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Canadian Vehicle Survey: Annual

The Canadian Vehicle Survey measures the activity of all on-road vehicles registered in Canada, except some vehicles such as buses, motorcycles, construction equipment and road maintenance equipment. Estimates of total vehicle-kilometres are available by province and territory. Estimates of passenger-kilometres are available by province only. Estimates of fuel consumed are available by vehicle type.

Released July 14, 2009 (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 53-223-X).

Agricultural water use survey 2007, methodology report

In 2008, Statistics Canada conducted the first Agricultural Water Use Survey. This pilot survey is part of the Canadian Environment Sustainability Indicators initiative and collects information on water volumes used for irrigation, irrigated areas, irrigation practices and the quality of water used for agricultural purposes.

This technical paper describes the methodology used for the pilot survey and includes recommendations for future cycles of the survey. The validation process seems to indicate that the method used to estimate the volumes of water used and the irrigated areas calculated underestimates the results.

The report gives recommendations to minimize this bias in the next iterations of the survey. First, it is recommended to simplify the level of information collected by the survey; to review the sampling methodology; and to examine other means of collecting information on volumes of water used for irrigation. This pilot version of the survey remains a reliable source for consistent data on agricultural water use at the national level.

Released June 26, 2009 (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 16-001-M2009008).

Human Activity and the Environment: Annual Statistics 2009

Human Activity and the Environment: Annual Statistics 2009 is Statistics Canada's flagship publication for environmental statistics. It includes a data compendium of maps, tables and figures punctuated with simple analysis and interpretation.

The publication also includes a feature article, “Food in Canada,” which explores the impact of the Canadian food system on the environment. The food system includes all the products produced, and the processes and activities carried out, to put food on tables at home, in restaurants and to provide food products for export. This article combines new research done within Statistics Canada with information from a variety of sources, including other federal government departments, international bodies and scientific journals.

Highlights:

• Spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages from stores resulted in production of almost 46,000 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases, equivalent to 6.4% of total greenhouse gas emissions in Canada in 2003.
• Almost one-quarter (23%) of these food-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was attributable to the production of fresh and frozen meat, while fish products contributed 2%.
• In 2006, spending on fuel per hectare by farmers who used no tillage was about one-third that of spending by farmers who used conventional tillage. This reduction in fuel use also reduces air pollution and GHG emissions.
• In 2007, an estimated 38% of solid food available for retail sale was wasted, the equivalent of 183 kilograms per person. A decrease in food waste would reduce negative environmental impacts associated with food production, processing, distribution and services.

Released June 9, 2009 (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 16-201-X).

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Upcoming releases

Personal Use Vehicles in Canada: Fuel Consumption Profile and Comparative Analysis of the 2007 Canadian Vehicle Survey Results

The Canadian Vehicle Survey (CVS) is a voluntary, vehicle-based survey that provides quarterly and annual estimates of road vehicle activity. In 2007, the sample size of the CVS was increased in order to collect more detailed information and address a data gap regarding consumption of fuel for personal vehicle use. This was seen as a possible solution for getting better insight into the household component of fuel consumption. By differentiating between types of vehicle use, data from the CVS is able to fill this gap.

A technical paper has been prepared that presents a national, annual profile of vehicle fuel consumption by purpose of use: business or personal for 2007. This paper also compares the fuel consumption quantities reported by the CVS with data collected or compiled from other sources.

To be released in the fall of 2009 (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 16-001-M).

Industrial Water Survey, 2007

The information collected for the Industrial Water Survey measures, by volume, the sources of water used, the purposes of water use, whether or not water was re-circulated or re-used, where the water was discharged, the types of treatments establishments applied to intake water prior to use and the types of treatments establishments applied to their wastewater prior to discharge. Water acquisition costs, treatment costs and operating and maintenance expenses related to water intake and discharge are also collected.

The results of this survey are used in the development of environmental accounts, aid in tracking the state of stocks of water and contribute to national indicators of water quality.

To be released in the fall of 2009 (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 16-401-X).

Survey of Drinking Water Plants

The Survey of Drinking Water Plants is conducted to provide Canadians with national and regional information related to the production of drinking water. The survey is a census of drinking water plants serving more than 300 people, and asks for information on volumes of water drawn and treated, treatment type, financial aspects of the operation, as well as raw and treated water quality.

To be released in the fall of 2009.

New developments

Economic indicators and environmental outcomes

Zhen Yu Li, Philip Astles, Joe St. Lawrence, Allison Bone, Soheil Rastan, Material and Energy Flow Accounts, Environment Accounts and Statistics Division

Understanding the patterns by which data from economic surveys and data from pollution inventories interact is an area of interest to Canadians and policy makers.

Statistics Canada is conducting a study to qualify and quantify relationships that may exist between economic variables and emission data. Statistical and advanced computational methods including multi-linear regression and neural network are being examined.

The study uses matched data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory and the Annual Survey of Manufacturing and Logging. Data from over eighty industrial facilities were used for pilot testing. Initial tests revealed promising results with a number of statistically significant patterns. The study has now expanded to include over one thousand facilities.