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AIR
POLLUTION:
Sulphur
Oxides
Sulphur
oxides are hazardous
to both human
health and the
environment.
The health impacts
of sulphur dioxide
include asthma
attacks, eye
irritation, coughing
and chest pain.
Children and
people with chronic
respiratory  disorders
and cardiopulmonary
disease are particularly
vulnerable. Sulphur
dioxide is one
of the ingredients
of acid deposition
(which includes
acid rain and
other forms of
acid precipitation).
Acid rain harms
aquatic ecosystems
such as rivers,
lakes and wetlands,
affecting fish
and amphibians.
Acid rain also
harms forests
and crops, by
removing nutrients
from the soil.
Sulphur
dioxide is primarily
produced at stationary
sites, such as
power plants,
pulp mills, smelters,
petroleum refineries
and factories.
Canadian gasoline
has high levels
of sulphur although
new regulations
will reduce sulphur
emissions from
this source in
the next few
years.
Canada’s
OECD Ranking
Canada ranks
a dismal 27th
out of 28 OECD
nations in both
per capita sulphur
dioxide emissions
and total sulphur
dioxide emissions.
Canada produces
88.9 kg of sulphur
dioxide per capita,
more than two
times the OECD
average of 39.2
kg of sulphur
dioxide per capita.
Only Australians
produce more
per capita emissions
than Canada,
while only the
United States
produces a higher
total amount
of emissions.
Efficiency
An efficient
economy produces
the greatest
amount of goods
and services
with a minimum
of pollution.
Canada produces
4.4 kilograms
of sulphur dioxide
emissions per
$1000 US of GDP,
which is nearly
twice the OECD
average of 2.3
kilograms of
sulphur dioxide
emissions per
$1000 US of GDP.
The only countries
with a worse
efficiency record
than Canada are
Poland, the Czech
Republic, Hungary,
Turkey, Greece
and Australia.
In other words,
Canada’s
economy is much
more pollution
intensive and,
consequently,
less efficient
than almost all
of our major
industrial competitors,
including the
United States.
The
Trend
There is a glimmer
of good news
here, in that
Canada’s
performance is
improving. Since
1985, Canada’s
emissions of
sulphur dioxide
have decreased
by 15.3%. However,
sixteen of the
twenty other
OECD nations
for whom trend
data are available
achieved larger
reductions in
sulphur dioxide
emissions during
this period than
Canada.
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