The Health of Our Air: Toward sustainable agriculture in Canada

Compiled and edited by:
H.H. Janzen
R.L. Desjardins
J.M.R. Asselin, and
B. Grace

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

• Importance of atmospheric health
• Our changing atmosphere
• Objectives of this report
• Scope of this report
• Reading this report

CANADIAN AGRICULTURE AND GREENHOUSE GASES

• A glance at Canadian agriculture
• The greenhouse effect
• Commitments to reduce emissions
• Estimates of emissions
• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous oxide
• Combined effect of the three greenhouse gases
• Uncertainties in current estimates
• Techniques to minimize emission of greenhouse gases
• Reducing carbon dioxide emissions
• Reducing methane emissions
• Reducing nitrous oxide emissions
• Putting it all together
• Other effects of practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions

OZONE

• Source of ground level ozone
• Effect of ozone on plants
• Ozone exposure and absorption by crops
• Measuring plant response to ozone
• Examples of crop response to ozone
• Environmental interactions

OTHER LINKS BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND THE ATMOSPHERE

• Ammonia
• Background
• Agricultural sources of ammonia
• Reducing ammonia emissions

• Other odours
• Nitrogen oxides
• Aerosols
• Ultraviolet radiation
• Background
• Effect of ultraviolet radiation on crops

• Pesticides

CONCLUSIONS

• Current status
• Opportunities to reduce emissions
• Future challenges
• Remaining questions

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SELECTED READINGS

• Acknowledgments
• Appendix