Canada's Environmental Voice
Western medicine has made great strides in disease control in the last century. Diagnostic technologies and surgical procedures have advanced. Life expectancy has increased dramatically in most parts of the world. Antibiotics, improvements in sanitation and hygiene, as well as vaccines, have eradicated or reduced many of the world’s deadliest […]
Elementary logic explains why the organic/conventional divide can’t explain very many outcomes. Organically grown lettuce doesn’t require toxic pesticides, but the plastic case that protects the lettuce on its trip from California to Nova Scotia is nowhere near as environmentally pure as the lettuce. Organically grown tomatoes may take up more […]
Psychologist Elizabeth Nisbet explains why greenery takes away the blues. MUCH OF OUR discourse around environmental issues involves hazards like air and water pollution, deforestation, species extinction or the looming consequences of global climate change. Rarely do we ponder the importance of protecting the natural environment as a mental health resource.
SUCCESSFUL Initiatives in Ontario and elsewhere to ban or restrict a variety of toxic chemicals shouldn’t invite complacency. Numerous compounds linked to a wide range of negative health effects remain in use, appearing in thousands of everyday products. Here are five active campaigns targeting toxics in Canada and around the […]
Neonicotinoids – commonly known as neonics – are the most widely used insecticide in the world. Some are considered to be up to 10,000 times more toxic than DDT. On November 25, 2014, the Government of Ontario announced a bold plan to reduce neonics’ use on corn and soybean crops in the […]
WIND TURBINES ARE a safe, renewable form of energy that can efficiently replace carbon-based sources. So why is there so much resistance to the technology?
Dr. Linda Harvey says nuclear power is dangerous every day, not just when disaster strikes. Any form of electric power could be considered clean and green if you only look at what happens after it enters the grid for distribution. Nuclear power is often afforded this privilege. Reasons for this are partly […]
Veteran activist Dr. David Swann explains why it’s important for doctors to engage in direct action. Should doctors get involved in direct action and physically place themselves on the front lines over threats to human and environmental health? My experience testifies to my belief that the answer is yes.
Dr. John O’Connor warned of possible links between tar sands and his patients’ poor health. He was pilloried. He’d do it again. January 3, 2006, is a day I will never forget. It was the day a CBC reporter called to ask me about health concerns in Fort Chipewyan, the […]
WELCOME TO THE NEW FACE of Canadian medicine! These five health professionals assist patients not just through annual check-ups and drug prescriptions, but also by protecting our planetary home. Their inspiring victories – from closing coal plants to stopping the northward shipment of Toronto’s garbage – are helping to clean […]
