Contact the Primer Minister
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
(613) 992–4211
pm@pm.gc.ca
You can search for your MP at www.parl.gc.ca or by calling the Canadian Parliament Information Centre toll free at 1-866-599-4999
Spare any Change?
The myth of Canada’s leadership on pollution control
If you’re looking for tough laws that protect you and your family from toxic pollution, Canada may not have the high standards you thought. Patchwork laws across the provinces, national laws based on “downstream solutions”, and an over-reliance on “voluntary” industry measures to remove the most dangerous chemicals from production, have contributed to a 49% increase in the volume of chemicals reported as released into the environment over the past decade.10 As a result, Canada has one of the worst pollution rankings in the world amongst industrialized countries, coming in 28th out of 30 in the most recent annual environmental ranking of OECD countries (the 30 most industrialized nations in the world). 11
The passage of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) in 1999 was a welcome step, but CEPA clearly needs to be strengthened to be effective at protecting Canadians and our environment from toxic contamination. Some needed actions are to:
1) initiate an immediate ban on the most toxic and persistent chemicals, such as
PBDEs;
2) expand CEPA’s registry to include all known products containing toxins, and
ensure they are labeled with clear, plain language warnings for consumers;
3) provide money to provinces and cities to ensure toxins in sewage can be
recovered;
4) shift the onus to industry to prove chemicals are safe before they are
approved for use.
The time to incorporate these higher standards is right now. Please take the time today to let the Prime Minister and your Member of Parliament know how you feel about turning the tide on toxic pollution in Lake Winnipeg and our lives.
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CancerSmart Consumer GuideThe Toronto Star has said that the Labour Environmental Alliance’s CancerSmart Consumer Guide should be “required reading in every home”. This 52-page book, revised for 2007, has sections on what to avoid in cleaning products, personal care products and household plastics, as well as alternatives to pesticides. It’s available for $13 from the LEAS website or call them at 604-669-1921 to order your copy. |
