Pollution in the Okanagan Valley is high. With its Go Green campaign, the city of Kelowna is trying to reduce air pollution by restricting the use of cars through car pooling, the use of public transportation, and the use of bicycles.

They are also attempting to reduce smoke by promoting "high tech" non-polluting wood-burning stoves as an alternative to the use of BC Gas heating and the escalating costs of BC Gas.

The provincial government has just issued 22 permits to allow beehive burners to continue to pollute.

Perhaps the BCMJ could promote a Go Green campaign for a clean environment and the BCMA could lobby government to condemn beehive burners and stop all slash burning. I’m sure all people with acute and chronic respiratory disorders would welcome clean air.

—Sterling Haynes, MD
Member of Kelowna’s Go Green committee

You’ll be glad to know that the BCMA is actively lobbying government to promote improved air quality in BC. The Council on Health Promotion’s Environmental Health Committee is lobbying to have beehive burners shut down through its Subcommittee on Air Quality (chaired by Dr David Bates). The BCMA has also joined forces with the David Suzuki Foundation to raise awareness of the dangers of air pollution and climate change. For three recent BCMJ items on this subject, see 2000;42(5):224, 2000;42(10):466, and 2001;43(2):94.

—Ed