Wood-burning rule key to county climate plan

We were gratified to read that Marin supervisors voted to adopt more ambitious goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions (“Marin ramps up effort to reduce air pollution”), but dismayed the supervisors’ plan seems to omit one of the most effective ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions: reducing residential wood burning.

As executive director of one of Marin’s air pollution nonprofit organizations, I realize many people are still unaware of the significant impacts that wood burning has on climate change.

Wood burning creates carbon dioxide pollution, but more importantly it creates two potent short-lived climate pollutants: black carbon and methane. These shortlived climate pollutants have an outsized impact on climate change because if we can reduce our emissions of these socalled “super polluters” now, it will have an immediate impact on climate as compared to longer-lived greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

According to the California Air Resources Board, “Residential wood combustion is forecast to be the largest individual anthropogenic source of black carbon in 2030 if no new programs are implemented, accounting for a quarter of anthropogenic black carbon emissions.”

Reducing wood burning brings a powerful additional benefit: public health. Since residential wood burning is the leading contributor of winter PM 2.5 pollution, taking action will not only help protect our climate but will also reduce the myriad acute and chronic medical conditions linked to PM 2.5 pollution, including asthma, COPD, heart attack and strokes.

Our sincere hope is that as the Marin supervisors move forward to implement their climate plan, residential wood burning will not just be added to their list — but will rise to the top of it.

— Susan Goldsborough,

San Rafael