The U.S. has recently updated critical air quality standards, but Canada's National Ambient Air Quality Objectives date back to the 1970s. Inefficient wood stoves and fireplaces can seriously compromise air quality inside homes, as well as contribute to outdoor air pollution problems. But we often take the air we breathe for granted. The subset of air pollutants that cause smog and acid rain (sometimes referred to as Criteria Air Contaminants or CACs) include: According to the most recent environmental indicators, 5.5 per cent of cardiopulmonary (heart and lung disease related) deaths can be attributed to ground-level ozone exposure, which has increased over the past decade. The Canadian Medical Association estimates that Canada's air pollution …show more content…
Ontario estimates that half of the air pollution in the province blows in from the . Even cleaner-burning wood stoves emit fine particles into the air. In addition, burning wood can release other toxic substances into the air if the wood has been treated with chemicals, glue or paint. These sources are also the leading contributors of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, so taking action on air pollution is win-win. Electricity generation is also a significant source of mercury emissions. In Quebec, it is the leading source of fine particulate emissions associated with human activity, at 47%. This is a significant source of particulate matter pollution in parts of Canada. During the same period, exposure to fine particulate matter has remained unchanged (i.e., did not improve) and accounts for three per cent of cardiopulmonary deaths. It's free, it's all around us and we can't live without it for more than a few minutes. Electricity generation from fossil fuels is responsible for a large share of Canadian carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and fine particulate matter emissions. Industrial emissions from the United States also contribute to smog and acid rain in some parts of
Even if all countries in the world contribute to the air pollution, the developed countries take the leading role on releasing carbon monoxide in the air. This toxic air increases risk of the ozone layer depletion, which potentially would expose UVB radiation at the earth. This UVB radiation has negative consequences on humans, animals, plants and other planetary creatures. In addition to UVB radiation the polluted air by itself can cause serious health problems for humankind. Moreover, this process would cause the earth to become warmer which consequence of global warming. Industries and transportation takes the first place for the source of emissions of air
Although the air pollution is currently one of the highest in the country, I have learned that it does not compare to what it once was. I learned from science
Air pollution is a major threat to the atmosphere, causing damages to the environment by emitting harmful substance to human health. Alberta has become a vulnerable society that has resulted in an increase rate of illness caused by poor air quality from asthma to lung cancer. Although Alberta is one of Canada’s largest growing industries, Alberta produces the most greenhouse gas emissions, which has made Alberta to position as the worst air quality management in the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) (Esrd.alberta.ca).
Another reason is by using natural gas in making electricity instead of coal because coal emits a huge supply of carbon dioxide into the air. So by using natural gas instead of coal it would reduce air pollution as a whole.
Chapter 19th of the textbook, “Air Pollution Policy in Canada: Government Leadership or Smoke and Mirrors?” written by Owen Temby, Don Munton and Ingur Weibust, mainly focuses on dealing with trans-boundary air pollution and how it has been one of the concerning issues of Canada since 1970 because of the federal government in past few years.
Air pollution is a big problem here in Canada. With so many companies, factories and gas emitting power sources, our country has a numerous amount of greenhouse emissions. In fact, Canadian companies has contributed to 73% more air pollution than the United States. Our companies produced up to 29% more respiratory toxins than the U.S. as well. If you look at major cities like Toronto or Edmonton, you’ll notice how the air is thicker than usual. That’s because of the air pollutants such as transportation, agriculture, forestry, and domestic uses. These pollutants create something called, the ground level ozone layer, or smog as most people call it. This kind of air pollution gravely affects humans, animals, plants, or
It’s a good thing that the U.S came up with laws that limit air pollution. Congress made the Clean Air Act in 1970 to protect public health from different types of air pollution caused by different pollution sources. What the act does is sets standards for air quality to limit the amount of pollutants to specific levels. It sets certain limits for governments and industries to pollute at a certain rate. I think that in the world we live in today, how industrialized it is, it is important to know how polluted the air you breathe in is. So, how polluted is East Los Angeles’
Government of Canada. (2017, May 23). Sources of air pollution. Retrieved May 23, 2018, from
In fact, “95 percent of the CO2 emitted each year is produced by nature” (Mathews Jr, NPA). It is not a dangerous pollutant that is clogging up the air. This is because Co2 “It is tasteless, colorless, nontoxic to humans at concentrations up to 13 times present levels and is essential to life” (Mathew Jr, NPA). Burning of wood and plastic or paper is a real harm that is not being controlled by the government. And with modern technology it can be used to replace those pollutants and be released harmlessly “Modern power stations have extensive filtration equipment which ensures that the exhaust gases are harmless natural gases already present in the atmosphere” (Forbes, 2013).
The problem of air pollution comes from the low thermal efficiency. According to Kris De Decker, “For three-stone fires, thermal efficiency is stated to be as low as 10 to 15%. In other words: 85 to 90% of the energy content in the wood is lost as heat to the environment outside the cooking pot” (Decker). This means that it is very low efficiency. The low efficiency wasted natural resources as well as boosts the air pollution and greenhouse gas production. This is because the low temperature of the fire leads to combustion not being completed.
The Province of Ontario is not only the recipient of transboundary air pollution, but contributes
This discussion paper will identify the relationship between air pollution in the city of Toronto and its health impact on the local population. Then this paper will identify the cause of the air pollution in Toronto and the current policies established to counter this problem. Finally the paper will propose a policy that can work in conjunction with some of the current initiatives and will provide explanation of this policy and its advantages over other alternatives.
There are two main types of air pollution, particulate matter (PM) and ozone. Particulate matter is some tiny dust. For example, according to a beam of light at night there are countless dusts floating in the air. They are particle. Ozone is an invisible chemical gas in the air. When these gas touch with light will become smog. Factory and vehicles exhaust emissions have become the largest cause of PM and ozone pollution in the United States. If a plant wants to run, they need to burn fuel to provide power; however, a lot of particulate matter will float in the air when the factory burns fuel. When people drive cars can
Particulates and air pollution are also very harmful to the environment. Excessive air pollution and emissions of gases such as sulphur dioxide can cause acid rain, which acidifies the soil, rendering it unsuitable for growth of crops and greenery. Much of the harmful gases come from manmade sources, such as power plants, factories and vehicles. Particulates also a cause of smog, which can cause plenty of ill effects. Exposure to the ozone, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide contained in the smog can cause inflamed lung passages and pain while inhaling. Cleaner air can help a city economically. In recent years, many expatriates have returned to their country of origin due to the deteriorating quality of the air in Hong Kong, reducing the skilled workforce available in the city. In 2005, US$300 million was lost due to medical bills and lost productivity caused by the bad air pollution. Prospective new hires are even turning down job offers because of
Many countries in world have started facing poor air quality issues due to excessive use of coal for electricity generation. In addition to this, air pollution generated by fossil fuel vehicles is also adding to the troubles. Premature deaths and serious health issues are on rise due to highly polluted air.