Hearthlist Digest #96 - Thursday, January 15, 1998
 
Re: Disasters and the Hearth Industry
  by John Crouch <[email protected]>
Brainstorming
  by John Gulland <[email protected]>
 

(back)
Subject: Re: Disasters and the Hearth Industry
From: John Crouch <[email protected]> (by way of [email protected]
 (Craig Issod))
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 17:52:07 +0100
 
Both Tex and John have raised issues which need to be addressed, in my
personnel opinion.
There are two other types of disasters we are not well prepared for,
earthquakes, and major floods.  Each disaster has special issues, but one
thing they all have in common is the opportunity for us to make a point
about alternatives ways to keep warm.
        When it has been a long time since an area has experience a disaster,
media folks look at me like I'm crazy if I raise the issue of home
security.  Of course, once an area experiences a disaster, then woodstoves
are the darling of the local media.  They would be more of a darling if we
had press packages ready on safe operation during a disaster etc, etc.
 
        I realize this may seem too self serving to my friends Tex and John, and
others who are looking at a huge regional disaster but my frustration is
that we constantly miss these chances to mold positive public opinion about
wood heating.  (The same is true for manual pilot lights on gas heaters).
 
John Crouch
 
PS: some folks may want to visit the "Ice storm site" at
 http://www.icestorm98.com
 
 
 

(back)
Subject: Brainstorming
From: John Gulland <[email protected]> (by way of [email protected]
 (Craig Issod))
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 23:16:12 +0100
 
I hardly need to mention that Vanessa's post was pretty powerful stuff and
nicely written.  And it gave me an idea.  If any of you are handy with a
word processor, you could cut and paste some dandy quotes from Tex's, mine
and Vanessa's postings, and with a few linking sentences, produce a first
rate and timely media release titled "Revelations from the Storm Zone", or
"Wood Heat Saves Lives", or something better that you think up.  You can
make it location neutral, because it's the same all over the North East.
 
Here's a paragraph I used in an email note to the Ottawa radio outlet of
the CBC; the station that most everyone relies on for emergency info.  That
quick mail got me an interview this afternoon on how to heat safely with
wood in an emergency.  The reviews were positive.
 
"In response to the oil crisis twenty years ago, hundreds of thousands of
families installed wood stoves and heated with them for many years.  They
were motivated by uncertainties about the price and security of supply of
conventional energy sources.  They also liked the independence and
self-reliance that heating with wood implies.  Those same uncertainties and
values seem to resonate today as we survey the damage.  Considered by some
to be an artifact of an earlier age, the wood stove has instead proved to
be the most reliable heating device any of us could have.  It can also be
part of our response to the longer term crisis of global warming/climate
change by helping us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
 
Use it if you want.
 
Also, the HPAC and APC have just put out a good media release on how to
burn safely in an emergency.  If anyone in the North East can make use of
it by flipping to their local media outlets, let me know.
 
Regards,
John
 
This is for business:  http://www.gulland.ca
This is for pleasure:  http://www.wood-heat.com