Our Earth Hour 2009
Lights were out for Earth Hour at our house and we hardly noticed. The beeswax candles did a great job of chasing away the darkness. At first I had the kerosene lamps burning then I thought, that seems a bit wrong since kerosene is a fossil fuel so we blew them out and stuck with the candles. I meant to take a photo of the cupcakes but forgot and by the time the hour was over, they were all devoured !We made our little statement regarding how we feel about global warming and using up the earths resources. A small thing perhaps, but not when you multiply it by the thousands and thousands who participated.
Comments
I never buy paraffin candles, as paraffin is made from the sludge in the bottom of a barrel of oil which gets bleached and texturized with a chemical called acrolein. Acrolein is a known carcinogenic product. Once burned, it releases toxins such as benzene and toluene which get inhaled, of course. Paraffin candles are as dangerous to the lungs as second-hand smoke. The American Lung Association warns that burning paraffin candles can emit toxins (in measurable amounts) into the air in my home.
Soy candles are made from hydrogenated soy, palm and coconut oils. They burn cooler and have very little soot; however, by purchasing a soy candle I am supporting the American soy industry which farms mostly genetically manipulated soy. I am not a fan of genetically manipulated foodstuff.
Beeswax candles are the best of course. As much as I wish to stimulate the economy by purchasing a few, I just cannot afford this expense right now.
I also feel unsure about heating. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, wood burning is not environmentally friendly. In fact, wood results in high levels of air pollution that can harm the environment and one’s health. According to Laura Oatman, an environmental research scientist with the Minnesota Department of Health, burning wood puts fine particles and toxins in the air. Wood smoke contains such harmful substances as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and inhalable particulate matter, wood tars, gases, soot, ashes and potentially carcinogenic toxins. The fine particles in the smoke can affect the lungs and the heart and lead to respiratory illnesses.
EPA studies indicate that exposure to wood smoke is just as harmful as being exposed to an equal amount of cigarette smoke in an indoor environment. In addition, there is the cancer risk. EPA researchers suggest that the lifetime cancer risk from wood stove emissions may be 12 times greater than the lifetime cancer risk from exposure to an equal amount of cigarette smoke. I wonder, does this mean that inhaling second-hand cigarette smoke in a bar is 12 times safer for me than spending an equal amount of time in a cigarette-free house that has a wood-burning stove? What to do? What to do?
Quoting Dr. Wayne Ott, Statistics, Stanford University: "The largest single source of outdoor fine particles (PM2.5) entering into our homes in many American cities is our neighbor's fireplace or wood stove.”
Quoting Mary J. Rozenberg
AVERAGED EMISSIONS OF FINE PARTICLES IN GRAMS PER HOUR:
Non Certified Stove4 = 15.6 grams/hour
Certified Stove4 = 8.2 grams/hour (or 196.8 grams/day)
Pellet Stove = 2.4 grams/hour (or 57.6 grams/day)
Single simulated (synthetic) log = 8 grams to 40 grams/per log
Auto-catalytic= 0.66 grams/hour (Driving 3 hours =1.92 grams)
Auto non catalytic = 3.5 grams/hour
Auto smoking = 6 grams/hour
(30)Cigarette = 0.4 grams/hour
Oil furnace = .02 grams/hour
Gas or Propane Furnace = 0.001grams/hour
you will find what works for you and your conscience.
Beeswax is not expensive if you buy from a bee keeper and dipping candles is fun. With what i sell, I buy my wax and have plenty for our families needs.
You can get a wood stove with a catalytic converter on it. You can burn only dead wood, which cleans up the floor of the woods and burns cleaner, thats what we do.
everyone has to find their own balance in how gently we step on this earth
I remember the first time I came across your blog and I thought 'wow I love how simple and ol' fashion your life seemed'. Now a year later or so my own life is evolving into something similar.
I use 100% cotton wicking and have for years without any complaints.
The beeswax we use burns slowly, I don't think we have ever burned an entire candle in one evening, but we make sure to keep them out of drafts. If 100% beeswax drips, then its in a draft.
To be honest I don't remember what it was I paid for my beeswax as it was purchased several years ago. I just bought all the bee keeper had on hand, so its lasted a long time and now I have been using bayberry too. Love that wax, hard as can be, but burns better with some beeswax added to it. Its costly though and used only for special times due to the cost of it.