When Parliament resumes sitting April 16 after a two-week Easter break, its first order of business will be a vote on the Conservative government’s Clean Air Act, which has been greatly amended by the opposition parties. That’s the good news. It may also be good news that Harper may feel confident enough to test his legislation at the polls. If so, we’d better understand the issues.

It’s uncanny how two “former” climate-change deniers can use all their old anti-Kyoto arguments even as they claim to support the treaty. But the prevarication that worked three years ago didn’t work yesterday, and critics are roasting Baird and Harper.

Environment Minister John Baird announces the federal government’s plan to fight climate change and air pollution. Canadians may soon have to pay up to $200 to $300 more for a car, and $20 for various appliances.

There’s discussion that companies need to pay a higher price for their emissions if Canada intends on meeting their greenhouse gas goals.

“The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy said that in 2050 companies would have to pay up to C$270 (US$250) for each tonne of carbon dioxide to meet a goal of cutting greenhouse gases emissions by 65 percent of 2003 levels in 2050”.

A new report reveals that some contaminants in Toronto’s air are at dangerous levels, threatening our health. Dr. David McKeown, Toronto’s medical health officer, stresses the need for businesses to disclose what they release.

Alongside the launch of a new Air Quality Health Index is a right-to-know bylaw that forces Toronto businesses to reveal their polluting emissions.

This will make Toronto the first North American city that allows the public to know what they are breathing in and where the pollutants are coming from.

A survey conducted by China and the World Bank estimates that air and water pollution have caused about 460,000 premature deaths each year. Despite growing public concerns, the country has failed to meet its targets.

“Thousands of Ontario residents would get sick, and many would die, if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency goes ahead with relaxed new emission rules for coal-fuelled generating stations, the province complained yesterday.”

“China’s top coal producing province has offered rewards of up to 2 million yuan ($263,800) to cities dropping off a list of the country’s 10 worst polluters, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.”

“Ontarians are living in a toxic soup that’s increasing our risk of getting cancer and it’s high time the government takes steps to obliterate this environmental threat, a coalition of health and labour groups says.”

Ontario does not have a strategy to reduce the amounts of these toxins that we breath in, consume, and come in contact with.