As Canadians face increasingly intense and frequent heat waves, health, education and legal experts are sounding the alarm on a growing crisis: extreme heat in schools and child care settings due to the escalating effects of climate change.
Amid Government of Canada warnings of near record heat ahead in 2025, the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) and the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) say Canada’s schools and child care facilities are ill-prepared and children are paying the price.
Released in parallel by CPCHE and CELA are detailed analyses and a call for immediate, coordinated efforts to safeguard children’s health, well-being, and learning in schools and child care settings across the country.
CPCHE’s summary of evidence and Collective Call for Action, signed by CPCHE and 40 partners and collaborators, including CELA, is complemented by twin CELA reports elaborating on the need for climate-resilient infrastructure.
“Experts nationwide representing a wide range of disciplines call on all levels of government to respond with urgency,” says CPCHE Executive Director Erica Phipps. “The climate crisis is already reshaping childhood in Canada. Whether children are learning in settings that nurture or harm them depends on decisions made today.”
“This isn’t just about comfort. It’s about protecting the health, safety, and future of every child in Canada.”
Children are especially at risk
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) predicts heat in 2025 will approach 2024 levels, the hottest on record. While models suggest 2025 may be slightly cooler than last year, it is virtually certain (>99% chance) to be hotter than every previous year.
The physical risks of extreme heat include heat stroke, exhaustion, rashes, and other related illnesses that can strike quickly.
CPCHE’s nationwide Call for Action says children are particularly vulnerable to these serious health hazards because:
- A child’s body produces more heat during activity and has a lower capacity to cool down through sweating than an adult’s
- They dehydrate faster than adults, and
- Young children may struggle to communicate feelings of overheating, placing great responsibility on caregivers and educators.
Children with disabilities or chronic health issues such as asthma, heart conditions, kidney problems, and mental or physical disabilities are especially susceptible. Research shows that even temperatures not deemed “extreme” can drive up emergency room visits for kids.
Meanwhile, the impacts go beyond physical. Hot classrooms can impair attention, memory, and emotional regulation, making it harder for students to learn. Studies link elevated temperatures to irritability, poor sleep, absenteeism, and reduced academic performance.
One U.S. study estimated that, without air conditioning, a 1°F (0.5°C) increase in temperature over a school year led to a 1% decline in learning. Another estimated a 4.5% reduction in student performance on a high school exam taken on a 32.2°C day relative to a 21.1°C day.
Heat deepens inequities
The CPCHE Collective Call for Action and CELA’s research underscore a troubling reality: extreme heat amplifies social inequities.
“Children in under-resourced and under-served communities often live in areas with less green space, denser housing, and limited access to cooling at home or school,” says CELA Counsel Jacqueline Wilson. “Many attend schools without air conditioning or outdoor shade — conditions that turn already hot days into dangerous ones. Indigenous children, in particular, face additional layers of vulnerability due to systemic underfunding of infrastructure on First Nations lands, including education and child care facilities.”
Without targeted investment, Canada risks leaving thousands of children in dangerously overheated classrooms and child care facilities, where the stakes are not just academic, but a matter of health, safety, and justice.
Overheated classrooms and playgrounds: A national problem
Communities all across Canada are seeing an increase in the number of extreme heat events. The number of days above 30°C is expected to double or triple in some parts of Canada by 2050 due to climate change.
CPCHE underlines that Canada’s educational infrastructure is lagging behind the changing climate, noting media reports that few schools in Quebec and Nova Scotia have air-conditioned classrooms. Similar reports suggest that less than a third of schools in Toronto have central air; in Winnipeg, dozens of facilities operate without any cooling systems at all.
Indoor temperatures during heat events can soar well beyond the recommended maximum for residential settings — of 26°C — an upper limit based on adult tolerances, not children’s. Overheated classrooms may discourage school attendance, disrupting education and deny refuge to students whose homes also lack air conditioning.
Pavement and other artificial surfaces can trap heat in playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces, pushing surface temperatures to dangerous levels. In an Arizona study, school playgrounds were the hottest spots measured. Shade is too often a luxury — more available in affluent schools than in lower-income areas. The increasing use of artificial turf is eclipsing the heat resilience offered by grass and vegetation, while posing additional health risks associated with toxic chemicals and microplastics.
The CELA reports stress that the crisis is especially acute in First Nations communities, where chronic underfunding has left housing, child care centres, and schools ill-equipped to withstand extreme weather. Indigenous children face disproportionate exposure to poor air quality, wildfire smoke, and extreme heat, raising serious environmental justice concerns.
Blueprint for safer, cooler learning environments
CPCHE, CELA and partners lay out a detailed action plan to adapt Canada’s schools and child care settings to extreme heat. Central to the plan is adopting a maximum indoor temperature standard of 26°C. This threshold, they argue, must be supported with real investment—especially in under-resourced communities.
Key recommendations include:
- Mechanical cooling systems: Schools and child care centres must install or upgrade HVAC systems and ensure that indoor spaces can maintain a maximum temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, prioritizing low-energy and zero-carbon technologies like heat pumps.
- Building retrofits: Investments should go beyond cooling. Retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency—through improved insulation, cool roofing, and energy efficient ventilation—will also help reduce emissions and energy costs.
- Passive and behavioural measures: From window shading to turning off heat-generating electronics, simple strategies can help manage indoor temperatures. But schools and child care programs need guidance, training, and resources to implement them effectively.
- Greener outdoor spaces: More trees, natural ground cover, and shade structures are essential. CPCHE also recommends restricting dark pavement and banning the use of artificial turf due to its heat-trapping and environmental and health risks.
- Data collection and monitoring: Better data on indoor temperatures and impacts of heat on student health is needed to inform heat mitigation strategies. Temperature monitoring should be standard, and heat response plans must be in place and clearly communicated.
The CELA reports underline a finding by Statistics Canada that much of the country’s educational infrastructure is over 15 years old, with many facilities nearing the end of their usable lifespan. In Toronto, for example, the average public school is over 60 years old, and fewer than one-third have central air conditioning.
They also cite the Assembly of First Nations to point out that current federal funding only meets about 23% of the capital needs of Indigenous schools. The result: overcrowded classrooms, outdated facilities, and, in many cases, schools unfit to provide safe and healthy learning environments during extreme heat. At least 202 First Nations schools require expansions, and 56 need complete replacement, a situation that requires the Federal Government’s co-development of strategies with First Nations to promote climate resiliency, including extreme heat, in First Nations schools and child care facilities.
Comments
“The harmful physiological effects of indoor overheating have been well researched. Emerging evidence is reinforcing the message that prolonged exposure to indoor temperatures greater than 26°C should be avoided to protect people susceptible to heat. Children, the elderly, and individuals with chronic health conditions are particularly vulnerable.”
- Dr. Glen Kenny, Director, Human and Environmental Physiology Unit, University of Ottawa
“Parents and families across Canada are sounding the alarm about the effects of the climate crisis on their children, including the rising incidence of extreme heat. We enthusiastically endorse this collective Call for Action because it sets forth a holistic and equity-focused strategy for action—one that puts children first. That means involving communities in planning, and prioritizing those disproportionately impacted by extreme heat not only in their schools and child care settings, but also in their homes and neighbourhoods. Our collective vision is for solutions that don’t just cool educational settings, but build greener, more resilient environments for all.”
- Anne Keary, For Our Kids
“Climate change, including escalating extreme heat events, poses real threats to children’s physical and mental health. With a mandate for cross-sectoral collaboration to reduce exposure to health hazards and improve health equity, local public health agencies are well-positioned to work with school boards, child care providers and other community partners to ensure educational settings are equipped with heat-health protective infrastructure to reduce climate risks for children in the face of a rapidly warming planet.”
- Helen Doyle, Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) member, and Chair, Environmental Health Workgroup, Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA)
“The benefits of outdoor play and learning for children’s social, emotional and cognitive development are undisputed. Simply put, children thrive when they have ample time outdoors. Without proactive measures now to create heat-resilient outdoor play and learning settings, climate change will take an even greater toll on our children and their futures. This collective Call for Action outlines the path forward to climate-resilient learning environments for all children, both indoors and out.”
- Louise de Lannoy, Executive Director, Outdoor Play Canada
* * * * *
Signatories to the Call to Action are organizations devoted to public health, environmental protection, climate action, legal aid, social justice, education, early learning and child care, occupational health and safety, and parent advocacy:
- Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE)
- Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)*
- Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)*
- Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment (CANE)*
- Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF)*
- Center for Environmental Health Equity (CEHE)*
- Environmental Health Clinic at Women’s College Hospital*
- Little Things Matter**
- Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA)*
- Pollution Probe*
- Prenatal Environmental Health Education (PEHE) Collaboration**
- Andrew Fleck Children’s Services
- Association of Early Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador (AECENL)
- Association of Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia (AECENS)
- BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH)
- Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE)
- Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors – Ontario Branch (CIPHI-O)
- Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA)
- Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Toronto (CCL-T)
- Clean Air Partnership
- Climate Action for Lifelong Learners (CALL)
- Climate Emergency Unit
- Climate Legacy
- EcoSchools
- Efficiency Canada
- Environmental Defence
- Environmental Education Ontario
- First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society
- For Our Kids
- Green Communities Canada
- Health Providers Against Poverty (HPAP)
- Just Futures Kingston
- Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN)
- New Brunswick Lung
- Outdoor Play Canada
- Prevent Cancer Now
- Seniors for Climate Action Now!
- Take Me Outside
- The CHANGE Research Lab
- The Climate Reality Project Canada
- Windfall Ecology Centre
* * * * *
News release in full: click here
Example coverage:
The Toronto Star, Canada, in print (pg A8), online here, and online at five sister newspapers: (Hamilton Spectator, Waterloo Region Record, St. Catharines Standard, Peterborough Examiner, Welland Tribune)
Full coverage summary, click here
]]>
On Healthy Environments for Learning Day, environmental and child health advocates cite growing concern about indoor air quality in educational settings; Prominent national institutions issue urgent call for government action
The COVID-19 pandemic, smoke from raging wildfires, and extreme heat waves have intensified concerns among child health and environmental law experts about inadequate air quality in schools and child care settings.
With these and related problems on the rise, “it is imperative that governments and policymakers prioritize indoor air quality support programs” tailored to indoor spaces used by kids, according to a report published today by the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) and the Canadian Environmental Law Association.
The report, which helps to mark this year’s national Healthy Environments for Learning Day (April 25), says the risk to children of harm from poor indoor air quality is higher than that of adults because:
- Child respiratory systems are still developing, making them more susceptible to the harmful effects of dust, mould, chemicals and other pollutants
- Children breathe at a faster rate, inhaling a greater volume of air relative to body weight, exacerbating harmful health effects from pollution, and
- Children often engage in physical activities that lead to deeper and more frequent breathing, enhance exposure to air pollutants
The report includes a nationwide scan of government responsibilities, actions, and indoor air quality (IAQ) funding programs.
Says CPCHE Executive Director Erica Phipps: “Despite significant legal authority at federal and provincial/territorial levels, our findings reveal a concerning lack of targeted support programs, inadequate resource allocation, and a failure to incorporate equity considerations into IAQ support programs.”
“We would like to see the federal and provincial governments build on existing legislation by introducing legally enforceable standards to ensure accountability and consistency in indoor air quality management practices across education settings,” says Theresa McClenaghan, Executive Director and Counsel Canadian Environmental Law Association.
“This would align with current efforts to implement a Right to Healthy Environment for every person in Canada, and ensure protection for children in the places they learn.”
While general IAQ guidance is widely available, it lacks specifics for educational and child care settings. And targeted funding and technical assistance for IAQ improvements in spaces that kids use most are likewise inadequate.
Meanwhile, “the absence of dedicated resources for child care facilities exacerbates equity issues, particularly for underresourced and socio-economically marginalized communities that may be more reliant on unlicensed and/or home-based child care services due to factors such as affordability and accessibility,” the report says.
“The lack of targeted initiatives for Indigenous communities is particularly troubling due to disproportionate IAQ challenges resulting from the ongoing impacts of colonialism, including aging infrastructure and historical underfunding. This perpetuates health disparities and environmental injustices within these communities.”
The report highlights Shannen’s Dream, a child and youth-led movement named in honour of Shannen Koostachin from Attawapiskat First Nation and her dream of “safe and comfy” schools and culturally-based education for all First Nations children. Since 2011, April 27 has been known as Shannen’s Dream Day of Action.
Wildfires, floods and other indoor air quality problems
The severe, record-setting wildfire season in 2023 prompted school boards across Canada to limit outdoor activities due to harmful airborne particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and other air quality related problems. These pollutants can cause respiratory issues and exacerbate conditions like asthma. Beginning in May, and throughout this year’s spring and summer, above average wildfire severity is again forecast for large parts of Canada (https://bit.ly/4aQyGfw).
Similarly, climate change-induced flooding can cause water damage and mould growth in school and child care facilities, further compromising IAQ and posing health risks.
Meanwhile, many schools and child care settings are ill-equipped for adequate cooling during severe heat events.
Unfortunately, if IAQ is subpar, keeping children indoors may not effectively safeguard their well-being.
Other sources of IAQ problems include radon gas, disinfectants and sanitizing cleaning supplies, diesel school bus fumes, chemicals used in science classes,pools and during renovations, and products used for arts and crafts, such as paints, glues and others that emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
General guidelines exist on topics including radon, mould, VOCs, outdoor pollutants, ventilation, and overall IAQ. Furthermore, the federal government offers numerous general guidance documents on residential IAQ, covering a range of pollutants.
However, the nationwide environmental scan uncovered a single, 20-year-old federal guidance document specifically addressing IAQ in schools and child care facilities. (Health Canada is, however, developing guidance for indoor air quality in schools and child care settings, anticipated to be released as a draft for public consultation in late-2024.)
At the provincial/territorial level, only general IAQ guidance is provided, except in Quebec, which has created five school-specific guidance documents, covering the following topics:
- prevention and intervention on air quality in schools;
- maintenance of ventilation systems in schools, including information on responsibilities and good practices;
- managing mould growth in schools;
- good practices for managing natural ventilation in classrooms, and;
- pesticide application in daycares and schools.
The lack of specificity elsewhere “may inadvertently lead to schools and child care facilities not being adequately informed or engaged,” according to the report.
Additionally, it notes that the absence of guidance and programs specific to home child care may be, “amplifying equity challenges for under-resourced and socio-economically marginalized individuals and communities who may be more reliant on these services due to their affordability and accessibility.”
The report identifies several areas of need, including:
- Tailored IAQ guidance and support programs for schools and child care settings
- Targeted funding for IAQ improvements in educational settings, with prioritized funding streams for under-resourced and disproportionately exposed communities
- Expanded technical assistance and outreach programs, and
- Sustainable resource allocation to ensure ongoing maintenance and improvement over time
- Legally enforceable standards and requirements in clear, binding regulations to ensure accountability and consistency in IAQ management practices across educational settings
In a collective call to action (in full at https://bit.ly/3Qd92cW), CPCHE, with its 10 partners and many affiliates and collaborators, “urgently calls upon all levels of government to take immediate and decisive action to attain and sustain healthy air quality in all educational settings,” offering four recommendations:
- Develop indoor air quality guidance and guidelines specific to educational settings, coupled with sustained funding, technical assistance and training, to support schools and child care programs in reducing sources of pollution, ensuring adequate ventilation and filtration, and undertaking routine assessment, monitoring and maintenance.
- Ensure transparent, timely communications and effective outreach so that all schools and child care settings have equitable access to funding opportunities and capacity to act on indoor air quality guidelines and guidance.
- Prioritize investment in healthy indoor air quality in schools and child care settings in communities facing environmental injustice as a targeted and tangible strategy to improve health equity and recognize every child’s right to a healthy environment.
- Take decisive action to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals in educational settings, prevent air pollution, both indoors and out, and embrace bold action to mitigate climate change that directly contributes to wildfire smoke, extreme heat and flood-related health risks.
Adds the report: “IAQ support funding at the provincial/territorial level is typically integrated into annual school budget grants. However, these funds lack explicit earmarking for IAQ enhancements, requiring schools to prioritize such initiatives amidst competing budgetary demands.”
“This poses a significant challenge, especially for schools in rural and remote areas with limited budgets due to factors like lower student enrollment or a lack of external fundraising.”
As well, despite federal jurisdiction over IAQ in schools and child care facilities on First Nation reserves, “our scan found limited targeted guidance documents, funding streams, or technical assistance programs tailored for these settings. This gap is particularly concerning given the IAQ challenges faced by many on-reserve communities.”
“For example, a recent study in remote northwestern Ontario found that 21% of Indigenous children in four First Nations communities had been hospitalized for respiratory infections before reaching age 2, highlighting their heightened vulnerability to the adverse health effects of poor IAQ in schools and child care settings. Elevated air pollutant levels in many homes further emphasize the necessity for targeted support, particularly when homes additionally serve as child care settings.”
Video: CPCHE National Speakers Series
A national speakers’ series, organized by CPCHE in the lead-up to Healthy Environments for Learning Day, featured leading scientific and community experts on key IAQ issues of special concern in schools and child care settings.
- Dr. Eric Coker, Senior Scientist, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Environmental Health Services program, Dr. Katie Hayes, Senior Policy Analyst at Health Canada’s Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, and Jacqueline Wilson, counsel at the Canadian Environmental Law Association, discuss child health risks due to climate change, including wildfire smoke’s impact on indoor environmental quality, and mental health-related impacts, including those caused by extreme heat.
Click here: https://bit.ly/3W19lv1
B) Simon Fraser University Prof. Bruce Lanphear, MD, MPH, discusses the impacts of toxins on children’s health, including the impact of low dose exposure to toxins on brain development, learning, and behaviour.
And University of British Columbia Prof. Chris Carlsten, MD, MPH, shares his findings on air pollution-related health effects, with a focus on diesel exhaust and brain function.
Click here: https://bit.ly/4b3Qggd
C) Prof. Jeffrey Siegel, Ph.D, University of Toronto, discusses healthy and sustainable buildings, ventilation and indoor air quality, including the effectiveness of air filtration.
Click here: https://bit.ly/4aUBUz
D) Kelley Bush, Manager, Health Canada’s National Radon Outreach Program, Jim Sinnott, Director, Facilities & Custodial Management of Newfoundland Schools, Greg Baytalan, Specialist Environmental Health Officer, BC’s Interior Health Authority, and Elise Azar, PEI Public School Safety Consultant, discuss the health risks and what can be done to protect children and staff in schools and child care settings from radon, a cancer-causing indoor air contaminant.
Click here: https://bit.ly/446C6Zx
* * * * *
About
CPCHE
The Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) is a national collaboration of organizations working together since 2001 to advance children’s environmental health in Canada. CPCHE’s partner and affiliate organizations have expertise in clinical and public health, environmental protection, law and policy, child care, education, disability advocacy, and health equity. CPCHE’s aim is to increase awareness and catalyze action to ensure that all children in Canada have healthy environments in which to live, learn, play and grow. www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca
About HELD
Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) is a key initiative of CPCHE. HELD, formerly Healthy Schools Day, takes place each April in Canada and aims to raise awareness of and encourage action to prevent environmental health risks to children in early learning and school environments.
www.healthyenvironmentsforkids.ca/held
About CELA
Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) is a legal aid clinic dedicated to environmental equity, justice, and health. Founded in 1970, CELA is one of the oldest advocates for environmental protection in the country. With funding from Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), CELA provides free legal services relating to environmental justice in Ontario, including representing low-income and vulnerable or disadvantaged communities in litigation. CELA also works on environmental legal education and reform initiatives.
Coverage:
The Toronto Star, “Canada needs to improve indoor air quality for kids as an early wildfire season looms, advocates say,” click here
Full coverage summary, click here
News release in full, click here
]]>Health and environmental advocates today called on communities, school boards and governments at every level to accelerate the electrification of school buses, replacing tens of thousands of diesel-powered school buses spewing toxic fumes that can seriously harm child health and interfere with learning.
Led by the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE), a coalition of 34 organisations made the goal of all-electric school bus fleets in Canada the central focus of this year’s national Healthy Environments for Learning Day (April 27).
The joint call for urgent action by relevant decision-makers nationwide (in full at https://bit.ly/41xOBes)closely follows the publication in January of new scientific evidence from British Columbia that even “brief diesel exhaust exposure acutely impairs functional brain connectivity” (http://bit.ly/3zFhHMr). While adult subjects were studied, the new research raises further concerns about impaired brain function and learning ability of children breathing diesel fumes.
Other research has warned that diesel exhaust may impede child neurodevelopment, spatial learning, attention and memory, and contributes to a myriad other physical and mental health problems (detailed below), as well as climate change.
“Faced with the existential threat posed by climate change and mounting scientific evidence of the harm to children caused by traffic-related air pollution, including diesel exhaust, more comprehensive and urgent action is needed to bring electric school bus transportation to all communities across Canada,” the declaration says.
It underlines that “electric school buses are a viable solution that eliminates diesel bus emissions and exemplifies local action on climate change.”
The majority of Canada’s 50,000 school buses use diesel fuel. Each year, school buses make 792 million trips to carry roughly 2.2 million children to and from school.
Says CPCHE Executive Director Erica Phipps: “Buses operating close to schools mean that all children, not just those riding the buses, can be exposed to and affected by diesel exhaust.”
“The financial savings achieved over time by switching to cleaner, more sustainable school transportation more than make up for the initial cost of an electric bus. By switching to electric school buses, we can help our children thrive physically and intellectually while protecting the environment for generations to come with a tangible, visible action on climate change.”
CPCHE and its collaborators today called on all levels of government to:
- Accelerate the shift to all electric school bus fleets across Canada, through policy and funding measures that support electric bus procurement, operation and infrastructure
- Prioritise electric school bus adoption in communities facing disproportionate exposure to traffic-related air pollution
- Promote and celebrate the electric school bus as a way for children, families and communities to learn about and participate in climate action through the transition to zero-emission transportation in Canada
Says Dr. Phipps: “Given what we know about the child health effects of diesel exhaust and the risks posed by climate change, switching to an all electric school bus fleet should be an obvious choice nationwide to protect the health of children, now and into the future.”
Along with the call for government action, the campaign is promoting videos and other educational resources to catalyse and inform local efforts to support the shift.
“The iconic yellow school bus transitioning to electric is a symbol of active hope,” Dr. Phipps says. “It is an opportunity for students, educators and local communities to learn about and engage in a tangible action to protect the health of our children and the planet.”
A litany of child health consequences
The World Health Organization has recognized diesel exhaust as a human carcinogen. And Health Canada’s Human Health Risk Assessment concludes that exposure to diesel exhaust causes lung cancer and is linked to bladder cancer.
Health Canada has also documented a link between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and certain types of cancer including childhood leukemia and, in adults, breast cancer.
Acute and chronic exposures to diesel exhaust are linked to various harms including reduced lung function, inflammation of the airways, the risk of child asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, increased sensitivity to allergens, heart disease, arrhythmia, ischemia and myocardial infarction.
Toxicological research on diesel exhaust has also shown potential links to reproductive and developmental effects, and altered hormone levels and gene expression.
Today’s declaration notes that children are more vulnerable than adults to the health effects of air pollution, including diesel exhaust, “because their bodies are growing, their lungs are developing and because they breathe in more air per kilogram of body weight.”
Furthermore, “while Canadian data are limited, research shows that children in Canada who experience poverty, racialization and other forms of marginalization are often at greater risk because of disproportionate exposure to traffic-related air pollution.”
Researchers have concluded that prenatal and early life exposures to traffic-related air pollution are likely implicated in autism spectrum disorder. Researchers have also found associations between TRAP and deficits in intelligence, memory, attention and behaviour, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Furthermore, children can experience indirect barriers to learning as an impact of diesel exhaust. Asthma, for example, is the leading cause of school absenteeism and diesel emissions contribute to thousands of asthma symptom days and child acute bronchitis episodes across Canada every year.
Studies also show that substantial reductions in diesel emissions from school buses can contribute to decreases in childhood bronchitis and asthma cases, and lower diesel exposure may improve cognitive functioning.
Electric vs. diesel-powered buses:
While child health protection and climate action are clear benefits, initial challenges of shifting to electric school bus transportation can include the upfront costs of electric school bus models, the costs of charging stations and training for drivers and maintenance staff, and the shorter range of electric buses (though evolving battery technology is shrinking this difference with diesel vehicles). While reliable operation in extreme cold weather is an often-cited concern, leading manufacturers of electric school buses guarantee their vehicles for operation in such conditions.
Further comments
“In addition to reducing impacts to human health and the environment, electrification of Canada’s school bus fleet would also deliver deep reductions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), making a significant contribution to the fight against climate change. Transitioning to electric school buses also promises to generate substantial economic development opportunities for our country’s manufacturing sector in areas such as battery manufacturing and the provision of charging equipment. Pollution Probe urges federal and provincial governments to immediately catalyse the transition to electric school buses across Canada. The health of our children and the threat of the climate emergency demand this action.”
- Christopher Hilkene, Chief Executive Officer, Pollution Probe
“There is an urgent need for the transition from diesel to electric school buses, and we are so encouraged to see the positive momentum across the country for this change. The HELD campaign is playing a significant role in raising awareness and engaging communities around children’s health. We are proud to support this campaign as part of our coordinated efforts to reach 100% electric school buses in Canada by 2040 or earlier.”
- Nicole Roach and Valérie Tremblay, Co-Coordinators, Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance
“As a physician and a mother, I am deeply concerned about the number of diesel powered school buses that still drive the streets of our neighbourhoods, while emitting harmful emissions and compromising the health of our children today and in the future. The evidence is clear – it’s time to shift to electric school buses as part of a broader strategy to reduce the health harms of air pollution and improve community well-being.”
- Dr. Samantha Green, CAPE Board Member and CAPE TRAP Report reviewer
“For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution. A growing body of evidence, however, points to a connection between air pollution and cognition.”
- Dr. Chris Carlsten, professor and head of respiratory medicine, and Canada Research Chair in occupational and environmental lung disease, University of British Columbia
“We are pleased to be a part of this campaign to replace diesel school buses with electric ones as a way to protect the health of children while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Diesel is a significant source of traffic-related air pollution. With Health Canada linking 170,000 asthma days and 3,000 child acute bronchitis episodes to diesel every year, the evidence to act is clear. Electric school buses will help reduce harms to those most vulnerable including children and those living in neighbourhoods nearest to high traffic areas.”
- John Atkinson, Executive Director, Ontario Public Health Association
“As a parent of two, I am increasingly concerned about the air my children breathe. Here in Western Canada, we have experienced devastating wildfire seasons where the air is thick with smoke. Some days in Calgary, we experience pollution hanging low over the city. We must recognize the impact of air quality on our children’s health and well-being. Electric buses provide a cleaner mode of transportation, emitting no harmful pollutants. They make the air safer for all – pedestrians, boarders, and bikers – and are a critical health and climate solution we can deploy now. Parents in our network are proud to be part of this initiative, and we will do what we can to achieve the goal of having all-electric school buses by 2040.”
- Claire Kraatz with the For Our Kids Alberta team
By the numbers
0.2%: percentage of electric model school bus sales in Canada
65%: Estimated battery pack price drop, 2018 to 2030
$2.75 billion: Total federal investments over five years beginning in 2021 to support the transition of public transit and school buses to zero emission vehicles
90: Tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by a diesel school bus over its 12-year expected lifespan, equal to the greenhouse gas emissions of 23 passenger vehicles in that same time
0: Safe level for exposure to particulate matter and some other diesel exhaust contaminants
2,200,000: Estimated acute respiratory symptom days caused by diesel emissions, all Canadians every year
170,000: Estimated asthma symptom days caused by diesel emissions in Canada every year
3,000: Estimated child acute bronchitis episodes caused by diesel emissions in Canada every year
262,000+: new jobs expected in the clean transport industry by 2030
160-240 km: Approximate range of new electric school buses on the market. (90 km: Average daily school bus distance travelled in Ontario – two trips, one in the morning, one in the afternoon)
52%: Savings per kWh available when electric school buses are charged in mid- and off-peak demand hours
60%: proportion of young people worldwide who feel “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change, with 45% saying these feelings negatively affect their daily lives. Canadian health professionals are reporting an increase in climate-related distress among children, while experts cite “active hope” as an important way to address the problem
* * * * *
About
The Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE)
healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/about/
Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD)
Coverage highlights:
The Toronto Star
Are diesel school buses harming kids? Why replacing them with electric could have health and psychological benefits
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/04/27/are-diesel-school-buses-poisoning-kids-why-replacing-them-with-electric-could-have-health-and-psychological-benefits.html?rf
Also published by
* The Hamilton Spectator
* The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo)
* St. Catharines Standard
* Peterborough Examiner
* Welland Tribune
* Niagara Falls Review
CTV Television
Should schools phase out diesel school buses?
https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2676946
IndoAsian News Service, India, via Canindia News, Canada (and 16 other online news sites in India and the USA) Call to accelerate replacement of diesel school buses https://www.canindia.com/call-to-accelerate-replacement-of-diesel-school-buses/
]]>Nearly half of some 2,000 professionals in child care programs across Canada who responded to a survey report unhealthy conditions for children, according to data released on national Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD).
Educators, support staff, administrators and others in oversight roles replied to the survey on a wide range of environmental health and sustainability topics, conducted in March and April by the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) and the Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF), in collaboration with University of Ottawa researchers.
More than two-thirds of respondents expressed concern about risks to children’s health and well-being posed by air pollution (indoor 64%; outdoor 69%), toxic chemicals in products (69%), a lack of access to nature (68%), and climate change (68%).
More than half (53%) cited lack of funding and 45% cited lack of support from government as barriers to action to improve environmental health protection and sustainability in their program.
The findings suggest that while child care professionals believe it is important for program settings to become healthier and more ecologically sustainable, the sector lacks the resources and supports to make needed changes.
Against this backdrop, and to mark Healthy Environments for Learning Day, CPCHE, CCCF and more than 40 organizations across Canada jointly released a Vision for Healthy and Sustainable Child Care Environments in Canada, setting out 10 key areas for action.
Survey findings
Respondents to the national survey were asked about environmental health conditions in their child care settings. Among the findings:
- 22% reported mould or a mouldy smell
- 29% reported noticeable air pollution or fumes (e.g., from renovations, nearby industry, business or roadway)
- 23% reported structural disrepair such as a leaking roof
- 31% reported peeling paint on walls, woodwork or other surfaces
- 33% reported windows that don’t open in rooms where children spend time
- 30% reported having basement areas where children spend time
- only 20% reported that their program had been tested for radon gas (a potent lung carcinogen that comes from uranium in soil and rock); 42% indicated that radon testing had not been done; 38% were unsure
- 29% reported excessive noise (e.g., from nearby roadway, industrial facility or airport)
- 35% reported that their program had been affected by wildfire smoke in the past two years
- 25% reported an insect infestation in the past year
- 26% reported a rodent infestation in the past year
- 22% reported pesticides used indoors on a routine basis
- 22% reported lawn or garden pesticides/herbicides used on a routine basis
“These findings are concerning. A striking proportion of respondents are telling us about child care spaces with mould, structural disrepair, peeling paint, pest infestations, routine use of pesticides, and noticeable air contaminants from nearby traffic or industry,” says Erica Phipps, CPCHE’s Executive Director. “As a society, we need to do better than this. If we are serious about ensuring that all children in Canada get the best possible start towards lifelong health and success in learning, we need to invest in the child care settings where many spend significant portions of their formative early years.”
“An ever-growing body of scientific research tells us that ongoing exposure to even low levels of some toxicants can permanently alter the developing brains and bodies of children,” Phipps adds.
While 73% of respondents say there is top-level support (e.g., from the child care administrator/board/owner), interest among staff (71%), and support from families (72%) to improve environmental health and sustainability in their child care programs, action is so far limited. When queried on a host of available measures to reduce children’s exposures to toxic chemicals and pollution, conserve energy or otherwise improve the program’s ecological sustainability, the majority of respondents reported that actions were only partially implemented or not yet underway.
Says Don Giesbrecht, CEO of the Canadian Child Care Federation: “This survey taps into the real-life experiences and knowledge of people working day-in and day-out in child care programs across Canada. We need to listen to their concerns and respond to these environmental health issues. It clearly shows why the Canada-wide child care plan is so necessary. Moving forward, more investment at the provincial/territorial and federal government levels are needed to create child care spaces that actively promote children’s health and well-being.”
A gap between commitment and capacity
“This survey speaks to the gap between commitment and capacity,” he adds. “People in our sector believe health and environment are important and want to see these changes. We just need to get the right policies and supports in place to enable it to happen.”
The results contribute to a renewed national dialogue sparked by nationwide federal-provincial/territorial child care investment agreements.
Progressive measures to improve environmental health and sustainability
Asked about a range of progressive measures to create healthier and more sustainable child care settings, respondents reported that their programs are currently taking action, including:
- ensuring children have regular access to green/natural play space (55%)
- reducing/avoiding the use of cleaning products that contain hazardous chemicals, other than those required to meet public health standards (45%)
- choosing/using toys and crafts supplies that do not contain toxic chemicals (44%)
- ensuring adequate shade (47%),
- minimizing the use of pesticides (49%) and
- ensuring a fragrance-free environment (43%)
Other measures, such as reducing vehicle idling or taking action to reduce carbon emissions, saw much lower levels of reported action.
Across all of the potential measures, at least 1 in 10 respondents, and sometimes up to 3 in 10, reported that they are not yet doing an action but are interested. For example, 25% reported interest but not yet action to conserve energy. Similarly, 22% reported not reducing the use of plastics, but expressed interest in doing so.
The survey findings suggest that climate change is the topic with the largest gap between level of concern and action. Only one in five respondents (20%) reported their child care program is taking action to reduce carbon emissions/address climate change, the lowest response rate across all measures surveyed. Yet, more than two-thirds (68%) of respondents indicated that they are very or somewhat concerned about the impact of climate change on children’s current and future health and well-being.
Additional survey insights:
Action on COVID-19
Surprisingly, fewer than half (46%) of respondents said that their child care program had taken measures to increase ventilation or otherwise improve indoor air quality in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the respondents who reported measures had been taken, opening windows more frequently was the most commonly cited action (67%), followed by use of portable (e.g., HEPA) air cleaning devices (53%). As a concerning indicator that information on safe and effective measures is not reaching practitioners, nearly one in twelve respondents (7%) reported the use of ozone air purifiers, devices for which Health Canada issued aninterim order in 2021 to avoid use due to health risks. Similarly, 12% of respondents reported use of “fogging” devices that propel disinfecting/sanitizing chemicals into the air, a concerning practice that can increase inhalation of such chemicals by children and staff, and that is not known to be an effective means of reducing COVID-19 transmission.
Not all child care settings are equal
Child care professionals who indicated that the majority of children in their care are living in low-income circumstances were more likely to report unhealthy conditions in their programs. Respondents working in programs in which a majority of children are on low income were more likely to report structural disrepair, lead in water supply pipes, recent insect and/or rodent infestation, mould or mouldy smell, excessive moisture, peeling paint, noticeable air pollution and/or excessive noise from a nearby roadway, industrial facility or other source, and the use of artificial air fresheners, among others.
Unregulated/unlicensed status was also significantly correlated with respondent-reported structural disrepair, having windowless rooms where children spend time, recent rodent infestation, routine use of pesticides indoors, use of cleaning/sanitizing/disinfecting chemicals in close proximity to children, and lack of natural vegetation in outdoor play areas.
Conversely, respondents who reported that their child care program has outdoor spaces with natural vegetation were more likely to be working in regulated child care, and in programs serving a low proportion of children who live on low income, are visible minorities or who speak a language other than English or French at home.
Respondents working in regulated child care were more likely to report that their program had taken measures to improve ventilation and air quality in response to the COVID pandemic.
Child health consequences
There is ever-increasing scientific evidence that children’s exposures to toxic chemicals and pollutants, prenatally and in childhood, adversely affect their cognitive development, contribute to learning and behavioural challenges, and affect their educational pathways and lifelong health trajectories (Bennett et al, 2016).
Early environmental exposure to pollutants and toxic chemicals are implicated in the development of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases (Clark et al, 2020; Cooper et al, 2011).
CPCHE and CCCF launch online resource for child care professionals
In the lead-up to Healthy Environments for Learning Day, CPCHE and CCCF launched anonline information hub and checklist offering child care professionals a host of practical tips and supporting information to improve environmental health and ecological sustainability in their programs. Survey findings indicate that such supports are needed: nearly nine out of 10 survey respondents expressed interest in using such a resource; 47% cited the lack of information, guidance and training as a current barrier to action.
Towards a national vision of healthy and sustainable child care environments
To further mark nationalHealthy Environments for Learning Day, CPCHE, CCCF and more than 40 organizations across Canada released Healthy and Sustainable Child Care Environments: A Vision for Canada.
It outlines 10 priority areas for action, including reducing toxic exposures, fostering children’s access to natural play spaces, creating culturally inclusive settings, and taking action on climate change through building design/operations, energy conservation and uptake of renewable energy sources.
“I fully believe that Canada can achieve a world-class child care system that supports all children to thrive, models best practices on climate change, and fosters the child-nature connections that we know are so important for children’s emotional well-being and their future role as environmental stewards,“ says Giesbrecht. “We want to see action towards the Vision, and our sector is keen to do our part.”
Further comments on the national Vision
“Children have a right to grow up in healthy learning environments and this is why governments must give special attention to the health and safety of children as they build the new Canada-wide system of early learning and child care. Child Care Now, Canada’s national child care advocacy association, endorses the ambitious vision and recommendations for healthy and sustainable child care environments developed by the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment and the Canadian Child Care Federation. They will serve children, parents and communities for decades to come.”
- Morna Ballantyne, Child Care Now
“Here in BC, we are recommending concrete policy changes that would advance key elements of this national vision statement. Our aim is to hasten BC’s transition to both universal child care and a clean economy in ways that improve the health and well-being of children, families, educators, and communities.”
- Sharon Gregson, Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC
“In an increasingly uncertain world, we need to do all we can to honour our children by creating safe and nurturing spaces in which they can learn, grow and thrive. If, as a society, we take the actions outlined in this Vision for Healthy and Sustainable Child Care Environments, we will be doing just that.”
- Raffi Cavoukian, Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring
“Outdoor Play Canada welcomes and supports this national Vision Statement as a framework for collective action that will guide child care settings across Canada to optimize children’s well-being. There is unequivocal evidence that children benefit from routine outdoor learning and play, and connections with nature. Investing in healthy child care settings that afford ample access to outdoor play and the natural world will benefit children today and in generations to come. This Vision Statement supports the need for jurisdictional policy amendments to allow, accommodate, facilitate and encourage outdoor play as a healthy foundational feature of child care environments and delivery systems.”
- Dr. Mark Tremblay, Chair, Outdoor Play Canada; Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute.
* * * * *
About
The Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE): healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/about/
The Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF): cccf-fcsge.ca
Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD): healthyschoolsday.ca
* * * * * *
Media coverage:
The Toronto Star (exclusive), Pests, mould, toxic chemicals among on-the-job concerns flagged by child-care workers, click here
Online, homepage:
Also published by:
- The Hamilton Spectator
- The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo)
- St. Catharines Standard
- Peterborough Examiner
- Welland Tribune
- Niagara Falls Review
International:
Medical Xpress, United Kingdom
Scienmag Science Magazine, United Kingdom
Bioengineer.org, United Kingdom
EurekAlert!, United States
Mirage News, Australia
Full coverage summary, click here
News release in full, click here
]]>