presstv.com 50 years ago, you could have easily found asbestos in any home or building in Canada. Thanks to its tensile strength and fire resistance, it was commonly used in roofing shingles, fire blankets, and insulation. But when its health risks became apparent, the country began phasing it out and removing it from buildings. Asbestos has been linked to forms of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases but this toxic material is still creating controversy in Canada. That’s because the country is a major exporter of asbestos. The use of asbestos is severely limited, domestically even though exports stand at around 150000 tonnes per year. It goes to countries like India, Indonesia and the Phillipines. Anthony Pizzino, the national director of research and occupational health for CUPE had this to say. While the government insists there are ways to safely handle asbestos in a controlled environment, Pizzino maintains that when it comes to carcinogens or cancer causing materials, there is no such thing as safe levels of exposure. The World Health Organizaiton estimates that about 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in the workplace and more than 107 000 people die each year from asbestos-related lung cancer. But Canada has vetoed attempts to include Chrysotile asbestos in the Rotterdam Convention, a UN-sponsored list of controlled substances that alerts importers of the associated risks. There has been overwhelming evidence and outcry from national health …
Video Rating: 5 / 5
