A crackdown on wood burning stoves is the centre of a Government drive to reduce air pollution, as ministers consider it is the UK’s biggest environmental threat to human health.
Under a new clean air strategy, wood burners that pump out too much smoke will be banned from sale, along with certain types of car tyres, brakes, cleaning solvents, fertilisers and solid fuels.
I wonder if anyone has taken into consideration just how many farmers and rural dwellers heat our ancient homes and farm houses with wood burners. Many are isolated and miles from any gas supply.
We collect well seasoned and dry wood during the summer months, or have it delivered. If it had not been for the wood burners at Ote Hall last winter, we would surely have perished from hyperthermia.
It is only recently that Government and the greens were telling us that burning wood to heat our homes was the best we could do for the environment.
What about Chris Huhne’s ‘Renewable Heat Incentive’, launched in 2011? Over generous subsidies were offered to businesses and home owners to cut ‘carbon emmissions’, and heat premises by installing expensive renewable heating systems which burnt wood pellets.
The current political crises in Northern Ireland, is a consequence of the even more lavish but similar subsidies, which resulted in the downfall of the government.
What about the conversion of Drax power station which was converted from coal to wood pellets, costing over £800 million a year in subsidies alone. On top of that, vast amounts of wood pellets are shipped from the US, at what cost, including to the environment?
So farmers will not be able to keep our homes warm, run our tractors or use fertilisers to grow crops! Is Mr Gove trying to tell us something?
Within the last week there have been several reports relating to the over consumption of prescribed medicated drugs. One regarding mature and elderly people being over prescribed with toxic cocktails of medication, many to ease the side efffects of previously prescribed drugs.
Researchers estimate that 25% of people aged 65 to 69 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions, and 46% of those 70 to 79. There are cases where the elderly, some with dimetia are taking up to 24 pills three times a day.
Just days after Oliver North, the USA’s National Rifle Association incoming president, suggested that the drug Ritalin – used to treat ADHD – is partially responsible for the recent increase in gun violence, a report highlighted the over use of drugs for children.
There is also the ongoing concern over use of antibiotics which is becoming increasingly critical.
Perhaps now is the time to take seriously reports by researchers on garlic which indicate that it may provide an ideal low-cost and safe alternative to drugs and vaccines, in reducing the three main causes of death in the world.
As was recently reported, “in a world where false promises of pharmaceutical industry marketing, as well as aggressive marketing of dietary suppliments, many of which are manufactured by the same companies, such as Bayer and Pfizer, it is reassuring to know that the kitchen pantry will never fail us..”
It seems that the health benefits of ‘folk remedies’ like garlic are being confirmed by straight laced men and women in lab coats. Many studies show that garlic plays a significant role in preventing or treating well over 150 health conditions, ranging from cancer to diabetetes, infection, and blocked arteries.
It is worth noting that the World Health Organisation recently suggested that the greater use and availability of garlic might provide a perfect alternative to global vaccine initiatives.
Garlic, Turmeric and various herbs may well replace powerful chemical drugs in time. Perhaps now is the time for farmers to get planting.