Air Quality Information

Save Money on Your Home Energy Bills

Greensaver is a not-for-profit organization authorized to conduct "EnerGuide for Houses" energy evaluations. The organization’s mission is to motivate and facilitate the process of maximizing the energy efficiency of your home. It does this by connecting homeowners with independent energy advisors who can recommend energy efficiency improvements that will have the highest impact on reducing energy consumption. Greensaver can help homeowners to understand the EnerGuide for Houses program on retrofitting your home to improve comfort and energy efficiency. For more information, call Greensaver at 416-203-3106. You can also visit their web site at www.greensaver.org

Burn it Smart !

The "Burn it Smart!" campaign addresses the health and environmental effects of inefficient burning of wood for home heating. The campaign challenges Canadians to change their wood burning habits to help reduce pollution from wood heating. Wood smoke has been identified by Environment Canada and Health Canada as containing many hazardous chemical substances, including particulate matter that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, leading to serious respiratory problems. Other substances found in wood smoke that may have serious health implications include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

If you burn wood to heat your house, find out more about actions you can take to reduce the associated pollution and health risks at www.burnitsmart.org or 1 866 838 5661 (toll free).

One-Tonne Challenge

Did you know that every year, each Canadian produces an average of over five tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs)? Or that the volume of one tonne of GHGs would fill a two-storey three bedroom house? That’s just some of the information contained in the Government of Canada’s Guide to the One-Tonne Challenge. GHGs are believed to contribute to global climate change, which can include melting permafrost in the Arctic, declining water levels in lake and rivers, and a higher frequency of extreme weather events, such as droughts, ice storms, and floods, among other effects. Three greenhouse gases are of particular importance because of their close association with human activities - carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

The Guide to the One-Tonne Challenge lays out a number of steps each individual can take "on the road" and "at home" to reduce emissions of GHGs. To cut your personal GHGs by one tonne, you need to reduce emissions by 20%. Take the One-Tonne Challenge today by visiting www.climatechange.gc.ca.

20/20 – The Way to Clean Air

This is a campaign of the Public Health units in Durham, Halton, Peel and York Regions, and the City of Toronto. The campaign offers a planner to help individuals reduce their home and vehicle energy use, collectively assist in improving air quality, and reduce smog related illnesses. The 20/20 Planner indicates that "by focussing on some simple changes to reduce your energy use, you can help make a significant improvement to air quality in your community." For more information, see the following web site: www.toronto.ca/health/2020 or call or 1 800 583-2020 (toll free) or 416 392-2020.

Idling gets you nowhere!

That's the message of a Natural Resources Canada web site dedicated to increasing awareness among Canadians of the environmental effects of unnecessary vehicle idling. As information on the site indicates, many of us have experienced having to hold our breath to avoid inhaling exhaust fumes as we walk past a row of buses or trucks idling on a busy street. Many people let their vehicle idle while they're parked somewhere waiting for someone, or to warm up their car. This contributes to unnecessary pollution of the air we all breathe. Collectively, these actions contribute to poor air quality in our cities. Idling for more than 10 seconds, except in traffic, wastes fuel and money, and can damage your engine. Check out NRCan’s Idle Free Zone website to learn more about this important air quality issue. The web address is: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/idling