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SMOG

Smog kills over 1,800 people a year in Ontario.

There are several ways to address the smog problem. Most of these solutions relate to using less energy, promoting renewables, and burning it cleanly when we do use it.

• Design for energy efficiency includes urban design and public transportation systems
    

• Green energy includes reducing the use of coal-fired power plants and promoting renewable energy
    

• Clean energy includes setting standards for major smog-causing pollutants

In other words, the best way to tackle smog is to design our cities, transportation systems, and energy use in such a way that it reduces air pollution.  Smog is not an isolated problem; it is an indicator of poor urban and economic development.

INDEX

What is Smog?

The Current Strategy

What Else Could be Done?

Individual Action

Key Players

"Smog" literally means a combination of "smoke" and "fog". It refers to the brown haze that hangs over cities, usually on hot, wind-free days.

Smog has been described as an airborne chemical soup, but there are two main contaminants that are of concern: ground level ozone and fine airborne particles. Both are naturally occurring, but their concentrations can be greatly increased by human activity and the right weather conditions.

• Ground level ozone is formed when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) react in sunlight.

• Airborne particles include both primary pollutants and secondary pollutants (e.g. windblown dust and soil, pollen and spores) and secondary particles formed through chemical reactions involving the gases nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), volatile organic carbons (VOCs) and ammonia (NH3). Particulate matter (PM) has both natural and anthropogenic (arising from human activity) sources. Secondary PM is largely the result of human activity.  Particulate matter is divided into two categories: PM10 (smaller than 10 microns in size) and PM2.5 (smaller that 2.5 microns).

Source: Environment Canada factsheet on Smog

1,800 people a year in Ontario die prematurely due to smog
Smog is a factor in the premature deaths of as many as 1,800 Ontarians every year. (Ontario's Smog Plan, p. 2).  
  

By far the largest source of NOx comes from cars, trucks and buses (61%).

Industry and commerce is the next largest source (23.3%), followed by coal and oil-fired electricity generation (11.7%). (source: Ontario's Smog Plan, p. 2)

VOCs come from many of the same sources, although in this case consumer products accounts for the largest percentage (35.6%).

Once again, transportation is a major polluter at 33.1%.(source: Ontario's Smog Plan, p. 2)

Published 
Strategy

Goal

• The Ontario Anti-Smog Action Plan sets a goal of emission reductions by 2015 of 45 per cent of the total nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted in the province in 1990. 
    

• The Ministry is proposing to move the target date up to 2010, subject to the sucessful negotiation of similar reductions in from the United States (comments from Dan Newman at the Toronto Smog Summit, June 2000).

Targets

• to achieve, by 20015, a 75 per cent reduction in the number of times the 80ppb one hour ozone criterion is exceeded (Ontario's Anti-Smog Action Plan)

Major Activities

Monitoring and 
Reporting

• Air Quality Ontario: The Ministry of the Environment maintains a website providing province-wide information on air quality and a forecast of potential smog alert days.
    
• the Ministry of the Environment has introduced a regulation requiring that major industries report their air emissions. The regulation requires monitoring and public reporting of the emissions of some 28 substances of concern. These include sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) which contribute to smog, acid rain and climate change.  (Press Release, April 18, 2000)
    
• You can view the latest Air Quality In Ontario summary report (1997) on the ministry site.
  

Public 
Consultation 
and Review

• The Ministry of the Environment has established an ASAP Executive Committee to guide the development of Ontario's smog plan.  The members of the Committee can be found in the June 21 2000 press release, "Newman announces executive committee to lead province’s smog-reduction efforts". 
• The City of Toronto hosts an annual Smog Summit.  Proceedings of the first summit are available at www.city.toronto.on.ca/taf 

• The Toronto Smog Summit (June 21, 2000) has lead to strengthened commitments on the part of all three levels of government.  This cooperation is essential if progress is to be made.
    
• Strategies:  Ontario Anti-Smog Action Plan is a good start, however it relies heavily on voluntary commitments and fails to address many of the potential barriers to achieving the goal.
  
• Goals and Targets: the process for setting Canada Wide Standards and goals for smog reduction is a good start, especially if they are supported by meaningful implementation plans.
     
• Activities: there are a number of significant initiatives at all levels, however the importance of a green energy strategy is overlooked.  The emphasis is on standards and voluntary initiatives.
    
• Monitoring: the air quality website is a good initiative that will allow the public to monitor their local air quality.
    
• Consultation:  The ASAP Executive Committtee is a strong and balanced mix of sector representatives.  

Ontario does not have a coordinated strategy to promote energy conservation and the production of electricity from less-polluting sources (green energy).  Our factsheet on Green Energy is currently under development.
  

Small wonder. Coal and petroleum are the biggest contributors to smog, and one of the easiest targets for individual action

Here's a quick checklist for individual and community action.

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME)

Toronto Environmental Alliance -- see TEA's smog campaign

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