GINTA – We’re all guardians of our breathing space
File photo from smoky days of summer. (Image: Mel Rothenburger photo)
IF YOU HIKE to the top of Peterson Creek Park on any given day, more so on a cold one, you’ll see a blanket of yellowish, dirty air draped over the valley.
This is not new or unexpected. The surface inversion well-known to these parts increases the effects of air pollution. Whatever is released into that cold air trapped close to the surface, be it vehicle exhaust, mill emissions, or wood smoke, it all stagnates and makes our breathing air a lot worse than it should be.
There is no clear answer as to what is in the yellow plume. Winter smog is a terrible beast made worse by inversion phenomena, but knowing what we breathe in would be good. You can’t fix something if you don’t know where to start or how complex the issue.
Daniela Ginta is a mother, scientist, writer and blogger. She can be reached at daniela.ginta@gmail.com, or through her blog at http://www.thinkofclouds.com.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Ms. Ginta ; Driving in from Barriere today at 2;30 to-day,the 16th, from Vinsulla looking south.Kamloops was almost completely buried in smoke. On the way home if you looked left from the reserve area the smoke from the mills magic stack ascended thickly to about 500 feet ( metric?) and then nicely spread out and proceeded in an easterly direction .It is the major cause of air pollution in Kamloops,not idling,or the very odd older car or wood burning device.I have observed this many times. If you visit Los Angeles today there is no smog. 50 years ago you could,nt see more than a dozen blocks if there was a Santa Anna breeze. I speak from experience.Modern vehicles all have catalytic converters and are much more efficient .Heavy industry is the major problem.
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Implementing a tax on older vehicles like London is about to. Except it would target the ones who least can afford it. But perhaps they should be taking the bus. But taking the bus is not that easy nor convenient.
A complete ban on modified exhaust systems enforced by Bylaws, the RCMP and CVSE and a tax on vehicles larger than a certain amount…this one could work because it would target a more affluent group.
I wonder though how many people still use low-efficiency wood burning devices.
A bylaw against idling…it would at least send a “moral warnings” of sorts to the general population. Coupled with a strong anti-idling campaign with big bold signage in crucial places like malls, schools, arenas, etc.
I also wonder how much air pollution comes from industrial activities since Kamloops has little industry.
I also wonder if restrictions on how land can be developed should be implemented. Because when the vegetation cover is removed two things begin to happen. One is soil erosion due to winds which does contribute to bad air and secondly it sets off an almost immediate bloom of nuisance/noxious and invasive weeds.
Bad air is not part of a healthy living and it lessens quality of life. As Kamloops struggles to find itself at the top of the destination desirability list our leaders must start addressing these issues.
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