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Re: [Phys-l] Burning wood... was Glaze Ice, now AAPT meeting (how's that for a segue?)



You got free donuts, now you're getting free fruit and you're complaining? I don't even get free coffee!

If any of you are going to the AAPT/APS meeting in DC, you should take the Lecture Demonstration Workshop on Sunday. We'll be doing 50+ physics demos, explaining the stuff you need, how to present it, add some shtick, etc.

How's that for telling you how to live your life?? Now go out and run a mile or two ;)

Thanks,

Sam
Grumpy this afternoon because my giant Van de Graaff sucked today!

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of LaMontagne, Bob
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 11:19 AM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Burning wood... was Glaze Ice

God I miss the smell of burning leaves in the fall. You can't live forever - I'd rather smell the leaves.

Bob at PC
Grumpy this morning because the food Nazis on campus have replaced the complimentary doughnuts in the faculty lounge with fruit - I'm sick of people telling me how to live my life.

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Edmiston, Mike
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 7:03 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: [Phys-l] Burning wood... was Glaze Ice

The primary problem with burning wood for household heating (or just
burning the wood from storm-downed trees and branches) is the
particulate matter. Of course the CO2 and organics from incomplete
combustion also are not so good, but for health it is the PM that's
bad. (And the PM also carries some of the organics deep into the lungs
where they lodge.)

Particulate matter is one of the original 7 named pollutants
established by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The
7 are SO2, CO, O3, NOx, Pb, PM10 and PM2.5

PM10 means particulate matter less than 10 microns, and PM2.5 means
particulate matter less than 2.5 microns. Ever since NAAQS were
established they focused more on PM10 than PM2.5, but they have
recently decided PM2.5 is the bigger health hazard because it goes
deeper into the lungs, so the NAAQS changed just last year (2009).
PM10 monitors have been and are being replaced with PM2.5 monitors. My
county in Ohio had a PM2.5 monitor installed in summer of 2009. It
will be much more difficult to comply with the PM2.5 standard than the
PM10 standard. Many counties in the US that were in compliance with
the PM10 standard will be out of compliance with the PM2.5 standard.
[Aside... they are also lowering the allowable O3 (ozone) level and
hardly any locations in the Midwest will be in compliance with the new
limit.]

It is possible that some rural areas will have a more difficult time
with the PM2.5 standard if, like many rural areas, people there are
burning wood to save on home heating costs. Wood burning is claimed
(by US-EPA) to be the major source of high PM2.5 levels in rural areas
and small towns. Most likely, any county in any state that is out of
compliance with the PM2.5 standard will have to outlaw wood burning as
an energy source for home heating.

This will not go over well. I am not a wood burner because of the
uncontrolled pollution it makes. I believe as a society we cannot
allow people to engage in practices that are far away from BAT (best
available technology). Wood burning is waaaay beyond BAT and we just
have to stop it. This is not a global warming issue as much as a
straightforward human health issue. I know plenty of people in my area
who do burn wood, and it seems sacred with them. It is a right, just
like hot dogs, apple pie, and motherhood. When my county is forced to
outlaw wood burning (and corn burning, etc.) which it most likely will
have to do, people are going to really get angry. But those of us who
are breathing our neighbor's wood smoke are already angry.

Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH 45817
(419)-358-3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu



-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Bernard Cleyet
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 4:59 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Cc: Nancy Seese
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Glaze Ice

Salinas hasn't "outlawed" fireplaces, as has Berkeley, yet.

bc collects street side branches.

p.s. I don't "feel" guilty as anaerobic decomposition produces alkanes,
which are more green house than CO2.


On 2010, Feb 02, , at 14:43, Edmiston, Mike wrote:


Also, it may be easy for people with access to chain saws, and who
are in good health, to get branches to the curb. But many people can't
do it, and once these are placed at the curb then what? Cities and
towns around here didn't have any place to put the stuff, and the Ohio-
EPA prohibited them from burning it. Lima, the closest city to me, (15
miles away and 50,000 to 100,00 people depending on how far you go out)
had several mountains of branches. I mean it... these were very huge
piles... nearly unbelievable piles.

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