Air Quality & Health Workshop 2023

The Long & Winding Road: The Evolution of Mobility – Challenges & Opportunities

The transportation sector is a major source of air pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, affecting our health and the health of the planet.

Over the past several decades, a variety of air quality management policies and initiatives have helped reduce traffic related air pollution, contributing to overall improvements in air quality in Canada. In response to the climate crisis, there has been a world-wide push to reduce GHG emissions from all sectors, including transportation. We are seeing a transition to electric vehicles, and initiatives to promote public transportation, active transportation, and micro-mobility.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2022

‘Gimme Shelter’ – Adapting the Indoor Environment to Reduce the Harmful Impacts of Climate Change

With a changing climate, many locations in Canada will see more extreme weather events. Heat events will become more frequent and more intense. The wildfire season is also expected to become longer with more frequent and severe fires.

The 2022 BC Lung Workshop will explore how the indoor environment can be used as an effective adaptation to the changing climate, particularly related to extreme heat and wildfire smoke. Organized annually, the event brings together air quality and environmental health experts and policymakers to share new insights regarding priority public health issues.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2021

Air Quality & the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Workshop will explore the latest research between air quality and COVID-19 including how air quality has been impacted across the globe, the impact on transmission and research on public policy and interventions.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2020

Environmental Justice of Air Quality in the Era of Citizen Science

Marginalized communities are often disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards in comparison with the overall population. In response, the environmental justice movement has evolved, with a focus on equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. The concept of environmental justice includes not only equal protection for all people under environmental laws, regulations, and policies, but also significant involvement of potentially impacted communities in environmental policy and natural resource development decisions.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2019

Wildfire Smoke: A Growing Threat to Air Quality and Public Health

This year’s theme focused on the current state of the evidence on wildfire smoke generation, composition, toxicity, exposure assessment, and health impacts. As well, we heard from speakers discuss wildfire smoke exposures in a changing climate, effective individual and community interventions to protect health, and critical evidence gaps.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2018

The Future of Air Quality Management for Improved Public Health

This year’s theme “The Future of Air Quality Management for Improved Public Health” focused on current and emerging issues in air quality management, including climate change, a changing public health burden and advances in atmospheric science. The workshop featured case studies on air quality management for both small and large cities locally and internationally.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2017

Policies and Interventions to Improve Air Quality & Health

The goal of this workshop was to present ideas, research, and case studies from international experts on the exposure, health, and economic impacts of air quality management strategies. Participants learned from the successes and challenges of previous air quality management efforts, while being challenged to consider new opportunities for improving air quality and health in the future.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2016

Air Quality Impact on Health: Beyond the Heart and Lungs

The goal of this workshop was to provide a state-of-the-art overview of the diversity of impacts through which air pollution affects population health, with an emphasis on recent research uncovering non-traditional impacts affecting the life course.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2015

The Future of Mobility, Air Quality, and Health

The movement of people and goods around cities, countries, and the planet impacts the health of populations via air pollution, physical activity, climate forcing and other pathways. New ideas and new technologies in transportation have the potential to bring about a paradigm shift over the coming decades, which could improve health at the global scale. This workshop will present ideas, research, and case studies from international experts who are challenging the status quo of mobility. Participants will be inspired to think about the possibilities while being challenged to consider what it would take to implement them.

Air Quality & Health Workshop 2014

Air Quality and Health Impacts of Energy Resource Extraction, Processing, and Transportation

The goal of this workshop was to provide a state-of-the-art overview of the evidence regarding air quality and related health impacts from energy resource production.