Speak Up

It will be remembered as an act of barbarism in the history of industrial development where asbestos was knowingly allowed to be used, and where workers were knowingly subjected to it.—Gobal Krishna, activist

Last week, 37 physicians from 19 countries signed a letter to Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc, urging him to comply with the medical code of ethics and stop overlooking the risks posed by asbestos. Earlier in the year, over 100 scientists from 28 countries sent Quebec Premier Jean Charest a letter appealing to him to put public health ahead of trade.

You'd think this was a no brainer, but apparently not.

In 2008, the $100-million Canadian asbestos industry exported 175,000 tonnes of chrysotile; almost all of it went to developing countries, including India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. Now the asbestos industry in Quebec is asking for and will likely receive a 58-million dollar subsidy from its government unless public outcry is heard this week.

Please take a minute of your time today to email this letter to Canadian Cancer Society CEO, Peter Goodhand (pgoodhand@cancer.ca), to let him know Canadians refuse to export illness to developing countries and want the CCS to publicly oppose the subsidy.

Afterall, you can't grow daffodils in asbestos either.


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