Canadians Breathe Easy

The WHO says Canada has the third-best air quality in the world (and we don't mean the English rock band).

The Greenpeace protesters at Parliament Hill today might tell you otherwise, but according to the World Health Organization, Canada has some of the cleanest air in the world. In its first Air Quality database, the WHO compared 1,100 cities in 91 countries to assess air pollution, and found that Canada had nine of the top 10 cleanest cities in the world. Canada also tied for third in overall air quality with Australia, trailing behind only Estonia and Mauritius. Still, a WHO scientist cautioned that roughly 2,400 Canadians die every year from air pollution, which can trigger respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Within Canada, Sarnia, Ont. was the most polluted, while Whitehorse, Nanaimo, and Frederiction were the cleanest, giving them something to brag about for the very first time.

Image courtesy of Reuters.