(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, JANUARY 4 - With government-imposed tax
hikes making the cost of heating oil prohibitive for many
Greeks, they're now being warned to be careful what they burn in
their fireplaces and wood stoves as soot and smoke are filling
the night air, making it unhealthy, as GreekReporter website
writes. The Ministry of Environment has advised people not to
use fuels that are polluting, although that's the only choice
left for many who can't afford heating oil that is running at
1.50 euros per liter.
The country's Network Monitoring Station of Air Pollution has
recorded, especially in Athens, unusually high levels of
suspended particles, particularly at night, when people who stay
outside for any period of time find their clothes and hair smell
like they've been near a fire. More wood being burnt together
with Athens' geographical position, is causing more smog and
more potentially harmful particles in the air, health officials
said. At dusk, a sooty smog can be seen covering Athens these
nights. In many parts of Greece, this has been a relatively mild
winter so far but if colder weather sets in, the use of
fireplaces and wood stoves is expected to increase considerably,
further polluting the air. (ANSAmed).
