Extract taken from http://preventcancernow.ca/main/issues-actions/ban-asbestos-campaign
This website collects examples of leading national and international scientific and popular opinions calling on the Canadian government to stop the mining and export of Canadian chrysotile asbestos to unprotected developing nations.
In every stage of its life cycle, asbestos promiscuously sheds tiny dust fibers. Once inhaled, the fibres become tangled in lung tissues, where they wreak a cancerous havoc - typically lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, the latter a rare, painful and terminal cancer of the lining of the chest wall.
The World Health Organization estimates that asbestos kills at least 90,000 people a year - about half of all occupational cancer deaths. Strict occupational health and safety rules in Canada protect Canadian workers’ exposure to the mineral. The federal government spends millions to rid Parliament, under the strictest protective guidelines, of its remaining asbestos. In the summer of 2009, the Canadian Medical Association voted 95% to stop Canadian mining and export of asbestos.
However, the Canadian government continues to see nothing wrong with the continued mining and export of deadly Canadian asbestos to unprotected developing nations. Asbestos mining in Quebec represents the world's fourth largest production of chrysotile asbestos, sending 200,000 tons of chrysotile asbestos each year to developing countries. Its exports earn over $100 million a year. In 1991 almost 1000 workers were employed in the asbestos mines of Quebec. Today only 350 work three to four months a year at the one Thetford Mine site still open, which is under bankruptcy protection. Instead of supporting the dying asbestos industry, the governments could offer to close the mines by offering buyout packages as was done for tobacco farmers.
Canada's international reputation suffers enormously. Everyone is encouraged to help influence the government on this vital issue.However, the Canadian government continues to see nothing wrong with the continued mining and export of deadly Canadian asbestos to unprotected developing nations. Asbestos mining in Quebec represents the world's fourth largest production of chrysotile asbestos, sending 200,000 tons of chrysotile asbestos each year to developing countries. Its exports earn over $100 million a year. In 1991 almost 1000 workers were employed in the asbestos mines of Quebec. Today only 350 work three to four months a year at the one Thetford Mine site still open, which is under bankruptcy protection. Instead of supporting the dying asbestos industry, the governments could offer to close the mines by offering buyout packages as was done for tobacco farmers.
An Indian Woman Sorts Asbestos
There are two sets of villains in Canada:
1. The Quebec chrysotile mining industry sells, packages and transports asbestos overseas through the Chrysotile Canada Inc. Its lobby group, the Chrysotile Institute in Montreal, pretends to be an independent scientific organization publishing information about the safe handling of chrysotile asbestos. Its fraudulent "scientific claims" about asbestos' safety are shared by no other national or international scientific body. However, the Chrysotile Institute's so-called "scientific claims" about the safe use of chrysotile asbestos in under-developed nations effectively muddy what otherwise is a clear scientific and political consensus to close down the dangerous trade. In fact, Canada has no means of monitoring the use of Canadian asbestos elsewhere.2. The Federal and Quebec governments which support the asbestos industry's right to mine and export asbestos. These two levels of government subsidize the Chrysotile Institute to the tune of $250,000 and $200,000 respectively per year.
Good on you Rick for saying it like it is!
View his rant here
Lots to think about here. Tess x
This has shown Canada in a completely new light. I find it totally unethical and despicable that a country that protects it's own population knowlingly puts other populations at risk just for profit. I had no idea that anywhere was still even mining it - let alone exporting it.
ReplyDeleteBeryl xx
I had no idea, it needs us all to rant I think. Well done Tess for raising our awareness. Did you see on the news that M&S in Reading, my home town, were fined £1 million for not protecting their workers and customers sufficiently well when they removed the asbestos from their store a couple of years ago.
ReplyDeletehugs Jen x