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environmental health
Ontario's health-based air quality standard for benzene is set to become law on July 1, 2016. Yet Ontario's Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change is working to accommodate a request from two of the province's largest industrial benzene emitters -- the petroleum refining and petrochemical manufacturing industries.
Think a toxic injury that doesn't heal. If you are susceptible, exposure to small amounts of chemicals every day creates a "body burden" that impacts multiple biological systems (nervous, digestive, respiratory system, etc.). Typically, you don't detox very well, and repeated exposures can trigger the "on" switch in your brain, making you hypersensitive.
Earlier this week, I learned that the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) has decided to drop its investigation into an April 2013 chemical leak at a Shell refinery in Sarnia. Why? According to an MOE spokesperson, there wasn't enough evidence to proceed further.
The Charter is Canada's highest law and it applies to all levels of government across the country. It gives each of us inalienable rights -- ones that protect us from discrimination and guarantee our right to life, liberty and security of the person. We believe the Charter should include environmental rights too.
Should our children's health should be protected from environmental harm? Although most people would answer yes, in Canada this concept is not guaranteed as a basic human right. A small group of thoughtful, committed citizens is working to change this in New Brunswick, and perhaps in all of Canada.
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has released an important scientific report on the body burden of environmental chemicals in the adult First Nation population in Canada. The report, First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative, fills a significant gap in existing research. Certain chemical levels were found to be significantly higher in the First Nations populations.
We cannot see with the naked eye that Canadian children are born pre-polluted, but our latest results demonstrate just that. Our new report shows that even in the mothers' womb, the developing fetus is exposed to a slew of dangerous chemicals -- chemicals that might have health effects like cancer, lower IQ or thyroid problems later in life.
As a naturopathic doctor, spring also coincides with a series of visits and questions related to spring cleanses, detoxification and lifestyle transformation. On Earth Day, it seems appropriate to review the most impactful changes we can make as part of our spring cleansing.
The Environmental Review Tribunal continues to grind through its list of anti-wind appeals. On December 5, it rejected an appeal against the Renewable Energy Approval for another wind farm, Pattern Energy's South Kent Wind facility, 127 turbines between Tilbury and Ridgetown. In each of the appeals, the opponents have argued that approval of the wind farm will cause serious harm to human health. In each case, the Tribunal has found that this allegation has not been proven.
