A post in another thread got me thinking.... but why do we allow this? Here we are saying how concerned we are about the environment, global warming, anti-smoking for health reasons, yet virtually every house in this town has a burn barrel in back. I don't get it.

quote:

Originally posted by cwh008:
A post in another thread got me thinking.... but why do we allow this? Here we are saying how concerned we are about the environment, global warming, anti-smoking for health reasons, yet virtually every house in this town has a burn barrel in back. I don't get it.

cwh, you and I obviously live in different neighborhoods. I can't think of a neighbor of mine that has one.

My neighbors all have one, even our house. It is a guy thing I think.

I HATE the burning, I wish they would ban it.

I'm all for the smoking ban and I challenge anyone to find a burn barrel, or a burn container of any kind, in my yard.

I thoroughly agree that trash burning should be banned, but I can't see that happening any time soon. Of course, the tobacco ban didn't happen overnight...

In my neighborhood apparently you can burn your garbage and building materials even after burn times and then just tell the fireman..well...I'm having a bonfire...okay, sign this release form and we will be on our way....and then never bother to put it out and it smokes all night long...

And I do have a burn barrel to burn all my paper and cardboard because I am too cheap to pay $1 per bag of garbage when I can just burn it. Anything in the pantry that comes in a box gets burned along with kleenex boxes, mail, etc. I wish our recycling would take that kind of stuff so I wouldn't have to burn it.

I think we should ban cars and trucks of all kinds. More people die from vehicle accidents than second hand smoke every year.The Iowa lawmakers who are so concerned with everyone's health (except those in a gambling establishment) will quickly spring into action saving countless lives by banning all motor traffic from our streets and highways. To all of the business owners who recieve shipments via semi, my apologies but unless you can get stuff delivered by a rickshaw you will be S.O.L. just like all of the bar owners in this state. For those of you wishing to take your family on vacation, perhaps to see the mouse in Florida, you too will have a tough time riding your bike there as cars and trucks are much too dangerous and should be banned. When the state of Iowa finds a suitable material that doesn't pose a health risk, we can all entomb ourselves in our homes so that we might remain healthy. It's a good thing there wont be anymore bus traffic on our streets because I'm quite sure more pollution is emitted from that teal colored MTA bus in a day than 10,000 smokers could puff in a lifetime! I of course am nothing more than a smart ass but you can see my point. If the government is really so concerned with the health and well-being of its citizens, the smoking ban is sort of like throwing a deck chair from the Titanic, not much good at all!

Once again I would like to remind everyone that smoking is still permitted. This law simply prevents bystanders from having to share your disgusting addiction.

I agree with LyonsGreenie. Smoke in your own home or your own space. I don't want to inhale it. I also agree that that burning should not be permitted. I have watched my neighbors burn things that put off a black smoke. I have watched them burn right next to another persons building with a large flame. I wonder when, not if it is going to catch fire. There there are the people that buy the out door firepits that are meant to relax and watch a fire burn in an enclosed space but yet they burn garbage in them. Even funnier I saw one of my neighbors that had theirs burning on their front screen enclosed porch. Pretty stupid. But then you would have to go one step further and say people cannot have fireplaces, because you know there are people that burn more than just wood in them. And it that good for the environment? Where does it end? I agree that the recycling needs to add as to what they will take. The worst thing to get rid of is the styrofoam that is put in packaging that is big and bulky. Guess what happens when that is burnt. Black smoke, and stink. So toss it in the garbage. It doesn't break down and takes up lots of room in the garbage bag and land fill. And on and on.....

Most if not all material that is allowed to be burnt does not put off that much smoke if any. Grass and wood do put off smoke but are legal to burn. It cost me a hell of a lot more than 1$ per bag to use the city garbage. Look on your sewer bill! That is why i choose and have the right to burn until they take it away from me. Those who can't breathe when I burn did not get the health problem because I burn they had it before.
You have a choice if you see someone burning after hours also, call the FD.

quote:

Originally posted by What happened?:
Most if not all material that is allowed to be burnt does not put off that much smoke if any. Grass and wood do put off smoke but are legal to burn. It cost me a hell of a lot more than 1$ per bag to use the city garbage. Look on your sewer bill! That is why i choose and have the right to burn until they take it away from me. Those who can't breathe when I burn did not get the health problem because I burn they had it before.
You have a choice if you see someone burning after hours also, call the FD.

I know I pay for garbage pick up on my sewer bill on top of the $1 per bag fee. I didn't know I needed to be that specific. And I did call the fire department and that is exactly what happened....they signed a waiver for a bon fire and the fire dept left and didn't make them put it out. I then called the fire department the next morning to complain that they left so called "bonfire" smoking all night. They said they prefer people to have bon fires put out by midnight so they are not getting calls at 3am. I told him that's exactly what I wanted to do was call at that time since the smell woke me up when the wind drifted it my way. He then asked for the address, I gave it to him. Wether or not they showed up in the morning to tell them to put it out, I don't know, cause I had left for a short time. But when I did get back home....no more smoking...finally..

quote:

Originally posted by What happened?:
You have a choice if you see someone burning after hours also, call the FD.

I reported an illegal burn (wrong day, too late and very smokey) several months ago. When the fire truck showed up the residents asked who'd reported them. I heard the fire personnel give them my home address and then the small crowd that was there all turned and looked up the hill to my house. They all, including the fire personnel, apparently found it all rather amusing. I didn't find it in the least bit amusing.

I have a great deal of respect for our firefighters, but I was shocked at the cavalier attitude they showed that night.

quote:

Originally posted by LeslieB:

quote:

Originally posted by What happened?:
You have a choice if you see someone burning after hours also, call the FD.

I reported an illegal burn (wrong day, too late and very smokey) several months ago. When the fire truck showed up the residents asked who'd reported them. I heard the fire personnel give them my home address and then the small crowd that was there all turned and looked up the hill to my house. They all, including the fire personnel, apparently found it all rather amusing. I didn't find it in the least bit amusing.

I have a great deal of respect for our firefighters, but I was shocked at the cavalier attitude they showed that night.

Wow...good to know. Fortunatly the operator asked if I wanted to leave my name and said that I didn't have to, I said no thanks. Not like I would care I guess if they did know it was me. I just don't need any retaliation on my family or my property.

I guess I don't understand why people can't respect the law and respect their neighbors...

quote:

Originally posted by LeslieB:

quote:

Originally posted by What happened?:
You have a choice if you see someone burning after hours also, call the FD.

I reported an illegal burn (wrong day, too late and very smokey) several months ago. When the fire truck showed up the residents asked who'd reported them. I heard the fire personnel give them my home address and then the small crowd that was there all turned and looked up the hill to my house. They all, including the fire personnel, apparently found it all rather amusing. I didn't find it in the least bit amusing.

I have a great deal of respect for our firefighters, but I was shocked at the cavalier attitude they showed that night.

Well Leslie B., if you don't want the neighbors to know who called it in, then don't call a public agency to ***** about it. The neighbors can find out who called because it is public record.
Burning garbage, smoking, what next? Maybe we should ban tax assessors and politicians as they cause everybody more grief than the poor guy smoking a Marlboro!

I guess I disagree with most of the posters here, because I enjoy burning the stuff that's legal to burn. Numerous reasons:
1) Junk mail including credit card applications have too much personal info on them. Records that I have in my file cabinets that no longer need to be kept are another example.
2) Packaging. These days everything is uber-packaged, and the first thing to go is the box. It's cardboard. Takes up a lot of room in a trashbag, but reduces in size greatly when burnt, with very little atmospheric impact.
3) With burning my "burnables" (what I call paper & cardboard) and recycling everything I can, I reduced my trash bag collection to MAYBE 1 per week. Lower cost for me, less for the landfill.
It's win-win.

If burning paper and cardboard "stinks", or is giving off black smoke, something is VERY, VERY wrong.

In that case, I think that someone might be burning a non-"burnable".

And that, gives one a right to call the FD. It's too bad the FD had to tattle on you, Leslie. I've never heard of that before. I have heard of others getting, at the very LEAST, a written warning from them.

quote:

Originally posted by Naoyusimi:
I guess I disagree with most of the posters here, because I enjoy burning the stuff that's legal to burn. Numerous reasons:
1) Junk mail including credit card applications have too much personal info on them. Records that I have in my file cabinets that no longer need to be kept are another example.
2) Packaging. These days everything is uber-packaged, and the first thing to go is the box. It's cardboard. Takes up a lot of room in a trashbag, but reduces in size greatly when burnt, with very little atmospheric impact.
3) With burning my "burnables" (what I call paper & cardboard) and recycling everything I can, I reduced my trash bag collection to MAYBE 1 per week. Lower cost for me, less for the landfill.
It's win-win.

If burning paper and cardboard "stinks", or is giving off black smoke, something is VERY, VERY wrong.

In that case, I think that someone might be burning a non-"burnable".

And that, gives one a right to call the FD. It's too bad the FD had to tattle on you, Leslie. I've never heard of that before. I have heard of others getting, at the very LEAST, a written warning from them.

Win-Win? Hmm, less cost for you, more polution for me. Why not recycle the cardboard? Why not get a shredder, shred those sensitive documents, and recylce those? And true, one piece of cardboard isn't THAT much polution, but if you do it, I do it, Joe does it, Sue does it, etc etc it becomes a lot.