OWB story in today's Boston Globe

[LT100]

Saw this on the front page of today's paper. At first glance I thought it might put OWB's in at least a balanced news story and offer up some of their good points. Instead, it's just another story where somebody moves out of the city and doesn't the way things happen in rural areas. I personally don't know anyone that burns tires in their outdoor wood burner, but that got worked into the article....

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2008/11/18/saving_fuel_spreading_misery/

 

[STEVEGODSEYJR]

They are right. The OWB were not intended to be in a heavy populated area, like in the city. But they don't smoke up an entire house of the neighbors either. People should be more considerate of the things they are doing and "will this affect my neighbors". People who have OWBs in the city are giving them a bad name all over the country.

 

[Scootermsp]

Pravda

Saw this on the front page of today's paper. At first glance I thought it might put OWB's in at least a balanced news story and offer up some of their good points. Instead, it's just another story where somebody moves out of the city and doesn't the way things happen in rural areas. I personally don't know anyone that burns tires in their outdoor wood burner, but that got worked into the article....

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2008/11/18/saving_fuel_spreading_misery/

Be aware that in this friggan communist state, The Boston Globe is little more than a sounding board for the far left whacko liberals (It's owned by the NY Times). The Boston Globe isn't in the habit of presenting fair and balanced news stories and we see here they haven't dissapointed yet again. Their brand of journalism attempts to mask it's overly simplistic nature with opinion and made up facts when the truth is an inconvenient encumbrance. Don't give any of their news merit except for the sports section.:monkey:

 

[Scootermsp]

Hey $4200 for wood this year

Saw this on the front page of today's paper. At first glance I thought it might put OWB's in at least a balanced news story and offer up some of their good points. Instead, it's just another story where somebody moves out of the city and doesn't the way things happen in rural areas. I personally don't know anyone that burns tires in their outdoor wood burner, but that got worked into the article....

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2008/11/18/saving_fuel_spreading_misery/

"from the article"
For a typical Massachusetts household, the escalating price of cordwood means a boiler would cost $4,200 per year, Miller estimated, compared with $2,300 for 800 gallons of heating oil.
-Paul Miller, deputy director of Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management


How on earth did he say that with a straight face ??? Wood is now more $$$ than oil? What a crock-of-shat! See, the Globe didn't bother to verify it's "facts" as usual.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I liked how he blamed the OWB for his kids getting sick after it got cold.

I think the price quoted for firewood was for bundles of wood , not cords. I'd sure like to get $800 a cord for 5-6 cords.

 

[MATTYB11]

I'm kind of surprised it's an issue up there. Most of Foster is pretty rural.

 

[Scootermsp]

Smoke detectors

I liked how he blamed the OWB for his kids getting sick after it got cold.

I think the price quoted for firewood was for bundles of wood , not cords. I'd sure like to get $800 a cord for 5-6 cords.

I like how he said the smoke detectors were going off in his house. Maybe his wife just burns everything she tries to cook. Not all women can cook like my wife!

 

[Ductape]

No wonder they call that paper "The Glob"

It would be hard to find a more biased, far left newspaper this side of the Mississippi (aside from the NY Times...of course).

The Glob isn't even suitable to line the bottom of your bird cage.

 

[Husky137]

I like how he said the smoke detectors were going off in his house. Maybe his wife just burns everything she tries to cook. Not all women can cook like my wife!

If his house allows that much air infiltration, he has much bigger problems than the neighbors OWB.

The article didn't even describe an accurate representation of how one operates.

 

[woodbooga]

This was a poorly-reported story from a purely journalistic standpoint. I can understand Charette's offending neighbor not wanting to go on record being quoted in the piece. But it's lazy journalism to not go beyond the manufacturer's Web site. No evidence the staffer even made an effort to speak with someone from their public relations office, even.

If his house allows that much air infiltration, he has much bigger problems than the neighbors OWB.

The boiler's smoldering wood, Charette said, has spewed noxious smoke that seeps into his house through windows, cracks, and crevices.

If that much exhaust is coming through, that must be one leaky house the Charettes have.

They are therefore 1) wasting money, contributing to the worsening economy since those oil bill dollars are not going to retailers for Xmas shopping. Very unpatriotic. 2) They are further putting us at risk of terror attack since they are likely burning oil originating in countries that likely sponsor terror; and 3) they are contributing to global warming by putting more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

The Glob isn't even suitable to line the bottom of your bird cage.

I buy the occasional Boston Sunday Globe. When I'm done reading it, those broadsheets so a fine job getting my kindling going in the old stove.

 

[Jon E]

"from the article"
For a typical Massachusetts household, the escalating price of cordwood means a boiler would cost $4,200 per year, Miller estimated, compared with $2,300 for 800 gallons of heating oil.
-Paul Miller, deputy director of Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management


How on earth did he say that with a straight face ??? Wood is now more $$$ than oil? What a crock-of-shat! See, the Globe didn't bother to verify it's "facts" as usual.

Obviously someone who either (a) doesn't have a clue, or (b) was horribly misquoted, and I tend to favor (b) with regard to the media lately. However,...

I've read several places that a cord of wood is roughly equivalent to 150 gallons of fuel oil. So, based on that number, he's figuring $2.88 a gallon for heating oil, or 5.4 cords of wood. So apparently, by his calculations, it will either take 21 cords of wood (at $200 a cord) to produce the same heat as 800 gallons of oil (domestic hot water apparently not part of the equation) or the firewood in his area is selling for almost $780 per cord.

I don't think I could burn 21 cords of wood a year if I left the OWB door open 24/7. Well, maybe I could, but there wouldn't be an OWB left after I was done.

 

[Windwalker7]

Maybe you should cancel your subscribtion to that paper?

 

[Scootermsp]

Obviously someone who either (a) doesn't have a clue, or (b) was horribly misquoted, and I tend to favor (b) with regard to the media lately. However,...

I've read several places that a cord of wood is roughly equivalent to 150 gallons of fuel oil. So, based on that number, he's figuring $2.88 a gallon for heating oil, or 5.4 cords of wood. So apparently, by his calculations, it will either take 21 cords of wood (at $200 a cord) to produce the same heat as 800 gallons of oil (domestic hot water apparently not part of the equation) or the firewood in his area is selling for almost $780 per cord.

He buys his firewood from in front of the BigY supermarket for $12 per 8 pieces.

I don't think I could burn 21 cords of wood a year if I left the OWB door open 24/7. Well, maybe I could, but there wouldn't be an OWB left after I was done.

Maybe if you set the heat at 90*F and opened all the windows .

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Smoke Infiltration

Anybody ever seen people that open the doors or windows to cool the house off instead of turning down the thermostat ? With wood heat, sure. With NG, oil or propane, yip ! all too often. Maybe The Charette's could use a refresher in Economics instead of keeping the doors open during the Winter months.

Wait, no , that won't work, you cant teach common sense.

 

[sawjo]

The Globe is as hacky as everything else here in Taxachusetts. I am getting out as soon as I can. "Moonbat-achusetts", it sucks!

 

[Kingsley]

That article was disturbing. It seems more and more I'm scared by how our media can mislead, ill-inform, or plain make stuff up. What scares me is that I see a lot of my peers eating it up as the gods honest truth! I'm trying to tell them to think for themselves, but it is hard to convince them. They see their "truth" everyday on the TV and radio.
Doesn't it make you long for yester-year.

 

[woodbooga]

That article was disturbing. It seems more and more I'm scared by how our media can mislead, ill-inform, or plain make stuff up. What scares me is that I see a lot of my peers eating it up as the gods honest truth! I'm trying to tell them to think for themselves, but it is hard to convince them. They see their "truth" everyday on the TV and radio.
Doesn't it make you long for yester-year.

Most of the bad reporting you see is a function of reporters not having adequate background knowledge about what they're asked by their editors to cover and write about. This is true of many stories in small town weeklies about selectmen's meetings, as well as major metro dailies like the Globe. It's always a good thing to have a bit of healthy skepticism as you read or view anything. It's easy to go overboard, though and think there's a media conspiracy. It's usually not insidious, more rather incompetence.

And with print and broadcast media cutting budgets, expect it to get worse.

BTW, anyone posting here is more than welcome to write a letter to the editor to the following address:

Letters to the Editor
The Boston Globe
P.O. Box 2378
Boston, MA 02107-2378

Letters may also be submitted electronically: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/write/

Perhaps, if they get enough letters, they will do a follow-up piece that is a bit more nuanced and takes more perspectives into account.

 

[Dalmatian90]

It's usually not insidious, more rather incompetence.

^^^ What he said.

The Globe managers I was personally familiar with didn't play corporate politics. The stuff they pulled belonged strictly in high school. Despite good looking suits, it was the most unprofessional and dysfunctional organization I've ever encountered.

 

[John D]

The bottom line is OWB's are like anything else, they are great for ppl in areas with a lot of open space,and land. If you live in a development, or with houses within 500-1000 ft,you probably shouldnt have one unless its the
new EPA units. If i was the neighbor,Id be mad as :censored: too.
I am putting in a OWB,but i have 22 acres,and the nearest neighbor downwind is over 1/2 mile away,upwind about 1500 ft. We also need a permit to legally install a OWB,which i have obtained.
Thanks to a few ppl lacking common sense and good judgement,we will again all end up suffering. The general population brings this on itself,by not doing what is right,and having any sort of control or ability to do whats right without being forced too.
This is why Govt needs to get involved.Just like with the mortgages,why did millions of grown adults buy more house than they could afford?

 

[Bass]

"from the article"
For a typical Massachusetts household, the escalating price of cordwood means a boiler would cost $4,200 per year, Miller estimated, compared with $2,300 for 800 gallons of heating oil.
-Paul Miller, deputy director of Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management


How on earth did he say that with a straight face ??? Wood is now more $$$ than oil? What a crock-of-shat! See, the Globe didn't bother to verify it's "facts" as usual.

easy - CSD wood here runs in excess of 300-325 a cord. oil is around 2.09 a gallon so if you are buying csd it is cheaper

BUT i would say that most of us here process our own firewood