As the popular song goes, "Baby, it's cold outside." Or, at the very least, baby, it's getting mighty chilly out there in the early mornings and evenings, as we wander through fall on our way to winter.
So, now's the perfect time to toss a few logs on the grate and curl up in front of a nice, warm fire. Right?
Well, maybe -- but only if you "Check Before You Burn."
That's the slogan the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District uses to remind us that the annual restrictions on fireplace use are in effect now through February.
Residential wood burning can pump dangerous levels of soot, ash, dust and other particulate matter into the valley's air. That pollution in turn has serious health implications, increasing bronchitis, asthma, lung disease and other breathing problems, and raising the risk of heart attack and stroke.
To reduce the pollution, each day the air quality agency issues one of two wood-burning forecasts: "Wood Burning Prohibited" on days when the air and weather conditions are poor, and "Please Burn Cleanly" on days when the risk is lower.
On "Burning Prohibited" days, any and all wood burning is prohibited -- including in fireplaces, outdoor chimneys and fire pits. Exemptions are granted to homes where natural gas service is not available, or where burning solid fuel is the only source of heat. Burning on no-burn days can result in a fine.
On "Burn Cleanly" days, only dry, seasoned wood or manufactured logs should be used, to minimize pollution.
The important thing is to always "Check Before You Burn." About 4:30 p.m. each day, the air district issues its county-by-county burning forecast for the following day. You can find it by calling 800-SMOG INFO, by logging on to www.valleyair.org/aqinfo/WoodBurnPage.htm, or by subscribing to a daily e-mail alert at www.valleyair.org/lists/list.htm.
Burn information for Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties also appears on The Bee's daily weather page.
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Speaking of the environment, the University of California at Merced has finished work on a 1-megawatt solar power system. Nearly 5,000 solar panels "capture" the sun's energy -- enough to supply roughly two-thirds of the campus' electricity on summer days and about 20 percent of the annual overall needs.
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The San Joaquin Valley may not be the nation's "Tornado Alley," but violent wind funnels can show up here nonetheless. What causes them? How much at risk are we? Do you live in a "hot spot"? Find out those answers and more at a program planned next Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Forum building on the Modesto Junior College East Campus. The free program by MJC earth science instructor Mike Whittier is sponsored by the Modesto Area Partners in Science, and is suitable for ages 12 and up.
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Few organizations care as deeply about the future of our valley as the Great Valley Center, founded by former Modesto Mayor Carol Whiteside. For years the organization has held an annual conference in Sacramento, examining the myriad of challenges and opportunities facing the San Joaquin-Sacramento valleys. Next year the conference comes home -- it will be held May 6-7 at the Gallo Center for the Arts.
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It's great to be No. 1 for something other than foreclosures or unemployment or auto thefts. We're delighted with the news Modesto's National Night Out ranked first in California and fourth in the country in the 100,000 to 299,000 population category. Congrats to the 251 neighborhoods within the city limits that held parties on Aug. 4 -- and to the Modesto Police Department, which coordinated the citywide festivities. Let's do it again in 2010!
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