I try to avoid it, but sometimes I get sucked in. I mean, just... a whole post on the toxic effects of burning driftwood. Yeah ok it’s not the best thing to breathe in, sure. I try not to breathe in the smoke of ANY fire I’m near, but maybe that’s just me. Is this happening in large enough volumes to really cause an environmental hazard that isn’t just totally eclipsed by a single coal-fired power plant? But wait, there’s an alternative!
What should you do instead of relying on driftwood at your next bonfire? As Scientific American recommends, wood pellets burn faster and create fewer pollutants; you can find these at Home Depot or any other hardware store.
What. I mean, surely the author isn’t suggesting that wood pellets are an alternative to bonfires. Our bonfires consist entirely of brush and dead wood gathered from the forest, or from things I’ve cut on our land for one reason or another. Not to mention, driving to a Big Box store to buy a plastic bag full of heavily-processed wood... does not sound like a Green Alternative to your Summer Fun.
I know, I know, just because there are things that are worse, doesn’t mean you should just go ahead with whatever small environmentally-damaging thing you’re doing. But surely pellet-fueled bonfires are not the answer. SURELY.
