We're constantly told it is the younger generation - those under 40 years of age - who are most concerned about climate change & climate action. Yet it is this age group in Australia who are making the 'lifestyle' choice to install & use wood heaters in their homes. Wood burning - widely promoted as carbon neutral - releases carbon dioxide & black carbon at a rate far outweighing the slow carbon sequestration of regrowing trees. Wood heaters & domestic wood burning generally also emits more PM2.5 air pollution in our suburbs, towns & cities than all traffic emissions combined. The past ten years have also seen the take up in use of perfume & fragrances (phthalate esters/forever chemicals/endocrine disruptors) by those in the under 40 age group at Olympic levels - so much so that public spaces are now heavily filled with the smell of perfume in much the same way as cigarette smoke pre smoking bans. People say they are concerned about climate change but feel powerless on a personal level. Not burning wood where there are other energy alternatives & opting out of wearing perfume/using fragrances are simple steps that contribute to safeguarding air quality (even if at a local level) & environment protection.
We're constantly told it is the younger generation - those under 40 years of age - who are most concerned about climate change & climate action. Yet it is this age group in Australia who are making the 'lifestyle' choice to install & use wood heaters in their homes. Wood burning - widely promoted as carbon neutral - releases carbon dioxide & black carbon at a rate far outweighing the slow carbon sequestration of regrowing trees. Wood heaters & domestic wood burning generally also emits more PM2.5 air pollution in our suburbs, towns & cities than all traffic emissions combined. The past ten years have also seen the take up in use of perfume & fragrances (phthalate esters/forever chemicals/endocrine disruptors) by those in the under 40 age group at Olympic levels - so much so that public spaces are now heavily filled with the smell of perfume in much the same way as cigarette smoke pre smoking bans. People say they are concerned about climate change but feel powerless on a personal level. Not burning wood where there are other energy alternatives & opting out of wearing perfume/using fragrances are simple steps that contribute to safeguarding air quality (even if at a local level) & environment protection.