Pollution Free Cities

Monday, January 20, 2014

What Policies are Needed to Reduce GHG Emissions from Transportation?

English: Français : Une version française de cette carte des émissions de GES par province/territoire canadien est également disponible. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reducing Transportation GHG Emissions in Canada - A dialogue on a lower carbon future(16 page pdf, Public Policy Forum, Dec. 5, 2013)

Today we review a report that looks at what ways policies can be used to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by Canada’s transportation sector which accounts for ¼ of the nation’s GHG emissions. A call for a more integrated national approach is made to replace the decentralized, fractured and, to date, largely unsuccessful effort. Particular note is made of the municipal role in this through the urban mandate having to with planning, infrastructure and transportation in a country where more than 80% of the population live in cities.

Key Quotes:

“Approximately 25% of GHGs in our country come from transportation, and the overall carbon emissions from the sector are not projected to decrease before 2020”

“key facets of this highly complex challenge: fuel switching and alternatives…vehicle technology advancements… and infrastructure and municipal planning..“

“to support advanced vehicle technology, such as electric and hybrid vehicles, infrastructure must be adapted to develop a network of charging stations, and the distribution system will need significant upgrades and modernization. In order to make these infrastructure changes, municipal planning will likely need to adapt and change to accommodate different patterns of vehicle and electricity use”

“A reconsideration of the current largely decentralized and fractured approach, and a move towards a more integrated model for policy development and implementation, is required for Canada to live up to its reduction commitments.”

“requires policies that integrate the GHG objective into a broader framework that includes transport, energy, infrastructure, and urban and land-use planning, with a view to achieving economic gains in addition to GHG reductions.”

“The zoning, infrastructure and transportation services offered in urban centres affect 80% of the Canadian population, directly impacting on daily commuting and mobility.”

“A carefully considered combination of ‘stick’ conditions, such as a carbon tax, user-based pricing of transportation infrastructure, and fuel standards,6 is suggested to be a more suitable and effective means for governments to affect consumer behavior.”

“New projects, such as liquefied natural gas plants and continued natural resource development, will all contribute to increasing emissions, while simultaneously increasingly demand for transportation to service these industries. Lowering GHG emissions from these areas will also be necessary.”

Friday, January 17, 2014

How Are Canadian Cities Adapting to Climate Change?

Adapting to Climate Change: An Introduction for Canadian Municipalities (48 page pdf, Richardson, G. R. A., Natural Resources Canada, 2010)

And here: Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan (107 page pdf, City of Ottawa, Nov. 2004)

Today we review a report on how some Canadian municipalities are planning to adapt to impacts expected from climate change which vary from melting of the permafrost in the North to heat health alerts in Canada’s largest city in the South to water level maps showing where sea level rise or flooding would impact communities, both in the interior and coastal regions, unless changes are made by amendments to zoning plans. What is amazing to this blogger is the absence of some cities from the list of those who have community adaptation plans, including notably and regrettably, the national capital of Ottawa which in 2004 had only addressed ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the corporate structure and not by the community and has not yet developed a climate adaptation plan.

Key Quotes:

“Climate change adaptation refers to actions that reduce the negative impact of climate change, while taking advantage of potential new opportunities. It involves adjusting policies and actions because of observed or expected changes in climate.”

Clyde River (Nunavut).. “permafrost degradation, landscape hazards, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and freshwater supply. The Clyde River Adaptation Action Plan, the first of its kind in the Canadian Arctic”

Kamloops (British Columbia)…” actions to reduce the wildfire hazard on the 4036 hectares (ha) of city and crown land that had been assessed as extreme and high hazard.”

Metro Vancouver (BC)..” water management issues, including watershed health, land use planning, engineering, community values, and climate variability and change.”

Edmonton (Alberta)…”Half of Edmonton’s trees are on private property…. Develop a replacement strategy for dead or dying plant material….Review existing planting strategies.”

Regina (Saskatchewan)…”modification to the pricing structure, which charges users for every cubic metre of water used, is the flagship feature of this successful program”

London (Ontario)…” transferred responsibility for the construction of all stormwater management infrastructure from property developers to the City….unique among Ontario municipalities”

Toronto (Ontario).. “Heat Health Alert System… an increase in the number of cooling centres …a Green Roof Bylaw, the Toronto Green Standard, an Eco-Roof Incentive Program, Doubling the Tree Canopy Initiative, and ”Greening” Surface Parking Lot guidelines”

Québec City (Quebec).. « measures affecting the quality and availability of water, a vital resource that is particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation.”

Le Goulet (New Brunswick)…”modified the village’s zoning bylaw to prevent unsuitable development in flood-prone areas. …produce a high-resolution digital elevation map of the coastline”

Halifax (Nova Scotia)…”water levels relative to the land have risen by 32 centimetres (cm) over the last century, a combination of land subsidence (-16 cm) and local sea-level rise (16 cm)…. …prescribes that any development (ground floor elevation) must be a minimum of 2.5 m above the ordinary high-water mark.”

Annapolis Royal (Nova Scotia)….”used an airborne laser to scan the ground to obtain elevation data to an accuracy of ±15 cm. The team then created flood risk maps with these data…revealed that during a major flooding event, the fire hall…would become an island separated from the rest of the community”

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

What are the Impacts of Transportation on Cities?

A closer look at urban transport - TERM 2013: transport indicators tracking progress towards environmental targets in Europe(112 page pdf, Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM), European Environment Agency, Dec. 3, 2013)

Also discussed here: Front-running cities changing transport, improving quality of life(Press Release, European Environment Agency, Dec. 3, 2013) Today we review a report from TERM in Europe which monitors progress of cities toward EU goals concerning air pollution and noise from transportation, principally from privately-owned vehicles especially those fuelled with diesel whose fate is nicely summed up by this quote: "Many cities are applying innovative ideas which will make the car-based transport system seem like an idea belonging to the last century.” Some of the alarming statistics include: 96 to 98 % of city dwellers are exposed to fine particulate or ozone levels above WHO guidelines, half of the urban population is exposed to noise levels above 55 dB and nearly EUR 100 billion is lost annually as a result of traffic congestion. Further development of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans is recommended which would include improvements for cyclists and pedestrians and traffic calming and better public transport.

Key Quotes:

“In 2011, the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) annual limit value was exceeded at 42 % of the traffic stations at 3 % of the urban background stations but only at one rural background station within the EU.”

“Diesel vehicles generally emit more PM and NOX per kilometre than their gasoline equivalents. In 2011, PM with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less (PM10) was exceeded at 43 % of traffic sites, 38 % of urban background sites, 26 % of 'other' sites (mostly industrial) and even at 15 % of rural sites within the EU.”

“Between 2009 and 2011, up to 96 % of city dwellers were exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations above WHO guidelines and up to 98 % were exposed to O3 levels above WHO guidelines (EEA, 2013). The average contribution of urban and local traffic to PM10 concentration is 35 % while it is up to 64 % in the case of NO2 concentrations (EEA, 2012).”

"Traffic exposes half of the EU's urban population to noise levels above 55 dB (see Box 2.6). In most cities, more than half of respondents agreed that noise was a major problem in their city — this proportion ranged from 51 % in Rotterdam and Strasbourg to 95 % in Athens (EC, 2010).”

“Quality of life is also affected by commute times, with commuters in London and Budapest are most likely to travel more than an hour to work, according to a survey of 75 cities in the EU and Turkey.”

“Pedestrians are the most vulnerable travellers, with 70–80 % of pedestrian/vehicle crashes occurring when people try to cross the road (OECD, ITF, 2011), including between 33 % and 50 % at a pedestrian crossing.”

" nearly EUR 100 billion — around 1 % of the EU's GDP — are lost to the European economy annually as a result of traffic congestion (EC, 2007).”

Monday, January 13, 2014

How Close Are We to the Tipping Points from Climate Change?

Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change:Anticipating Surprises (201 page pdf, James W.C. White, Richard B. Alley, David E. Archer, Anthony D. Barnosky, Jonathan Foley, Rong Fu, Marika M. Holland, M. Susan Lozier, Johanna Schmitt, Laurence C. Smith, George Sugihara, David W. J. Thompson, Andrew J. Weaver, Steven C. Wofsy, National Academy of Sciences, Dec. 3, 2013)

Also discussed here: An Update on Risks of Abrupt Jolts from Global Warming (Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times, Dot Earth, Dec. 3, 2013) And here: Investigation of the Magnitudes and Probabilities of Abrupt Climate TransitionS (IMPACTS) Project (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

Today we review an assessment of climate change in terms of how far it has advanced and what the risk is of crossing a tipping point, in terms of climate impacts for the rest of the century. The authors give a low risk of major changes in ocean current circulation and overturning, the melting of major ice sheets such as the polar ice caps as low, while giving a moderate risk to such impacts as extreme heat waves and floods and rapid state changes in ecosystems which puts vulnerable populations of people in danger as well as endangered species of wildlife. They recommend improved scientific monitoring and a better understanding of the climate system as part of an abrupt change early warning system.

Key Quotes:

“This study differs from previous treatments of abrupt changes by discussing both the abrupt changes in the physical climate system (hereafter called “abrupt climate change”), as well as the abrupt changes in the physical, biological, or human systems that result from steadily changing aspects of the climate system (hereafter referred to as “abrupt climate impacts”).”

“Right now, we don’t know what many of these thresholds are…But with better information, we will be able to anticipate some major changes before they occur and help reduce the potential consequences”

“Climate is not the only stressor on the Earth system—other factors, including resource depletion and ever-growing human consumption and population, are exerting enormous pressure on nature’s and society’s resilience to sudden changes.”

“Carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector will rise 20 percent by 2035 ..according to the IEA’s 2013 World Energy Outlook… this leaves the world in a trajectory consistent with a long term increase of 3.6 C, far above the internationally agreed 2 C target ”

“Summertime heat waves will likely become longer, more frequent, more severe, and more relentless with decreased potential to cool down at night. Increases in heat-related deaths due to climate change are likely to outweigh decreases in deaths from cold snaps…In general, heat waves and the associated health issues disproportionately affect more vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, those with existing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and those who are economically disadvantaged or socially isolated”

“No matter how clear our foresight, no matter how accurate our computer models, a belief about the future should never be mistaken for the truth. The future, as such, never occurs. It becomes the present. And no matter how well we prepare ourselves, when the imagined future becomes the very real present, it never fails to surprise.”—Alan AtKisson, Believing Cassandra

Friday, January 10, 2014

What is the Risk of a Stroke from Long Term Exposure to Particulate Matter ?

Fine Particulate Air Pollution and the Progression of Carotid Intima-Medial Thickness: A Prospective Cohort Study from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (9 page pdf, Sara D. Adar, Lianne Sheppard, Sverre Vedal, Joseph F. Polak, Paul D. Sampson, Ana V. Diez Roux, Matthew Budoff, David R. Jacobs, Jr., R. Graham Barr, Karol Watson, Joel D. Kaufman, PLOS Medecine, Apr. 23, 2013)

Also discussed here: Air Pollution as a Heart Threat (Deborah Blum, New York Times Poison Pen blog, Nov. 15, 20)

And here: Evolution of Air Pollution Monitoring in Ottawa (Natty Urquizo, 60 slides PowerPoint, Upwind-Downwind Conference, Hamilton, Feb. 23, 2012)

Today we review research into the health impact of long term (10 years) exposure to particulate matter and how this affects the thickening of arterial walls [intima-medial thickness]and heart disease through atherosclerosis. Results indicate that an increase of PM 2.5 mg/m3 is associated with a 2% relative increase in strokes and is evident at the neighbourhood level. This is significant because it expands the impact of PM from the known impact of short term exposure to long term. It also suggests that neighbourhoods located near higher levels of PM (such as proximity to vehicle emissions from traffic) would have higher mortality. Studies (such as from the City of Ottawa) show that many urban areas have more than 50% of vulnerable populations living within 50 m of busy roads and are at risk.

Key Quotes:

“The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air) was designed to investigate associations between long term PM2.5 exposures and the progression of atherosclerosis over a10-y follow-up period using information from the large population-based MESA cohort who were without pre-existing cardiovascular disease at baseline”

“increased exposure to pollutants, after other factors are factored out, can be directly linked to narrowing of blood vessels and to a steady thickening of artery walls"

“In a large prospective cohort study of adults without pre-existing cardiovascular disease, we found evidence that individuals with higher long-term residential concentrations of PM2.5 experience a faster rate of IMT [intima-medial thickness] progression as compared to other people within the same metropolitan area.”

“higher long-term PM2.5 exposures may be associated with an acceleration of vascular pathologies over time. As such, they may help explain why epidemiological studies have repeatedly found much larger associations between mortality and chronic air pollution exposures than can be explained by short-term triggering of cardiovascular events alone.”

“participants living in parts of town with 2.5 mg/m3 higher concentrations of PM2.5 would have a 2% relative increase risk in stroke as compared to persons in a less polluted part of the metropolitan area.”

“these results for IMT in the first three exams of a large, multi-center, population-based cohort study support the hypothesis that PM2.5 may be associated with the progression of atherosclerosis, even at levels below existing regulatory standards. Such a pathway would lend further support to reported associations between air pollution and the incidence of clinical cardiovascular disease.”