{"id":1858,"date":"2007-05-08T12:44:06","date_gmt":"2007-05-08T16:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacingtoronto.ca\/?p=1858"},"modified":"2013-01-21T13:44:46","modified_gmt":"2013-01-21T18:44:46","slug":"on-smog-days-drive-less-dont-stay-inside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/2007\/05\/08\/on-smog-days-drive-less-dont-stay-inside\/","title":{"rendered":"On smog days, drive less — don’t stay inside!"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The Globe and Mail has an article today<\/a> outlining a new smog alert system pilot project for the City of Toronto. I’ll admit that I’m not nearly as versed as I should be on climate change issues, but the proposal sounds like a good plan — except for one little detail.<\/p>\n

When a smog alert reaches a certain level, Toronto’s Public Health department releases a warning to city residents. A “moderate” alert tells people that have high risk respiratory problems to restrict or reschedule their outdoor activities (for healthy folks there is “no need to modify outdoor activities”). But alerts for both “high” (“consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous outdoor activities”) and “very high” (“reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities”) are missing two key instructions: do not drive during these alerts, and use transit or a bike instead.<\/em><\/p>\n

As a city and a society, we seem to gloss over the real problems we face regarding climate change — telling folks to stay inside on smog days, instead of encouraging people to drive less, is like telling your friend it’s okay to eat ten veggie burgers when they’re on a diet.<\/p>\n

The Board of Health can make this suggestion that residents restrict their driving habits, but they just choose not to — just like they seem to overlook promoting cycling<\/a> as part of the City’s smog fighting plan<\/a>. We know that if trips in the city under five kilometres were significantly reduced, both citizens and the city would be much healthier.<\/p>\n

photo by Sam Javanrouh<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Globe and Mail has an article today outlining a new smog alert system pilot project for the City of Toronto. I’ll admit that I’m not nearly as versed as I should be on climate change issues, but the proposal sounds like a good plan — except for one little detail. 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