Emissions Info - Emissions Impacts
Health
In less than twenty years respiratory disease has increased four-fold across the country. Asthma is now the number-one reason for hospital admissions among Canadian children. Air pollution is the greatest contributing factor in respiratory disease and light-duty vehicles are the largest single source of air pollution in the Lower Mainland. The connection is obvious: air pollution is making our kids sick. Reduce vehicle emissions and we'll all breathe easier.
Air Quality
The objective of the AirCare program is to significantly reduce air pollution in the Lower Fraser Valley, an area stretching from Furry Creek to Chilliwack. The program currently identifies over 45,000 - 50,000 excess emitting vehicles annually, and requires emissions repairs be performed prior to re-licensing and renewing insurance.
In September 1992, British Columbia became the first province in Canada to introduce a program aimed at reducing harmful motor vehicle emissions by establishing the AirCare program. AirCare is a major component of the Metro Vancouver (formerly GVRD) Air Quality Management Plan [external link] (AQMP). From 1992 to 2008, AirCare related repairs have reduced harmful emissions in the region by 28%.
Climate Change
Climate change is a shift in long-term average weather patterns, which can include changes in temperature and in precipitation amounts. The international scientific community agrees that there has been a significant change in global climate in recent years, particularly in the polar areas, due largely to the burning of fossil fuels for transportation and industrial processes. These activities emit greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. More info on greenhouse gases.
Source: Environment Canada [external link]
The BC government [external link] is committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 33% below current levels by 2020. The cars and trucks we drive generate 44% of the greenhouse gas emissions created by BC households. That’s more than 4 tonnes of GHG emissions per vehicle.
To help achieve the government’s mandate, the AirCare program is helping to inform motorists and Lower Fraser Valley residents on simple and practical ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
Also, check out our new calculators that show you the annual fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of different vehicles.
For more information, please visit the following sites:
Air Pollution Science [external link]
British Columbia Lung Association [external link]
Canadian Institute of Child Health [external link]
Detailed Ground Level Ozone Info [external link]
