Onward Through the Smog
Another smog alert day in Toronto... Friday will also be a smog alert day.
It means: try not to breathe the chemical soup industry and cars spew out. It means your eyes water, and your throat burns, and your head hurts if you exert yourself too much (like by trying to breathe) .
By coincidence, I came across this Statistics Canada report on commuting patterns released yesterday.
"Jobs are still strongly concentrated in downtown core areas in most urban centres. However, between 1996 and 2001, the relative economic importance of inner cities declined, as the number of jobs in the suburbs increased at more than four times the pace that they did in the core areas. Between 1996 and 2001, the number of jobs within 5 km of the city centres of census metropolitan areas rose increased by 156,000. On the other hand, the number of jobs outside 5 km rose by 733,200. As a result, more and more people are commuting cross-town to these suburban areas."
And sprawl continues and smog increases.
For background information on smog:
It means: try not to breathe the chemical soup industry and cars spew out. It means your eyes water, and your throat burns, and your head hurts if you exert yourself too much (like by trying to breathe) .
By coincidence, I came across this Statistics Canada report on commuting patterns released yesterday.
"Jobs are still strongly concentrated in downtown core areas in most urban centres. However, between 1996 and 2001, the relative economic importance of inner cities declined, as the number of jobs in the suburbs increased at more than four times the pace that they did in the core areas. Between 1996 and 2001, the number of jobs within 5 km of the city centres of census metropolitan areas rose increased by 156,000. On the other hand, the number of jobs outside 5 km rose by 733,200. As a result, more and more people are commuting cross-town to these suburban areas."
And sprawl continues and smog increases.
For background information on smog:
- National Indicator Series - Urban Air Quality (Environment Canada)
- Smog Summit (Greater Toronto Area Clean Air Partnership)
- Plan for Clean Air (Ontario Government)
- Shattering the Myth of Pollution Progress in Canada (Pollution Watch, Canadian Environmental Law Association, and Environmental Defence Canada)
- Smog-Wise Information Program (Ontario Medical Association)
- Canada-wide Standards for Particulate Matter (PM) and Ozone (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment)
- Federal Fuel Standards and Regulations (Environment Canada)
- Vehicle Emissions (B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection)
- Drive Clean Vehicle Emission Reports, Regulations (Ontario Government)
And June 8 is National Clean Air Day
In the meantime, my doctor has suggested that I get checked to find out why I develop a dry cough almost every summer as soon as the first smog alert days are announced by the local public health authorities. I've been in Toronto 5 years and I've had the cough 4 out of the 5 years. The cough disappears in the fall or the minute I leave Toronto. Through a process of elimination, Doc thinks it is likely related to air pollution. Wonderful.
Labels: environmental law
1 Comments:
Hi Michel-Adrien:
A very interesting post. I have been particularly vulnerable to this and the last round of smog in May. Back in May many people reported burning eyes; I experienced swollen eyes because of an allergic reaction to whatever was in the air. Very unusual. This time around has left me out of breath since I do have asthma and a cold...this is the worst in my 15 years in Toronto.
I wonder what the rest of the summer holds??
Post a Comment
<< Home