Stop burning wood to heat homes. Stop the wood smoke pollution.

The burning of wood to heat homes needs to be stopped. Wood stoves and furnaces put out a great deal of smoke and soot. The particulates in the wood smoke are so small that they get lodged deep down in the lungs. Wood smoke is 12 times more toxic than second hand cigarette smoke. Wood can cause or worsen asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, and other lung diseases. wood smoke can also increase the risk of heart diseases, strokes, and death. We are not forced to breathe in cigarette smoke so why should be forced to breathe in wood smoke when we do not want to breathe it in. Many neighborhoods are filled with wood smoke in winter. This makes people who do not want to breathe it in a prisoner in their own homes because they cant go outside. This toxic hazardous smoke is very harmful to children and the elderly. We should also be planting more trees not cutting them down to burn. Mature trees help filter carbon dioxide out of the air, provide habitats for wildlife, food for human and wildlife, prevent run off after heavy rains, provide shade, etc. We should be planting trees not cutting them down. The smoke produced for burning wood for heat is very toxic and should not be breathed. Other sources of heat such as gas, oil and electricity are cheaper, less polluting, and more environmental friendly. Solar, wind, hydroelectric can also be converted to electricity for heat. We can also use geothermal heat. It is time the Untied States started moving to clean energy sources and stopped using polluting energy and heat. The burning of wood and breathing in the smoke and soot from it violates our civil rights, our rights under state nuisance laws, and our rights under the Clean Air Act because we do not have clean air to breath. Please help stop the burning of wood for heat. This is a pollution source that we can prevent.