For the past few years my family has been fighting health issues and I was surprised to find that there are a lot of people getting sick and it even includes newborn babies and I saw that if this continues on its path, we will have a problem in our Healthcare System. Because of this, I did some research and found out that there is a need to change things and that we can do this better in the Province of Alberta.
According to an article written by Kristin Lawless of Vice.com “ Did you know there are nearly 1,000 Chemicals in food that has never been tested for safety? It states roughly 9,000 environmental chemicals on the market end up in our foods, including food additives, coloring, flavourings, pesticides and food packaging chemicals.”
In July 2017, The New York Times ran a story titled ‘The Chemicals in Your Mac & Cheese” Researchers, the article explained has found plasticizers known as phthalates in the popular kids food. Two weeks later the Times ran another articles that found traces of herbicide glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, has been found in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. If all these reports are true, then as a regular consumer we should be alarmed.
In the US, the two main agencies responsible for regulating all environmental chemicals in the food is the Food and drug Administration (FDA) which overseas all food and food ingredients in the market. Except for meat, Poultry and certain process egg products which are overseen by the US Department of Agriculture. Most of you would know that these chemicals have been tested. “ The Food Manufacturers are responsible for their own safety testing “says Lawless on her article.
Mr. Bruce Blumberg, a professor of the University of California, Irvine say the only entity testing the safety of the components is the company-and they have no incentive to show that their products are dangerous. Blumberg is a professor who studies endocrine-disrupting chemicals adds “it’s a conflict of interest. And they are not protecting public health” that is the bottom line.
So how does this relate to us in our daily living. Canada is known for its Public Healthcare System. We are definitely proud to have one and we should all share interest in protecting its existence. In the old days people age and live longer. Their food like Chicken or Meat and even fruits like Banana were not as huge as what it is today. The process to make them bigger and growing them faster involves either Chemicals or growth hormones. So is this bad or good? Obviously, if you look at the producers end, by spraying chemicals it prevents their crop from getting wiped out from infestations but by doing this process does it affect are health? On a short term I would say No but how about long term? While we understand they look at the dose but the contention is that there is a need to further study the effect of small doses or exposures to the chemical on human health.
So what is my point, I know Canada has always been different in our approach but having said all these facts that have come out about the food chain, there is a need to encourage the Alberta Government to look at ways to provide incentives to Organic producers and make the prices more competitive against non organic produce. Why should the Government do this? This will allow consumers the choice to choose between organic and non organic and encourage more organic products in the groceries at competitive prices. The bottom line is that Organic food exist for a reason and that the bottom line is if we do not take care of our food, our Public Healthcare System will be too stressed out and that is not good for our province or our Country as a whole. Remember Good Health is Wealth.
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Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has fulfilled his promise to get rid of Carbon Tax and he did. This is the reason why we see Pump prices just a little above the 90 cents mark which we have not seen for quite some time. A lot of people are happy with this move that has affected every household in Alberta especially when the local economy is slow.
But as Albertans are enjoying this move, Environment And Climate Change Minister Catherine Mckenna wasted no time to write the Province to inform Alberta that it will be charging a federal carbon tax effective January 1.
It is very obvious that she is detached of the sentiments of Albertans. There should be a referendum. Every Canadian should have the right to Vote if they want carbon tax or it and not just impose it. I just hope that in the coming Federal Elections that our fellow Canadians in the East will keep this in mind. You do not kill or penalize a province who was bringing in money for the country. Oil is still the number Natural Resource product that Canada has been exporting. Without oil, where are we going to get funding for Major Infrastructure Projects or support provinces like Quebec? Let us build the pipelines and export our product Globally so Quebec can continue to get the equalization payments. If not then it is time to stop equalization payments.