There is strong evidence that air pollution is the most harmful environmental problem in Canada in terms of human health effects, causing thousands of deaths, millions of illnesses, billions of dollars in health care expenses, and tens of billions of dollars in lost productivity every year. To put these figures in context, the level of deaths and illnesses caused by air pollution in Canada is equivalent to a Walkerton water disaster happening on a daily basis. Put another way, air pollution leads to more premature deaths than traffic accidents annually in Canada, yet generates less media attention and less government action.
Comparisons of nations belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), conducted by researchers at the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University, show that Canada consistently ranks among the three worst industrialized nations for per capita sulphur dioxide emissions, nitrogen dioxide emissions, emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide emissions, and greenhouse gas emissions. Weak laws and guidelines are a major reason why these emissions continue to be a problem and why the ongoing costs of air pollution in Canada are so high. Unless laws and regulations are strengthened and additional actions are taken, pressures from population and economic growth will result in increasing hazardous air emissions.
Polling data indicate that the overwhelming majority of Canadians are deeply concerned about environmental threats to their health and the health of their children. The vast majority of Canadians support stronger regulations to address air pollution. In light of the foregoing factors, it is imperative that the substandard legal protection for air quality currently provided by the Government of Canada be substantially strengthened.
In this report, the David Suzuki Foundation has compared Canada’s existing air quality guidelines with the air quality standards in force in the United States, Australia, and Europe, as well as the guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization. The numbers tell a disturbing tale. Canada’s current voluntary guidelines for air quality lag badly behind the legally enforceable standards found in most western industrialized nations, including the U.S., Australia, and all members of the European Union. In order to catch up with our peers, Canada urgently needs strong national standards for air quality and ambitious long-term targets and timetables for reducing air pollution. It is also critical to understand that burning fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) not only generates the majority of air pollution in Canada but is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions. Policies should be designed to reduce air pollution and concurrently address climate change.