March 1, 2008

Contents:

1. CANCER - Natural Approaches for Prevention and Healing
2. Environmental Groups Call for "Good Wood" in 2010 Olympics
3. Give Your Feedback to Health Canada on Health Claims for Foods
4. Tell EPA to Ban Toxic Pesticide Endosulfan
5. Study: Health Information and the Internet
6. British Columbia Organic Industry Overview - December 2007

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CANCER - Natural Approaches for Prevention and Healing

Hello HANS Members and Friends.

April may be official cancer month, but really, every month is cancer month, isn't it? What I mean is, the effects of this disease are felt by all of us, all too often. And it's not just the disease itself, but the fear that even thinking the word can inspire. We feel helpless and worried, and we start wondering, What more can I do?

Find out for yourself on March 30, 2008 at "CANCER - Natural Approaches for Prevention and Healing." HANS is sponsoring this one-day conference in North Vancouver to inspire hope and awareness... to empower people. Six knowledgeable presenters will discuss mind, body, spirit and environmental concerns, and how they relate to cancer, providing practical self-help options.

Please take a day for the rest of your life to attend this important event. Each attendee will receive a gift copy of CancerSmart Consumer Guide. And if you know someone who might be interested, kindly pass the word along.

For ticket information, call us at 604-435-0512 or visit us at www.hans.org.

Hope to see you there.

Warm regards,
Lorna Hancock
Executive Director & Founding Member

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Environmental Groups Call for "Good Wood" in 2010 Olympics

by Greenpeace Canada

February 12, 2008 - Media Release

Two years before the opening of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, a new spotlight is being shone on the Games' environmental footprint. The website, GoodWoodWatch.ca, has been launched to ensure environmentally and socially responsible Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood is included in venue construction.

The website will track the use of "good wood" in Olympic venues in the coming months. In its bid to hold the Games, Vancouver 2010 committed that new buildings and infrastructure required for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games will be a showcase of the best in green building design and construction techniques.

The coalition of environmental groups behind the website is calling on Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) and all Olympic venues to use FSC-certified wood in their building construction. The FSC is an internationally recognized standard for environmental and socially responsible management of forests. For over two years, environmental groups have been in contact with VANOC, regional municipalities and venue architects to educate and advocate for the use of wood from responsibly managed forests with mixed results.

More at http://www.goodwoodwatch.ca/2008/02/12/call-for-good.../

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Give Your Feedback to Health Canada on Health Claims for Foods

The deadline for providing written input on Health Canada's discussion paper "Managing Health Claims for Foods in Canada:  Towards a Modernized Framework" has been extended until March 31, 2008.

The document and accompanying questions are posted at
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/consultation/init/man-g...

The Natural Health Products Directorate
Health Canada

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Tell EPA to Ban Toxic Pesticide Endosulfan

The EPA has opened a public comment period on whether a toxic pesticide used on food and cotton in the United States but banned in much of the world, should be taken off the market. The pesticide, endosulfan is one of the deadliest pesticides still in use. It harms the hormone system, and low levels of exposure in the womb have been linked to autism, male reproductive harm and other birth defects.

Endosulfan, like DDT, is an organochlorine and persists in the environment long after it has killed the target pests, leaving a deadly legacy for people and wildlife. According to one farmer who observed birds and frogs dying following the consumption of insects sprayed with endosulfan: "Fields smell awful two or three days after spraying because virtually every living thing has been killed and starts to rot."

More at http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsOR...

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Study: Health Information and the Internet

by Statistics Canada

More than one-third of Canadian adults, over half of them women, used the Internet to search for health information in 2005, according to a new study.

Among those who also visited a doctor, more than one-third discussed the results of their Internet search with their physician.

The study, "Getting a second opinion: Health information and the Internet," appears today in Health Reports. Using data from the 2005 Canadian Internet Use Survey, the study examines adults' use of the Internet to access health information.

More at http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/080221/d080221c....

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British Columbia Organic Industry Overview - December 2007

The purpose of "The British Columbia Organic Industry Overview" is to serve as a reference for new and existing organic farmers, government agencies, industry members and the general public seeking information pertaining to the certified organic agricultural sector in British Columbia.

The compilation of statistics, descriptions of industry structure, function, and resources devoted to the sector highlight that organic agriculture is an important industry in and of itself and has its own unique strengths and challenges.

More at http://www.al.gov.bc.ca/organics/organics_industry/o...

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