Residential and Individuals
As consumers - in our residence (home) and as individuals - we use energy, both directly and indirectly. The use of this energy has the by-product of creating air pollution that affects our air quality.
Direct Pollution Sources - Residential Energy Use
Residential sources of pollution are significant. For instance, residential wood heating is the greatest single source of particulate matter in Canada, and pollutants from thousands of vehicles on the road are responsible for air concerns such as smog. Residential air pollution comes from a variety of sources including:
- Wood Heating
- Transportation using the family car and recreational vehicles
- Lawn and Garden
- Heating using Fuel Oil Furnaces
- And many other sources which affect our indoor air quality.
Indirect Pollution Sources - Product and Service Consumption
As consumers, in what and how much we buy, we are the drivers and justification for all the industries that exist to support our needs and wants. As products are created and services provided, energy is used in each unique industrial process (e.g. manufacturing, refining, transportation), but also from the overarching industrial use of energy to run all of these facilities.
An important part of this consumption is our role in the Energy Life Cycle, and our demand for products such as electricity and fuel.
Individual choices made in the home have a cumulative impact on the air quality that we all experience.
