[glend (Glen)]

Winter has seen yet another growth period in wood heaters. Rising electricty prices are causing more and more people to install these hideous devices. Have we made no progress in the last 100 years? Last night i was out at my observatory and could see the pall of smoke hanging over the neighborhood, around the street light up the hill, and drifting down to the Lake. This obviously affects astronomy, imparting a haze like filter, and potentially settling on optics. In the early morning from up the back of my place i can see the ever growing numbers of smoke columns rising into the sky. The local council newspaper ran a story early this winter asking people to stay away from these nasty heaters, sighting, health issues, and the release of CO2 sequested in the timber they burn - and still the numbers grow.

I have to be very careful about when i can hang out my laundry, my next door neighbor has one of these heaters, and it spews out smoke whenever they are home.
This has to be controlled in some way. Local wood cutters are driving around public reserve space cutting up any dead wood they can find. Tree loppers sell off green wood to unsuspecting consumers. I dread the delivery of yet another trailer load next door. And this stuff is not as cheap as people may think.
A nice electric blanket uses no more than 100w of power, the same with the electric throws for lounges, chairs, or just used as wraps. I would like to see the Greens get behind a campaign to stop the growth of these heaters.. What is the situation in your area?