Where In The World Will You Find The Purest Air?

Pollution may damage your health and has been blamed for quite a few respiratory problems, the worst offenses being seen in cities. One of the most striking stories about air pollution recently concerned China and how, for the 2008 Olympics, had to purify their air. Not only were residents discouraged from driving and factories shut down during this event, there were also air blowers and aircraft working to disperse the smog cover that always surrounds Beijing. Sadly even with these drastic measures it didn't completely clear the issue, with athletes claiming they were under performing due to air quality and problems with breathing.

China may have pollution problems, but Canada is completely the opposite. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Canada’s cities are at the top of the rankings with the greatest air quality in the world.

WHO wanted to measure air pollution levels in numerous cities and countries to supplement medical and health research and provide quality information for policymakers. The report concentrated on the disease burden caused by the health risks of air pollution for each city and was called Outdoor Air Pollution. To put things into perspective, outdoor air pollution is believed to to account for 1.4 per cent of total mortality and other common health problems.

The guide used by the WHO is the compound mass of microscopic airborne particles per cubic metre, measured in micrograms. It acknowledges that places more dependent on coal, areas with hardly any air circulation (wind), and cities with a lot of traffic are susceptible to a greater health risk.

From all of 91 countries and 1,100 cities all over the world, Canadian cities took eight of the the Top 10 least polluted cities in the analysis. Of all the cities analyzed around the world, the capital city of Yukon, Whitehorse ranked first by a big margin! According to this report of The Toronto Star, Whitehorse is followed by Kitimat and Burns Lake, both in British Columbia.

The WHO recommends that there should be less than 20 micrograms of pollution per cubic metre and just about all Canadians fell within those rules. Even though 21.2 µg/m3 is a little higher than the advised amount, our "worst" city isn't too far over the limit and that was Sarnia in Ontario. Of course Canada does have some advantages over other parts of the world as it has a smaller population density, but some of the credit needs to go to the control mechanisms and stringent regulations on pollution that we put in place.

An island east of Madagascar, Mauitius and Estonia in Europe were the only areas that had a higher overall result than Canada had Somewhat surprisingly, the country with the worst air pollution is Mongolia (likely its capital of Ulaanbaatar), closely followed by a few cities in India, Pakistan, and Iran.. Written by Toronto MLS realtor.

History And Refinement Are The Foremost Attractions At Toronto's Waterfront Condominiums

Anybody that has walked down to Toronto's Waterfront can tell you that this place is exceedingly special. The Waterfront alludes style and history and feels like that little piece of paradise. There are shops and restaurants as well as cultural and family events to see, but perhaps the largest thrill you can find in Toronto’s Waterfront is living there in one of the impressive condominiums that are abundant.

TiptopLofts is situated on the lake close to the shopping and dining of the Quay and many entertainment stops at Toronto’s legendary Harbour front. The resurfaced stone facades out front and even some of the original light fittings in the lobby can fool you into thinking you’ve gone back in time.

Some of the appeal is the diversity of activities located in the small area that makes up the waterfront. With family activities, fine dining at one of the many restaurants, clubs and shops, the Ontario Place is not far away.

The 18 Yonge Apartments make you feel more as though you’re in the bustle of a cosmopolitan centre as you can detect the pulse of traffic out front. Style and class is considerable throughout the 39-story apartment block and it even has a 24-hour concierge who is around to see to your needs.

Another superior condo building on Toronto’s Waterfront is the Harbour Terrace Condominium seen at the Queen’s Quay and Spadina. Every unit has spectacular views of the lakes brought about by the imaginative design of of the building which positions each unit at a 45% angle.

The Toronto Symphony is just yards away from another splendid condo complex that is located at the south end of the city. Down town and water front amenities are close to the Pinnacle Centre and for people that enjoy being in good physical shape, there is an indoor pool and a fitness centre.

Conceivably the most luxury condominiums found at Toronto’s Waterfront are the appropriately named WaterClub Condominiums located at York Street and the Queen’s Quay. A luxury lobby sets the scene of this 3 phase complex and the exquisite granite countertops in the apartments say 'elegance'. Not to be bettered, these suites also have a pool that spans both indoors and outdoors as well as underground parking for people that are safety conscious

Still at the Toronto Waterfront but this time at the north of Lake Ontario, Ten Yonge Street is found To make the most of the view, these apartments have floor to ceiling windows, so an exemplary choice for individuals that like being near water.

Three Top Articles - My Selection

Every day comes with tonnes of interesting articles, unfortunately nobody has time to read them all. Let me suggest you just three of them:

Contemplating New Year's Resolutions? - Don't Discount Your Home - Few good thoughts about New Year's resolutions! The article continues here

A Valuable Guide For Those Wishing To Sell Their Property At Xmas - The last Xmas is gone, but the topic of selling property during holiday is always fresh.

Contemplating New Year's Resolutions? - Don't Discount Your Home

Another year has finished, I can hear a lot of you questioning 'where did the time go'? Along with the fireworks, the parties and the cold weather, now is a prime time to seriously contemplate what , if any, New Year's resolutions you are going to start up. Many of us think about resolutions which directly influence us, such as cutting down on fatty products, exercise and healthy living. But we should not ignore our house though. Why not consider a few of property related New Year's resolutions as well?

To get you to think about it, I have listed some suggestions for resolutions which you may like to try:

We have all heard and seen facts about becoming more ecologically friendly, this would be a good time to put that information into action. Try not to be too wasteful and begin, for instance, recycling and splitting up trash! It is very simple, you will help the environment and it will definitely feel good to know you are doing something for our planet.

CO2 Monoxide detectors and fire alarms are exceedingly important in every walk of life, including our houses. If you don't have a fire warning alarm or a Co2 detector, you should install them. For those of you who have these fire and CO2 alarms put up, you need to make sure they are working and the batteries do not need changing. Don't ignore this; it may save your life someday!
What do you wish you could to do in your home? Make a decision about what you want to decorate or refurbish in your property and write them down, so you have a list of work to be done. You can then buy everything you need when it's on sale/the least expensive and save a lot of cash. Just think how much of your hard earned money you could save by purchasing items at sale prices. If you make plans, you have time to look around and choose the best way forward.

When purchasing an appliance for your property think about what you require, the price you want to spend before researching thoroughly your options; avoid buying the first one you come across. A few appliances, even if more expensive, might save you a lot of energy; try to think your purchase though!
Think about energy saving ideas you can implement. We have already looked at the way domestic goods in the home can save you cash, there are other ways too. Turning the heating down by 1 degree, turning off lighting, closing curtains on an evening to retain heat, insulate your boiler and unplugging electrical appliances when not in use, are just a few ideas for you to think about.

'Your property is your castle'; take care of it! As with any property repairs are commonplace, so do not keep putting it off. To keep your property in decent shape and avoid massive repair bills, make sure any repairs or redecoration is completed regularly.

As Toronto realtor, I know resolutions bounded to home are difficult. Look at your lifestyle think about what you have time to finish and what cash is available to you. Don't keep putting off your to-do list, if you want to paint the outside of the house, then do it; after all it is your property. Just pluck up the courage and complete the work! Do what makes you feel cheerful and revamps the property you live in.

picture by dgthekneelo

Best of December

Here is a brief list of the most interesting December articles from Toronto Condos, which can be found on the Web.

In December, we focused on Feng Shui and Christmas. Meaning Behind Feng Shui can be found on Wikinut followed by Feng Shui in the Home - Bedroom. Another article, Selling A House At Xmas - Valuable Information, can help you the next December.

Don't forget also our Reverse Mortgage and Toronto Waterfront Condos articles!