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Showing posts with label Pollution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pollution. Show all posts
Friday, September 28, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Hey let's keep poisoning ourselves!
Not feeling overly positive that the city of Burlington will even consider a pesticide bylaw even after the meeting on Tuesday, September 25. I am not sure what the reluctance is.
According to a poll from the Canadian Cancer Society 60% of residents support a ban, 20% are on the fence and 20% oppose a ban outright.
Apparently 2 councilors will not move on this issue. No matter how much evidence is presented to them they will not vote for a pesticide bylaw.
Of course reports like this one from the EPA (an agency with a poor track record at best) where the EPA announces that "...2,4-D poses no risk to human health" don't really help.
Great.
According to a poll from the Canadian Cancer Society 60% of residents support a ban, 20% are on the fence and 20% oppose a ban outright.
Apparently 2 councilors will not move on this issue. No matter how much evidence is presented to them they will not vote for a pesticide bylaw.
Of course reports like this one from the EPA (an agency with a poor track record at best) where the EPA announces that "...2,4-D poses no risk to human health" don't really help.
Great.
Monday, September 10, 2007
lead poisoning redux
We have known about the dangers of lead for decades and yet it still poses a real and present danger, just think of the recent toy recalls caused by poor manufacturing monitoring on toys made in China. So I was somewhat surprised to see that the school that my kids attend has high levels of lead in the water.
From the Burlington Post "Tom Thomson and Ryerson elementary of Burlington, the New Street site of the Gary Allan High School for adult and continuing education, W.I. Dick elementary in Milton and Montclair elementary in Oakville now all have minimum daily flushing times ranging from 20-35 minutes."
I understand that older schools can be hazardous but running the taps up-to 35 minutes when we have just come through the driest summer on record just strikes me as a give-your-head-a-shake dumbass bureaucratic moment. I love when our government officials suck and blow at the same time.
I am not downplaying the health risks associated with lead, trust me, in fact my kids have been bringing their own water since they started at the school, but is there no better way to address this issue? Is the flushed water captured and used to water the trees and plants on the property? What is the long term fix?
From the Halton website on lead in the drinking water. "Younger children are still developing and are therefore more sensitive to the neurological and blood effects of lead. As well, children less than six years of age absorb lead more easily than adults. Particular recommendations are made for formula-fed infants because the water used to make the formula can contribute 40-60 per cent of an infant's lead intake, whereas drinking water in older children and adults only contributes approximately 10 per cent of total lead intake."
This is scary stuff and is just another example that we can never really get a handle on all the pollutants out there. No matter how much monitoring or safe guards our elected officials and municipal agencies promise to put in place, we are still being poisoned every single day - even by a simple drink of water from the school fountain.
From the Burlington Post "Tom Thomson and Ryerson elementary of Burlington, the New Street site of the Gary Allan High School for adult and continuing education, W.I. Dick elementary in Milton and Montclair elementary in Oakville now all have minimum daily flushing times ranging from 20-35 minutes."
I understand that older schools can be hazardous but running the taps up-to 35 minutes when we have just come through the driest summer on record just strikes me as a give-your-head-a-shake dumbass bureaucratic moment. I love when our government officials suck and blow at the same time.
I am not downplaying the health risks associated with lead, trust me, in fact my kids have been bringing their own water since they started at the school, but is there no better way to address this issue? Is the flushed water captured and used to water the trees and plants on the property? What is the long term fix?
From the Halton website on lead in the drinking water. "Younger children are still developing and are therefore more sensitive to the neurological and blood effects of lead. As well, children less than six years of age absorb lead more easily than adults. Particular recommendations are made for formula-fed infants because the water used to make the formula can contribute 40-60 per cent of an infant's lead intake, whereas drinking water in older children and adults only contributes approximately 10 per cent of total lead intake."
This is scary stuff and is just another example that we can never really get a handle on all the pollutants out there. No matter how much monitoring or safe guards our elected officials and municipal agencies promise to put in place, we are still being poisoned every single day - even by a simple drink of water from the school fountain.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
What happens when we no longer can fuel our cars?
There has been a lot of speculation about the death of the suburbs over the last year or so including dire predictions on peak oil and what will happen to the economy and the world when we can no longer rely on cheap gas to survive.
Is there any truth to the matter? A quick online search on death of the suburbs returns naysayers, doom and gloomers and links to books on how to regain your spirituality while embracing the suburbanite "culture".
The fact is the 'burbs are a car lovers world. Always have been and for the most part always will be - only thing is car worship is not sustainable. Which of course means that when we do run out of oil whether it is next week or in 100 years we will have to find a better way to get around. Until then necessity is the mother of invention and if there is no need to change we won't. That my dear readers is human nature.
Is there any truth to the matter? A quick online search on death of the suburbs returns naysayers, doom and gloomers and links to books on how to regain your spirituality while embracing the suburbanite "culture".
The fact is the 'burbs are a car lovers world. Always have been and for the most part always will be - only thing is car worship is not sustainable. Which of course means that when we do run out of oil whether it is next week or in 100 years we will have to find a better way to get around. Until then necessity is the mother of invention and if there is no need to change we won't. That my dear readers is human nature.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Pesticides - can't live without 'em
My brother came by on the weekend and played devils advocate on the pesticide bylaw presentation I am helping to write.
He got me thinking about what it is we are trying to do with our request to city council to introduce a bylaw.
He said, "What about the average Joe who has lived in the same house for 50 years and every spring has sprayed pesticides on his perfect green lawn and nothing happened to him or his family. What gives you the right to force him to change?"
And I did not have an answer to that question.
But then again I do not have an answer on how to fix climate change, how to wean us off the car or how the U.S. can exit Iraq. I don't have a lot of answers.
The best answer I could come up with was, "How smart is it to pour chemicals all over a lawn?" Pretty pathetic.
We can quote studies, show charts, talk about people dying and generally play the emotional card but will that do any good? If I was a councilor I know exactly how I would vote on this issue but what if I had 60% of my constituents who said "Piss off, I love my chemicals and green lawn and I am not hurting anyone."?
Actually I still know how I would vote - we need elected officials with a clear, concise, green, smart mandate. As long as their mandate is the same as mine of course ;-).
Does anyone have any answers to these conundrums?
He got me thinking about what it is we are trying to do with our request to city council to introduce a bylaw.
He said, "What about the average Joe who has lived in the same house for 50 years and every spring has sprayed pesticides on his perfect green lawn and nothing happened to him or his family. What gives you the right to force him to change?"
And I did not have an answer to that question.
But then again I do not have an answer on how to fix climate change, how to wean us off the car or how the U.S. can exit Iraq. I don't have a lot of answers.
The best answer I could come up with was, "How smart is it to pour chemicals all over a lawn?" Pretty pathetic.
We can quote studies, show charts, talk about people dying and generally play the emotional card but will that do any good? If I was a councilor I know exactly how I would vote on this issue but what if I had 60% of my constituents who said "Piss off, I love my chemicals and green lawn and I am not hurting anyone."?
Actually I still know how I would vote - we need elected officials with a clear, concise, green, smart mandate. As long as their mandate is the same as mine of course ;-).
Does anyone have any answers to these conundrums?
Friday, July 27, 2007
Fire at Dundas Ontario pesticide plant pollutes Spencer creek.
And looky here, timely news to follow-up on the post below:"Thousands of fish are dead after contaminated run-off from a burning pesticide plant flowed into Spencer Creek." Reported by the Hamilton Spectator.
I particularly like this quote -
Friday, July 6, 2007
Staying green in a wasteful place.
This blog will always have a slight environmental bent to it. It is who I am however I must admit that it is hard to maintain a green streak when you live in the burbs.
To recap - we moved to Burlington from South Riverdale in Toronto in July of 2005. We moved because we grew out of our small and old row house. We moved to Burlington because we could not afford to buy a larger home in TO.
We did our research and looked at many communities in the GTA. We looked north, east and finally west. We are happy where we ended up and although our "new" home is smallish and older, we like the fact that we can walk to the Library, the YMCA and downtown. I love the fact that I can ride my bike or walk to the GO train.
But all is not perfect.
There are still challenges. Like my 2 hour commute, like too many malls, too many cars and too much traffic. Like narrow views and tiny worlds where a sense of entitlement means that people still drive honking SUV's and pick-up trucks. Making connections is hard, meeting like-minded people is challenging and finding a well paying job closer to home is next to impossible.
Often, when I travel on the long train ride home, I see people that I might find interesting and that might find me interesting. They might have a certain look about them that comes off as looking intelligent, educated and aware. Then I watch them get off the train and get in to their SUV and my opinion changes. Sadly I turn judgmental and pious. Not on purpose, and for no good reason - if I could afford a big SUV would I buy one? Never.
And that is a fundamental difference between my family and many of the people that I have met so far. I like to feel that my family and I think globally and act locally. We try to shop and support the smaller stores downtown, we avoid the malls as much as possible, we drive a small car, we ride and walk more often than not, we use a reel mower (on a corner lot no less). These are not hardships for us and I am not bragging about how we live. I certainly do not feel that we are better than anyone else and there are days where we throw out too much plastic or don't recycle 100% or buy too much stuff. But on the whole we are at least aware of our actions. And when we do slip up I know that I feel good and guilty.
So why can't everyone live like us?
Well the suburbs have been built around the car and as anyone who has spent anytime north of the QEW can tell you - walking around up there is not much fun. Cycling is downright dangerous and despite the best intentions of the City of Burlington, transit is inconvenient and time consuming. Conspicuous consumption is, well, conspicuous and the mall is a hang out.
There are bright lights to be sure, like the better recycling of garbage and waste that will come to the Halton region next year. Like the heightened awareness about pesticides, plastic bags, and pollution. Like the high price of gas that might force drivers to rethink their mode of transportation. Things will change and I know that Burlington will, over time, become a slightly greener town.
Do we regret the move?
Some days yes. We lament the change of pace, from fast and furious, to slow and steady. We sometimes feel like outsiders. We miss our friends, who knew 40 minutes down the road would be so far to travel?
Other days we are thankful for the space, the tranquil sense of piece that we get when sitting in our backyard next to the fish pond, the friendly people we meet at our children's school, the older well-meaning steady neighbours who willingly (some might say eagerly) share the history of the street we live on. We love the waterfront, downtown the Library and the clean well maintained community centres.
On the balance it was the right move at the right time for right now.
To recap - we moved to Burlington from South Riverdale in Toronto in July of 2005. We moved because we grew out of our small and old row house. We moved to Burlington because we could not afford to buy a larger home in TO.
We did our research and looked at many communities in the GTA. We looked north, east and finally west. We are happy where we ended up and although our "new" home is smallish and older, we like the fact that we can walk to the Library, the YMCA and downtown. I love the fact that I can ride my bike or walk to the GO train.
But all is not perfect.
There are still challenges. Like my 2 hour commute, like too many malls, too many cars and too much traffic. Like narrow views and tiny worlds where a sense of entitlement means that people still drive honking SUV's and pick-up trucks. Making connections is hard, meeting like-minded people is challenging and finding a well paying job closer to home is next to impossible.
Often, when I travel on the long train ride home, I see people that I might find interesting and that might find me interesting. They might have a certain look about them that comes off as looking intelligent, educated and aware. Then I watch them get off the train and get in to their SUV and my opinion changes. Sadly I turn judgmental and pious. Not on purpose, and for no good reason - if I could afford a big SUV would I buy one? Never.
And that is a fundamental difference between my family and many of the people that I have met so far. I like to feel that my family and I think globally and act locally. We try to shop and support the smaller stores downtown, we avoid the malls as much as possible, we drive a small car, we ride and walk more often than not, we use a reel mower (on a corner lot no less). These are not hardships for us and I am not bragging about how we live. I certainly do not feel that we are better than anyone else and there are days where we throw out too much plastic or don't recycle 100% or buy too much stuff. But on the whole we are at least aware of our actions. And when we do slip up I know that I feel good and guilty.
So why can't everyone live like us?
Well the suburbs have been built around the car and as anyone who has spent anytime north of the QEW can tell you - walking around up there is not much fun. Cycling is downright dangerous and despite the best intentions of the City of Burlington, transit is inconvenient and time consuming. Conspicuous consumption is, well, conspicuous and the mall is a hang out.
There are bright lights to be sure, like the better recycling of garbage and waste that will come to the Halton region next year. Like the heightened awareness about pesticides, plastic bags, and pollution. Like the high price of gas that might force drivers to rethink their mode of transportation. Things will change and I know that Burlington will, over time, become a slightly greener town.
Do we regret the move?
Some days yes. We lament the change of pace, from fast and furious, to slow and steady. We sometimes feel like outsiders. We miss our friends, who knew 40 minutes down the road would be so far to travel?
Other days we are thankful for the space, the tranquil sense of piece that we get when sitting in our backyard next to the fish pond, the friendly people we meet at our children's school, the older well-meaning steady neighbours who willingly (some might say eagerly) share the history of the street we live on. We love the waterfront, downtown the Library and the clean well maintained community centres.
On the balance it was the right move at the right time for right now.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
A cheery bit of news. Not.
Great Lakes fish getting worse: Study
SNIP-
"Toxins that once only surfaced in big fish are making their way down the food chain, a sign that the Great Lakes are getting even more polluted, a new report says. "
You can read the full story here.
SNIP-
"Toxins that once only surfaced in big fish are making their way down the food chain, a sign that the Great Lakes are getting even more polluted, a new report says. "
You can read the full story here.
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