Air Pollution

Ponder impact of car

Toronto Star, Oct. 3, 2005

Provinces ponder tobacco lawsuits

Oct. 1.

If Premier Dalton McGuinty considers that both the health and financial costs of smoking are very important, he should seriously keep his options open to the horrendous health, economic and social costs of automobile traffic.

Why does he not ponder a lawsuit against the automobile industry whose product is responsible for 77 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from road transportation, of the 34 percent of all modes of transportation? Ground level smog has contributed to an estimated 5,800 premature deaths in 2005.

Is it because both the federal and provincial governments continue to invest in and subsidize the automobile industry, totally disregarding the health and economic costs? McGuinty's government committed $435 million to General Motors alone in March 2005, with an additional $500 million auto-sector investment fund to attract other automakers.

Before mulling over any lawsuits against an industry that has a singular effect on health and the economy, McGuinty should call a spade a spade and seriously consider the impact the automobile has inflicted on society. The role the government has played in subsidizing and facilitating automobile traffic, has contributed to car dependency.

If McGuinty is so concerned about our health and quality of life, he should divert his options and invest instead in sustainable modes of transportation.

Lela Gary,
Air Pollution Coalition, Toronto