As many as 1.5m stoves have been sold in the UK alone. The impact has been huge: 40% of particles in British cities are from wood burning, more than double than that from vehicles. In Dublin, wood and peat burning can cause 70% of particles.
The same rise has been seen in France, Germany and Belgium, while Australia, and parts of the US and Canada have had similar problems. In New Zealand, where 13,000 tonnes of wood could be burned on a winter’s day, wood burners spew out up to 90% of particle pollution.
Even worse, in many European cities, including those in Italy, Hungary, Germany and Finland, people are burning old waste wood, often covered in lead paint, putting that toxic metal into the urban air.
Government action is starting to bite. Montreal banned all but the most modern and least polluting stoves in 2018. A community-wide scrappage scheme for old, smoky burners has taken place in Crested Butte, Colorado. The UK is focusing on ensuring wood is properly dried.