I read with interest your article on the perils of wood burner use in the home (18 December), citing research that has highlighted the damaging health effects of their emissions. But I’m one of those people who gets depressed, really depressed, and when this happens I hunker down at home in front of my little wood burner, imbibing the “spirit of the fire”, gladly taking my chance with those emissions and the occasional whiff of wood smoke.
I do this because it helps my head and may even actually prolong my life (and, I dare say, reduces my heart rate and increases my endorphin levels). I’m joking to make the point, of course, but only slightly.
Yes, undoubtedly, if we look closely enough, there are negatives in using wood stoves for domestic heating, but there are also many positives, and we need to hear the whole story. So I’m hoping that, in due course, a second study will carefully assess and quantify the benefits, both physical and emotional, and that these will be duly reported by the Guardian.
Peter Perry
Trevithal, Cornwall
