Pollution
 

With all the talk about saving our world from pollution, cars, etc. Why doesn't anyone stop all the burning? Seems like The Villages has some smoke daily.

Since we’re burning trash for energy we should be doing the same with the removal of trees

When burning trash for energy, minimal exhaust is sent into the air. It is cycled back into the system instead - which is how it becomes energy instead of exhaust.

When burning wood, some becomes heat, and the rest is all exhaust. If you can cycle the exhaust to become energy, then sure - go for it. If not, then it just adds to the air quality (or lack thereof).

Sure not you’re neighbors burning in there Chimenea or fire pit?

In both cases the products of combustion are mostly exhausted to the atmosphere
 

As stated in the Title, in both incineration and burning trees, the products of combustion are exhausted to the atmosphere.

The main difference is that in an incinerator the combustion creates an exhaust stream at high temperature. The heat recovery process produces an energy stream that can generate electricity. There are some pollutants that are removed by scrubbers but essentially all of the other combustion products are exhausted to the atmosphere.

Burning trees in a brush pile exhausts all products of combustion to the atmosphere. The combustion process is not complete and smoke and ash can be released. In addition, since combustion is not contained or controlled, there is no way to recover heat that can be converted into electric power.

If the brush pile material was sent to an incinerator, heat could be recovered and used to generate electric power. The economics most probably would not justify the investment in transportation and additional new incineration and power generation facilities.

I would guess that the income from the Incineration is mainly the disposal fee cost per ton of trash burnt with the sale of power a smaller part of the income.

The main economic difference is that open burning of brush at the construction site is permitted. Open burning of trash is not permitted, Trash must be sent to approved disposal sites at a far distance ( I believe in Georgia) since there were no available closer trash disposal facilities.

As stated in the Title, in both incineration and burning trees, the products of combustion are exhausted to the atmosphere.

The main difference is that in an incinerator the combustion creates an exhaust stream at high temperature. The heat recovery process produces an energy stream that can generate electricity. There are some pollutants that are removed by scrubbers but essentially all of the other combustion products are exhausted to the atmosphere.

Not exactly correct.

Lake | Covanta

Solid Waste Removal, metals etc. are not products of combustion
 

I am not sure what you are referring to when you say "not exactly correct". I addressed the products of combustion since Orange Blossom Baby stated that they were captured/reduced in the power generation equipment. This is not correct. The heat recovery only removes heat and turns it into steam which in turn powers a steam turbine to generate electric power. All of the combustion gases are then exhausted to the atmosphere at a lower temperature.
If you are referring to the removed non combusted solids, I did not refer to that. The non combusted materials, bottom ash, etc. from the incinerator are further processed in a separate group of equipment and some are recycled but nothing is removed in the power generation equipment other than some minor amounts of solids in the incinerator scrubber.

If I did not hit your point please tell me what was not correct. TIA

seems like there is smoke everyday
 

I have livedin theVillages for 17years and honestly have no memory of having smoke or anything else in the air

Agreed, I smell smoke on a daily basis. I feel it's neighbours who have an open pit fire. Really bad for the atmosphere, but especially for our lungs. Absolutely carcinogenic.Where I also live in Canada it's an illegal practice.

We’re we lived there was no burning aloud what so ever.I think TV controls it all,It would cost them more to either dump it in a land fill or rent or buy a large chipper and make mulch.

Are we talking about burning yard waste or just having a fire pit for ambiance and smores? Do people really have a problem with a little fire pit smoke? I love the smell of wood smoke from a fireplace or pit.

Smoke
 

Smoke is caused by any moisture contained in the burning wood. Imagine dry wood in central Florida. Is there any?

Burning
 

Could be a controlled burn to prevent major forest fires.

We have often had heavy smoke from land clearing traveling to our area. Less so now that the building has moved farther south. It is air pollution for sure. A wood chipper would be far better way for disposing of trees that builders can remove but we cannot. Big business rules. We do not.

An occasional fire pit here & there being used for an hour or two is no where near the same issue

I assume we all know burning brush, trees, and such is natural, as are the byproducts. Long before humans, things burned until fuel ran out or the rains came. "Pollution"? Burning tires, plastics, chemicals, etc., that aren't naturally occurring and the byproducts is different. As long as I don't live near a long-term burn pit, idc. Brush burning of cleared land for building (i.e. one-off burns), shrug.