Every parent should be aware that their children are at risk from breathing ANY smoke. The elderly, the sick, pollution levels are high enough to even affect healthy adults. We are all at risk. It is not just a matter of reducing the amount of forestry smoke, that just makes it more difficult to avoid by not being able to smell or see it, and the damage still persists silently and unseen in people until it is too late. There needs to be a complete ban on forestry planned burns, because there are other smokeless ways for them to get rid of their residue and other ways to reduce the build up of land fuel before a fire season. In actual fact planned burns are unnecessary and promote unnecessary weed and scrub growth in many instances.
Our government has had years to fix this. They don't need more time to look at the problem, they could pass a law tomorrow that completely stops smoky planned burns. The question has to be asked....why don't they when there are other cleaner methods available??
Hopefully, this educational resource may be of use to school children in their studies and to people who suffer lung or heart disease and are feeling sick, isolated and helpless with all this going on around them. To those of you lucky enough not to suffer a respiratory or heart condition at this point, please be aware that unfortunately in time you more than likely will as a result of todays 'best practices'. There is so much information to substantiate this fact on this website and it's in abundance on the internet.
Our government has had years to fix this. They don't need more time to look at the problem, they could pass a law tomorrow that completely stops smoky planned burns. The question has to be asked....why don't they when there are other cleaner methods available??
Hopefully, this educational resource may be of use to school children in their studies and to people who suffer lung or heart disease and are feeling sick, isolated and helpless with all this going on around them. To those of you lucky enough not to suffer a respiratory or heart condition at this point, please be aware that unfortunately in time you more than likely will as a result of todays 'best practices'. There is so much information to substantiate this fact on this website and it's in abundance on the internet.
I believe it is a basic human right to be able to breathe clean air and to go outside when you want to. I don't think anybody would disagree with that except the forest industries and our government. About 200Km to the West of where I live it is reported to have the cleanest air in the world.
Forestry practices soon degrade this for all Tasmanians with their planned burns, but the sad point is they don't have to burn their rubbish, there are cleaner ways.
Our fire authorities use the term "watch and act". Rather than just watching the fires while they grow bigger every effort should be made to extinguish each and every fire in its infancy to protect our environment and to produce less smoke. Rapid attack it is called.
Forestry practices soon degrade this for all Tasmanians with their planned burns, but the sad point is they don't have to burn their rubbish, there are cleaner ways.
Our fire authorities use the term "watch and act". Rather than just watching the fires while they grow bigger every effort should be made to extinguish each and every fire in its infancy to protect our environment and to produce less smoke. Rapid attack it is called.
'Pyromania' is a desire to burn things.
Go here to read how a firebug 'yearned to be on a fire truck', and another one here.
And another one here. The list goes on....check it out.
Go here to read how a firebug 'yearned to be on a fire truck', and another one here.
And another one here. The list goes on....check it out.
When I met with Bob Knox from Forestry Tasmania I asked him, "Do you think my death would have changed anything?"
He said, "No it wouldn't."
I then asked him, "Do you think my death will change anything?" He said, "I doubt it will."
He said, "No it wouldn't."
I then asked him, "Do you think my death will change anything?" He said, "I doubt it will."
Then this followed on September 1, 2008....
Forestry Tas Chairman Adrian Kloeden on the new Forestry Tasmania value “we are proud of who we are and what we do.”
“We are proud of our past and we look forward to our future. We look beyond ill-informed comment in the media and know our value.
“I am proud to be the Chairman of Forestry Tasmania - and I have every right to be.”
Go here, or
http://www.forestrytas.com.au/news/2008/09/a-globally-trusted-source-of-forest-products
Forestry Tas Chairman Adrian Kloeden on the new Forestry Tasmania value “we are proud of who we are and what we do.”
“We are proud of our past and we look forward to our future. We look beyond ill-informed comment in the media and know our value.
“I am proud to be the Chairman of Forestry Tasmania - and I have every right to be.”
Go here, or
http://www.forestrytas.com.au/news/2008/09/a-globally-trusted-source-of-forest-products
E-mail any comments to
A big THANK YOU to all the people who have contacted me.
Cleanairtas exists to help protect the public, especially those who are suffering disabilities
caused by deliberate smoke.
People need to stop burning stuff.
This is achieved through, study, research, education, community involvement, and activism.
Clive M. Stott PN.
Facebook
Cleanairtas exists to help protect the public, especially those who are suffering disabilities
caused by deliberate smoke.
People need to stop burning stuff.
This is achieved through, study, research, education, community involvement, and activism.
Clive M. Stott PN.
I was born in Tasmania. After working for some years on mainland Australia I returned to Tasmania.....
One of the jobs I had was working for the Tasmanian Health Department for almost 15 years in charge of buildings, engineering and biomedical engineering at a district hospital. I enjoyed the challenge of being pro actively involved in or with almost every department in the hospital and my contact with hospital staff, doctors, patients and the community. I was on sole call 24/7 for all those years with no out of hours technical relief. The police even came looking for me at times when the pager didn't work.
During this time I additionally provided oxygen therapy equipment support to respiratory patients in their homes for CIG/BOC Gases.
Through my work, and successfully understanding and managing my own asthma, I enjoyed offering equipment support to people with breathing difficulties. It troubles me the Asthma Foundation of Tasmania on the other hand will not come out and demand planned burns be stopped completely for all asthmatics. What are they playing at with people's lives? Please refer to the Asthma pages.
One of the jobs I had was working for the Tasmanian Health Department for almost 15 years in charge of buildings, engineering and biomedical engineering at a district hospital. I enjoyed the challenge of being pro actively involved in or with almost every department in the hospital and my contact with hospital staff, doctors, patients and the community. I was on sole call 24/7 for all those years with no out of hours technical relief. The police even came looking for me at times when the pager didn't work.
During this time I additionally provided oxygen therapy equipment support to respiratory patients in their homes for CIG/BOC Gases.
Through my work, and successfully understanding and managing my own asthma, I enjoyed offering equipment support to people with breathing difficulties. It troubles me the Asthma Foundation of Tasmania on the other hand will not come out and demand planned burns be stopped completely for all asthmatics. What are they playing at with people's lives? Please refer to the Asthma pages.
It is appalling that Tasmanian's have to suffer such deliberate acts of unnecessary air pollution by our forest industries, and other land owners big and small.
Our Government knows the health dangers of wood smoke exposure on the community (we all do) and yet they allow burners to do what they like with few restrictions and assumed immunity.
Our environmental laws (which were passed to protect us from this very type of pollution) mean nothing when the Government deliberately won't uphold them, gives exemptions, or more often does nothing.
Today, people are forced to give up their healthy outdoor lifestyle during the beautiful Autumn months while smoke covers Tasmania. Our children are being taught in schools to go outside and get more sun on them in the cooler months.
What, to inhale this smoke? Why would anybody want their kids inhaling that.
Now they are being told to stop inside with air purifiers so the burning can continue.
The damage done to our health doesn't just go away when the smoke dies down...
far from it as you can see from what has happened to me:
Our Government knows the health dangers of wood smoke exposure on the community (we all do) and yet they allow burners to do what they like with few restrictions and assumed immunity.
Our environmental laws (which were passed to protect us from this very type of pollution) mean nothing when the Government deliberately won't uphold them, gives exemptions, or more often does nothing.
Today, people are forced to give up their healthy outdoor lifestyle during the beautiful Autumn months while smoke covers Tasmania. Our children are being taught in schools to go outside and get more sun on them in the cooler months.
What, to inhale this smoke? Why would anybody want their kids inhaling that.
Now they are being told to stop inside with air purifiers so the burning can continue.
The damage done to our health doesn't just go away when the smoke dies down...
far from it as you can see from what has happened to me:
As a result of the forestry smoke this year (2008), I was admitted to the local hospital's Accident and Emergency department on April 13 with chronic airflow limitation about two weeks after the burns started (March 28) and after trying unsuccessfully to manage my condition at home. I was being deliberately suffocated.
I was treated and sent back home in amongst the smoke to recuperate.
As a result of having to remain indoors confined to a chair because of the the wood smoke outdoors and my exacerbation, I was back in A & E again on the May 25; this time the diagnosis was deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli which is clots in the leg and lungs, a very serious life threatening condition (in addition to my induced asthma). I was released to free up a bed because I had learnt to inject myself at home with blood thinners. I now also take blood thinning tablets, for the rest of my life. I am in a great deal of pain in my leg because of the clots and breathing is extremely difficult because of them. I should be taking up a bed in hospital until I am well enough to be at home, but I feel guilty for the time I have been in there already taking up valuable resources!
One week latter (1/6/08) I had another trip to A & E to sort out clot pain that couldn't be managed at home. Then it's back outside to 'enjoy' Launceston and the Tamar Valley's smoke, not to mention further trips in it to my local doctor, chemist, pathology, hospital, specialist, and so it goes on for ever and ever.
You know, before all this I was quite well, but this is exactly what "cost shifting" is. Forestry finds a cheap way of getting rid of their residue (rubbish) by burning it. Other land owners are doing the same. Then Tasmanian's get known diseases like asthma, cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer from the smoke and so forestry's costs are shifted on to the State Health system, and it's people. My deliberately initiated ill health problems come at a cost to everyone. I have commenced a cost analysis for my health treatment as a result of planned burn smoke and I am led to believe the costs will rise greatly as a result of it, as time goes on.....and I am only one!
I was treated and sent back home in amongst the smoke to recuperate.
As a result of having to remain indoors confined to a chair because of the the wood smoke outdoors and my exacerbation, I was back in A & E again on the May 25; this time the diagnosis was deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli which is clots in the leg and lungs, a very serious life threatening condition (in addition to my induced asthma). I was released to free up a bed because I had learnt to inject myself at home with blood thinners. I now also take blood thinning tablets, for the rest of my life. I am in a great deal of pain in my leg because of the clots and breathing is extremely difficult because of them. I should be taking up a bed in hospital until I am well enough to be at home, but I feel guilty for the time I have been in there already taking up valuable resources!
One week latter (1/6/08) I had another trip to A & E to sort out clot pain that couldn't be managed at home. Then it's back outside to 'enjoy' Launceston and the Tamar Valley's smoke, not to mention further trips in it to my local doctor, chemist, pathology, hospital, specialist, and so it goes on for ever and ever.
You know, before all this I was quite well, but this is exactly what "cost shifting" is. Forestry finds a cheap way of getting rid of their residue (rubbish) by burning it. Other land owners are doing the same. Then Tasmanian's get known diseases like asthma, cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer from the smoke and so forestry's costs are shifted on to the State Health system, and it's people. My deliberately initiated ill health problems come at a cost to everyone. I have commenced a cost analysis for my health treatment as a result of planned burn smoke and I am led to believe the costs will rise greatly as a result of it, as time goes on.....and I am only one!
Who is Clive Stott
