About my last comment, i didn ot mean to put my last name but still wanted my comment, sorry for the inconvience, first timer!

I bet there is more to this story than is being told.

Fire department shows up when he's only burning wood? Most people know what burning wood smells like,so seems a little suspect.

How long until the EPA shows up and pokes around to see what he's burning and burying?

House is a better example of living green than No Impact Man because he's just doing what he does without making a big deal about how he lives. NIM sets a difficult example bc it's a very hair-shirt type of exercise, which makes environmentalists look like silly ascetics. This guy sets an example of how easy it is to simply reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill by acting intelligently. I can't believe the city is suing him, that's completely insane and backward.

What insanity!

However - your headline is misleading and therefore dishonest. They sue him for not having a can, not for going zero waste. Don't lie in your headlines.

I haven't used trash service for four years. People who recycle and compost are punished by having to pay the same rates as those who have overflowing trash bins.

For the record, not being rewarded is not the same thing as being punished. While I'll admit, a monetary reward is nice, I believe a majority of the readers here do their treehuggery without any expectation of lower bills.

The ordinance is completely necessary to the community, as I know people who would be comfortable using their back yard as a dump if it meant $30 less bills per month.

So removing the ordinance would mean that one guy didn't have to pay $30/month, but the trash burning and fumes would harm the entire community.

If the city was punishing him, they'd be charging him an extra $$/month (on top of normal fees)... this isn't the case, they're suing him because he is not obeying the ordinance. There are 4 boxes to change society, use them in order: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. I'm assuming that this man did nothing to try to convince the county/city to change, so he gets no pity from me.

(though congrats are in order for going no-waste, as long as he wasn't burning his trash instead.. "just burning firewood" doesn't sound like a reason for the fire department to be called)

That is ridiculous. All the care about is money. CA of all places should be jumping to GO GREEN since they are border by water and if we do not make changes and start living GREEN the sea levels will be rising.
They should be thanking him and giving him an award for making a difference and setting a great example.

I think he should use the trash can as a toilet. If they want a full can ... here it is.

The very same people that made the alleged complaints about my property are scrambling to bring in recycle bins and haul off a truckload of garbage. It is TRULY amazing and hilarious to watch this from my trash free home. People need to take care of their OWN dirt in their OWN back yards BEFORE they complain about someone else's Readers: FYI... I am being sued for not having an ACCOUNT with allied waste! Not for burning trash, storing trash, burring trash, No Violations of any sorts. The city wants me to establish an Account, Fill a can, and send it to the landfill. GO FIGURE! Thank You ALL for your support ...EddiE from not so green san carlos

I just wanted to add, that my firewood comes from local tree services that would have normally taken it to a landfill. My woodstove is EPA approved with fairly low emissions levels from a catalytic converter. The complaints stem from a building code violation, the city allowed a 22 unit 3-story apartment complex to be built over the top of my chimney exhaust of a single story home. Who in san carlos approved that construction?
Thank You So Much For Your Support. EddiE

While CA is becoming enlightened about big ag water subsidies, green house gas, and solar power San Carlos is in the dark ages.

Sounds like he is making an effort to recycle, but if he burns his garbage isn't that worse than putting it into a garbage can and letting the city deal with it in the proper manner? The article references that Mr. House has had numerous complaints by the neighbors, so it sounds like the city is using a technicality to make him stop burning his trash. Tough call on who's right or wrong.

Burning firewood isn't exactly "no impact" either since it releases the wood's CO2 right back into the atmosphere.

I can see the neighbors issues with the "foul" smells from the burning and so that might have to be addressed, but good on ya mate!

Next he'll go solar and the city will sue cause he doesn't waste electricity!!

So my question is this: what happens to all this "powder" after the trash he does generate is created by grounding through the wood chipper, and what exactly goes in the wood chipper anyways?