London Smog Death toll somewhere between 4,000 and 8,000, after 4 days of pollution.

When I was young, all the major public buildings in London were a sombre shade of charcoal black. The air was clean, but the buildings were still black from the soot from coal smoke. With time, a major public program of cleaning took place and beautiful golden and fawn sandstone buildings emerged from a century or more of grime.

It may seem draconian, but an individual genuinely does NOT have the right to inflict significant nuisance and health risk on his neighbour, simply because it is cheaper or more comfortable or convenient for him to do so.

If you want to live in splendid isolation, go live on a desert island and produce all youir own food and materials from the land around you.

If you want to be part of the world economy, you must trade with your neighbours in goods, services, AND duties.

Unfettered self-interest is NOT a free market; it is exploitation, arrogance, bullying, theft, and brutality. Governments exist to limit the depredations of the strong upon the weak, for the benefit of all. Of course it's imperfect, but it sort of works.

In my semi-urban area, new wood combustion stoves must meet clean air and emission standards, similar to motor vehicles. Old ones are "grandfathered in", for now, but one day my legacy wood-burner will be seen to be as appropriate as a dickensian sweat-shop.

I value my clean air, and the ability to see the night sky, breathe healthy air. I accept reasonable levels of control on my emissions.

The trick is, how much is "reasonable"?