Halton Region encourages residents to make the change for clean air

Halton Region kicked off its air quality health promotion program for 2009 with the release of two one-minute videos. The new health promotion program aims to educate Halton residents about the links between air quality, climate change and human health, and their links to the built environment.

“Halton Region’s air quality and climate change health promotion program encourages residents to think about their energy use at home and on the road, and to consider making small changes to reduce their own impact on the environment,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr.

The videos are one approach being used to raise awareness and encourage residents to take action. They illustrate how the impacts of energy use may be reduced by individuals. In Joules on Juice, a heavy electricity user learns how to cut down her energy consumption at home. In Nick Goes Nowhere, a compulsive driver trades in his SUV for an energy efficient car and even tries out cycling to work.

An underlying theme in the campaign is that air quality impacts health. “Air pollution in southern Ontario is a significant public health problem,” said Dr. Bob Nosal, Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region. “Short-term peaks in air pollution can aggravate heart and lung conditions, make it difficult to breathe, and increase respiratory infections, while long-term exposure to higher levels of air pollution can increase the risk of heart and lung diseases including asthma and lung cancer.”

Data released by the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) shows that air pollution is a contributing factor in almost 9,500 premature deaths per year in Ontario, with more than 300 premature smog deaths here in Halton.

The videos are posted on Halton’s website and on YouTube, and will be shown at a number of Halton cinemas and local networks over the coming months. Residents may also visit the Region’s website to download a copy of the 20/20 Planner and several tip cards. These resources aim to help people reach a 20 per cent energy reduction goal with easy-to-do activities, progressing over time, into longer-term, greater cost savings actions.

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