New fuel burning restrictions announced

THE government yesterday announced new restrictions affecting stoves to reduce air pollution.

This will obviously affect the fuel used in stoves in boats, particularly with the current 'down' on wood burning stoves, Keith Gudgin reports.

Clean Air Strategy

In what is called its Clean Air Strategy, published yesterday, the government promises to set a 'bold new goal' in an attempt to reduce the pollutant called Particulate Matter particulates by 2030.

Fine particulates, known as PM2.5, are around 200 times smaller than a grain of sand and are a major health worry as they can penetrate deep into lungs, pass into bloodstreams and get embedded into bodily organs and brains.

Most damaging

PM2.5 is a particular concern with the World Health Organization (WHO) identifying it as most damaging for people, telling that around 92% of the world's population live in places where air quality levels exceed its guidelines.

In the UK, more than 40 cities and towns were at, or have exceeded, the limit.

The government has previously told that it will reduce by half the number of people living in areas breaching the WHO limits by 2025.

Little detail

However, though it is to set a 'world leading' goal on exposure to PM2.5, it has given no details of how it will be achieved, but has previously attacked wood burning stoves and fires.