Spec Article on Environmental Watchdog Brian McCarry

Spec Article

Hendrik Poinar Sept. 14

Ian Bruce November 2

Gurmit Singh December 14

Michael Atkinson January 24

Milena Head February 8

Alison Sills March 8

Brian McCarry April 12

Allison Sekuler May 10

Past Lectures
January 2003-June 2003

Past Lectures
September 2003-May 2004

MIchael Atkinson
Photo by Ron Pozzer

The following article is reprinted courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator, McMaster University’s partner in the Science in the City Lecture Series.

Cleaner air is up to us, says watchdog
Eric McGuinness
The Hamilton Spectator

Cleaning up Hamilton's air is no longer a job for heavy industry.

Clean Air Hamilton says it's you and me with our SUVs, suburban homes and under-used public transit that is now causing the problem.

Brian McCarry, chair of the city-sponsored, non-profit, volunteer group, says local industry has made big gains and can still do more. But future improvements in air quality will depend largely on decisions we make about how we live.

"The choices you make net a real impact," he told councillors yesterday, suggesting the city do its part by buying more gas-electric hybrid vehicles, "greening" its fleet and insisting on more compact urban development.

McCarry, a chemistry professor who holds the Stephen A. Jarislowsky chair in environment and health at McMaster University, says industry has to do better, but cleaner air is becoming more a lifestyle issue, a societal issue, in which sales of big sport-utility vehicles offset other accomplishments.

Presenting Clean Air Hamilton's 2003-04 progress report, he said local air quality improved dramatically from 1970 to 1990, but the present trend line is flat. Any gains are being offset by increasing traffic and by more smog-causing ozone blown in from the U.S.

Councillor Terry Whitehead agreed the city has to lead by example. He and Councillor Brian McHattie also asked Mayor Larry Di Ianni to write to U.S. cities to remind them our health is being hurt by their pollution.

The new report says the level of total suspended particles (TSP) in city air (dust up to the diameter of a human hair) has been relatively stable since 1993, but that's a worry because Hamilton has the highest level in Ontario of the tiniest particles, or PM-2.5, those most strongly linked to respiratory and cardiovascular illness.

Levels of sulphur dioxide -- produced by burning fuels -- are lower here than in Sarnia, Sudbury and Toronto, thanks to big reductions made by steel mills in the 1970s and 1980s.

Nitrogen dioxide, blamed for a significant share of the health effects of air pollution, is highest in Toronto, followed by Hamilton. It's produced by burning fuels such as diesel oil, coal, wood, oil and natural gas. Transportation is the leading source in Hamilton, followed by industry. Ground-level ozone appear to be increasing slowly.

emcguinness@thespec.com

905-526-4650

Brian McCarry's Science in the City lecture on Tuesday April 12 is free of charge and open to the public.

To register for a spot, call
905-525-9140, ext. 24934, or send an e-mail to sciencecity@mcmaster.ca.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the talk begins at 7 p.m.