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Clean air is colourless and odorless - and hard to notice unless it's missing.
Clean air is polluted when small particulates and toxic gases become present. The contaminants originate from natural and human sources and are largely invisible to the naked eye.
Air quality declines as greater numbers of contaminants assemble and combine. Polluted enough, air can become visible as haze, contribute to ill health in humans and damage crops, natural vegetation and buildings.
Air quality in the Greater Vancouver region is better than in many larger urbanized areas but it's under heavy assault, especially as our human and automobile populations continue to grow. Human activity - led by vehicle use - is largely responsible for the most numerous and worrisome air emissions in our airshed.
In the early 1990s, Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) residents determined that protecting air quality was one of the most important issues in this region. Since then, several aspects of a phased air quality management plan have been successfully implemented by the GVRD, and air quality has improved.
We're committed to day-to-day actions and longer-term strategies to protect air quality across the Lower Fraser Valley. We're also committed to building partnerships with residents, communities, governments and other stakeholders to address local and global air quality issues as they arise and evolve.
Making the air cleaner - and keeping it clean - is an ongoing priority for everyone who breathes. This document contributes to continuing improvements by encouraging wider understanding of air quality issues in the Lower Fraser Valley Airshed, and greater awareness of ways the region's residents can contribute to cleaner air.
GVRD, 1998
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