In the spirit of a regular segment on the comedy news show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, we have to ask why open burning is still a thing?
As evidenced by the thick grey plumes, stagnant low-lying clouds and the accompanying odour, burning season is upon us once again – that time of year when people can purify their lands with God-given fire.
Disposal by fire is cheap, quick and OK for the environment, well, in the sense that it cuts back on carbon emissions from trucking such waste to the landfill, where it can be separated for reuse in things like compost and biomass fuel.
But wait. According to a B.C. Ministry of Environment policy paper, not only does open burning contribute to global warming, it can also have a potentially nasty impact on human health. The resulting particulate is associated with an array of health problems, from runny nose and coughing to bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, pneumonia and heart disease. It can also contribute to premature death.
The province, however, doesn’t prohibit open burning. Instead, it’s regulated by type, size, location, venting (wind conditions), etc. That might be useful if smoke/particulate were contained to the property of the open-burn permit holder – instead of spreading for kilometres, as it can and typically does, giving everyone in the area an opportunity to breathe it in, whether they want it or not.
