Of all the strategies to address the many tentacles of climate change, a story in The Vancouver Sun discovered what seems to be a new one…both the tentacle and the strategy.
To help keep the air cleaner, wood-burning fireplaces must be registered in Metro Vancouver.
In reality, registering said fireplaces has been a law since 2020. Now it’s going to be enforced, by September 2025, and homeowners who don’t comply could face fines up to $500. Part of the law also prohibits the use of wood stoves from May 15 until September 15, when air quality can be poor because of so many wildfires.
The reason the law was passed in the first place was to reduce the health impact of residential wood smoke, judged to contribute more than a quarter of the emissions emanating from sources like motor vehicles, power plants, smelters and industrial facilities.
Metro Vancouver is recommending there be a campaign this year to alert homeowners to the four-year-old law.