Latest Health reports
Failing the sniff test
Pesticide Free? Oui! (2011)
What's Inside? That Counts: A survey of toxic ingredients in our cosmetics
Debugging the Ban: Nine Pesticides Missing from Ontario's Proposed Prohibitions
The David Suzuki Foundation welcomed passage of Ontario's Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act in June 2008. However, the effectiveness of the new law hinges largely on the strength of regulations now under development. This report identifies nine active ingredients that should be banned for cosmetic use but were left off the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's preliminary lists.
Pesticide Free? Oui!: An Analysis of Quebec's Pesticides Management Code and Recommendations for Effective Provincial Policy
Pesticide Free? Oui! analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Quebec's Pesticides Management Code, the first provincial ban in Canada on the use and sale of certain cosmetic pesticides.
Prescription for a Healthy Canada: Towards a National Environment Health Strategy
This report examines key environmental health issues in Canada, assesses shortcomings in Canadian environmental policy in these areas, and considers innovative approaches in other jurisdictions. The David Suzuki Foundation recommends that Canada develop and implement a national strategy to ensure coordinated, effective, and timely action to address environmental health concerns.
Northern Exposure: Acute Pesticide Poisonings in Canada
Northern Exposure counts the thousands of Canadians that have suffered from acute poisoning from pesticides. The report is a wake-up call to federal and provincial governments to take action to protect Canadians from the dangers of pesticides.
Radon: The Unfamiliar Killer
This short report outlines a series of recommendations for strengthening Canadian radon guidelines to reduce the health risks associated with exposure to one of the most toxic sources of indoor air pollution in Canada.
The Water We Drink: An International Comparison of Drinking Water Quality Standards and Guidelines
As part of the Healthy Environment, Healthy Canadians series, this 34-page report compares Canada's water quality guidelines with corresponding frameworks in the U.S., the European Union, and Australia, as well as guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization.
The Food We Eat: An International Comparison of Pesticide Regulations
As part of the Healthy Environment, Healthy Canadians series, this 34-page report offers eight key recommendations to reduce the use of the most hazardous pesticides. Starting with a comparison of Canada's pesticide regulations with similar standards in the United States, Europe, and Australia, this report presents compelling evidence that Canadian regulations are among the weakest in the industrialized world.
Fireproof Whales and Contaminated Mother's Milk: The Inadequacy of Canada's Proposed PBDE Regulations
This short, 24-page report examines a group of chemicals used as flame-retardants (specifically PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers) that are found in a wide range of products including clothing, computers, motor vehicles, and furniture. PBDEs are accumulating at an exponential rate in several areas in Canada, including the Arctic. Canadian women and killer whales have some of the world's highest concentrations of these commonly encountered toxic chemicals.
The Air We Breathe: An International Comparison of Air Quality Standards and Guidelines
As part of the Healthy Environment, Healthy Canadians series, this 18-page report compares Canada's voluntary air quality guidelines with the legally binding national standards in the United States, Europe and Australia, as well as recommendations by the World Health Organization. The report concludes with several key, workable solutions for reducing the toll of air pollution on the health and well-being of Canadians.
