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.

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