This is the theme for this year's clean air night, coming up on 22nd Jan.
Did you know that wood burning is the most polluting way to heat your home - "For the same amount of heat or energy, burning wood releases more carbon dioxide (CO2) than oil or gas" [https://www.actionforcleanair.org.uk/campaigns/clean-air-night]. And its not just harmful to the planet, it risks health harms associated with fine particulate air pollution to those within the home, and the wider population.
I've found this quite a tricky topic to talk about, especially having 2 wood burners in my own home. However, the more I have learnt about the planetary and health harms, the more strongly I have reached the conclusion that I just cannot justify using them any more, so this year they have become purely decorative, and have remained unlit.
But it has taken a job in respiratory medicine, and a strong interest in sustainability, for me to discover this information, and reach this conclusion. The more people I talk to, the more I realise that most people are completely unaware of the health and planetary harms of domestic woodburning. And many people are also very emotionally attached to having a fire (as was I). For some, it is their primary source of heat, and of course it is essential that people are able to heat their homes. But for many of us, wood fires are purely for pleasure (so called 'secondary burning').
The Clean Air Night website (https://www.actionforcleanair.org.uk/campaigns/clean-air-night#faqs) has done a great job of summarising the key facts about domestic wood burning, to increase awareness, and answer common questions. It has also has some hugely impactful statistics, including the potential health benefits of stopping 'secondary burning' - "If people in the UK only burned wood when no other heat source is available, it could avoid more than 1,500 deaths in the UK every year and save the NHS over £54 million in healthcare costs".
So, in the words of the Clean Air Campaign "We all want to stay warm this winter, but cosiness shouldn’t cost our health. This Clean Air Night (22 January 2026), share the facts about wood burning with your friends and family."
https://www.actionforcleanair.org.uk/campaigns/clean-air-night
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