trying to Stop Pollution From Factory Farms
• Air Pollution Linked to Nearly One Million Stillbirths
• Toxic Air Pollution Particles Found in Organs of Fetuses, New Study Finds

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and essential stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!