Smog/Climate Change

CLIMATE CHANGE

In the past few years we have been hearing and reading about global climate change on an almost daily basis. Radio stations, print media, and politicians on all three levels of government are debating, questioning, negotiating, or avoiding. The sheer scale of the issue is overwhelming and frightening, and predictions range from the optimistic to reports of doom-and-gloom and visions of an apocalypse.

The fact is ... there are many facts and still two main sides of thought. Is the continuing increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere purely due to human activities and burning of fossil fuels, like oil, natural gas, and coal? Or is it a naturally occurring rise in temperatures and CO2 that indicates the estimated 100,000-year cycle of warm ages and ice ages? There are scientists and specialists who present believable data for either of these arguments, and a remaining minority who dismiss that recent weather patterns are human-induced. So whom are you to believe?

In 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was prepared by renowned scientists from around the world, put an end to the claims of nay-sayers and confirmed that climate change is indeed human-induced.

ETCAG supports this view and in any case believes that we should err on the safe side—that is to admit to the condemning facts which show our ever-increasing consumption of fossil fuels and their related health and environmental impacts. We choose to believe the continually worsening weather and health patterns that have been visible and noticeable over the past decade, on a global and local scale. Globally, we have been seeing extreme periods of drought in Australia, Africa, and North America; an increasing number of heavy rainfall events in India, Asia, and Europe resulting not only in extensive flooding but devastating mud and landslides; severe heat waves in Europe, especially in 2003; and other extreme weather events.

In Canada, we are also experiencing more drought conditions, rising summer temperatures that result in a larger number of large-scale forest fires, heat-related deaths and hospitalizations, lower water levels in the Great Lakes, an increase in severe weather events like thunderstorms, high winds, snow storms, yet overall milder winters that allow survival of insects that create pest invasions in the following seasons.

The Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in December 1997, commits member countries to stabilise and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions significantly. The protocol only came into force in February 2005 after Russia finally agreed to its binding targets. The other bad news is that Canada’s Conservative government under Stephen Harper has not committed to Kyoto targets. Instead, he wants to implement a Canadian Clean Air Act. This can also be interpreted as code for, “We really don’t want to reduce our impacts.” Another blow was that Canada signed the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which was created by the states not wanting to commit to the strict targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol. Now Canada, United States, Australia, Japan, China, India and South Korea have put their seal on a document that asks only for vague voluntary emission reductions. And we don’t believe this is going to get us anywhere.

In Toronto, the long-term effects of climate change are expected to be droughts, an increasing number of damaging storms, prolonged heat waves, and dropping water levels in Lake Ontario. The latter would also noticeably affect our water supply, hydroelectric power production, shipping and aquatic wildlife.

Under Mayor David Miller, our municipal government is taking more promising steps than Prime Minister Harper. In July 2007, the City of Toronto adopted a “Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan”. Initial funding will be used for energy conservation measures, renewable energy projects, and retrofitting City facilities. The goal is to reduce the level of greenhouse gases and smog-causing pollutants by 6% (over 1990 levels) by the year 2012, and 30% by 2020. Emphasis will also be placed on supporting community-led initiatives from residents’ associations, non-profit organisations, and grassroots groups, like ETCAG. We hope that the City and its citizens – that is us, and you – will take responsibility and take action together to make the changes necessary to ensure future generations will have a safe and healthy environment.

For more details follow these links:

Environment Canada’s “Understanding Climate Change Science” (http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/education/scienceofclimatechange/understanding/index_e.html)

Overview of Climate Change science and policies (http://www.greenlearning.ca/climate/science/)

United Nations’ “Kyoto Protocol” (http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php)

City of Toronto’s “Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan” (www.toronto.ca/changeisintheair/index.htm)

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SMOG

The numbers for local smog-related health impacts speak for themselves: Toronto had 48 smog alert days in 2005, 11 days in 2006, and 29 days in 2007 (Toronto Environmental Alliance, “Smog Report Cards”, www.torontoenvironment.org/climate). According to the Medical Officer of Health, 1,700 Torontonians die each year from the effects of poor air quality and another 5,000 are hospitalised with respiratory stress or disease. These illnesses and deaths, as well as the number of asthma sufferers, have been showing an upward trend in recent years.

This air pollution comes, for example, from personal and business vehicular traffic in and around Toronto; local businesses and energy generating facilities; large manufacturing plants and coal plants in Western Ontario; as well as from industries across the border in the United States (transboundary air pollution).

Under the goals and targets of the Climate Change Action Plan, the City of Toronto aims to improve local air quality by reducing energy consumption, increasing energy generation from renewable sources, doubling the urban tree canopy, changing transportation to reduce emissions, and encouraging more ‘green’ businesses. ETCAG is working to help improve local air quality in the east end of Toronto through tree plantings, energy conservation, and less car-based transportation methods.

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