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Category Archives: Health

Who is supposed to pay for education & enforcement?

When people defend the use of wood stoves, they often say things like: “people just need to learn to burn […]

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Wood stoves triple PM2.5 inside homes

According to a recent article in the Guardian “Wood burners triple the level of harmful pollution particles inside homes and […]

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Take action this National Non-smoking Week

This week is “National Non-smoking Week” (January 15-21, 2021). While the focus is on cigarette smoking, it is a good […]

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Poor venting leads to build up of pollution

These images are from Monday morning from 2 different webcams in the valley. They clearly highlight what happens when people […]

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High healthcare costs of a single wood stove

A new study from the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research highlights the high healthcare impacts and costs of […]

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Clean Air Day 2020

Today is Clean Air Day in Canada. Fortunately, we have clean air in the Comox Valley right now as people […]

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Courtenay bans new installations

This week Courtenay Council passed a new bylaw banning the installation of wood stoves in new construction or in homes […]

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Record: Breathing always hard for some Comox Valley residents

The Comox Valley Record published a great story (March 30, 2020) on burning restrictions during COVID-19 and the impact of […]

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Globe opinion: To help flatten the curve, let’s clean our air

Three BC experts co-wrote an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail that highlights the impact on air pollution on […]

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Open Burning restrictions in response to COVID-19

There are different burn bans in our region to help protect people’s health during COVID-19 pandemic. As BC has noted in […]

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Letter to elected officials: Improve health outcomes by reducing burning

Breathe Clean Air sent this letter to local elected officials today. If you are concerned about the impacts of burning […]

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Lungs don’t care it is “just start-up smoke”

When industry rates wood stove emissions, the tests are not required to include the start-up smoke. And any bylaws that […]

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Healthier Home Video from Cowichan

Our fellow CVRD down island (Cowichan Valley Regional District) has produced this wonderful short video highlighting the benefits of switching […]

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This National Non-Smoking Week we need action on this 2nd hand smoke

This week, Breathe Clean Air circulated this image to elected officials, health organizations and others to highlight the huge source […]

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Check out our new ad!

Breathe Clean Air’s new 1/4 page ad highlights the health impacts of wood smoke pollution (see p. 38 of the […]

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Doctor speaks out about wood smoke

Wood smoke pollution is unfortunately plaguing many towns and cities worldwide. This opinion piece, “If we’re serious about improving the […]

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Students walk through smoke

Imagine the concern if this much cigarette smoke was part of the daily walk to and from school? These photos […]

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Use savings from reduced health impacts and costs to fund solutions

We know that air pollution like wood smoke creates a range of health issues, from mild, to severe, to even […]

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Wood heat is a massive source of PAHs

Although we often focus on the high amounts of harmful fine particulate matter in wood smoke, it is important to […]

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Air Pollution Particles Found in Placenta

Breathing in wood smoke impacts far more than our lungs. The fine particulates in the smoke cause inflammation and that […]

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What people hear when they get sick

Many people would express sympathy if you got sick from being exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke. They would understand the […]

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Non-Smokers dying of lung cancer

According to an article in the Guardian, a recent study shows that 1 in 6 people in the UK who […]

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For COPD patients: Biomass Smoke Likened to Risk Posed By Tobacco Smoke

According to the website, COPD News Today, “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who are exposed frequently to biomass smoke emitted […]

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NEW Brochure! Wood Smoke in the Comox Valley

Breathe Clean Air is please to announce the release of our new four-page brochure on wood smoke in the Comox […]

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National Non-Smoking Week

This week is National Non-Smoking Week. Although the focus is on getting people to stop smoking cigarettes, we know all […]

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FILM: Cost of Wood Heating

Breathe Clean Air is happy to launch a new film we had made about the cost of wood heating. The […]

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BC LUNG: “The toxic truth about wood smoke”

This article is from the BC Lung Association: Isn’t wood a source of renewable energy? A natural substance? A heat […]

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LETTER – Health policies regarding wood smoke need to be updated

The following is a Letter to the Editor from a local nursing student. It was published in the Comox Valley […]

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Worse than at least 18 diesel cars

Reducing fine particulate pollution from diesel vehicles has been the focus of many efforts to clean up our air. Emissions […]

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Why no advisory?

This morning we exceeded, for the first time this fall, the BC Air Quality Objective for a 24 hour period […]

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Decafnation: Comox Valley has a wood stove problem

Decafnation, wrote an article on wood smoke pollution in the Comox Valley after attending a recent talk by Jennell Ellis […]

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Vital Signs 2018: More people concerned about air quality

Earlier this week, the Comox Valley Community Foundation released its Vital Signs 2018 report.  One notable change since the last report […]

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Risk of dementia 70% higher in homes with wood stoves

Researchers at the Umea University in northern Sweden have studied air quality in homes where wood-fire stoves are used and […]

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Is wood heating climate change friendly?

Using wood for home heating is often touted as a climate change and environmentally friendly fuel. But is it?

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Videos from Public Forum on Air Quality

On March 14th, Breathe Clean Air hosted a public forum on air quality. Over 80 people attended, including a number […]

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Nursing students talk about air quality

On March 8th, two nursing students, Samantha DesRoches (left) and Emma Paul (right) set up at North Island College to share […]

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Public meeting on Air Quality in the Comox Valley

We are hosting a public meeting on Air Quality in the Comox Valley. The event will be Wednesday, March 14th, […]

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Was $2.5 million on wood stove exchange worth it?

Does focusing on getting people to switch to newer stoves work? Did it work after one town spent $2.5 million […]

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Smoke can put whole body into a state of systemic inflammation

An article in the National Observer, “Smoke from wildfires damages public health, B.C. scientist says, warning of future impacts” (Dec. […]

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Another Air Advisory issued (Dec. 11)

Another Air Advisory was issued this morning for the Comox Valley. This is our 3rd advisory so far this winter. Inversions are trapping air, […]

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Air Advisory issued Dec. 7th

An air advisory was issued on Dec. 7th for the Comox Valley. Please check your weather channels or websites to […]

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UPDATED: Air Quality Health Index not good assessment of risk

When our smoke levels go up, whether from wildfire smoke in the summer or residential wood burning in the winter, […]

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No safe level of exposure

A US study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that death rates among people over […]

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Air Quality Forum April 4th

There is an important AIR QUALITY FORUM in the Comox Valley on Tuesday, April 4th. This is an “Elected Officials […]

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Presentation to Cumberland Council (March 13)

This Monday night (March 13th), Earle Plain, our regional Air Quality Meteorologist, and Dr. Charmaine Enns, our Medical Health Officer, […]

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NEWS RELEASE on heart attacks and wood smoke study

Breathe Clean Air issued the following news release today about a health study done in Courtenay/Comox and two other communities […]

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On the Island interview: health impacts of air pollution

The following is a transcript of an interview by radio host Gregor Craigie with guest Dr. Paul Hasselback, a Medical […]

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Monitor location makes sense (letter to editor)

On Nov. 25th, the Comox Valley Echo reported on comments from CVRD Directors, Ken Grant and Larry Jangula (click on […]

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High Health Risk & Air Advisory Issued

Late at night, on November 17th, the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for the Comox Valley was set at a […]

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Wood smoke puts children at risk

The American Lung Association in California issued a news release on Nov. 1st which highlights the dangers of wood smoke to […]

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Local air quality featured on Shaw TV

Air quality was featured in Shaw TV’s September’s broadcast of “Judi’s Comox Valley Stories”. The 12 minute piece by Judi […]

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About Us

Breathe Clean Air Comox Valley was started by a group of citizens concerned about the health impacts of wood smoke in the Valley.

Our volunteers are from all three municipalities and other areas of CVRD.

We currently have no external funding to support our work. If you'd like to contribute, please use the "Support Our Work" button at the top of the page. Contributions will be used for copying, advertising, room rental and other expenses consistent with our vision.

 

Our Vision

All residents are be able to breathe clean air, in the Valley and in our neighbourhoods.

Comox Valley is celebrated for the cleanest air on Vancouver Island.

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If you'd like to get involved, or have any questions to ask or photos to share, please contact us.

Email: info@breathecleanair.ca

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