Reducing Air Pollution

Air Quality

Nova Scotia is monitoring and protecting our outdoor air quality through regulations and programs to reduce pollutants that lead to issues such as smog, acid rain, climate change, and the thinning ozone layer. In this way, we are improving the health of our environment, and all Nova Scotians. Find out more at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/air/ and www.gov.ns.ca/nse/air/action.asp#nselatwork .

To go directly to particular topics, see the links below:

Air Quality and Climate Change
Actions to improve air quality and reduce emissions that cause climate change are closely linked. To see how Air Quality is addressed in Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Action Plan, go to http://climatechange.gov.ns.ca/ActionPlan and click on Air Quality.

Protecting the Ozone Layer
The earth’s ozone layer protects everything and everyone on this planet from harmful UV rays. Over the past 50 years, the ozone layer has been thinned and damaged by certain chemicals created and released by humans. To reduce that damage, Nova Scotia regulates the use of those chemicals. Find out more, including how we are participating with other provinces and government to protect the ozone at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/air/ozonelayer.asp

Mercury Dropping
In 2007, Nova Scotia implemented the national standard for mercury emissions from coal-fired electric power-generation plants. These regulations will reduce mercury emissions, improve air quality, protect Nova Scotians’ health, and safeguard the environment. For more information, click here: http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20070926003

Air Quality Health Index
The Air Quality Health Index monitors conditions across Canada: http://www.ec.gc.ca/cas-aqhi/default.asp?lang=En&n=CB0ADB16-1

LED Roadway Lighting

LED Roadway Lighting and its partner C-Vision have designed the world's most efficient LED street light. This innovative technology uses half the energy of the old while increasing public safety.

Government is working with LED Roadway Lighting to develop pilot and test facilities in Nova Scotia. This will provide energy savings to municipalities and reduce our province's overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Thanks to this innovation, LED Roadway Lighting and Nova Scotia are poised to be world-leaders in this exciting new technology. See it for yourself here.

CarShare

Why buy a car when what you really need is ride to the grocery store, a way to get to a meeting, or transportation for a day of errands? That’s the thinking behind CarShare HFX.

This locally owned company, the only one of its kind east of Montreal, gives people in the Halifax area all the convenience of having access to a car, without any of the hassles, costs, and headaches of owning one. You don’t even need a driveway. Members simply pay an annual fee to join, and can then reserve and use a car when needed for an hourly charge.

Car sharing services are intended to complement existing transit and transportation systems with the goal of reducing the dependency on individually owned motor vehicles. It has been estimated that each CarShareHFX vehicle will take 15 privately owned vehicles off the road.

Department of Environment plans to obtain a workplace membership with CarShareHFX in 2009. Find out more here: http://www.carsharehfx.ca/