<html><head></head><body lang="en-GB" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: initial;"> <div style="width: 100%; font-size: initial; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Calibri, Slate Pro, sans-serif, sans-serif">Dear Friends</font></div><div style="width: 100%; font-size: initial; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Calibri, Slate Pro, sans-serif, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div>> It would improve the discussion if we started to use more numbers. <span style="line-height: initial;">10X as much mercury in a particular coal compared to wood? 1000X? 1.5X?</span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;"><br></span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;">Well that is a good start. It is easier to agree of the scale of risk if one knows about the reality of the risk. </span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;"><br></span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;">There is mercury in just about everything because it is quite a common element. </span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;"><br></span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;">All vegetables contain mercury because they are grown in the ground. </span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;"><br></span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;">Does anyone think that if we decide the mercury exposure of a community from burning coal was so low as to offer no risk, people would start burning more? Or less of there was demonstrated a causal link to disease? Surely the level of exposure matters?</span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;"><br></span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;">Then we need to see it. The oceans are a major source of airborne mercury. Do we need protection from background mercury? Is all mercury pollution? </span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;"><br></span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;">Can a stove be rendered safe (enough) if it has a chimney?</span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;"><br></span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;">Regards </span></div><div><span style="line-height: initial;">Crispin </span></div></body></html>