Clean Local Environment

Poor Air Quality

Air quality describes the condition of the air we breathe. It is a measure of the chemicals that affect our health and environment.

In Ontario , air quality is measured with the Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is based on the measurements of the six most common pollutants: sulphur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, total reduced sulphur compounds, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter.

Poor air quality is the result of too many chemical emissions into our atmosphere. Though poor air quality can be present year-round, warmer temperatures make matters worse. This is because when emissions are baked by the hot, summer sun, yellow, foul-smelling smog is produced.

“Transportation is the largest single human-produced source of outdoor air pollution in Canada . On average, each of the 16.8 million vehicles registered across the country emits approximately five tonnes of air pollutants and gases annually… At the heart of the current air pollution problem is the “single occupant vehicle. Single occupant vehicles represent the most inefficient use of transportation energy.”

•  “The Smog Primer”, Pollution Probe, 2003

Poor air quality can have many effects on our economy, health and environment. The summer of 2002 was the worst on record for poor air quality in Peterborough . We registered 18 smog advisory days and experienced our first advisory of 2003 on March 17!

Our Pocketbooks:

Poor air quality costs Ontario more than $1 billion annually in hospital admissions, emergency room visits and absenteeism from work.
According to the Ontario Medical Association, air pollution leads to 13,000 emergency room visits, 9,800 hospital admissions and 47 million sick days in Ontario annually.
Smog and poor air quality causes major damage to crops. In the U.S, $2 billion is lost annually to crop damage.
Our Health:

Poor air quality and smog doesn't just affect those with poor health and allergies, it can affect even the most healthy and active people.
In the short-term, exposure to poor air quality can cause headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, nausea or confusion.
There are links between poor air quality and rising rates of respiratory illness and lung ailments, such as asthma, emphysema, and lung cancer. Health Canada estimates that 5,000 Canadian deaths annually can be attributed to air pollution, while the Ontario Medical Association estimates 2,030 deaths occur annually in Ontario . According to the Ontario Medical Association, approximately 27 Peterborough area residents die prematurely, each year due to poor air quality and smog.
Peterborough experiences much higher levels of smog and poor air quality than other communities similar in size. Situated northwest of the Greater Toronto Area contributes greatly to this. Although our community cannot control emissions from elsewhere, it is important to remember that a considerable amount of air pollution is home-grown. Peterborough transportation habits are the biggest local contributor to air pollution.

Climate Change

Transportation accounts for 50% of our personal greenhouse gas emissions - the main cause of global climate change. Climate change is the term used to describe both the warming of the earth's temperature (global warming) and the severe and/or unusual weather conditions that are occurring as a result of this warming.

The heat from the sun warms our earth. This heat would escape into space if it wasn't for the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. These gases trap the sun's heat around our planet. The earth naturally produces the perfect amount of greenhouse gases. When we burn fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas - we add more. Fossil fuels are burned for the energy needed to drive our vehicles, heat and cool our homes and run our factories. The more greenhouse gases we produce, the thicker our atmospheric blanket gets. This traps excess heat around our planet, increasing the average global temperature. The result, global warming, disrupts the earth's finely tuned climate.

While a warmer Canadian climate may seem appealing to many, the reality is that it will cause much more harm than good.

Climate change could challenge the Kawarthas in the following way:

Our Pocketbooks:

Increased taxes, insurance and personal savings will be spent repairing weather-related damage to our homes, infrastructure and environment.
The Kawartha tourism industry and local agriculture will be financially challenged by unpredictable weather.
Our Health:

Our elderly and very young will be challenged by heat stress and associated respiratory and cardiac ailments.
Our Quality of Life:

By the end of the century, average temperatures in Peterborough could increase by 3 - 8 degrees. This will mean hotter, more humid and unbearable summers and milder, drier winters.
Everything we do relies on our weather being generally predictable. Unpredictable weather could make our daily lives uncomfortable.
An increase in droughts and flooding would effect the quality and quantity of drinking and utility water. Strict water-use rules may become necessary.
Our outdoor recreational activities (skiing, boating, swimming, canoeing, tobogganing) could become affected or impossible to do.
Our Kawartha Lakes Region:

The aquatic habitats of the Kawarthas will be drastically altered by decreased water levels and increased temperatures.
The forests of the Kawarthas will be threatened by droughts and forest fires; high temperatures and unpredictable weather could cause extinction of some species.
Wildlife in this area will be stressed by changes to their habitat; species will either adapt, migrate or become extinct.
By reducing our single-occupancy vehicle use we are making an important contribution to the health of our environment. The Government of Canada is asking us to all take the One Tonne Challenge. That is, to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1 tonne each. This sounds bigger than it is! The average Canadian produces 5 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. By driving only 10% less you can save 0.2 to 0.8 tonnes!!

Learn more at: www.climatechange.gc.ca

Links

Air Quality Ontario
Clean Air
Clean Air Consumer Guide
Government of Canada's One Tonne Challenge
Cool Climate Kids' Club
David Suzuki Foundation
Climate Change Solutions