We talked to them, and they said, No, it's not poisonous, it's only plants. So yeah, thanks for not burning tires, but any smoke is still carbon and doesn't make breathing pleasant. Our other neighbor drove back into the village to talk to them, but to no avail. We've tried calling EPA, and have yet to hear back. Sometimes we flee the house because the smoke is unbearable.
Why must we burn shrubbery? Why can't we just toss it in the jungle 100 yards away and wait for it to decay? What more can we do? My next step is to post signs along our road saying "Fa'amolemole, Aua le susunu afi. Ua ma'i fanau." Please stop burning fires. Kids are getting sick. What should we do?
6 comments:
Send them a doctor bill for the kids sickness. And send them a bill for getting the smoke smell out of your house. And write them a note explaining why they are responsible for these expenses.
Or you could send them a bill for an extra huge fan that blows their smoke back at them.
Sorry that you have to deal with this. I deal with smoke here too but it is usually some clueless person walking up to stand next to me at a bus stop and blowing smoke in my face and at my kids in the stroller. If looks could kill there would be several less smokers in Switzerland today.
Ugh.
Our neighbors burned PLASTIC and other extremely poisonous things and the wind always blew it right to our house (when we lived across from Pounders). I always hated it but didn't say anything and wish I had. I would try to leave the house when I smelled it. I always wondered why they didn't worry about their own kids' health.
Do post the signs. At least.
It may seem extreme, but do you know any lawyers? Not sure how that stuff works there. They are obviously not going to listen to any less.
I jumped at the chance to move to a new place and this was one of the main reasons for me. Again, extreme, but probably worth it if they aren't going to listen.
Um, I don't know what you should do. But I'm so sorry! That must be awful.
Chemeketa will be a smoke-free campus (even the parking lots!) starting next year. Maybe Ephraim needs to come get a job there.
Talofa
The burning of bushes is known to help control it. The ashes help regenerate the soil. If left to grow thick, it could be come dangerous if a bush fire were to occur.
If you live on free-hold land, call the authorities. If you live in a village on communal land (or surrounded by communal land) approach the village fono.
Best of luck.
This is Ephraim here, commenting on Anonymous' comment. American Samoa does not get wildfires. We are at risk of floods and cyclones, not dryness and brushfires. If they do occur, it's probably because people are burning bushes next to their houses and catching their houses on fire, spreading to neighbors, forests, etc. The fire department says that we've probably had five brushfires this year, less than an acre in size. They were all caused by people clearing land and burning the bushes. Their fires got out of control, but not too much that the fire department couldn't take care of it.
Regarding ashes, you lose so much of your organic material as smoke that blows away that it doesn't hardly regenerate your soil. In our case, it blows right into our house causing us all to have sore throats and coughing all night. Read here for more information on how dangerous it is to breath this bush smoke.
http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/burn/leafburn2.html
Why not compost? That is much better for soil regeneration.
That said, thanks for the recommendation on who to contact for help!
Excellent and informative link, Eph. In Michigan it is not against the law to burn household waste and yard debris and we sometimes encounter acrid smoke on visits across the border, but those are few and far between, luckily. Here in Ohio it is against the law so we don't encounter it. *whew* Maybe you could print out that EPA notice and mail it to your neighbors--wait...that would probably take MONTHS to reach them. Maybe send it via paper airplane? Oh...wait, then it would get burned in the fire. *sigh* Ignorance is one of the most frustrating things to encounter, and is definitely NOT bliss! :(
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