June 8, 2006, 24 Hours

Clearing the dirty air

Astrid Poei

The City of Toronto wants to clear the air.

Dignitaries from across the GTA descended on City Hall yesterday for the 2006 Smog Summit.

The two-day conference allows municipalities to exchange ideas and identify the best ways to keep the air clean.

"It's true that air quality is not confined to any particular jurisdiction," Toronto Mayor David Miller said. "We know that environmental issues (are) at the top of people's minds. It's about creating a sustainable future for our kids and our grandkids."

Among the ideas exchanged include Burlington's anti-idling law, King Township's public awareness campaign for private pesticide use and Caledon's switch to Bullfrog Power -- Ontario's only electricity retailer that buys power exclusively from wind and low-impact hydro generators.

Ontario's clean-air initiatives include contracts for 1,300 megawatts of wind power -- enough energy for 300,000 homes -- and a requirement of five per cent ethanol in gasoline by 2007.

According to the Ontario Medical Association, in 2005, 6,000 Ontarians died prematurely because of smog. This year, it will contribute to cardiovascular and respiratory problems in 16,000 people.

The association estimated that the economic price tag associated with smog is nearly $8 billion a year.

Also honoured yesterday for their green friendly initiatives was Nortel. The company received a Clear Air Day Award for setting up a website that employees use to search for alternate modes of transportation, such as carpooling with fellow employees and public transit routes