Royal Commission on the Environment and Health: comprehensive action plan

by Merryl Hammond, PhD., Judith Quinn, BScN., Marsha Akman

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For decades now, activists have been calling for government regulation of various industries due to concerns about public health. Many of us have been deeply concerned about the health impacts of carcinogens, toxins, pesticides, radiation, endocrine disruptors, asbestos, plastics, GMOs, nanoparticles, contamination of the water, soil air and food… The list goes on.

The incidence of many forms of cancer, autism, neurobehavioural disorders, allergies, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other diseases is on the rise. Often links are made to contamination of the environment as one, if not the main, cause for these increases.

Now, a group of activists has launched a Use the System campaign to bring all these concerns under one umbrella. Phase I of this campaign is a petition calling for a Royal Commission on the Environment and Health.

We want a Royal Commission to investigate and consolidate as much information on this topic as possible, creating a reliable and up-to-date body of evidence and making recommendations that will lead to informed and decisive action in the public interest.

We need to show politicians that Canadians across the political spectrum are deeply concerned about these issues. What are the links between the environment and health? What further peer-reviewed, independent research needs to be done? What regulations are required? We need to bring all the available information together and discuss these issues as a society.

For Phase I, we need people from every riding across the country to fill out petitions and bring them to their MPs to present in Parliament. Our website provides all the tools you will need – a petition, petition guidelines and a link so you can locate your MP. There are also suggestions about how to maximize the political impact of each signed petition.

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   We also provide a fact sheet with details about environmental health concerns and scientific references so you can prepare yourself to discuss the issues with your fellow citizens and MP. You could also present the fact sheet to your MP for her/his information before s/he presents the petition in parliament.

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Stay tuned for more details about Phases II and III of the campaign. Meantime, please join this effort to shine a light on the ongoing and serious impacts of the environment on health, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you need further information or have comments.

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Is Your Cell Phone Putting You at Risk?

By Chelsea Schreiner BSc, ND By now, we’re generally becoming more aware of toxics on our health. We recognize these in our personal care and beauty products, in our environment - what we breathe and drink, and in our food. We are becoming well-versed in the likes of parabens, phthalates and pesticides, to name a few. We’ve recognized and pushed for policy changes on things such as cigarettes, pesticide use, genetically modified foods and artificial additives. But, could there be something else we’re missing that puts us at increased risk for cancer? Something we’re exposed to on a daily basis, something we could prevent? Some would say yes, and that something is radiation. Specifically, the radiation from that all-important and pervasive technology we call the cell phone.

The evidence for radiation as a health risk isn’t supported by many people in the cell phone and communications industry. However, there are numerous organizations that are blowing the whistle. The real issue is the lack of evidence for harm. There simply isn’t enough credible evidence to determine that cell phone radiation poses a health risk, or further, causes cancer, or so the industry says.

Dr. Devra Davis, Epididemiologist, Toxicologist and author, has warned of cell phone radiation and cancer risk before. Her book, “The Secret History of the War on Cancer,” though mainly focused on cigarette smoking, also offers insights on radiation and cancer risk. In this book, Davis highlights the journey from cigarette glorification to evidence-based warnings. Drawing parallels between smoking and cell phone radiation, Davis cites our current blind obsession with cell phone use as similar to the early years when smoking was a popular lifestyle choice. Just as cigarettes were proudly smoked by both genders and increasingly younger ages, so too has become the way of the cell phone. Just as cigarettes were found to be harmful to our health and cancer-promoting, what will we later discover about cell phone-induced radiation on our health? Davis’ more recent book “Disconnect,” details the concerns about cell phone radiation exposure, cancer risk and policies for protection. It is an eye-opening account of just how big of an issue this really is and sets the stage for considering preventative action.

Central to this cell phone radiation argument is the potential increased risk for brain cancer, and specifically the effect on children. Children’s smaller size, weight and developmental age make them generally more impressionable to toxic effects. We really don’t have good evidence on safety of radiation and children’s development. Why take the risk?

We’re realizing that new technology means there’s less opportunity for long-term evidence showing safety concerns. Let’s face it, cell phones won’t be going by the wayside anytime soon. If you choose to use this technology, why not use it responsibly. The Environmental Working Group puts out annual guides on safer cell phone use and their 2012 guide is included below. Just like smoking, will we wait until the evidence mounts with increased cancer rates before we take action? The choice is yours to make.

Environmental Working Group’s Six Tips for Safer Cell Phone Use

1. Use a headset or speaker

Headsets and speakers help keep the radiation source away from your head. Depending on your choice of wireless or wired headsets, you still may be exposed to low-level radiation. Removing the headset when not in use further reduces your risk of exposure.

2. Keep your cell phone away from your body

When you’re not using it, there is no need to let your phone continue to emit radiation that you’re going to absorb. Avoid putting your phone in your pocket or on a belt clip or other device. Instead, put it in a purse or bag or a nearby surface. The farther it is from you, the less radiation you are exposed to.

3. Text more, Talk Less

Texting emits less radiation and keeps the phone (and radiation) away from your head.

4. Call when the signal is strong

Using your phone when it’s on one bar versus three actually makes the phone work harder to transmit the call. This increases your radiation exposure.

5. Limit children’s phone use

Environmental Working Group is one of many agencies which suggest limiting children’s cell phone use to emergencies only.

6. Skip the “radiation shield”

Certain accessories which protect your phone may not be protecting you. For example, use of keyboard covers has been reported to increase radiation.

References and Resources

Environmental Working Group Cell Phone Tips: http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/6-Safety-Tips

Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry Is Doing to Hide It, and How to Protect Your Family by Devra Davis

The Secret History of the War on Cancer by Devra Davis

How Can We Be More Like Rachel Carson?

So far we’ve discussed who Rachel Carson is and how she sparked action on many issues we continue to face today, including her impact on the modern environmental movement. In this post we’ll explore how you can take simple steps to continue her legacy and improve your health and our environment’s health too. Eat- Celebrate Rachel Carson by consuming organic fruits and vegetables. Decreasing your pesticide consumption may seem obvious, but many people don’t realize this is essentially the choice you make when you buy organic over non-organic. See the lists below for the Dirty Dozen (traditionally more pesticide contamination) and Clean 15 (least sprayed).

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Shop- You may realize the importance of buying organic food for health reasons, but often cost is a barrier. However, consider the hidden costs of what’s on your dinner table. Conventionally grown food carries greater cost to the environment, as well as to your own health. Locally grown and organic food is healthier for you and more sustainable. Think of the reduction in pesticides and the reduction in gas and emissions when you are getting your fruit from a farmer in the area versus flown from another continent!

Shop at local markets in your area and get to know who is producing your food and how they care for their crops. Rachel Carson would be proud!

Click here  for a list of local markets near you!

Love- If you have children, nieces, nephews or grandchildren, take them on a walk! Admire nature together and make a connection with it. Rachel Carson’s book “The Sense of Wonder” was based on creating a connection and respect for nature at a young age. In “The Sense of Wonder,” she says, “A three-year-old can love the song of the wind, speeding clouds, the rearing surf.” Children have a natural curiosity that should be nurtured and cultivated,

Lather- Many people are aware of the dangers of parabens and petrolatum as endocrine disrupters and cancer-promoting agents, but what about other chemicals found in personal care and beauty products? For example, everyone likes a good soapy lather, but most often this is produced by sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. These compounds are toxic and should be avoided. When shopping for personal products read labels and try to avoid the Toxic Ten (Refer to Tips and Guide from Environmental Defense Canada).

Live- Live with respect for Nature and be an ambassador for the environment- Rachel Carson style. Reduce, re-use, recycle and compost! Ride a bike to work or take public transit. Each of these conscious choices makes a difference. Start by making decisions for a better, healthier world today!

Next time you pick up an organic apple, throw recycling where it belongs or take a minute to listen to birds singing in the trees, you can be sure that you’re continuing Carson’s legacy, one conscious effort at a time.

Join the pledge and take action today!

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References:Environmental defenseLive Green Torontowww.justbeautiful.caEnvironmental Defense CanadaEWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics DatabaseDavid Suzuki Foundation- Dirty Dozen, Clean FifteenToronto Vegetarian Association"Sense of Wonder" by Rachel Carson Joyous HealthEnvironmental Working Group 

Blog post from Volunteer, Chelsea Schreiner, ND

Today's feature is a post from WHEN's volunteer, Chelsea Schreiner, ND.  Her post has covered on some fundamental knowledge of how certain factors contribute towards Breast Cancer and listed some useful tips how to decrease your risks.  Some are listed below:

• Decrease your consumption of red meats and especially avoid charring or burning, which creates compounds that are carcinogenic (cancer causing). When buying animal products, buy free-range, hormone-free, organic sources.

• Eliminate processed foods which contain preservatives, chemicals and additives that act as “negative” nutrients. Sugar is also another major “negative” nutrient that depletes vitamins and minerals and decreases the immune system and should be avoided.

• Incorporate nutrient-dense, antioxidant foods. Eat a rainbow of colours.

• Cabbage, kale, broccoli and brussel sprouts all contain the compounds I3C and DIM, which have known anti-cancer benefits, especially in relation to cancers of female reproductive organs.

• Beware of Personal Care Products! You may have heard of parabens but what about phthalates, fragrance and propylene glycol?  Remember that what you put on your skin, hair, nails or underarms will get absorbed through your skin and enter your body. If you wouldn’t eat it, you really shouldn’t be putting it on your skin. There are many great resources out there to help identify higher risk versus lower risk products for personal care, beauty and home cleaning. I reference the Environmental Working Group’s Databases and in particular,Skin Deep for personal care/beauty. Closer to home, WHEN (Women’s Healthy Environment’s Network) runs WTF (Wannabe Toxic Free) to help educate on safer choices for your body and home.

• Keep hydrated and keep moving. Exercise is important for so many reasons and studies have shown drastic improvement in survival rates in patients with breast cancer who did 20 minutes of walking a day, versus those who did not. Moderate exercise is important for keeping metabolism up, digestion functioning, liver detoxifying, immune system healthy and the lymphatic system moving, which are all very important in cancer prevention.

WHEN wants to hear from you! If you'd like to submit a blog post please read "What Can You Do? " on the WTF page.

Eating Through Your Skin: Sunscreen Safety

By Dr Mahalia Freed, ND Our skin is porous. We get this, intuitively, when we observe moisturizer being sucked up by our thirsty winter skin. The implication? Anything you put on your skin you are effectively “eating”, but without the benefit of the digestive tract’s extensive immune system and processing. Absorption through the skin is well-established scientific fact. Unfortunately, only 11% of the 10 500 ingredients in personal care products are tested for safety even by the industry’s own internal review panel.

There are still known hormone disruptors and carcinogens even in “natural” personal care products. And sunscreen is no exception. Indeed, because of the lack of regulation, many sunscreens on the market not only contain toxic ingredients, but may not even protect us from ultraviolet radiation. The US-based Environmental Working Group has analyzed sunscreens annually since 2007. Of 1,802 name-brand sunscreens on the market in summer 2009, “2 out of 5 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns”. Despite label claims, some sunscreen ingredients are found to actually break down in the sun, rapidly losing their effectiveness. As well, common sunscreen ingredients are known to absorb into the blood, and in some cases build up in our bodies and the environment. They are linked to hormone disruption, allergic reactions and oxidative damage. While consumer pressure has resulted in some improvements in sunscreen manufacturing in the past couple years, overall, only 8% of products tested in 2009 met the EWG’s criteria for both safety and effectiveness. Their criteria: “blocking both UVA and UVB radiation, remaining stable in sunlight, and containing few if any ingredients with significant known or suspected health hazards”.

Okay, so what do we need to know to protect ourselves from skin damage and prevent skin cancer?

Sunscreen Guidelines:

• Use EWG’s 2013 sunscreen report for a comprehensive guide to which products are both effective and safe, and what to look for.

• Read labels carefully for ingredients, but note that there is as of yet no regulation of label claims.

• Use your own judgment. If you or your children burn easily, limit exposure by wearing sun-protective clothing, avoiding midday sun, and looking for shade. Use sunscreen only when necessary, and choose carefully. If you have darker skin, build up a tan gradually and you may not need sunscreen as often, if at all.

• Weigh the risks and the benefits. Note that the relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer is not as linear as we are led to believe. Risk factors for skin cancer include fair skin, frequent sunburns, moles, and family history of skin cancer. While it is true that more sun exposure may be associated with more sunburns for fair skinned individuals, this is not true of everyone. Furthermore, vitamin D, which is produced in our skin with unprotected sun exposure, is known to be antiproliferative, as in protective against cancers. And indeed, there is abundant research linking higher vitamin D status to lower rates of cancers including lung, breast, colon, and prostate cancers.

• If you are fair skinned, or don’t spend much time in the sun, talk to your doctor(s) about supplementing with vitamin D.

This article was originally published in the Lifecycles Wellness May 2010 clinic newsletter.

About Mahalia Freed, Naturopathic Doctor

“I believe that within every person is an innate capacity to establish, maintain, and restore their own health.” Dr Mahalia Freed says, “My role as an ND is to help people access this potential by choosing treatments that support the body’s inherent healing capability.”

Mahalia Freed is a Naturopathic Doctor happily based at Lifecycles Wellness in Yorkville. In her family practice, Dr Freed has a special focus in endocrinology, mental health, oncology, fertility, and perinatal care. For more information on cancer prevention, spring recipes, and other topics, follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MahaliaFreedND or visit her website www.dandelionnaturopathic.ca