No safe levels of radiation

In a recent press release, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission claims to be expert on the subject of “junk science.” I believe it. How else could the CNSC claim there is “no risk” to health from elevated levels of radioactive materials in the environment when so many major scientific bodies say the opposite? The US National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) have all stressed that existing scientific evidence reveals no safe level of radiation exposure.

The CNSC knows perfectly well that atomic workers around the world have been shown to suffer from excess cancer and leukemia as a result of radiation exposures on the job. Moreover, Canadian atomic workers have shown a much higher excess of radiation-caused leukemias than atomic workers in other countries, possibly because of their exceptionally high exposure to tritium.

I have yet to see the CNSC publically correct any of the fallacious claims made routinely by the Canadian nuclear industry, yet here it is criticizing a public interest organization for daring to say that deliberate releases of radioactive carcinogens like tritium into public drinking water supplies should be stopped. In its latest press release, the CNSC has revealed itself as a defender of the industry’s right to pollute rather than as a champion of the public’s right to a hygienic environment.

– Gordon Edwards, Ph.D., President, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility. www.ccnr.org.

Fight for your pets’ rights

You can choose to take your child to a homeopath, chiropractor or doctor of Chinese Medicine without a referral from a doctor, but you need a referral from a veterinarian to make the same choice for your pets. And many veterinarians will not refer pets to alternative health care practitioners, effectively limiting your access to these important modalities.

If you want your pet to see a homeopath or other alternative health care practitioner, you must pay for a veterinarian to supervise the visit. This added cost makes access to qualified alternative health care impossible for most pet owners. Veterinarians need only minimal training in homeopathy, chiropractics and acupuncture – often for only a few weekends – to be “qualified” to practise these modalities on your pet.

The BC government is contemplating changes to the BC Veterinarian’s Act that may further limit or even eliminate your freedom to make choices regarding your pet’s health care. You have the power to stop this from happening. The government of BC has requested advice from the public (by December 2, 2009) regarding proposed changes to the BC Veterinarians Act that is currently under review. There is significant concern that the changes being contemplated would provide the BCVMA with greater power to regulate itself. In recent years, the BCVMA has been involved in legal proceedings that have not served the public or their animals. The BCVMA has not acted in a manner that has instilled confidence in the public and accordingly should not be given the power to change bylaws and regulations or govern itself unchecked by the public it is supposed to be protecting.

For further information, visit www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2009-2013/2009AL0016-000551.htm or contact the Strategic Policy and Legislation Branch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands at P.O. Box 9303, Stn. Provincial Government, Victoria, BC, V8W 9N1send the Ministry a fax at 250-387-2410.

– Marilyn Bell, Vancouver