Tomorrow is the day new, tighter regulations on residential wood-burning go into effect in the San Joaquin Valley. It's the subject of our editorial today.
The restrictions have been controversial with many people since their inception, but the number of violations went down last year, indicating that people are getting used to them, are resigned to them or just aren't snitching out the neighbors as often. Take your pick.
This year the exemption for those who live in the foothills is gone. The only exception to the no-burn rule on designated days will be for those households that don't have access to natural gas for heating.
This is hardship for a few people, and a pain for others, but the fact is that wood burning increases the amount of particulate matter in the winter air, and that's a big deal. Particulate matter is responsible for many lung and heart diseases suffered by Valley residents, and dozens of premature deaths each year.
You editors only have one picture of Arnold huh?
How can we Fresnans formulate an opinion on firplace rules and regulations without a new picture of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger?
What picture of Arnold? It looks like a fireplace to me.
Is that a really bad picture of Sly Stallone or is it just me?
Is there no end to government telling us what we can and cannot do with our property? Taking all of our property requires paying us for it. Even such a limited taking should require government to pay for it.
When is America really going to be "govenment of the people, by the people, for the people" again?
Maybe the people don't want you burning wood in your fireplace.
You ask: "When is America really going to be 'govenment of the people, by the people, for the people' again?" How interesting! I WANT government to do things to protect "we people" from "you people."
Why not argue that "you people" have a right to speed on "we the people's" highways, or ignore our traffic signals?
Fireplace burning isn't merely about YOUR freedom. Do you think you also have the freedom to blow smoke straight into my face?
We don't have access to natural gas for heating, so I suppose we're exempt from restrictions. However, I've always avoided fireplace use on restricted days.
Our electric heating can be expensive, but we normally use and enjoy it. However, we also must "enjoy" frequent, and occasional hours long, power outages out here in "the sticks." Thus I often choose to start a fire on a cold and/or stormy evening, to protect us from the consequences of a possible outage.
In a real emergency, we can sleep by the fire and survive on a heated can of soup -- and not worry about violating fireplace regulations.
I made a clarification here somewhere, must have made another ethereal bogger error during the post.
Just as long as they ban burning in Oakland, SF, Sacto, Stockton, Modesto, and every other community whose "particulates" blow into our pollution trap called the Central Valley, I'm okay with the ban. Otherwise, it's a futile, regulating control that ranks up there with with hauling my trash can in and hiding them before the end of trash day, while the drivers can leave the equivalent appearance of a war zone with cans strewn all over the streets & sidewalks.
Socialism, "the door's wide open; like it or not, here we come!"
Henry Friedman! Hank! I am proud to be on the same blog with you. I was beginning to fear that the beehive was buzzing with...well...
In solidarity!
We don't have access to natural gas for heating, so I suppose we're exempt from restrictions. However, I've always avoided fireplace use on restricted days.
Our electric heating can be expensive, but we normally use and enjoy it. However, we also must "enjoy" frequent, and occasional hours long, power outages out here in "the sticks." Thus I often choose to start a fire on a cold and/or stormy evening, to protect us from the consequences of a possible outage.
In a real emergency, we can sleep by the fire and survive on a heated can of soup -- and not worry about violating fireplace regulations.
I honestly thought that was a fire box of a steam locomotive when I saw the author, Mr. Minick.
Then I realized that it was instead a prop for the next most obsessive Bee topic, Valley Air Quality. Compliance was offered as an alternative to a world which Johnny Cash sung about late in life as a "place where sons turn there fathers in."
Ultimately I was distracted by that proximal image of Arnold which seems to have a timeless quality, perhaps it is a useful expression. I can only imagine that for the Bee it symbolizes determination of government to bend the will of Californians by the executive in the same extraordinary style of our Supreme Judiciary. Thus the comment.
Yes, how dare the newspaper advocate for clean air. They are so obsessive about our children being able to breathe clean air. Government should not be regulating the air we breathe. Let's leave it up to each indvidual to decide whether he or she wants to breathe the air. If they don't like it, they can hold their breath.
What's Turnipseed babbling about? How does the late Johnny Cash get into this? How does Schwarzenegger's picture get into this? Some of those blogs could have come off the wall at a booby hatch.
"Steve" How could you bring yourself to dignify it with intelligent response? I guess you have more forbearance than I can muster.
Roxanna said, "Is there no end to government telling us what we can and cannot do with our property?" Roxanna... the air is not your property.
Steve - I am assuming your are being sarcastic to make a point. Or at least I'm hoping you were. I can't choose to breath clean air if Roxanna is dirtying it up.
Mr. Friedman has the best approach; do what you can when you can. Save the pollution for when you really need it. Good going Mr. Friedman. You also brought up a nice memory for me. When my first child was born we lived in the mountains; storms kept the power off for over a week. With my brand new baby, less than 24 hours old, we slept in front of the fireplace and cooked our food in a big kettle. It was heaven for my husband and I spending such quiet, cozy days in front of the fireplace getting to know our new son. It felt like "Little House on the Prairie errr mountains."
We should be sighing ach and alas. The topic pertaining to Green House Gas has gone off the monitor with 18 submitted posts; while the one of the prop 8 threads became a 121 posts long.
I can't speak for the preference of my fellow bloggers, but, I, personally, am more interested in breathing than in knowing who is married to whom.
It does not indict the beehive per se, but it is not a glowing testimony for the quality of us bees.
Thank you Kim Tanksley for your support, and especially for sharing your fireplace memory. You remind me: we can be so preoccupied with modern conveniences that we miss out on real pleasures.
Thank you Isabell Lawson, in solidarity! So many people demand their rights, as though the Constitution applies only to themselves. Does "We the people" mean "Me, Me, Me"?
Bart Turnipseed wrote above: "bend the will of Californians...in the same extraordinary style of our Supreme Judiciary." Yeah, yeah, Bart -- as though majority rule dominates everything. If the majority of Californians voted to ban Bart from our state, I wonder how quickly he would discover the value of "the extraordinary style of our Supreme Judiciary"?
"Our state"...a revealing expression of Henry's magical thinking.
You know... if we could ban Bart from our state I might rethink the mob mentality thing... Hmmm... Can we get rid of redpeach too? Alright, don't get feisty; I was only kidding. Really... but do you think we... never mind.
http://media.newsbusters.org/stories/hidden-audio-obama-tells-sf-chronicle-he-will-bankrupt-coal-industry.html?q=blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/11/02/hidden-audio-obama-tells-sf-chronicle-he-will-bankrupt-coal-industry
This clean air alert just surfaced. Enjoy.
SPIN – SPIN - SPIN
Interesting spin on the words of Obama by his opposition; their simplistic charge is that Obama vows to bankrupt the coal industry. Let’s take a closer look at what he actually said. Obama is for an aggressive cap and trade system which basically means, “every unit of carbon or greenhouse gas will be charged to the polluters” and those that can’t “meet the rigors of the (energy) market” will go bankrupt. Bart’s website makes a show of all the jobs that will be lost. Could it be the sky is falling again? Here’s another interesting website.
http://www.sierraclub.org/cleanair/factsheets/power.asp
Yes they are an pro-environmental website; however they actually cite their claims.
Here’s an excerpt: “When the Clean Air Act of the 1970s was passed, Congress included a "grandfathering" loophole that allowed older power plants to avoid meeting the modern pollution control standards that new facilities had to adapt. As a result, today most existing power plants are between 30-50 years old and are up to 10 times dirtier than new power plants. We are now faced with a disproportionate amount of pollution coming from these old, dirty, under-controlled plants.”
This information was not reported by the Obama opposition. Could it be that Obama will be requiring uncontrolled polluters to follow the same rules as cleaner coal plants? Could it be that doesn’t mean all employees in the coal industry will lose their jobs as implied but rather they will work in a healthier environment and we can breath cleaner air? The bast***d!
Another interesting excerpt:
“Power plants are a major source of air pollution, with coal-fired power plants spewing 59% of total U.S. sulfur dioxide pollution and 18% of total nitrogen oxides every year. Coal-fired power plants are also the largest polluter of toxic mercury pollution, largest contributor of hazardous air toxics, and release about 50% of particle pollution. Additionally, power plants release over 40% of total U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, a prime contributor to global warming.”
The socialists of this blogosphere seem to be getting as cocky as their "Messiah" in the last days leading up to the presumptive coronation.Eventually "The State" will "Al Gore" their ox and they will squeal like the swine that they are.Prattle on little piggies.
Brian, your comment boggles the mind.
Oh Brian.
You make me so happy and contented with the people I associate with. So mean and bitter you are. Do you actually talk to people like this in real life? Methinks your mother would box your ears for the hatred you engender.
Brian - Asking that Obama's words be looked at in terms of their original context is not partisan cockiness. If you remember I defend Palin in much the same way in regards to her comments to a third grader. You and the other right wing bloggers, called me no names then. So, fairness is only important when it agrees with your self absorbed, self created idea of reality. Brian, are you trying to tell me that Republicans promote situational ethics? In my book, I make no assumptions who will win, I am just tired of the slanderous treatment this country calls public discourse. As for your repeated farm animal references, are you fighting off some hidden desires there buddy?... darlin...?
Adum and KT&T(aka.Kim)... I do have a fondness for all living things(including yourselves and barnyard animals) and feel by your responses that I have struck a nerve.I was in SoCal over the weekend for my mom's 80th birthday party and we talked about you all and she's OK with it as long as I am true to my beliefs(she and I do not agree on everything).
Would someone please explain how the geographical feature we live in will magically clear out because we unilaterally stop burning in our fireplaces? If you know anything at all about the basin we live in, you'll notice the prevailing westerlies blow pollution from the Bay Area and Sacramento River Delta into the end of the valley (Fresno to Bakersfield). THAT's a major part of why we have bad air, yet it is never acknowledged!!! It's just like the natural global cooling and warming cycles that change global climate. The Sierra Club, Al Gorians, and the like are inundating us with ommission of that obvious fact, and piling up irrelevent data on top of it, in order to brainwash us into thinking humans are the sole cause and therefore must radically change our lifestyles or "our children" (don't get me started...) will never survive.
Yes, the air in Fresno is bad, but unless the larger population centers that send pollutants our way stop what they are doing, our efforts will be futile and will only result in an undeserved loss of privileges.
BTW, I cut my own lawn, sweep the walks with a broom, then put the little pile of sweepings into my green can. I'd like to know how many of the supporters of the burn ban (Bee Ed. staff, etc.) are paying a yard service to tend their landscaping and run one of those infernal 2-cycle motor blowers that kick up tons of particulates to circulate in Fresno's air each day. My advice--practice what you preach!
All I'm saying Brian, is that if you can't say something without calling people swine, you probably shouldn't say it at all.
Matt,
Yes, pollution blows into the valley from elsewhere. I've never denied that.
It doesn't mean I'm going to feel good about polluting. It doesn't mean that I should quit trying to cut down on my output and that we as a city should try to cut down.
I remember when we used to debate: "Does cigarette smoking cause lung cancer?" But even without the statistics it was easy to figure: Cigarette smoke makes people cough, and shows up in autopsies as black coating on lungs. Does that sound good for you?
Matt points out that pollution from the Bay Area ends up in our valley air -- a good point! Yep, life is unfair. But if we can reduce some of the air pollution, let's do it.
And who said that humans are the SOLE cause of global climate change? We still need to do what we can, as Matt does with his lawn and walks.
Just because we believe in freedom, that doesn't mean we have to use our freedom against our own best interests.
We're all part of the problem. My wife and I retired into the countryside 19 years ago when "sprawl" wasn't an issue. We're still here, 8 miles from a supermarket and 25 miles from Fresno. But we learned a long time ago to minimize driving trips, and we learn even better as our energy levels fall and gas prices rise.
Yes, we're all part of the problem. But we can be part of the solution, too.
I have a pellet stove that I burn on days it is permitted but on other days I keep a twin electric blanket to stay warm while watching tv, blogging or whatever I may be doing. We all have one and it doesn't pollute the air or use alot of electricity. We actually like it better than using the heater. We just all have to do our part.
Laws that cauterize tradition are stacking up like so many empty boxes in a room. I heard every complaint about wiretapping that Al Qaeda supporters could raise, that issue pales in comparison to this one. Don't be surprised when someday your self maintained audits of regulation compliance are reviewed by an ACORN social worker in one room of your home while a second is asking your children questions in another (thats where the jobs will be.) Enjoy your hot soup day sitting next to the picture of a fireplace, if such an image is still legal, on your electric blanket day. I hope some are scheduled during winter.
Pollution does blow into the valley from the bay area. It is well known. It is especially bad in the south valley which is at the bottom of the bowl. Is that an excuse to make it worse by not regulating ourselves? Besides, if we do all we can we can make a stronger argument that the bay area needs to do their part to keep our air clean. If we don't do anything how do we convince them of their culpability? The same sort of regulation has been in place in Albuquerque, New Mexico for at least 15 years and has worked; even with rapidly increasing population. I assume you clean your house when it gets dirty is it such a stretch to work toward clean air?
Yeah Bart, let's get traditional. Let's say that only landowners have rights. And women can't vote. I love tradition. Did you know the universe is centered around the Earth, which is flat by the way. I'm with you. I hate cauterizing tradition.
adam of the cabinets.
Taking a short break from the phone bank?
Could be a coincidence but I just got a call from Prop 8 opponent named Adam.
It's funny you should bring up the rights of women...where are the interested xx parties in this argument?
Near as I can tell, the xys have certainly been delegated the honor of carrying all the water in this game. Tactic or Strategy?
No, no phonebanking here, just a coincidence.
And...what?
Are you calling into question my criticism of your ridiculous notion that tradition trumps all by pointing out that I'm a man making the argument? How about you just let that one go?
Well lets try this again. There are two groups that will benefit if Prop 8 fails. What I observe is a proponderance of one of those groups repeating the same washed up arguments to then exclusion of the other group. I simply asked why that was? You may certainly exercise your right to an opinion about rights of females, no argument. If you don't have an answer, or don't know, just say so! For years I was led to believe that two terms, Gay and Lesbian defined these groups. I have not heard of or from the latter here to the degree I would expect about an issue so important to them. The word lesbian has fallen from use, and I would like to know why? I don't care who answers, but it is interesting to me and I'm sure a small group of others.
I would think you should try not to generalize a theory about a population based on such a small sample size as the 20 or so regular commenters here.
If you prefer, I'll use the common acronym GLBTQ (gay lesbian bi trans queer) to represent the whole spectrum of people typically denigrated by straight people interested in a division of rights.
Really, you're just nitpicking. Why? Probably because you're one of those people who mocks PC speech by trying to satirize it whenever you get the chance. No one is perfect and no one uses the right words all the time. In fact, I have a comment made earlier this afternoon in which I used "their" instead of "there". It happens.
Generally, the arguments made here can be understood when the word gay is used. I'm assuming you're smart enough to know that us godless libs are speaking about the rights of all homosexuals if the word gay slips out in its place. We're not writing books or essays here. It's casual conversation.
Typical example:
Têtuniçois | November 3, 2008 3:31 PM | Reply
If you are against marriage between black and white , you are RACIST
If you are against marriage between gays , you are HOMOPHOBIC
Vote NO to prop8
Vote NO to homophobia
Vote NO to religious talibans in Afghanistan or in California !
Then I realized that it was instead a prop for the next most obsessive Bee topic, Valley Air Quality. Compliance was offered as an alternative to a world which Johnny Cash sung about late in life as a "place where sons turn there fathers in."
I'm glad you brought that up. It is as important now as when I wrote it and certainly worth repeating.
The story you wove is of the type retold by they who sit in the back seat of patrol cars alot, evasive and complicated to the point of nonsense.
Adam, Bart,
Get a room in the Prop 8 blog! This one's about air quality!
(sorry, couldn't resist that!)
I'm done, as a matter of fact I yield to the next newcomer. I have enjoyed sharing my views emmensely, God speed.
I refer you to blog "Is the Yes on Prop 8 Campaign Resorting to Extortion" dated October 24th. On October 25th, a lesbian blogger made perhaps the strongest argument of all for a No vote by sharing her personal story. I have always used the term gay to mean both genders so I don't believe the female gender has been left out of the discussion.
KT&T..."Homosexual" is the definition for both men and women.Not as friendly sounding as "Gay" but has only one definition so I feel it most appropriate.As far as air quality I would align myself with "BIg Mac"(aka.Matt) that geography and areas outside Fresno City/County will damage our air more than my BBQ,fireplace or"Just Rich" and his cigars.Eventually they will get to something YOU value or appreciate.
You're all gloom and doom Brian. You just have to accept the fact that sometimes, some of the things we do turn out to be bad. Smoking cigarettes was a fantastic thing until the Surgeon General started forcing manufacturers to do some research and put some warning labels on them.
Adapt Brian. I loved TV as a child but when my parents made me turn it off for whatever reason, guess what I did? I found some other way to entertain myself. Figure it out.
And I also remember when there were just a couple of homes on Shaw Avenue between Clovis Avenue and Cedar Ave. Just a few miles of vineyards and orchards. During that post WW II baby boom the demand for single family residences was great. Wathen and Bonadelli were household words. We watched automobile headlights working their way down the pitch black night in the hills northeast of Clovis. The fire on Deadwood Mountain showed us that it was due north of our living room "picture window" of our house on an acre of ground at the edge of Clovis. I remember that we had an Ax-Minster telephone number, and my phone calls into the city limits of Clovis were long distance.
And I remember that meteorologists warned us that Fresno County must not develop like Los Angeles did from ag use to urban. They showed us graphs and pictures, demonstrating how we were subject to inversion layers (lids) which would not, like Los Angeles find relieve from the ocean breezes every night. But they told us while the air was nearly as pure as crystal. Nobody listened to those "doomsday apostles."
They kept taking out orchards and orchards and vineyards and vineyards and build houses and houses ad infinitum. And those "doomsday cries" of yesterday have become reality. We must do something about our polluted environment. It was not polluted when they told us that it would l be if we ignored the hand nature has dealt us.
I remember the TV ad "We must not fool mother nature!" But we did our best to do so. And now who are the fools....not those scientists of about 5 decades ago. The first appearance of the bad air was evident when driving down the Ridge Route into the valley. That air moved like an amorphous huge animal on those days with the "lid." Bakersfield was an anomaly then. It is not today. And Al Gore had nothing to do with it.
Those beehive bloggers who live in the Shaver area may still have breathable air on the bad air days. But the Oakhurst area, where we have a weekend place, is bad on the bad days. Coming from the Lewis Creek area to the City of Oakhurst, it is before us like a kettle with a gray lid. And our children develop breathing difficulties more and more. Some of the old are actually moribund.
How come the Bible thumpers don't quote the passage of no prophet being recognized in his homwtown. Instead they keep cursing those who are actively pro-environment. Just a handful are eco-terrorists. And they would be fanatics anyhow. Some of the beehive posts tend to give evidence of that theory.
Our air is bad because of what people are doing in the South and North and their crappy air is blowing in here making us pay the price. Go and make some new rules for them.
Yeah! And we should totally try to compete with them by polluting more!
Always somebody elses fault huh Jackie? We all live in this state we all pollute it we all need to do something about it. Let's correct ourselves first and go after the others. They won't care about us unless we show we care first. That is human nature.
It seems that the government always wants to make one's life harder. It is amazing that 100 years ago the only way to warm yourself was by a fire. Now they are illegal because Pacific Gas and Electric wants to increase their profitability. As such, we get these sensational reports to say that burning wood is harming everyone. Where are the tickets to those who smoke cigarettes - which is really the bigger issue when it comes to health. The Democratic Senate and House has driven the economy into the dirt....and made us all fear losing our jobs. We need cost effective ways to stay warm. Now we have to put up with this crazy government saying - You must PAY more money to PGE; you must use ARTIFICIAL ways of warming your senior citizens. You must do this - you must - you must. We must give more money to PGE. Let's get real guys - Those doctors own PGE stock and want to get rich in these economic times.
Get real - we need less government interference to doing natural things.