The Prom & The Smog

Aero28

I've noticed in the last few weeks while i have been walking the Prom, that i always return home with a fierce smell of chimney smoke off my clothes. Is the smog returning to galway?

People are unable to afford smokeless fuel anymore and have to buy the cheapest stuff.

JohnCleary

I love that smell - although it's probably killing us all, softly.

ErnieBert

Do you walk with a smoker?

Mrs OBumble

I notice it every time I walk home from the gym on Bohermore. Have done since I got here, it's not a recession this, people are just bigger than the law here.

philbo

I notice the low lying smoke every time I come into town. It's horrible. You'd wonder is it general ignorance (ie, people tend not to go outside when they have a fire to sit in front of) or just they know nothing will be done about it?

It's all over town too, not just around the prom. Came home from a night out recently with my clothes reeking of smoke, it was like the smoking ban never came in!

McTigs

Yeah what is that? I cycle home from work on the tuam road to salthill every evening and i smell of campfire after it. I like the smell of campfire but not all the time.

Also me, my girlfriend and our daughter have been coughing and have on/off sore throats for two months now.

Bohermore does seem particularly smokey some evenings

Amhran Nua

A lot of areas in Westside are choked with it too, many an afternoon you can walk from Dunnes towards Salthill and watch dozens of chimneys pumping out thick black smoke, it looks more like a factory than a residential area in places.

Zzippy

JustMary wrote: »

I notice it every time I walk home from the gym on Bohermore. Have done since I got here, it's not a recession this, people are just bigger than the law here.

Its illegal to sell smoky coal, not illegal to buy it. If you're referring to retailers breaking the law, I'm not aware of any in Galway city selling smoky coal. If you're referring to people burning smoky coal, they're not breaking any law AFAIK.

This winter we've had unusually long periods of cold, settled weather with high pressure and very little wind - these conditions are perfect for smog formation - even with "smokeless" fuels there's always going to be a build up of smoke.

Tbh I haven't noticed any snog - I grew up in Dublin before the ban on smoky coal was introduced, and know what smog is like.

yeehaw

McTigs wrote: »

Yeah what is that? I cycle home from work on the tuam road to salthill every evening and i smell of campfire after it. I like the smell of campfire but not all the time.

Also me, my girlfriend and our daughter have been coughing and have on/off sore throats for two months now.

Bohermore does seem particularly smokey some evenings

That is God punishing you for living in sin.

snubbleste

Zzippy wrote: »

This winter we've had unusually long periods of cold, settled weather with high pressure and very little wind - these conditions are perfect for smog formation - even with "smokeless" fuels there's always going to be a build up of smoke.

I was so going to say that, very little wind or rain.
I noticed a ridiculous amount of motoer exhaust fumes hovering about over the last few months.

Robbo

Aero28 wrote: »

People are unable to afford smokeless fuel anymore and have to buy the cheapest stuff.

"Coal gives off smoke you know, except smokeless coal but there's no demand for that because it's ****e."

snubbleste

Smog is really bad in some areas of town. Dioxins and all sorts of horrible stuff as a result of people burning their household waste and unauthorised solid fuels.

Iwannahurl

Zzippy wrote: »

Its illegal to sell smoky coal, not illegal to buy it. If you're referring to retailers breaking the law, I'm not aware of any in Galway city selling smoky coal. If you're referring to people burning smoky coal, they're not breaking any law AFAIK.

This winter we've had unusually long periods of cold, settled weather with high pressure and very little wind - these conditions are perfect for smog formation - even with "smokeless" fuels there's always going to be a build up of smoke.

Tbh I haven't noticed any snog smog - I grew up in Dublin before the ban on smoky coal was introduced, and know what smog is like.

I'm not sure whether a thermal inversion is a necessary condition for smog, and neither do I know whether the lingering smoke might be due to illegal fuel types.

However, I have to admit that I have always liked the 'atmosphere' produced by all those Galway City chimneys. When the temperature, humidity and evening light all work together in certain parts of town, the overall effect is curiously beautiful.

That said, how did Bord na Mona get away with having briquettes classed as "smokeless" fuel?

Iwannahurl

snubbleste wrote: »

Dioxins and all sorts of horrible stuff as a result of people burning their household waste and unauthorised solid fuels.

Occasionally I get a sickly smell of plastic burning, but I can never trace the source.

ben.schlomo

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Occasionally I get a sickly smell of plastic burning, but I can never trace the source.

God help them if you did, you would have them on camera in a flash.:D

Gambas

Noticed a faint whiff of it down around the Claddagh a week or two ago. I'm out around the prom a few nights a week and other than that I haven't noticed it at all.

Gambas

snubbleste wrote: »

Smog is really bad in some areas of town.

That's a pretty massive exaggeration.

2rkehij30qtza5

I think it's only illegal WITHIN the city and if you go outside the city limits you can buy/sell coal (the non-smokeless stuff).

Iwannahurl

ben.schlomo wrote: »

God help them if you did, you would have them on camera in a flash.:D

That would be an interesting challenge.

BTW, I was walking in a certain aforementioned location yesterday morning and a bin lorry, the operator of which has to remain remain nameless unfortunately, drove past me at speed with all wheels on one side up on the path. Quite a sight.

bluecode

I noticed it as well but as others have already pointed out it's largely related to the type of weather we're having. Not only are these conditions conducive to low lying fog and smog it also means it's unusually cold. So naturally everyone is lighting their fires.

Also quite possibly people cannot afford heating oil and are resorting to open fires again. Oil is expensive and it has that damm carbon dioxide tax which isn't being levied on solid fuel at the moment. It would be interesting if the oil companies noticed any reduction in demand this year compared to other years.

I do find the smoky smell almost nostalgic. When I was a kid hardly anyone had central heating. It was all coal. I remember my Mother complaining about having to wash all the clothes again after bringing them in from the line. Ah the not so good old days!

snubbleste

Not so fun when you have a coughing fit or have a sore throat.

Iwannahurl

True.

The 'ordinary' smoke doesn't bother me, but if people with respiratory conditions have the same reaction to it as I do when confronted with the noxious fumes of burning plastic then it's a significant health problem.