Healthy Communities

Parents should encourage children under 18 to limit the time they spend talking on cellphones, Health Canada said Tuesday in new advice on mobile phone usage.

The guidance is a nuanced change from previous advice, which suggested that people could limit their use of cellphones if they were concerned about an unproven suggestion the devices increase one's risk of developing brain cancer.

"Really it's more proactive in encouraging cellphone users to find ways to limit their exposure, and … to empower parents to make healthy choices to reduce their children's exposure," explained James McNamee, division chief for health effects and assessments in Health Canada's bureau of consumer and clinical radiation protection.

Read the entire article at the link below.

Edmonton... Howard Wheater, a world-renowned expert in hydrological science and water quality, has joined the provincial panel tasked with creating a world-class environmental monitoring system for Alberta.

“Dr. Wheater is a highly-respected authority in sustainable water issues and a welcome addition to the panel,” said Rob Renner, Minister of Environment. “Ultimately, we want an environmental monitoring system that is both credible and functional. With that in mind, we’ve ensured the panel has members with a strong scientific background and members who have practical, business experience. Dr. Wheater’s participation increases the existing high-level of scientific knowledge on the panel.”

Read the entire media release at the link below.

The Alberta government just can't seem to get it right when it comes to the oilsands. Its new oilsands environmental advisory panel is a perfect example.

The panel's makeup, announced last week, was immediately criticized as being heavily represented by industry. The panel's co-chair, Hal Kvisle, is the former president and chief executive of oilsands pipeline company TransCanada Corp., which is seeking U.S. environmental approval for the $7-billion Keystone XL project to transport bitumen to refiners on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Although retired, Kvisle is still an adviser to the company. Kvisle might be a perfect candidate for the panel. Industry, which has specialized oilsands expertise, deserves a voice. But making Kvisle co-chair was bound to result in an attack on the panel's credibility. For the government to not see that was a blunder.... Read more »

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Those first few puffs on a cigarette can within minutes cause genetic damage linked to cancer, U.S. scientists said in a study released Saturday.

In fact, researchers said the "effect is so fast that it’s equivalent to injecting the substance directly into the bloodstream," in findings described as a "stark warning" to those who smoke.

The study is the first on humans to track how substances in tobacco cause DNA damage, and appears in the peer-reviewed journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, issued by the American Chemical Society.

Using 12 volunteer smokers, scientists tracked pollutants called PAHs, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, that are carried in tobacco smoke and can also be found in coal-burning plants and in charred barbecue food.... Read more »

OTTAWA — A majority of Canadians believe the energy sector is one of the most important parts of Canada's economy, and the federal government should lead the way in "cleaning" it up by finding alternatives to oil, says a newly released internal report.

The study, produced for Natural Resources Canada by Decima Research, found that 88 per cent of Canadians were either "very concerned" (47 per cent) or somewhat concerned (41 per cent) about the environmental impact of energy use and that 87 per cent were "very concerned" (46 per cent) or "somewhat concerned" (41 per cent) about the impact of energy production.... Read more »

NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Exposure to fluoride may lower children's intelligence says a study pre-published in Environmental Health Perspectives, a publication of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (online December 17, 2010). 

Fluoride is added to 70% of U.S. public drinking water supplies.

According to Paul Connett, Ph.D., director of the Fluoride Action Network, "This is the 24th study that has found this association, but this study is stronger than the rest because the authors have controlled for key confounding variables and in addition to correlating lowered IQ with levels of fluoride in the water, the authors found a correlation between lowered IQ and fluoride levels in children's blood. This brings us closer to a cause and effect relationship between fluoride exposure and brain damage in children."... Read more »

EDMONTON — Alberta will be beefing up its environmental monitoring system under the guidance of a new panel and industry will be expected to pay the “lion’s share” of recommended improvements, said Environment Minister Rob Renner on Monday.

A group of independent experts will be called together by January and they will be asked to provide details on how to best set up, operate, and govern a world-class environmental monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system for Alberta’s oilsands, Renner said.... Read more »