skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Black smoke signals no pope was elected on first day of Vatican conclave; Nine in 10 people surveyed back climate action; 'Three-Fifths' comments ignite Indiana controversy; In Minnesota, SNAP benefits reach farmers markets, other parts of the economy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

As Congress debates Medicaid cuts and emissions rollbacks, former presidential candidate John Kasich calls for protecting vulnerable Americans, veterans link fossil fuel dependence to military deaths, and federal funding cuts threaten health and jobs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

DOGE guts a 30-year-old national service program, cuts are likely but Head Start may be spared elimination in the next budget, moms are the most vulnerable when extreme weather hits, and there's a croaking sound coming from rural California.

Physicians Group: Wood Smoke Worse Than Cigarettes

play audio
Play

Thursday, October 10, 2013   

SALT LAKE CITY – Wood smoke is a major cause of pollution and more toxic than cigarette smoke, according to Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE).

The group is calling on the state to ban the burning of wood indoors and outdoors in the most densely populated areas year-round.

In other words, the ban would make it illegal to heat your house or fuel your barbecue with wood.

UPHE president Dr. Brian Moench says some studies suggest that wood smoke may contribute up to 40 percent of the particulate pollution in major Western cities such as Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Seattle.

"We're suggesting that we need to start thinking of wood smoke in the exact same terms as we now think of cigarette smoke in public places, which we have prohibited somewhere around 20 to 25 years ago," Moench adds.

The UPHE and other groups are asking the Utah Air Quality Board to prohibit wood burning.

Moench says part of the challenge is that wood smoke is not a cultural pariah like cigarette smoke or exhaust from a car. He says people tend to like the smell of wood smoke, but adds that the nice smell can cause serious harm to the environment and human health.

"In a lot of people's mind it has a nice aroma to it,” he says. “But if you can think past that aroma, anytime you're around it you might notice yourself, if you get a little of bit stinging eyes, you get a little bit of a scratchy throat. Well that's telling you that something is wrong."

Moench says if the state does not ban wood burning year-round, the UPHE may lobby city council in Salt Lake City to implement a prohibition.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
Research by economist Raj Chetty and colleagues at Harvard shows Black men's outcomes disproportionately determine economic mobility, with the racial wealth gap linked more to male than female trajectories. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As historically Black colleges and universities grapple with declining Black male enrollment, Howard University's "Kings of Campus" initiative is …


Social Issues

play sound

The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday asked a federal judge to pause the removal of books from Pentagon-run schools that pertain to diversit…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Republican lawmakers are considering billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid. But a new report finds those spending cuts might impact health-care …


In 2024, volunteers with the Pacific Crest Trail Association worked more that 57,000 hours and maintained more than 1,100 miles of trail. (PCTA)

Environment

play sound

Access to the beloved Pacific Crest Trail may soon be limited - due to a drop in federal grants and big layoffs proposed for federal public lands agen…

Health and Wellness

play sound

With Mother's Day coming up, some Pennsylvania lawmakers are backing a set of bills that could help improve maternal health. The Black Maternal …

A global survey of 130,000 people across 125 countries found that 89% say their government should do more to fight climate change. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Nine in ten people in Colorado and across the globe are worried about climate change and want governments to do something about it, according to a …

Social Issues

play sound

Congressional Republicans are poised to move forward with a proposal that would bring major cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…

Environment

play sound

Compared with other states, North Dakota has yet to see a big invasion of aquatic nuisance species. But officials are not letting their guard down…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021