Letter just published in The British Medical Journal by Dr. Brian Moench: www.bmj.com/content/393/...

This is a disgustingly biased article @energysavingtrust.bsky.social. Lots of stove industry misinformation and no mention of the ASA ruling against the SIA or the public health impact for neighbours. “Modern” stoves and “smokeless” fuels pollute differently NOT better and are NOT carbon neutral!

Minimising *SOME* emissions. Others increase. Nothing says “low emissions and clean” like a huge industrial-looking pipe needed to stop the room filling with the by-products of combustion. Which instead will be breathed into the lungs of your neighbours.

Unusual for the BBC to mention the health impacts of woodsmoke, so this is an important item on air pollution and Emma was brilliant. However, they spoiled it at the end by repeating stove industry misinformation about "cleaner" solid fuels. "Dry" wood and SSF pollute differently, not better!

Great to see an engineer who understands modelling discussing air pollution! NAEI modelled data shows the need for action on solid fuel burning. We need wood stove models (not just traffic!) so local authorities can highlight the main source of PM2.5 and carcinogenic BaP pollution in the UK.

Clean Air Zones can never be successful when they don't apply to all toxic pollution sources. Most of the PM2.5 and Benzo[a]pyrene in London now comes from solid fuel burning in deadly "modern" stoves. @tobyperkinsmp.bsky.social @drgaryfuller.bsky.social @barrygardiner.bsky.social

#CleanAirEvent | @ukparliament.parliament.uk’s powerful @commonseac.parliament.uk oral evidence session 2.30pm Wed 20 May 2026 will ask: “Have low emissions zones #ULEZ been successful? MPs explore role of councils in tackling #AirPollution” HT @tobyperkinsmp.bsky.social @barrygardiner.bsky.social

Exactly what the stove industry and Defra are doing with their misinformation about “modern,” “low emission” stoves that claim "wellbeing benefits." BBC won’t cover this though as the are too busy promoting wood burning in every genre of programme.

This is outrageous hypocrisy! @sgloscouncil.bsky.social how can you justify spending public money on a “Climate Emergency Manager” who promotes burning solid fuels!? This is a major conflict of interest. HETAS has devastated lives and air pollution is intrinsically lined to climate change.

We need an immediate review into why Defra exempted deadly “Ecodesign” stoves from the Clean Air Act. They’ve ignored evidence for years because of their outrageous cronyism with stove industry representatives. The SIA should compensate customers who believed their misinformation.

As “Defra exempt” stoves now create more than half of UK Benzo[a]pyrene emissions, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to site monitors in high woodsmoke areas (such as London suburbs identified by UCL wood burner map) instead of industrial sites @drgaryfuller.bsky.social @mayoroflondon.bsky.social?1/2

235kg of lead from "Ecodesign" stoves burning "Ready to Burn" wood alone, according to NAEI data 2024. 0.193% of the UK total. May not seem like much but its totally unnecessary pollution created by a tiny percentage of the population and mostly concentrated in densely populated SCAs.

"This is, in effect, a transfer of health risk and economic cost from industry to citizens, enabled by the continued promotion and protection of domestic wood burning."

"for nitrogen dioxide pollution (NO2)" What about PM10, PM2.5, Ultrafine Particles, SO2..... and more? Also legal limits doesn't mean there is no harm. There is no safe level of PM2.5 www.breathelondon.org

“The BMJ’s findings are a warning, not just for England but for Europe. When industry funds its own research and selectively presents the results, people lose access to accurate information about risks that affect their health every day.”

Disappointing that #EllasLaw wasn't in the King’s speech. Hopefully the Public Office (Accountability) Bill can be used to ensure Defra explain why they ever permitted highly polluting stoves to be exempt from Clean Air Act legislation, devastating the lives of neighbours & impacting public health.

In today's #KingsSpeech, we'll be hoping for news of a new Clean Air Act to put solutions for tackling pollution into action. 70 years on from the first Clean Air Act, only a handful of neighbourhoods meet @who.int limits for toxic air. Itʼs time to clear the air. It's time for a Clean Air Act.

💥 66 organisations and more than 600 families and individuals, representing over 233,000 people from across the UK, signed our open letter urging the Prime Minister to include a #CleanAir Act in the #KingsSpeech. 💥 A huge thank you to all who signed! www.mumsforlungs.org/news/sign-ou...

Labour must fulfil promise to introduce clean air act, charities urge

So that explains why Zack Polanski won’t speak out against wood/solid fuel burning in London @mumsforlungs.bsky.social! His houseboat lists a “Morso 1440 Convection stove”, an “Ecodesign” stove. Any comment on emissions, @zackpolanski.bsky.social? “Ecodesign” stoves pollute more than car exhausts!

Unfair to blame all "catering"- its likely that over 99% of these emissions are from charcoal barbecues, wood burning pizza ovens and other solid fuel emission sources, not from gas and electric cooking methods.

Unfortunately, like most people who choose to burn wood, her only concern is for the health of her own family, not the neighbours who get the brunt of the pollution in most cases. Like tobacco smokers, they selfishly assume its their risk to take- destroying the quality of life for close neighbours.

The King's Speech follows hot on the heels of the local elections, so we're seizing the moment. We've written an open letter to the Prime Minister asking him to deliver a #CleanAir Act - one that protects our kids and ensures a healthier nation. Please sign and share! Deadline 10th May.

For me it was realising that my friend's son has an asthma attack whenever just a few people in his road lit their fires on a winter's evening.

I think if people really took in just how polluted they were making the air they, their neighbours, the kid down the road with asthma breathe, they'd be shocked. But it takes a lot of reinforcement to change minds + even more to change behaviour: www.which.co.uk/news/article...

Domestic combustion makes up most of UK's Benzo[a]pyrene emissions. Particularly worrying that "modern" stoves ("Ecodesign" and "advanced" in NAEI, both permitted in Smoke Control Areas) make up over half of all UK BaP emissions, these carcinogens are often released right next to neighbours' windows

Too busy congratulating himself on NO2 success & claiming air pollution is “fixed” to worry about children’s health impacts from PM2.5? Or worried about offending his friend who advocates for wood burning in London (who claims to be a “housing campaigner”!) Reducing PM2.5 needs action on woodburning

Any news on publications from this research @jamesallanatmos.bsky.social?

This is a must-watch from the @bmj.com Medicine and Science podcast. The BMJ recently investigated the public #Health impact of #WoodBurning, and exposed industry tactics to try to silence councils from raising awareness of the risks of burning. #AirPollution

They never care about the people next door.

“Smoking status” now needs to include wood smoke exposure, not just tobacco (particularly for neighbours who get the brunt of the pollution). “Modern” stoves (permitted in SCAs) now create over of half of the UK’s total emissions of carcinogenic Benzo[a]pyrene. (NAEI data 2024) Defra ignore this.

Also need to look in closer detail here (UK Air Quality Pivot Table: 1970-2024) & consider cost-benefit to society. A tiny minority (<3m) of people burning solid fuel cause more PM2.5 pollution than 42m vehicle exhausts & power stations (even incl. Drax) naei.energysecurity.gov.uk/air-pollutan...

Another Labour MP lobbied by the deceitful stove industry. @oliviabailey.bsky.social please see @mumsforlungs.bsky.social & @dsawsp.org websites to see how these deadly appliances have devastated neighbour’s lives.

Yet more scandalous back peddling from Defra. Now they are saying“Ecodesign” stoves were intended to replace older stoves, not open fires! They also imply they know the numbers of users, yet refuse to disclose this in FOIs. 1/2

Unfortunately the committee has shown that they don’t understand the largest source of air pollution in cities. HETAS have destroyed AQ in many London suburbs and other SCAs -to accept their cherry picked, out of context evidence suggests the inquiry will have no positive outcomes.

@sianberry.bsky.social @hinabokharild.bsky.social @tobyperkinsmp.bsky.social @carladenyer.bsky.social Please challenge Defra about this outrageous attempt to cover up carcinogenic BaP emissions from “modern” stoves. Most of these are located in SCAs & now make up over half of all UK BaP emissions!

Has NAEI data been fudged to make it appear Ecodesign emissions are going down when they've really gone up? Last years data shows Ecodesign all fuels is 1.6896kt PM2.5 for 2023. 2024 Pivot Table shows as 2.158kt, a rise of 27.8% Yet 2023 value has now been revised to 2.11kt. Why!?

Hi @jamesallanatmos.bsky.social could you answer a quick question please? Have EFs changed again? Have only been following NAEI data since 2022 but is it normal for historic data to be revised every year? 1/3

@emmahardymp.bsky.social This reply suggests that "Ready to Burn" wood is no longer recommended as wood briquettes, which are labelled "Ready to Burn," are not included in the cherry picked 1%. Can you confirm please?

Defra behaving like a stove industry puppet! Stating “emissions from modern Ecodesign stoves burning seasoned wood are responsible for approximately 1% of the total BaP emissions.” @mumsforlungs.bsky.social @cleanairlondon.bsky.social @impurbanhealth.bsky.social please ask Defra to explain 1/3

New NAEI pivot table is out! naei.energysecurity.gov.uk/air-pollutan...

We agree with Larissa Lockwood at @globalactionplan.bsky.social, who said: “A less-polluting stove is like a low-tar cigarette…”

Raving about the health benefits of saunas, yet no mention of the health impacts of this particular wood burning type! “I smell faintly of woodsmoke.” Yes, that will be the carcinogens!

It’s worth repeating: Wood smoke pollution isn’t a “nuisance.”

Abhorrent attitude from this @libdems.org.uk councillor! Putting his personal wood burning hobby above public health and Lib Dem policy on air pollution which supports Ella’s Law. Clean Air poverty is a problem too! @eddavey.libdems.org.uk @greenlibdems.org.uk

Good of The Telegraph to highlight these cases of extreme deprivation. These poor things can't afford their home insurance because they've installed a wood burner with a thatched roof!

Was hopeful on seeing this headline but it's just another excuse to promote the SIA's deceitful message about burning the "right" fuels in the "right" appliance! BBC News - Staffordshire woman says wood-burning stoves badly affect her health - BBC News

Ella’s Law includes provisions to phase out wood burning.