A burning issue: why it's time to ditch the wood-fired heater and opt for eco alternatives

Wood burning is one of the biggest sources of fine particulate pollution in Australia. Here are ways to reduce emissions and improve your healthChange by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household's carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.comThere's something romantic about sitting by an open fireplace in winter time. But there's growing evidence of the damage wood-fired heaters and open fires are doing to our health - and the environment.As a group of University of Technology Sydney academics recently put it - "a wood-fired heater is like having a truck idling in your living room all day (albeit with the bulk of the emissions escaping via the chimney)". Continue reading...