Generally mild weather across Greece until the end of November delayed the problem. But now, when the cold had made itself felt in the capital, the characteristic smell of a fireplace timidly began to be heard from some neighborhoods of the pool.

And although the phenomenon is still limited, experts fear that this year is extremely difficult energy situation Once formed, it will evoke memories of the winters of the financial crisis in Greece, when the smog “covered” many Greek cities.

“Biomass has always been used as fuel in the Greek village,” says K, a professor of environmental engineering at AUTH. Demosthenes Sarigiannis, emphasizing however, in cities, the use of fireplaces for heating is a phenomenon of the last decade.

As he notes:In 2011, 2012 and 2013 we had terrible episodes of smog in Athens and Thessaloniki, almost on par with Beijing.. I clearly remember how in the winter of 2012 we measured in our laboratory microparticles in the atmosphere of Thessaloniki. On Christmas Eve, I got a call from colleagues and my they said that the work of dosing pumps in the port and in its center had stopped Thessaloniki due to the fact that the filter was “clogged”, the air could no longer pass.

This year, because we have the conditions of rapid price growth in natural gas and to drifting, there is a transition of the population to oil, for those who can afford it, but also to the forest. Especially during the holiday season, when people stay at home even more, demand is expected to be strong.”

According to Mr. Sarijanni, usage wood stoves and fireplaces in large urban centers are the worst heating option for both public health and the environment. As well as this is due to the fact that “in densely populated cities, the movement of air constantly encounters obstacles, as a result of which it is delayed in many places. And, unfortunately, at the same time, this particular type of heating is not energy efficient. per User”.

But the main problem, according to the professor, is that this is incomplete combustion, as a result of which a lot of suspended solids are released. microparticles in the atmosphere, which are actually thin in diameter, which means they can quickly and easily penetrate deep into the lungs, causing health problems. The charge is also significant inside houses. As the professor explains: “Even if the owner of the fireplace knows that he holds it well and he does not “smoke”, the truth is that even at the same time it negatively affects the air in the house – double and three times more than if the fireplace had not burned.

The quality of the forest and – not quite innocent- granule

Actually, what scares experts when using fireplaces in cities – which were not intended as the main means of heating until the economic a crisis-, is the quality of the wood we put into the fire. As noted by Mr. Sarigiannis: “The more imperfectly a piece of wood burns, the more microparticles released in atmosphere. Especially coated wood from paints, varnishes etc. which are often burned in urban centers, issue of secondary carcinogenic connections with energy toxic effect“.

From this point of view, granule – fuel material from pressed wood, sawdust and other wood waste, without chemical additives, with a minimum moisture content (2%) and good energy intensity performance- they have, according to the professor, a minimal imprint in terms of their subject climate crisis.

“At any anxiety but in release microparticlesdominant environmental issue in cities at the microclimate level, those that come from granule are about the same percentage as emissions from oil combustion. In other words, much more than what is produced by burning natural gas. However, they remain much cleaner than burning wood in an open hearth, such as a fireplace.”

Anyway, as is formed this year the situation, according to Mr. Sarijanniair conditioner use. ‘Such as explains: “the imprint of these devices this is much less negative than in 2012, for example, given that cars are now of much better quality and electricity is produced from cleaner sources. In addition, air conditions may to react in the mildest cold in Athens.”

However, the excellent solution of heat pumps over time, according to the professor, is not promoted by the state and remains expensive for most citizens. “I remember how bad the air quality was in Athens even before 2004, when oil was still the main source of heating. In fact, we are constantly backtracking on the environmental and health benefits of heating.”

The impact of wood burning also greatly affects health.

Worried about the possibility that people will switch to fireplaces and wood stoves en masse this winter, Evangelos Philopoulos, President of the Hellenic Cancer Society. Air pollution in Europe, especially during the winter months, is now a major health problem, he said.

As he notes: “In Athens, the biggest percentage of the problem is the burning of low-quality wood and the combination of this burning with intense environmental pollutants. aged, ancient I would call them, diesel taxis, in the city. We have a 20-year fleet of these vehicles.”

Big Air Pollution Problem face according to Mr. Philopoulos and Patras, Ioannina, Thessaloniki and, in general, the whole of Northern Greece, which, unfortunately, is also burdened with “imported” pollution from Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo.

“As the Hellenic Cancer Society, we feel very uncomfortable blaming citizens for the problem of poor heating and its association with cancer, when there is a problem of energy poverty. The state must actively help citizens so that they do not resort to unhealthy solutions,” concludes Mr. Philopoulos.