HPBAC has issued a press release To Be Honest, Wood is Good. This press release is available to all members to submit to their local newspapers, along with a photo of an EPA-certified wood stove.
Visit hpbacanada.org or contact HPBAC at 1-800-792-5284 for a copy.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
HPBAC Canadian Reception on hiatus until 2011
The HPBAC Canadian Reception has grown over the past ten years to host over 800 people and a floor hockey tournament. But, as 2010 is a special year – the 30th Anniversary of HPBA - the HPBAC board agreed at its meeting in October to take the year off. We’re going to join with HPBA and industry members in celebrating 30 years of service to the hearth, patio and barbecue industry on the show floor from 3:00 to 5:00 pm on Thursday, March 11th. We hope to see you there. We’ll be back in 2011 at EXPO in Salt Lake City with our Canadian Reception, in the same time slot of 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
We do plan to host the Focus Canada meeting on Thursday, March 11 at 7:30 am in the convention centre in Orlando. Please join us for a light breakfast and an informative meeting.
We do plan to host the Focus Canada meeting on Thursday, March 11 at 7:30 am in the convention centre in Orlando. Please join us for a light breakfast and an informative meeting.
Monday, October 26, 2009
New Wood Burning Stoves Burn Clean
From an article in the U.S.
Manufacturers of wood stoves and fireplace inserts, prodded by strict government standards, have produced some of the cleanest wood-burning devices ever to hit the market.
“If you haven’t shopped for stoves in the last 15 years,” said Steve Pettit, manager of Swim World, a Wenatchee spa and stove dealership, “then you’re going to be amazed. This is a different breed of stove using a different breed of technology.”
Years ago, after federal guidelines for wood-burning devices were revised, stove manufacturers began creating devices to recirculate smoke and gases for additional burning. The first effective device was an in-stove catalytic converter, similar in design and performance to the mechanism found on automobiles. It worked moderately well, said Pettit, but had to be replaced every three to five years.
It didn’t take long for manufacturers to invent a better pollution-reducing gadget. Borrowing technology from commercial furnaces, stove makers soon began offering home wood-burning devices with secondary burn tubes, a type of air-fed pipe that produces intense flame and heat that vaporizes particulates and breaks down many toxins. Most secondary burn tubes need no replacement and last for the life of the stove.
Modern stoves with secondary burn tubes dramatically reduce smoke and gas emissions, said Pettit.
For instance, an old-fashioned fireplace — where smoke just shoots up the chimney — produces about 70 to 90 grams of smoke particulates per hour. But newer stoves, tested and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, produce 2 to 5 grams of smoke particulates per hour.
Even better, Pettit noted, some EPA-approved pellet stoves — devices that burn pressed-wood beads or pellets — can reduce smoke particulates to 0.7 grams per hour.
“It’s really an astounding reduction (in pollution) that’s good for the homeowner and the environment,” Pettit said. “It makes new stoves incredibly efficient.”
Of course, these stoves come with a fairly hefty price tag — anywhere from $1,100 to $2,500 or more, depending on size and extras. Ornate cast iron stoves, often the choice of traditionalists, are a bit pricier than the standard steel stoves because of add-ons that might include top-loading access, fancy handles and hardware and tempered glass doors.
Homeowners pricing a stove should also remember to figure in installation costs — stove pipe, brackets, carpentry, insulation and labor.
“You need to think long term when it comes to a wood stove or insert,” said Pettit. “These are durable appliances that, when properly cared for, can warm your home for many, many years.”
Manufacturers of wood stoves and fireplace inserts, prodded by strict government standards, have produced some of the cleanest wood-burning devices ever to hit the market.
“If you haven’t shopped for stoves in the last 15 years,” said Steve Pettit, manager of Swim World, a Wenatchee spa and stove dealership, “then you’re going to be amazed. This is a different breed of stove using a different breed of technology.”
Years ago, after federal guidelines for wood-burning devices were revised, stove manufacturers began creating devices to recirculate smoke and gases for additional burning. The first effective device was an in-stove catalytic converter, similar in design and performance to the mechanism found on automobiles. It worked moderately well, said Pettit, but had to be replaced every three to five years.
It didn’t take long for manufacturers to invent a better pollution-reducing gadget. Borrowing technology from commercial furnaces, stove makers soon began offering home wood-burning devices with secondary burn tubes, a type of air-fed pipe that produces intense flame and heat that vaporizes particulates and breaks down many toxins. Most secondary burn tubes need no replacement and last for the life of the stove.
Modern stoves with secondary burn tubes dramatically reduce smoke and gas emissions, said Pettit.
For instance, an old-fashioned fireplace — where smoke just shoots up the chimney — produces about 70 to 90 grams of smoke particulates per hour. But newer stoves, tested and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, produce 2 to 5 grams of smoke particulates per hour.
Even better, Pettit noted, some EPA-approved pellet stoves — devices that burn pressed-wood beads or pellets — can reduce smoke particulates to 0.7 grams per hour.
“It’s really an astounding reduction (in pollution) that’s good for the homeowner and the environment,” Pettit said. “It makes new stoves incredibly efficient.”
Of course, these stoves come with a fairly hefty price tag — anywhere from $1,100 to $2,500 or more, depending on size and extras. Ornate cast iron stoves, often the choice of traditionalists, are a bit pricier than the standard steel stoves because of add-ons that might include top-loading access, fancy handles and hardware and tempered glass doors.
Homeowners pricing a stove should also remember to figure in installation costs — stove pipe, brackets, carpentry, insulation and labor.
“You need to think long term when it comes to a wood stove or insert,” said Pettit. “These are durable appliances that, when properly cared for, can warm your home for many, many years.”
Friday, October 16, 2009
How woodstoves have changed
New technology makes woodstoves more environmentally friendly
October 14, 2009
Re: Act together to ban woodsmoke so autumn doesn’t take breath away, letter to the editor, Huntsville Forestre, Oct. 7.
I could not help but wonder what possible justification this lady had in calling for such a draconian act as banning wood-burning appliances.
A third of all Canadian households have a wood burning appliance and many of these choose to use this locally available, renewable green energy source as their primary heating fuel. For many residents of Muskoka and elsewhere, it is by far and away the most cost-effective way of heating their homes and for many others represents the only emergency backup heat during our all-too-frequent hydro outages.
Fortunately, here in Muskoka, as in most of Ontario, we do not have a problem with our air quality during the heating season. Our smog days come on hot summer days and are a gift from the industrial and hydro-generating south, on both sides of the border.
That is not to say, however, that ‘nuisance’ smoke on a neighbour-to-neighbour level does not occur. Such nuisance smoke can take many forms, but in the most severe cases can be extremely distressing for those involved. However, the technology employed in woodstoves has changed dramatically in recent years. New technology woodstoves, that is to say those certified by the US EPA (US Environment Protection Agency) or by CSA (Canadian Standards Association) B415, emit up to 90 per cent less “smoke”, including particulate matter, than old technology stoves. Such stoves are mandatory in the entire United States and several Canadian provinces but, alas, not yet here in Ontario. It is up to the householder or cottager, therefore, to make the sensible choice. There are hundreds of dollars of rebates available from both the provincial and federal governments to help consumers change from old stoves to the new, efficient, cleaner stoves. Added bonuses are that the new stoves take a third less wood to produce the same amount of heat and deposit less creosote in the chimney. Good burning practices should also be employed regardless of the type of appliance being used. The most important of these being, only untreated, seasoned wood (9 to 12 months drying time) should be used and under no circumstances should garbage be burnt in wood stoves or any other wood-burning appliance. I would also remind the readers, from a safety standpoint, that wood-burning appliances should be swept and checked over at least once a year by a qualified technician.
If any of my fellow wood-heating brethren are still feeling somewhat anti-social given the comments of the letter writer and her kind, I would add the following: Queen’s University biology professor, Paul Grogan, a leading expert on climate change, has recently gone on record citing the environmental benefits of wood heating as a virtually carbon neutral, entirely renewable, locally available and green energy source.
Our forests are a great Canadian resource and, when managed properly, are completely sustainable. Tonight I shall relax in front of my Ontario-built wood stove and give thanks for nature’s harvest, including my locally grown wood. The only thing my neighbours will be able to see coming from my chimney stack will be a faint heat shimmer.
Tony Gottschalk
Huntsville
October 14, 2009
Re: Act together to ban woodsmoke so autumn doesn’t take breath away, letter to the editor, Huntsville Forestre, Oct. 7.
I could not help but wonder what possible justification this lady had in calling for such a draconian act as banning wood-burning appliances.
A third of all Canadian households have a wood burning appliance and many of these choose to use this locally available, renewable green energy source as their primary heating fuel. For many residents of Muskoka and elsewhere, it is by far and away the most cost-effective way of heating their homes and for many others represents the only emergency backup heat during our all-too-frequent hydro outages.
Fortunately, here in Muskoka, as in most of Ontario, we do not have a problem with our air quality during the heating season. Our smog days come on hot summer days and are a gift from the industrial and hydro-generating south, on both sides of the border.
That is not to say, however, that ‘nuisance’ smoke on a neighbour-to-neighbour level does not occur. Such nuisance smoke can take many forms, but in the most severe cases can be extremely distressing for those involved. However, the technology employed in woodstoves has changed dramatically in recent years. New technology woodstoves, that is to say those certified by the US EPA (US Environment Protection Agency) or by CSA (Canadian Standards Association) B415, emit up to 90 per cent less “smoke”, including particulate matter, than old technology stoves. Such stoves are mandatory in the entire United States and several Canadian provinces but, alas, not yet here in Ontario. It is up to the householder or cottager, therefore, to make the sensible choice. There are hundreds of dollars of rebates available from both the provincial and federal governments to help consumers change from old stoves to the new, efficient, cleaner stoves. Added bonuses are that the new stoves take a third less wood to produce the same amount of heat and deposit less creosote in the chimney. Good burning practices should also be employed regardless of the type of appliance being used. The most important of these being, only untreated, seasoned wood (9 to 12 months drying time) should be used and under no circumstances should garbage be burnt in wood stoves or any other wood-burning appliance. I would also remind the readers, from a safety standpoint, that wood-burning appliances should be swept and checked over at least once a year by a qualified technician.
If any of my fellow wood-heating brethren are still feeling somewhat anti-social given the comments of the letter writer and her kind, I would add the following: Queen’s University biology professor, Paul Grogan, a leading expert on climate change, has recently gone on record citing the environmental benefits of wood heating as a virtually carbon neutral, entirely renewable, locally available and green energy source.
Our forests are a great Canadian resource and, when managed properly, are completely sustainable. Tonight I shall relax in front of my Ontario-built wood stove and give thanks for nature’s harvest, including my locally grown wood. The only thing my neighbours will be able to see coming from my chimney stack will be a faint heat shimmer.
Tony Gottschalk
Huntsville
Friday, September 18, 2009
Article from New York Times illustrates why cottagers north of the border should look at replacing their old technology wood stoves.
Your Second Home Heating With Wood
Warm, Cozy and Cleaner
By STEVE BAILEY
WHETHER your weekend getaway sits on a Georgia island or in the forests of Maine, at some time during the year you’re probably going to have to heat it. If your property has a lot of trees, there’s a chance you can get the heat you need at almost no cost.
Second-home owners can learn from people who heat their full-time residences with wood. Kathi Hooper, director of the Lincoln County, Mont., Environmental Health Department, knows about heating with firewood. “I grew up with it,” she said. Today, her 1,400-square-foot house is comfortably heated by a wood-burning stove.
Firewood is a primary source of home heat in Libby, in Montana’s northwest corner, and wood smoke has become a growing winter air-pollution problem over the years. The Hoopers and about 1,000 other households there exchanged old stoves for new ones between 2005 and 2007 in a program involving the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Montana and the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, a trade group. “Our old stove was a homemade metal box,” Ms. Hooper said, “and smoke would pour out whenever you opened the door to stoke the fire.”
With the new stoves, the people of Libby experienced a 70 percent reduction in indoor air pollution during the heating season, according to a University of Montana study. “It’s been noticeable,” Ms. Hooper said of air-quality improvements indoors and out. “Now, when you open the door of the stove, no smoke goes out into the room. And outdoors we have fewer gray, hazy days. We have a lot of inversions; we’re a narrow valley with high mountains and no wind, so the air just stagnates.”
Modern wood-burning stoves not only burn more cleanly than old ones, they reduce wood consumption. “We now use half the wood we used to,” Ms. Hooper said, requiring about four cords all winter to heat the house they live in full time. They get their wood free from their five-acre property and by harvesting fallen trees on nearby public lands.
People without their own wood source often buy it by the cord (that’s a stack four feet high, four feet deep and eight feet long). A cord of seasoned and split firewood was recently offered on Craigslist for $230 delivered in the Lower Hudson Valley; in Monterey County, Calif., a firewood service offered to deliver a cord for $280.
“A lot of second-home owners are in rural areas with free sources of firewood,” said Leslie Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association. “The key is to have an efficient appliance for burning the wood.” New fireplace inserts, essentially wood-burning stoves that fit into a fireplace, and new freestanding stoves have what Ms. Wheeler described as a two-burn system, burning the wood first, then the smoke so that less of it goes up the stovepipe and more heat goes into the room.
It’s important to burn only seasoned (thoroughly dry) wood. Green or freshly cut wood does not burn well and produces more creosote, the tarlike goo that can build up inside your flue or stovepipe and eventually become a fire hazard. Frequently used chimneys and stovepipes should be checked and possibly cleaned annually. Firewood should be stored away from the house, off the ground and protected from rain.
Even if your weekend house has a working furnace, there may be substantial savings in adding a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert. A recent search of an online stove dealer, Discount Stove & Fireplace (www.discountstove.com) found inserts from $1,750 to about $2,700, and stoves from $800 to $2,750. Prices for stoves start at about $400 at large home-improvement stores. Installation costs vary, but expect to pay $400 to $1,000.
Annie Calhoun’s family has been heating their 2,000-square-foot vacation house in Killington, Vt., with wood since it was built in 1964. “My dad is a longtime forester and has been very involved in alternative energy for a long time,” said Ms. Calhoun, who lives in Lincoln, Mass. “We have an Ashley stove and a Franklin stove. Loggers used to drop off logs, plus we bring some wood from land we own in New Hampshire. And we get some wood from the property itself.”
Some weekend-home owners use firewood to supplement oil or electric heat. They set their furnace’s thermostat at 50 or 55 degrees when they’re away to keep pipes from freezing, and when they arrive for the weekend, they quickly get a wood fire going.
Warm, Cozy and Cleaner
By STEVE BAILEY
WHETHER your weekend getaway sits on a Georgia island or in the forests of Maine, at some time during the year you’re probably going to have to heat it. If your property has a lot of trees, there’s a chance you can get the heat you need at almost no cost.
Second-home owners can learn from people who heat their full-time residences with wood. Kathi Hooper, director of the Lincoln County, Mont., Environmental Health Department, knows about heating with firewood. “I grew up with it,” she said. Today, her 1,400-square-foot house is comfortably heated by a wood-burning stove.
Firewood is a primary source of home heat in Libby, in Montana’s northwest corner, and wood smoke has become a growing winter air-pollution problem over the years. The Hoopers and about 1,000 other households there exchanged old stoves for new ones between 2005 and 2007 in a program involving the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Montana and the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, a trade group. “Our old stove was a homemade metal box,” Ms. Hooper said, “and smoke would pour out whenever you opened the door to stoke the fire.”
With the new stoves, the people of Libby experienced a 70 percent reduction in indoor air pollution during the heating season, according to a University of Montana study. “It’s been noticeable,” Ms. Hooper said of air-quality improvements indoors and out. “Now, when you open the door of the stove, no smoke goes out into the room. And outdoors we have fewer gray, hazy days. We have a lot of inversions; we’re a narrow valley with high mountains and no wind, so the air just stagnates.”
Modern wood-burning stoves not only burn more cleanly than old ones, they reduce wood consumption. “We now use half the wood we used to,” Ms. Hooper said, requiring about four cords all winter to heat the house they live in full time. They get their wood free from their five-acre property and by harvesting fallen trees on nearby public lands.
People without their own wood source often buy it by the cord (that’s a stack four feet high, four feet deep and eight feet long). A cord of seasoned and split firewood was recently offered on Craigslist for $230 delivered in the Lower Hudson Valley; in Monterey County, Calif., a firewood service offered to deliver a cord for $280.
“A lot of second-home owners are in rural areas with free sources of firewood,” said Leslie Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association. “The key is to have an efficient appliance for burning the wood.” New fireplace inserts, essentially wood-burning stoves that fit into a fireplace, and new freestanding stoves have what Ms. Wheeler described as a two-burn system, burning the wood first, then the smoke so that less of it goes up the stovepipe and more heat goes into the room.
It’s important to burn only seasoned (thoroughly dry) wood. Green or freshly cut wood does not burn well and produces more creosote, the tarlike goo that can build up inside your flue or stovepipe and eventually become a fire hazard. Frequently used chimneys and stovepipes should be checked and possibly cleaned annually. Firewood should be stored away from the house, off the ground and protected from rain.
Even if your weekend house has a working furnace, there may be substantial savings in adding a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert. A recent search of an online stove dealer, Discount Stove & Fireplace (www.discountstove.com) found inserts from $1,750 to about $2,700, and stoves from $800 to $2,750. Prices for stoves start at about $400 at large home-improvement stores. Installation costs vary, but expect to pay $400 to $1,000.
Annie Calhoun’s family has been heating their 2,000-square-foot vacation house in Killington, Vt., with wood since it was built in 1964. “My dad is a longtime forester and has been very involved in alternative energy for a long time,” said Ms. Calhoun, who lives in Lincoln, Mass. “We have an Ashley stove and a Franklin stove. Loggers used to drop off logs, plus we bring some wood from land we own in New Hampshire. And we get some wood from the property itself.”
Some weekend-home owners use firewood to supplement oil or electric heat. They set their furnace’s thermostat at 50 or 55 degrees when they’re away to keep pipes from freezing, and when they arrive for the weekend, they quickly get a wood fire going.
Climate change expert professor from Queen's is interviewed on CBC radio earlier this year.
INTERVIEW WITH PAUL GROGAN RE: WOOD STOVESWEI CHEN (CBCK-FM): Many homeowners are cranking up the heat in order to fight off the chill this winter. That means using more electricity, heating oil or natural gas. Unfortunately the result can be greater carbon dioxide emissions and higher costs. That reality prompted a study from a climate change expert at Queen’s University. He discovered that heating a home with both a natural gas furnace and a wood-burning stove is not only more energy efficient, but slightly cheaper than relying solely on fossil fuels. Paul Grogan is professor of biology at Queen’s University, and he joins us now. Good morning.PAUL GROGAN (Professor, Queen’s University): Good morning, Wei. Thanks for your interest.CHEN: Oh, well what led you to conduct this research?GROGAN: Well it’s a personal story really. We installed a wood stove about two years ago, and I’m teaching at Queen’s and we had this undergraduate course on climate change and fossil fuel issues and that kind of thing, and I said well why don’t I bring the students to the house and talk about the environmental, economic and social advantages and disadvantages of trying to supplement our domestic heating with this wood stove?CHEN: And so what did you find?GROGAN: Essentially what we did was we found that there was a 60 percent reduction in the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere as a result of heating with the wood in combination with the natural gas as opposed to prior to that when we just had natural gas.CHEN: Huh. And how much… how much of the wood stove did you use? How much natural gas? What were the percentages?GROGAN: Yeah. We pretty much kept the wood stove going as much as we could; we burned five full cords of wood which is quite a substantial amount. And then of course we did the economics to see how much did the wood cost us and how much wood we used… (inaudible) natural gas. And there’s a slight benefit to using the wood, and it’s about $50 per year as far as we could work out. But nevertheless from the environmental point of view we see there’s a huge advantage in terms of making some contribution towards reducing our CO2 emissions.CHEN: I always thought that burning a wood stove was bad because of the pollution that caused.GROGAN: Yes, that’s a very good question, and I should point out that we were using one of these high efficiency second recombustion stoves. And there are… the more traditional wood stove is not as efficient, and therefore… and one basically has to burn more wood to achieve the same heat output. And secondly and perhaps most importantly the second recombustion of the modern stove burns the smoke before it’s emitted, so the reductions in smoke are about 70 percent, so that’s a huge factor in this thing. In other words from an environmental benefit point of view, you’re reducing CO2 emissions, but the out-smoke emissions are relatively small.CHEN: Now what is the emissions that come from your wood stove then? How much compared to what comes out of the fact that you’re burning your gas?GROGAN: Right. Well… one tends to think about these things in terms of tonnes of carbon emitted per person per year. I don’t know if you remember about five or six years ago of the thing called the One Tonne Challenge?CHEN: Yeah.GROGAN: That the federal government had to try to encourage people to be more aware of the fact that they’re producing CO2 which essentially a waste product and affecting climate change. So prior to installing a wood stove we were emitting 2.5 tonnes per person per year of CO2, and then after installing a wood stove the net emissions were about one tonne per person per year. So it’s a big difference.CHEN: Now you said that you went through five cords which is quite a lot you said.GROGAN: That’s right, yeah.CHEN: So even with one of these super energy efficient wood stoves, it still goes through quite a bit. Is that a good use, even though I know it is a renewable resource, but it takes so long…GROGAN: Yeah, and that’s—CHEN: for trees to grow.GROGAN: That’s right, that’s the key factor here is that we’re considering the wood as a renewable resource, in other woods that it’s carbon neutral. So just give me a second to explain that. You know if you’re driving along the 401 and you look into the forest on either side, you’ll see trees growing, and you’ll also see dead and decaying trees. And the trees that are dying and decaying are decomposing and releasing their carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. So essentially if the wood is harvested in a sustainable way, in other words if the forest is managed properly, and the dead wood or old wood is taken out, essentially by burning it in the stove, you’re just increasing the rate at which the CO2 is released into the atmosphere, but the total amount is the same whether it would burn in the stove or whether it would naturally decompose on the forest floor.CHEN: Okay, I see. So do you recommend then that everyone get a wood stove?GROGAN: Well, it’s not gonna suit everyone. So the third aspect of this study which the students really had fun with was the notion of what are the sort of lifestyle changes, the social aspects of this? So they did a survey, and the things that came out as being important from consumers’ perspective in terms of deciding perhaps to use a wood stove would be things like effectiveness of heating and operation costs and that kind of thing. But it’s very clear that older people for example may not have the energy to literally get up and stack wood, arrange for its supply and then obviously feed the fire on a regular basis. So there’s some situations where it wouldn’t really pay off. On the other hand in rural locations and where people may have their own wood lot, the economic saving is very, very substantial because obviously their wood didn’t cost anything.CHEN: Well it’s very interesting. Thank you very much for joining us this morning.GROGAN: Thank you.CHEN: Bye now.GROGAN: I’m off for a cup of fossil fuel-heated coffee.CHEN: (Laughs.) All right, bye.GROGAN: Bye.CHEN: Paul Grogan is a professor of biology at Queen’s University. We reached him this morning at his home in Kingston.*****
Ontario Woodlot Association Media release
Ontario Woodlot Association
275 County Rd. 44
Kemptville, ON
K0G 1J0
Media Release
For Immediate Release
September 9, 2009
Firewood is a Renewable Green Energy Source!
Wednesday September 9, 2009: Rural Ontarians have a long history of using fuelwood for home heating and could be considered one of the early leaders in the movement towards reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by using this renewable green energy source.The harvest of fuelwood is one of the essential management tools used by woodlot owners to help maintain and enhance our forested landscape. The sale of fuelwood is an important economic driver within our rural communities and is a cost effective heating source used by tens of thousands of rural landowners. As the provincial government moves towards developing new clean and renewable energy initiatives the Ontario Woodlot Association has prepared the discussion paper Fuelwood, the Environment and the 21st Century that provides federal, provincial and municipal leaders and the general public with key and important facts linking sustainable forestry practices, advanced wood burning technology and good wood burning practices with cleaner air.
“We believe the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the discussion paper will result in cleaner air, assist in maintaining healthy forests and work towards building a stronger green economy”, says Pieter Leenhouts, President of the Ontario Woodlot Association. “By managing our forests sustainably, we help the environment, increase carbon sequestration and improve our forests while continuing to provide accessible renewable green energy to Ontarians. Fuelwood has to be part of that formula.”
A copy of the discussion paper Fuelwood, the Environment and the 21st Century is available on the website http://www.ont-woodlot-assoc.org/info_pub_fuelwood.html or by contacting the Ontario Woodlot Association.
For more information contact:
Wade Knight, Executive Director
Ontario Woodlot Association
(613) 258-0110 ext. #223
E-mail
275 County Rd. 44
Kemptville, ON
K0G 1J0
Media Release
For Immediate Release
September 9, 2009
Firewood is a Renewable Green Energy Source!
Wednesday September 9, 2009: Rural Ontarians have a long history of using fuelwood for home heating and could be considered one of the early leaders in the movement towards reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by using this renewable green energy source.The harvest of fuelwood is one of the essential management tools used by woodlot owners to help maintain and enhance our forested landscape. The sale of fuelwood is an important economic driver within our rural communities and is a cost effective heating source used by tens of thousands of rural landowners. As the provincial government moves towards developing new clean and renewable energy initiatives the Ontario Woodlot Association has prepared the discussion paper Fuelwood, the Environment and the 21st Century that provides federal, provincial and municipal leaders and the general public with key and important facts linking sustainable forestry practices, advanced wood burning technology and good wood burning practices with cleaner air.
“We believe the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the discussion paper will result in cleaner air, assist in maintaining healthy forests and work towards building a stronger green economy”, says Pieter Leenhouts, President of the Ontario Woodlot Association. “By managing our forests sustainably, we help the environment, increase carbon sequestration and improve our forests while continuing to provide accessible renewable green energy to Ontarians. Fuelwood has to be part of that formula.”
A copy of the discussion paper Fuelwood, the Environment and the 21st Century is available on the website http://www.ont-woodlot-assoc.org/info_pub_fuelwood.html or by contacting the Ontario Woodlot Association.
For more information contact:
Wade Knight, Executive Director
Ontario Woodlot Association
(613) 258-0110 ext. #223
Monday, August 17, 2009
Grassroots Efforts Work
HPBA's recent major legislative successes in the U.S. Congress - the 2009 Tax Credit included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the $20 million Certified Stove Program for changeouts amended to the House Climate Change bill - would not have succeeded without the important grassroots efforts of many of our members. To them we offer a rousing "Thank you!"
Local grassroots efforts have been effective tools in lobbying elected officials and these successes are a testament to their importance. In Maine, Senator Susan Collins (R) accepted an invitation from Jøtul North America, Inc. for a plant tour; the staff at Quadra-Fire displayed their products to local Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) and the staff of Senator Maria Cantwell (D) at their Colville, Washington, facility; and, also in Washington State, Representative Jay Inslee's staff recently visited Travis Industries, Inc. All of these visits began, or continued, a discussion of the impact of HPBA's hearth industry on energy resources and the lives of their constituents.
The result of these grassroots encounters? Senator Collins led the charge getting the tax credit measure signed into law, and Representative Inslee worked to get the $20 million changeout amendment adopted. Both were supported by other Members of Congress we contacted, including the ones mentioned here. Simply put, grassroots inspired visits by Members of Congress and their staffs have had an enormously positive impact on the success of our legislative agenda.
We were fortunate that these Members of Congress with whom we collaborated became key figures in the 2009 ARRA stimulus package negotiations. Those collaborations led to the $1500 consumer tax provision for energy efficient upgrades, which included wood and pellet stoves. But, it is time to intensify our efforts and pursue an effort that will "fuel" greater congressional accomplishments in the future.
To do this, we need our affiliates to take an active role in keeping our current successes intact and act on future opportunities. This involves an active Affiliate Grassroots Lobby Campaign.
While we recognize that not all HPBA members can provide plant tours, there are many grassroots opportunities that the national HPBA staff can identify and help you coordinate. It is, however, up to you, the local constituent, to contact your local legislator because it is the local constituent who drives national politics. Therefore, we are asking our affiliates to actively lobby their Members of Congress on behalf of the industry.
We strongly recommend you use your graduates of the Government Affairs Academy to approach your Members of Congress to voice, explain and promote several key industry issues currently pending in Congress. Here are suggestions of how to make the program work using office visits, plant tours and Letter to the Editor campaigns. The details of these campaigns are attached and also available on our website (www.hpba.org).
Step 1: Have your affiliate contact Seth Voyles (HPBA's Manager of Government Affairs at 703-522-0086 or voyles@hpba.org) and commit to participate in the Affiliate Grassroots Lobby Campaign. Seth will help coordinate your efforts by identifying your congressional members and their staff, and especially those we want to target. (Targeted Members of Congress will include those on the committees with whom we deal most, such as Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resources, and Finance.) You can also go to http://www.hpba.org/government-affairs/take-action and click on "Legislator Search" to find your elected officials.
Step 2: Contact the district offices of your three Members of Congress and ask to speak to the staff person handling energy or environmental issues. HPBA will provide you with "talking points" to help you explain our industry, our needs and our future legislative agenda. Invite the Member or staff to visit a local HPBA manufacturer or retailer ("facility") to gain a better understanding of the industry, its members and its role in energy.
Step 3: Once you've gained the staff's interest and invited the Member of Congress to visit a local HPBA facility, explain why our industry is important to both local and national economies with job creation and innovative technologies. This will attract that member to accept the invitation. We will show you how to set up, publicize and do the follow up on a plant tour.
Step 4: Following any facility tour, a "thank you" should be sent to the participating Member of Congress and their office (and especially to those who are supporting our industry's efforts). The thank you comes in two forms: A personal note and a Letter to the Editor of your local press (samples are available). This is the best way to get - and keep - their support for our legislative objectives.
Again, our affiliates need to exercise their political assets - the Government Affairs Academy graduates. These are the people that HPBA has trained to push our industry agenda through the legislative processes, both state and national. Spreading the HPBA narrative of clean-burning efficient hearth products is the best way to get a return on your training investment. We can't stop now.
From our successes over the past year, we know the value of dialogue and working with a few Congressional members. Just imagine what can happen when we talk with all of them.
We thank you for your attention to this request, for your hard work in the past, and for the grassroots work you will be doing in the future.
For more information, please contact Allan Cagnoli at Cagnoli@hpba.org or Seth Voyles at Voyles@hpba.org.
HPBA's recent major legislative successes in the U.S. Congress - the 2009 Tax Credit included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the $20 million Certified Stove Program for changeouts amended to the House Climate Change bill - would not have succeeded without the important grassroots efforts of many of our members. To them we offer a rousing "Thank you!"
Local grassroots efforts have been effective tools in lobbying elected officials and these successes are a testament to their importance. In Maine, Senator Susan Collins (R) accepted an invitation from Jøtul North America, Inc. for a plant tour; the staff at Quadra-Fire displayed their products to local Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) and the staff of Senator Maria Cantwell (D) at their Colville, Washington, facility; and, also in Washington State, Representative Jay Inslee's staff recently visited Travis Industries, Inc. All of these visits began, or continued, a discussion of the impact of HPBA's hearth industry on energy resources and the lives of their constituents.
The result of these grassroots encounters? Senator Collins led the charge getting the tax credit measure signed into law, and Representative Inslee worked to get the $20 million changeout amendment adopted. Both were supported by other Members of Congress we contacted, including the ones mentioned here. Simply put, grassroots inspired visits by Members of Congress and their staffs have had an enormously positive impact on the success of our legislative agenda.
We were fortunate that these Members of Congress with whom we collaborated became key figures in the 2009 ARRA stimulus package negotiations. Those collaborations led to the $1500 consumer tax provision for energy efficient upgrades, which included wood and pellet stoves. But, it is time to intensify our efforts and pursue an effort that will "fuel" greater congressional accomplishments in the future.
To do this, we need our affiliates to take an active role in keeping our current successes intact and act on future opportunities. This involves an active Affiliate Grassroots Lobby Campaign.
While we recognize that not all HPBA members can provide plant tours, there are many grassroots opportunities that the national HPBA staff can identify and help you coordinate. It is, however, up to you, the local constituent, to contact your local legislator because it is the local constituent who drives national politics. Therefore, we are asking our affiliates to actively lobby their Members of Congress on behalf of the industry.
We strongly recommend you use your graduates of the Government Affairs Academy to approach your Members of Congress to voice, explain and promote several key industry issues currently pending in Congress. Here are suggestions of how to make the program work using office visits, plant tours and Letter to the Editor campaigns. The details of these campaigns are attached and also available on our website (www.hpba.org).
Step 1: Have your affiliate contact Seth Voyles (HPBA's Manager of Government Affairs at 703-522-0086 or voyles@hpba.org) and commit to participate in the Affiliate Grassroots Lobby Campaign. Seth will help coordinate your efforts by identifying your congressional members and their staff, and especially those we want to target. (Targeted Members of Congress will include those on the committees with whom we deal most, such as Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resources, and Finance.) You can also go to http://www.hpba.org/government-affairs/take-action and click on "Legislator Search" to find your elected officials.
Step 2: Contact the district offices of your three Members of Congress and ask to speak to the staff person handling energy or environmental issues. HPBA will provide you with "talking points" to help you explain our industry, our needs and our future legislative agenda. Invite the Member or staff to visit a local HPBA manufacturer or retailer ("facility") to gain a better understanding of the industry, its members and its role in energy.
Step 3: Once you've gained the staff's interest and invited the Member of Congress to visit a local HPBA facility, explain why our industry is important to both local and national economies with job creation and innovative technologies. This will attract that member to accept the invitation. We will show you how to set up, publicize and do the follow up on a plant tour.
Step 4: Following any facility tour, a "thank you" should be sent to the participating Member of Congress and their office (and especially to those who are supporting our industry's efforts). The thank you comes in two forms: A personal note and a Letter to the Editor of your local press (samples are available). This is the best way to get - and keep - their support for our legislative objectives.
Again, our affiliates need to exercise their political assets - the Government Affairs Academy graduates. These are the people that HPBA has trained to push our industry agenda through the legislative processes, both state and national. Spreading the HPBA narrative of clean-burning efficient hearth products is the best way to get a return on your training investment. We can't stop now.
From our successes over the past year, we know the value of dialogue and working with a few Congressional members. Just imagine what can happen when we talk with all of them.
We thank you for your attention to this request, for your hard work in the past, and for the grassroots work you will be doing in the future.
For more information, please contact Allan Cagnoli at Cagnoli@hpba.org or Seth Voyles at Voyles@hpba.org.
Friday, April 24, 2009
From the Montreal Gazette, Friday, April 24, 2009
Residents favour EPA wood stoves, poll suggests
Two-thirds of residents of Greater Montreal are opposed to an outright ban on new woodstoves, like the one the city of Montreal is poised to approve as early as Monday, a new poll shows.
The Ipsos Descarie poll made public yesterday found respondents favour new rules requiring that all wood stoves, including those already installed, meet United States Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Some local suburbs, like Pointe Claire, already have bylaws requiring EPA compliance. Others, like Dollard des Ormeaux, are looking at similar bylaws.
The Ipsos poll was commissioned by the Association des professionnels du chauffage, the association that represents wood stove manufacturers and dealers and others in the heating industry.
Montreal held three days of hearings last month into its proposed bylaw. The bylaw would impose a ban on the installation of new wood stoves and wood-burning fireplaces only. It is up for adoption Monday by city council.
In a related move, the city says it's asking Quebec for a subsidy program to encourage existing wood stove owners to convert to gas, electric or wood pellet stoves.
Quebec has no rules on wood stoves but it is writing its own new regulations. The association that commissioned the poll says Montreal should postpone voting on its bylaw until it sees what kind of rules the province produces.
Residents favour EPA wood stoves, poll suggests
Two-thirds of residents of Greater Montreal are opposed to an outright ban on new woodstoves, like the one the city of Montreal is poised to approve as early as Monday, a new poll shows.
The Ipsos Descarie poll made public yesterday found respondents favour new rules requiring that all wood stoves, including those already installed, meet United States Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Some local suburbs, like Pointe Claire, already have bylaws requiring EPA compliance. Others, like Dollard des Ormeaux, are looking at similar bylaws.
The Ipsos poll was commissioned by the Association des professionnels du chauffage, the association that represents wood stove manufacturers and dealers and others in the heating industry.
Montreal held three days of hearings last month into its proposed bylaw. The bylaw would impose a ban on the installation of new wood stoves and wood-burning fireplaces only. It is up for adoption Monday by city council.
In a related move, the city says it's asking Quebec for a subsidy program to encourage existing wood stove owners to convert to gas, electric or wood pellet stoves.
Quebec has no rules on wood stoves but it is writing its own new regulations. The association that commissioned the poll says Montreal should postpone voting on its bylaw until it sees what kind of rules the province produces.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Promoting Clean Wood Burning
Following a recent proposal by a municipality in the Montreal area to attempt a ban on all wood heating, the idea that heating with wood is an unsound environmental choice has become a hot topic of discussion.
The wood heating industry has evolved substantially over the past few years. The vast majority of appliances sold on the market now meet the emission limits set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the Canadian standard CSA B415.1. Wood burned in these certified appliances emit up to 90% less particulate (pollution) than older stoves, making it a clean, renewable energy source. Also, Pellet Stoves (burning compressed sawdust) are high efficiency appliances that produce extremely low particulate emissions. They are manufactured from waste products and other renewable resources across Canada. They represent a significant source of heating fuel from material that could otherwise be sent to landfills.
Wood heating enables millions of North Americans to heat their homes at a reasonable cost. It represents a reliable source of renewable energy, independent of electricity, which reduces our dependence on fossil fuels such as oil and gas. Burning fossil fuels for heating is a major source of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. In comparison, pellets have only a small carbon footprint and wood is essentially carbon neutral.
Numerous countries, provinces and municipalities, have adopted laws that regulate the sale of wood heating appliances that do not meet the latest standards in terms of particulate emissions. Among them, we can name the United States, Australia, New Zealand, as well as numerous countries that are part of the European Union. In Canada the Provinces of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland have also introduced laws regulating the sale of wood heating appliances. In most cases, financial incentives were given to homeowners to replace their old stove with new, certified wood or pellet heating appliances. The problem of pollution created by old stoves has not been ignored – it has been transformed into an opportunity through carefully designed initiatives. There is clearly a worldwide trend of energy diversification by promoting the use of a renewable energy source such as wood and wood pellets.
North America is home to many stove and fireplace manufacturers that are among the leaders in this important worldwide industry. Those enterprises represent thousands of quality manufacturing jobs. They work hand-in-hand with government and municipalities in order to establish intelligent and responsible regulations on wood heating that will have a positive impact on the environment and local economies.
The Hearth Products industry is there to support states, provinces, and municipalities to adopt measures that will lead to the responsible use of wood as a source of heat. Do not hesitate to contact HPBA (www.hpba.org) or HPBAC (www.hpbacanada.org) for more details. Residents of Quebec are invited to contact APC - l'Association des professionnels du chauffage (www.poelesfoyers.ca).
The wood heating industry has evolved substantially over the past few years. The vast majority of appliances sold on the market now meet the emission limits set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the Canadian standard CSA B415.1. Wood burned in these certified appliances emit up to 90% less particulate (pollution) than older stoves, making it a clean, renewable energy source. Also, Pellet Stoves (burning compressed sawdust) are high efficiency appliances that produce extremely low particulate emissions. They are manufactured from waste products and other renewable resources across Canada. They represent a significant source of heating fuel from material that could otherwise be sent to landfills.
Wood heating enables millions of North Americans to heat their homes at a reasonable cost. It represents a reliable source of renewable energy, independent of electricity, which reduces our dependence on fossil fuels such as oil and gas. Burning fossil fuels for heating is a major source of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. In comparison, pellets have only a small carbon footprint and wood is essentially carbon neutral.
Numerous countries, provinces and municipalities, have adopted laws that regulate the sale of wood heating appliances that do not meet the latest standards in terms of particulate emissions. Among them, we can name the United States, Australia, New Zealand, as well as numerous countries that are part of the European Union. In Canada the Provinces of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland have also introduced laws regulating the sale of wood heating appliances. In most cases, financial incentives were given to homeowners to replace their old stove with new, certified wood or pellet heating appliances. The problem of pollution created by old stoves has not been ignored – it has been transformed into an opportunity through carefully designed initiatives. There is clearly a worldwide trend of energy diversification by promoting the use of a renewable energy source such as wood and wood pellets.
North America is home to many stove and fireplace manufacturers that are among the leaders in this important worldwide industry. Those enterprises represent thousands of quality manufacturing jobs. They work hand-in-hand with government and municipalities in order to establish intelligent and responsible regulations on wood heating that will have a positive impact on the environment and local economies.
The Hearth Products industry is there to support states, provinces, and municipalities to adopt measures that will lead to the responsible use of wood as a source of heat. Do not hesitate to contact HPBA (www.hpba.org) or HPBAC (www.hpbacanada.org) for more details. Residents of Quebec are invited to contact APC - l'Association des professionnels du chauffage (www.poelesfoyers.ca).
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Guide to Residential Wood Heating now available from CMHC
The Guide to Residential Wood Heating has been revised and published by CMHC and is now available.
The Guide is on the CMHC Order Desk and can be downloaded for free at
- Hard copies are available at a cost of $14.21 (includes shipping) for one copy
- Additional copies are available for $1.10 per copy
- You can order in bulk from the Order Desk at 1-800-668-2642
- They are also recommend to clients ordering multiple copies that they can use the About Your House on wood heating for free distribution http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/63730.pdf.
- Copies of this About Your House document are sent for free from CMHC.
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