There is often a lack of perspective about what is written and said about wood-burning stoves – for example, an 'innocent' candle also emits a great many particles, especially if there is a slight draft or if it is of poor quality. The same applies to stove hobs, garden barbecues, lawnmowers, etc.

All of us affect our surroundings every day – this is unavoidable.

What is most important is that we are conscious of this and do what we can to minimize these effects.

Lotus has put together a small brochure describing why and how you can have a ‘Wood-burning stove with a good conscience’

It deals with several issues:

•    Putting the matter into perspective: particles can be many different things and come from many different sources
•    Wood-burning is carbon-neutral and counteracts climate change
•    The user can make a huge difference by doing things right
•    Modern wood-burning stoves have very low emissions when used correctly
•    High-quality ovens that ensure good combustion have a long lifetime, which is also important in the environmental debate

Owners of wood-burning stoves should be able to have a good conscience, and be able to explain to neighbours, family and friends what the key points in the debate are.