What's Wrong With The Air?

Contributing Factors:

Vehicles in Whitehorse 1995

• There are a total of 17,232 vehicles in Whitehorse.
• Whitehorse accounts for 83.6% of all vehicles in Yukon.
• There are 1.2 vehicles for every driver in Whitehorse.
• Newer vehicles, if well maintained, release far less CO and NO2 than do older, poorly-maintained vehicles. A recent study in Ontario concluded that about 50 per cent of total vehicle emissions may be produced by about 10 per cent of the province's vehicles.

Heating with Fuelwood

Wood burning for home heating influences air quality. In general, the Yukon burns a higher percentage of wood per capita than other jurisdictions in Canada. It is estimated that 64 per cent of the 5,040 households in Whitehorse use wood heat.

Number of wood stoves installed 1979 to 1994

The number of wood heating appliances increased by 85 per cent from 1979 to 1982. The peak of 563 new wood stoves in 1982 resulted from a Yukon grant program aimed at reducing use of fossil fuels.

As well, fuelwood harvesting has an environmental impact on areas surrounding Whitehorse. Based on an annual estimate of five cords of wood for each wood-burning appliance, approximately 16,000 cords of wood are used each year in Whitehorse. As the Takhini Burn wood supply diminished, fuelwood close to the city became scarce. This has forced domestic and commercial cutters to drive further for wood supplies. It has also resulted in the overuse of the few remaining wood-cutting areas close to the city. The Long Lake area has been particularly affected by wood cutting with a proliferation of bush roads causing damage to new tree growth.