The difference between wood smoke and tobacco smoke is that you don't walk up to the wood smoke and actively breathe it in - you have a chimney specifically to reduce the amount of smoke you breathe. I guess camp fires might be dangerous, but unless you camp frequently, the health effects should be minor.

HotShizz

France710 Posts

February 03 2012 09:55 GMT

#23

yeah, this guy is a bit of an ass, a very self-righteous ass at that. I understand that burning wood isn't healthy. I choose to do it on occasion anyway. I am sorry, but a bit of smoke will not end the world and my neighbors will be fine (most houses in this tiny village have fire places anyway). What he says is fine until he starts preaching his mighty word of it is only ethical to make it illegal, even though we may be against nanny states we have to force ourselves into your lives and make recreational burning illegal!! Get off your fucking high horse, and live a little. I don't know how many more times one could argue moderation. Find moderation, do nothing to excess, but enjoy life and stop shitting in everyone's cheerios.

slytown

Korea (South)1411 Posts

February 03 2012 09:56 GMT

#24

Im tired of these threads happening. Fear mongering run amuck. Of course its bad to breath in wood smoke: why do u think chimneys have to be cleaned?

Dagobert

Netherlands1858 Posts

February 03 2012 09:58 GMT

#25

Well, obviously inhaling smoke is terrible for your health... but that stuff about 70% re-entering nearby buildings and shit staying afloat was new to me. Guess that means no fireplace at my future house.

On February 03 2012 18:53 LAN-f34r wrote:
The difference between wood smoke and tobacco smoke is that you don't walk up to the wood smoke and actively breathe it in - you have a chimney specifically to reduce the amount of smoke you breathe. I guess camp fires might be dangerous, but unless you camp frequently, the health effects should be minor.

Great demonstration of ignoring (explaining away) the cognitive dissonance science brings.

aksfjh

United States4853 Posts

February 03 2012 10:07 GMT

#26

I don't care if it kills me, I enjoy a good ol' fireplace fire during the winter.

HULKAMANIA

United States1219 Posts

February 03 2012 10:12 GMT

#27

I feel sorry for Sam Harris. The burden of being perpetually correct in a world of backwards thinking and irrationality shouldn't fall on one man's shoulders alone, but apparently it has. At least he conducts himself under such a weight with grace and humility.

FoxyMayhem

624 Posts

February 03 2012 10:14 GMT

#28

On February 03 2012 18:43 Blacktion wrote:
This. If we avoided everything that was bad for us we might all live for 120 years, but it would be 120 years of solid boredom and misery.
Ill have a few guilty pleasures and die at 60 any day thanks.

Somehow, I imagine the human race would find a way to entertain itself sufficiently. 120 years of solid boredom... that's just a sign of terrible creativity, not that avoiding toxic foods and gas is a the wrong call. Without all that sugar, though, how will we make it? *Forlorn voice* Somehow, life will find a way.

acker

United States2958 Posts

February 03 2012 10:16 GMT

#29

Didn't know about the "70% of smoke recycling back into the house" part.

I guess it's a good thing we stopped using the fireplace years ago.

Panzee

Scotland2 Posts

February 03 2012 10:17 GMT

#30

Burning wood is very eco friendly compared to other forms of heating. It is carbon neutral since the same amount of CO2 is released from a tree that is burned as is from a tree which falls in the forest and simply rots away. As has been rightly pointed out about this article deal primarily with the small particles that are released from burning wood. Apparently, burning wood in a normal open fire / stove has the same effect on your health as driving a car (as in the effect of the emissions on you / others is the same).

I did not notice the country from which the OP was from however, in the UK we have the Clean Air Act this prevents the burning of wood in "Smokeless Zones" unless the stove has been granted DEFRA exemption. This means the stoves have been tested and they emit particles which are under a certain size / quantity. TBH with you it also depends on the wood you are burning, type, moisture content, how long it has been seasoned, etc etc. Obv treated wood / woods that contain metals etc etc all have vaious other effects on your health.

As has been stated above nobody should be shocked by the fact that inhaling smoke is bad for you. That is why many countries have these "smokeless zones" which tend to be urban areas, where there are dense populations, and tall buildings which affect the ability of the smoke / particles to disperse effectively. In many cases this is the lesser evil - cheaper, amazing heat, carbon neutral (especially if using locally sourced wood). IMO there are so many worse things for our health which we should worry about.

Tleaf

Canada181 Posts

February 03 2012 10:24 GMT

#31

I'm not in uni anymore but can someone link me the original article from the journal in pubmed? I don't have access to it sadly :/ if possible could someone send it to me in pdf form?

I'm a bit skeptical till I read the research though a quick search on google scholar shows me that theres lots of research on the topic so I'd like to read about it. I'm currently in norway and fireplaces are the main heaters for the country and its damn cold here.

Aruno

New Zealand748 Posts

February 03 2012 10:25 GMT

#32

Next their going to say eating bacon is unhealthy, then my life will be over

(

Agathon

France1505 Posts

February 03 2012 10:38 GMT

#33

Hum, walking in the street is dangerous too, you can slide on a banana's skin and break an arm.

If we stop doing things because it might be dangerous, our lives will become so interesting that the only threat we'll have to face...is our own suicide...

Drink wine, eat meat and potatoes, have sex, all this in front of a fire in a fireplace. It's not gonna kill you and you'll spend a good moment.

oGoZenob

France1503 Posts

February 03 2012 10:40 GMT

#34

How the hell did his atheism has anything to do with this ?

Agathon

France1505 Posts

February 03 2012 10:44 GMT

#35

On February 03 2012 19:40 oGoZenob wrote:
How the hell did his atheism has anything to do with this ?

Yeah i don't get it either.

aseq

Netherlands3981 Posts

February 03 2012 10:49 GMT

#36

Nice fear-inducing American article. I don't think many people thought any kind of smoke was actually healthy. Using it occasionally may not be a problem at all, but using it all your life long on a daily basis may be. Just like smoking, actually. The body does pretty well at getting rid of small amounts of toxins.

Thorakh

Netherlands1788 Posts

February 03 2012 10:53 GMT

#37

Why does the article think people didn't know smoke was bad for them and why does it think no one will believe them and then equate it with religious people not believing science?

???

This sounds like some sort of sensationalistic crap.

BeigeVolvo

Norway17 Posts

February 03 2012 10:53 GMT

#38

Solution: District Heating

I don't see why people want to have open fireplaces. Often, they drain the house of more heat than they provide due to the pressure difference created by the open chimney.

I'm still more critical towards traffic pollution, as I've seen the measurements from the main road that passes right by my house, and there was quite a substantial amount of carcinogens (mainly PAHs).

kinkulaattori

Finland25 Posts

February 03 2012 10:53 GMT

#39

lets uninvent fire and go back to being apes.
On the more serious side I feel people get afraid of stuff scientist say way to much. for example scientists said a couple of years back that potato chips increase the risk of cancer. while this might be true, so does everything else, including breathing,walking in the sunlight and eating vegetables.
atleast in my oppinion you should just live happily as long as you live instead of avoiding everything that might get you killed cause you won't be doin anything if you avoid all that stuff.

Eppa!

Sweden4641 Posts

February 03 2012 10:56 GMT

#40

This not something new. We have found bodies of people that have lungs that look similiar to people that smoke from around a 1000 years ago. Wood fire won't kill you but can increase the risk of lung cancer and CHD.