EPISODE · Feb 2, 2026 · 23 MIN
Why road salt causes Canada billions in damage each year
from The Decibel · host The Globe and Mail
Snow and ice is a fact of life in a long, Canadian winter. So are the millions of tonnes of salt that is used to combat it on roads across the country. But there is a cost to all that salt: damage to property, waterways and other parts of the environment and infrastructure – totalling billions of dollars annually.Patrick White, reporter for The Globe, explains the science behind why Canada is the biggest consumer of road salt in the world and why the same chemical that is necessary for a winter climate is also endangering water systems.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What this episode covers
Snow and ice is a fact of life in a long, Canadian winter. So are the millions of tonnes of salt that is used to combat it on roads across the country. But there is a cost to all that salt: damage to property, waterways and other parts of the environment and infrastructure – totalling billions of dollars annually. Patrick White, reporter for The Globe, explains the science behind why Canada is the biggest consumer of road salt in the world and why the same chemical that is necessary for a winter climate is also endangering water systems.
NOW PLAYING
Why road salt causes Canada billions in damage each year
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m