This column is about Christmas trees, mixed paper and
fireplaces. Believe it or not, these items have quite a lot in
common in that fiber is essential to all three.
This column is about Christmas trees, mixed paper and fireplaces. Believe it or not, these items have quite a lot in common in that fiber is essential to all three.
Years ago, people who knew me as the Eco-Guy were shocked to learn that we had a real, cut Christmas tree in our home. They would question whether or not I was compromising my eco-ideals by purchasing a cut tree. My response was that a cut Christmas tree is really like cut flowers for the counter. You buy them, they beautify your house for a set period of time, and then you compost them.
It is those last words that are the important ones for today’s column. Residents in Morgan Hill have an easy composting option for their cut trees. Just place the tree out at the curb on your yard trimmings collection day. Please be sure to cut it into three-foot sections and remove all decorations. Flocked trees are fine to compost.
Paper, as we all know, comes from trees. Our most recent analysis of Morgan Hill residential garbage shows that far too many of you are still not really recycling all of your mixed paper. Fifteen of our residential garbage is still comprised of of mixed paper.
Here’s the key: make it as convenient as you can in your home. If you need indoor deskside paper recycling boxes or a larger outdoor recycling container for your paper, just let us know. We aim to give you the tools you need to recycle. We now have three different sizes of outdoor containers available for free delivery to your home. Just contact Andi or me at the number below. The deskside boxes can be picked up at BookSmart or City Hall.
Now, onto the fireplace issue. We recently completely removed our fireplace and chimney from our house. It’s gone, it’s history, good riddance.
While we did this to make room for a wonderful new big window, the truth is we never used the fireplace. Wood-burning fireplaces emit large quantities of air pollutants and generally make your home colder by drawing in cold air. Wood smoke contains hundreds of chemical compounds, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, organic gases and particulate matter.
Besides the visual impact of wood smoke, many of these compounds can cause serious health problems, especially for children, pregnant women and people with respiratory ailments. Several of these pollutants have demonstrated cancer-causing properties similar to cigarette smoke. In many urban and rural areas, smoke from wood burning is a major contributor to air pollution.
Should everyone remove their fireplace? Probably not … I think we are a bit extreme in our attitude about it and I am sure that many of you enjoy an occasional fire. I ask you, however, to save those fires for special times and not make them nightly occurrences. In addition, never, I mean really never, burn plastic in a fireplace or campfire. The uncontrolled combustion of plastics generates really nasty and dangerous chemicals.
Eco-Fact of the Week: In winter, fireplaces and woodstoves generate 40 percent of the Bay Area’s particulate air pollution. The very fine particles – invisible to the eye – are the most harmful to health because they lodge deep in the lungs.
Eco-Web Pages of the Week: The Bay Area Air Quality Management’s page on wood burning is at http://www.baaqmd.gov/pio/woodburning/woodburning.asp?Grp=8 . This is a good general resource that also includes a link to their Woodburning Handbook.
Anthony Eulo is environmental programs manager for the city and assistant to the city manager. He welcomes questions, comments and thoughts, and can be reached at te***@***************ca.gov or 779-7247.
