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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, wood-burningfireplaces emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, organic gases,and particulate matter. These pollutants can cause serioushealth problems for children, pregnant women, and people withrespiratory problems. Like cigarette smoke, some of theseelements contain cancer-causing properties.

Some urban cities have considered banning wood-burningfireplaces altogether to stem the flow of pollutants in thesmog-filled air. Some California cities and counties haveenacted local ordinances to limit the growing wood smokeproblem. Mammoth Lakes, Squaw Valley, Cloverdale, Fresno, andmany cities and counties in the Bay Area permit installation ofonly U.S.EPA certified wood-fired appliances in all newconstruction. Since 1991, the Bay Area AQMD has issuedadvisories for a voluntary no-burn program on poor air qualitynights, "Spare the Air Tonight."

But wait! Solutions exist so you can enjoy your fire. To keeppollutants from entering your room air, you can install acertified clean-burning fireplace insert and a glass screen. Buya carbon monoxide monitor and an oxygen-depletion sensor toensure safe air. The new fireplace systems keep pollutants fromleaving your chimney.

Other considerations for you to ponder include the source ofheating for your home. What happens when natural gas demandoutpaces production? Prices skyrocket. And if your heat comesfrom a coal-burning electrical plant, doesn't the burning coalproduce toxins that pollute the air?

If you're building a new home, consider installing a PelletStove, the most efficient and least polluting of the new stovedesigns. Pellet Stoves provide less than 1 gram per hour ofparticulate emissions. Most of these stoves s requireelectricity and burn compressed wood waste formed into pellets.

Be kind to yourself and to the environment. Consider theseenvironmental issues when you light up your fire.

Copyright © Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

About the author:For more home environmental issue articles, visit EnvironmentalPsychology http://environmentpsychology.com/

G8 aims to halve greenhouse gases
World leaders at the G8 summit aim to set a target to halve carbon emissions by 2050 in an effort to tackle global warming.
Mayor quashes £25 C-charge hike
London Mayor Boris Johnson quashes the proposed rise in congestion charge for vehicles deemed high polluters.
UK to slow expansion of biofuels
The UK is to cut the rate of growth of biofuels because of "increasing questions" over their impact.
Australia 'needs carbon trading'
An Australian government advisor calls for a national emissions trading scheme to combat global warming.
Aviation impacts 'hotly disputed'
Green advisers tell the government airport expansion should be suspended pending an inquiry.
US city to charge polluting firms
The US city of San Francisco passes new rules requiring businesses to pay for the amount of CO2 they emit.
Next decade 'may see no warming'
Global temperatures may not rise for 10 years as natural cooling masks greenhouse warming, research suggests.
Slowing the biofuel bonanza
The Gallagher Review pours caution on the pace of biofuel development.
Japan waits on US for CO2 targets
Japan says it will not negotiate on CO2 emissions until it sees what the new US president offers on climate change.
Time to leave the comfort zone
Civic leaders must be willing to make tough choices if we are going to live in green cities.
No impact from Energy Saving Day
The UK's first Energy Saving Day ends with no discernible reduction in the country's electricity consumption.
Church to step up climate fight
Leaders of the influential US Southern Baptists decide climate change is real and they should fight it.
Tuvalu struggles to hold back tide
The nine tiny South Pacific islands of Tuvalu only just break the surface of the ocean - but for how much longer?
In depth graphical guide to climate change
Find out how the greenhouse effect works, and more...
Can America Go Green?
BBC's UN correspondent Laura Trevelyan explores how the US could retreat from its role as the planet's biggest polluter.
Q&A: Climate change
The BBC News website looks at the rapid human-induced warming that scientists believe the planet is facing.
Global energy guide

Q&A: The Carbon Trade
The Carbon trade
IPCC report: In graphics
Human activity is "very likely" to be the cause for Climate change, climate scientists have concluded.
Climate costs: The global picture
BBC correspondents give views on climate change from around the world, in the wake of a UK government report warning of dire costs.
UK and climate change

Earth - melting in the heat?
Are the poles melting? Are mountain glaciers disappearing? We take the temperature of the planet's ice.
Frontline global warming reports

Fuelling the Future

Newsnight's Ethical Man

Planet Earth Under Threat

Decide where the UK's energy comes from

Action Network: Nuclear Power
Ideas on how to improve your neighbourhood
How you can save energy
How to save money and the environment by turning off appliances instead of putting them on stand-by.
How to upgrade your house

Carbon calculator
A simple approach to determining your contribution to climate change.
Green home wish 'not granted'
Reader Nedira Yakir says her dream of making her house eco-friendly was frustrated by "red tape and apathy".

Additional Resources Co2, Global Warming, And Pollen-allergies By Thomas Ogren, Fri Dec 9th CO2, Global Warming, and Pollen-AllergiesThomas OgrenThe benefits of added organic matter to the soil have long beenknown and are usually attributed to increased nitrogen, Read more...

Additional Resources Doe Run Peru Reports Drop In Emissions, Blood Lead Levels Emissions from Doe Run Peru's La Oroya facility and blood lead levels among workers and in the community have improved significantly, the company reported Wednesday."When we bought the lead smelter Read more...

We strive to provide only quality articles, so if there is a specific topic related to climate change that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time.

And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our climate change website.

The funny side of global warming and jihad
Global warming and the state of the planet aren't exactly laughing matters, but for comedian Abie Philbin Bowman, the dire environmental outlook has at least one bright side.
Climate chief warns against 'tragic' inaction
The head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has described as "tragic" the lack of action on climate change by developed countries.
Trading the carbon market
Debate is rife in Australian political circles about whether carbon trading is the way forward for climate change abatement.
Keeping track of climate change
It can often seem like hard work keeping track of the changes happening to our planet. Another day, another new prediction. Another week, another warning. It's enough to make even the most conscientious climate change student issue a weary discombobulated sigh.
Soil study hints at climate model revision
A new study investigating the amount of carbon in Australian soil has cast doubt over the accuracy of current climate models in predicting future levels of global warming.
Commentary: It's still the right time to combat global warming
Global warming data is released constantly these days -- and all of it shows that our planet is in peril.
U.S. expects big drop in oil imports
Despite the recent rout in oil prices, the government expects crude to shoot back up over the long term. That is expected to result in a drastic drop in oil imports and a greater use of renewable energy.
Commentary: Good planets are hard to find
Nature can be amazingly resilient, capable of adapting to constantly changing ecological conditions. And yet, this resiliency is limited and rapidly reaching the breaking point.
Obama Energy pick: climate change a priority
Steven Chu, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who is President-elect Barack Obama's likely choice for energy secretary, has been a vocal advocate for more research into alternative energy, arguing that a shift away from fossil fuels is essential to combat global warming.
Climate change is 'unequivocal', say scientists
Scientists studying the changing nature of the Earth's climate say they have completed one crucial task -- proving beyond a doubt that global warming is real. Now they have to figure out just what to do about it.
Obama and Gore: Time to deal with climate change
With former Vice President Al Gore at his side, President-elect Barack Obama said Tuesday it's time the issue of climate change is dealt with in a "serious way."
Your emails
There's no point in having a debate without varied points of view. Send us an email by filling out the form on the front page, file an iReport or click on the "Sound Off" button at the bottom of this page.
Offsetting Bush's Green Legacy: Advice for No. 44
The new President's first order of business? Don't be George W. Bush
Data pins polar warming blame on humans
Scientists think they have uncovered conclusive proof that human activity is responsible for rising temperatures in both polar regions.
What the Public Doesn't Get About Climate Change
It may seem like common sense to wait until there is proof of the damage of global warming before taking action. But by then it will be too late -- so scientists must do a better job of explaining the dangers now
Eco-horror films shocking us into action
There's a new wave of horror films stalking the box office.
Ben & Jerry's chills ice cream - and the planet
No one wants melting ice cream. Nor do we want melting polar ice caps. The trouble is, keeping our ice cream cold warms the planet because powerful greenhouse gases are used in most refrigerators and freezers in the U.S.
Climate changing 'faster, stronger, sooner'
Climate change is happening faster than previously predicted according to a new World Wildlife Fund report.
Earth, but not as we know it
Dr Jan Zalasiewicz is the author of "The Earth After Us -- What legacy will humans leave in the rocks?" His book examines what might remain of our civilization in the strata 100 million years from now, and how aliens might piece together the story of the planet and our brief but dramatic impact on it.
Report Says Arctic Temperatures at Record Highs
Autumn temperatures in the Arctic are at record levels, the Arctic Ocean is getting warmer and less salty as sea ice melts, and reindeer herds appear to be declining, researchers reported Thursday
McCain, Obama and the environment
When it comes to successful electioneering, Bill Clinton's unofficial 1992 campaign mantra for the U.S. presidency, "It's the economy, stupid" often holds true, but what about the environment?
How Climate Change Will Impact Animals
By creating reserves, researchers have given animals the safehouses they need to thrive. But as climate change encroaches on that territory, they'll need escape routes to survive
Will the Environment Lose Out to the Economy?
The economy has trumped the environment as the issue du jour, but there's a way that government can commit to saving both at once
Polar bear now listed as 'threatened' species
Polar bears will now be listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.
Dreaming of a climate bailout
Governments around the world continue to pump billions of dollars into financial markets, but there is still no telling whether the "injections of liquidity" will be enough to prevent "this sucker" -- to quote the President of the United States -- from going down.
Your ask the expert: Carbon trading
You wanted to know more about carbon trading, and Abyd Karmali, Managing Director and Global Head of Carbon Emissions at Merrill Lynch answered.
Your ask the expert: Carbon trading, part 2
You wanted to know more about carbon trading, and Abyd Karmali, Managing Director and Global Head of Carbon Emissions at Merrill Lynch answered you questions.
Western Initiative Proposes Emissions-Trading Plan
Seven Western states and four Canadian provinces on Tuesday proposed a comprehensive program to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, manufacturers and vehicles
Paulson takes on China and climate change
Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson has careened from crisis to crisis lately, backing the Bear Stearns rescue, engineering the government takeover of Fannie Mae, refusing to commit taxpayer money to save Lehman Brothers, and Friday announcing a massive program to help banks offload mortgage-related assets.
Chicago Plans to Slash Greenhouse Gases
Mayor Richard M. Daley has announced a plan to dramatically slash emissions of heat-trapping gases, part of an effort to fight global warming and become one of the greenest cities in the nation
Allergies Getting Worse? Blame Global Warming
If you think your allergies are bad now, hold on to your handkerchief. Global warming is bound to make them worse
Meat: Making Global Warming Worse
Producing the world's beef and pork intake creates more greenhouse gases than all of the planet's cars, planes and boats combined
Feds Warn Warming Could Harm Giant Sequoias
Federal researchers are warning that warming temperatures could soon cause California's giant sequoia trees to die off more quickly unless forest managers plan with an eye toward climate change and the impact of a longer, harsher wildfire season
Arctic Sea Ice Nears Record Low
Arctic Ocean sea ice has melted to the second lowest minimum since satellite observations began, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center
UN: Phase Out Energy Subsidies
A new U.N. report urges countries to phase out energy subsidies, saying they often waste money, do not always help the poor and are bad for the environment
Australian PM Urges More US Climate Change Action
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urged the United States on Tuesday to take more action on climate change and become more involved in the global debate on the issue
Endangered Species: In More Danger
Analysis: The White House's proposed overhaul of the Endangered Species Act is its latest end-run around Congress to undo one of the real success stories of the green movement
Cooking up carbon credits
By any measure, it is a long way from the Park Avenue headquarters of JPMorgan Chase, the global investment bank that generated revenues of $100 billion last year, to the dusty streets of Kampala, Uganda, where a poor woman can buy a new cook stove for about $6.
How Denmark Sees the World in 2012
The 15th UN climate change summit will convene in Copenhagen in December 2009, and world leaders will begin discussing a successor to Kyoto
Climate Change in Action in Greenland
Global warming is a slow, imperceptible process. On a tour of Greenland, a TIME reporter almost sees it happening
Briefing: Climate change
Human-induced climate change is thought to be one of the greatest challenges facing mankind in the 21st Century. A change in temperature of only a couple of degrees has the potential to adversely impact economies, communities and ecosystems throughout the world.
Why Carbon Is Not a Bad Word
Climate change has turned carbon into an enemy of the environment, but a new book puts the infamous element in its proper (and less villainous) context
The Global Credit Crisis
If politicians can't agree to renew credits for businesses that create renewable power, both the economy and the environment will suffer
Energy crisis threatens U.S. survival, Gore says
The United States should be making all of its electricity with renewable and carbon-free energy in 10 years, former Vice President Al Gore said Thursday.
Gore's Bold, Unrealistic Plan to Save the Planet
The global-warming guru says Americans must replace fossil-fuel power plants with renewable energy within 10 years. But can this "moral and spiritual challenge" be met?
A Green Crossroads for the Supreme Court
The Court affects environmental policy more than you may realize. And it may only be as green as our next President
G-8: Bush Hails Climate Change Work
President Bush on Wednesday hailed the move by G-8 leaders to coalesce behind a global climate-change strategy, claiming "significant progress"
Environmentalists dismiss G-8 emissions target
A call from the world's most powerful nations to establish the goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions worldwide by 2050, was criticized by environmentalists Tuesday.
The Bright Side of the End of the World
Covering the coming eco-apocalypse can be depressing business. But Rob Kutner sees the good times in end times
Green blog: Drinking from a fuel tank? Makes sense to me
It is a sign of the times that the craziest thing I have seen this week was not Daryl Hannah licking surplus fuel off the petrol cap (or whatever she would call it) of her 60s-era Chevrolet El Camino.
McCain and Obama's green dream
What senators McCain and Obama believe about U.S. energy policy matters - hugely. To fight global warming, the next President will oversee the transition to a new, green economy, which will result in one of the biggest business transformations of the 21st century and potentially one of the largest transfers of wealth since the creation of the income tax.
Blair Campaigns for Climate Action
Ahead of next week's G8 summit in Japan, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair calls for a united front against global warming
Putting a price tag on your polluting
I separate my paper and plastics. I take the train to work instead of driving, and I'm definitely going to buy a bunch of those screwy lightbulbs one of these weekends. And...well, when it comes to being green, I guess that's about it.
Global warming could increase terrorism, official says
Global warming could destabilize "struggling and poor" countries around the world, prompting mass migrations and creating breeding grounds for terrorists, the chairman of the National Intelligence Council told Congress on Wednesday.
Warming Threatens Global Security
Global warming is likely to increase illegal immigration, create humanitarian disasters and destabilize precarious governments in political hot spots according to an intelligence report
Report: Energy Demand Will Grow
Global energy demand will grow by 50 percent over the next two decades with continued heavy reliance on fossil fuels, the government predicted Wednesday
Warming Scientist: 'Last Chance'
Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action
A Cost-Effective Way to Save the World?
Economists from the Copenhagen Consensus claim to have calculated how to get the most bang for the buck with foreign aid. But not every threat can be broken down in terms of dollars and cents
Quotes of the day: Adelegan
Nowhere is the need for cheaper, renewable energy more apparent than Africa. There, the poorest villagers huddle around candles because even kerosene is too expensive.
Trouble with Congress' Green Gambit
Analysis: Senators Joseph Lieberman and John Warner's Climate Security Act is the U.S.'s most serious attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Is it destined for failure?
Playing Climate Change Catch-Up
Global warming is not a problem for the future. We're already feeling the catastrophic effects today. Question is, is it too late to do anything about it?
Chances dim for climate-change legislation
An influential coalition of Fortune 500 companies and environmental groups that was formed to support climate-change legislation has splintered over the Lieberman-Warner bill that is headed next week to the Senate floor.
ExxonMobil braces for Rockefeller showdown
It's hard to imagine why ExxonMobil shareholders are so unhappy. After all, the world's largest publicly-owned energy company rode the surge in oil prices to a record $40 billion in earnings last year, making it by far the most profitable Fortune 500 company. Shares are up 10% in the last year, while the S&P500 has fallen by just as much.
One Voice in a Billion: Changing the Climate in China
If one person can make a difference, Taylor Francis, 16, wants to be that person. He's taking the global warming warning door-to-door from the U.S. to China
A $3 trillion climate change battle
A climate-change bill that has widespread support as it heads to the Senate floor will create an estimated $150 billion of new assets in the first year it takes effect. Between now and 2050, regulating greenhouse gases could easily generate $3 trillion worth in value in the United States.
Polar Bears: Protected, but Not Safe
Analysis: The US finally rules that global warming is indeed threatening the species' survival. Not that it will make any difference
US: Polar Bear a Threatened Species
(WASHINGTON) -- The Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species Wednesday, saying it must be protected because of the decline in Arctic sea ice from global warming.Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited dramatic declines in sea ice over the last three decades and projections of continued losses. These declines, he told a news conference, mean the polar bear is a species likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future.Kempthorne also said, though, that it would be "inappropriate" to use the protection of the bear to reduce greenhouse gases, or to broadly address climate change.Reflecting views recently expressed by President Bush, Kempthorne said the Endangered Species Act was "never meant to regulate global climate change."He said the decision to list the bear includes administrative actions aimed at limiting the impact of the decision on energy development and other climate related activities."This listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melt
McCain's Gift to the Green Movement
The GOP candidate's global warming plan has its flaws. But he has engaged the issue, and that bodes well for the '08 campaign
A timeline of climate change science
Climatology was once a small and often overlooked branch of science. But important discoveries made as early as the 19th century have contributed to what is the most important field of scientific study in the world today. Listed below are some key dates in climate change history.
McCain: Clean energy a 'national security issue'
Sen. John McCain took his weeklong environmental tour to Washington state Tuesday, addressing the need for reducing the nation's dependency on foreign oil and sparking investment in environmentally friendly technology.
How Green Is John McCain?
The presumptive GOP nominee is a step up from Bush, but that still doesn't make him the environmental candidate
McCain appeals to independents with environment pitch
Kicking off a week-long push seen as outreach to independent and Democratic voters in crucial swing states, John McCain on Monday delivered a speech outlining his vision for combating global warming.
Carbon emissions: Catch them if you can
Despite plans to slash carbon dioxide (C02) emissions, the world still faces a very basic, and very big, problem.
Briefing: Nuclear power
Of all the power supplies in the energy mix, nuclear has historically been the most criticized and controversial. But this most unpopular of power sources has recently resurfaced in political and economic dialogue.
The Case for Government, Minus the Politics
The Dems may be greener, but the GOP are no slouches. (A Republican created the EPA, after all.) And that's what the Earth needs: good government, not politics
Fueling the future
In the coming years we face an unprecedented challenge -- to provide the means for global prosperity, growth and stability from a radically different set of energy sources.
Carbon finance comes of age
If all goes according to plan, the business of buying and selling rights to pollute the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases - carbon trading, as it is known - will curb global warming and save the world. That is its only purpose. Along the way, a lot of people will get rich.
Bush outlines goals to fight climate change
President Bush on Wednesday called for halting the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and said Congress -- not judges or regulators -- should take the lead role in grappling with global warming.
Bush's Toothless Climate Plan
Viewpoint: President Bush's new strategy for saving the world from climate change is too little, too late
Southern Baptist leaders shift position on climate change
Several prominent leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention said Monday that Baptists have a moral responsibility to combat climate change -- a major shift within a denomination that just last year cast doubt on human responsibility for global warming.
Global warming: A natural cycle or human result?
Explorer Dennis Schmitt found an island nearly two years ago near Greenland.
WHO: Climate Change Worst on Poor
Millions of people could face poverty, disease and hunger as a result of climate change, which is expected to hit poor countries the hardest, the World Health Organization warned
Can Climate Change Make Us Sicker?
Climate change means more than warming at the poles. It can intensify disease and famine and endanger human health
Recession Fear Affects Climate Talks
U.S. negotiators at a United Nations climate conference say steep emission cuts could further rattle the world economy, especially in the developing world
Earth Hour '08: Did It Matter?
On Saturday, March 29, people all over the world turned off their lights for one hour. Why?
Scientists forecast a storm from climate change
White sand beaches, tropical rain forests and colorful coral reefs -- southern Mexico would appear to have it all.
All About: Food and fossil fuels
Eating ethically is no easy task these days. One problem is deciding which ethic is more important. Keeping third-world farmers in fair trade jobs by purchasing their produce? Or assuaging your concerns over the environmental impact of getting that produce to your kitchen by shopping locally instead?
Environmentalism 2.0
Tree-hugging goes only so far. The modern-day breed of environmentalist has bigger, better, higher-tech solutions for fixing global climate change
GE, Wal-Mart chiefs renew 'green' vows
Jeff Immelt, the chief executive of General Electric, was getting defensive - and for good reason. "Look," he protested, "I've never voted for a Democrat!" Immelt went on to insist he's getting a bum rap. "I work for investors," he said.
Global Warming to Affect Transport
Flooded roads and subways, deformed railroad tracks and weakened bridges may be the wave of the future with continuing global warming
The Greening of the Baptists
In a remarkable departure from the Southern Baptist Convention's skeptical stance on global warming, a core group of believers calls for action to combat climate change
U.S. Remains Cool to Warming Pact
A White House acceptance of mandatory caps on carbon outputs is conditional on the unlikely prospect of India and China doing the same
Biofuels: 'Green gold' or problems untold?
No subject appears to divide as many people in the climate change arena as biofuels. Their potential to positively impact greenhouse gas emissions is undoubtedly enormous.
Global Warming, Up Close and Personal
An esteemed explorer and environmentalist, Will Steger will make a 1,400-mile dogsled trip across the Arctic next month, at 64. And he'll bring cameras, so we can watch
True or False: Kyoto
True or False: China, India and other developing countries are exempt from the Kyoto Protocol
The Trouble With Biofuels
Two new studies show that biofuels aren't the solution to global warming -- and may even exacerbate the problem
Is it Getting Too Warm for Penguins?
A new study finds that rising temperatures are in danger of wiping out the king penguins of Antarctica
Al Gore's next act: Planet-saving VC
It's lunchtime on Sand Hill Road, and Al Gore wants answers. "How does the efficiency decline with latitude?" he asks. "What size community could be served by one plant? If a manufacturer like GE wanted to make smaller turbines, would the technology support a smaller scale?"
All About: Forests and carbon trading
Cutting down trees is pretty much one of the worst things you can do when it comes to climate change. Deforestation, by varying accounts, contributes anywhere from 20 percent to 30 percent of all carbon dioxide (C02) emissions -- around 1.6 billion tons.
Changing the Climate on Campus
A professor in Oregon rallies students to pay attention to global warming. After all, it's their world we're messing with