Publications and Research
Backgrounders, Policy and Position Papers
Climate Change and Energy
- A Carbon Offsetting Primer, prepared by Gina Patterson at the request of the CNS Board. 65kb Microsoft Word document
- Climate Change Action Plan and Energy Strategy: Clean Nova Scotia's submission to the Nova Scotia Department of Energy
Publications
Energy Efficency Information
- A Guide to Energy Effciency for Religious Buildings in Nova Scotia
- What You Should Know About CFLs: Fact Sheet and webpage
Waste Resources
Research Papers
Air Pollution and Health - Background and Summary on Air Quality and Health Issues
In April 2002 the Canadian Medical Association Journal published a paper on outdoor air pollution as part of a series addressing environmental health effects.There is a growing body of knowledge that has demonstrated that there are health effects directly related to air pollution. As physicians we are in a position to educate patients about these effects and recognize who is at higher risk for developing serious health illness due to air pollution. The goals of this paper are to provide background information to physicians about air pollution and attempt to provide a review of some of the current literature and encourage physicians to adopt strategies to reduce air pollution in response to a growing public health issue.
In western society today there are increasing numbers of population health concerns surrounding diet and life style... We have increasing rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and other health problems, many of which are associated with obesity and sedentary life style. In Nova Scotia 58,000 people die each year from either cardiovascular disease, cancer...Fortunately, people are becoming conscious of the risks of an unhealthy life style and are trying to find ways to increase their quality of life as well as their life span by living healthier. One of the ways in which this health trend has manifested itself is in a public desire to eat better...An important place to begin a discussion on healthy eating is by determining what the public feels qualifies as eating healthy. One way in which people change their diet to become healthier is to buy “organic” foods. Is eating organic food in fact better for your health in the long term?. I will attempt to answer this question by doing a review of recent literature that focuses on the comparison of the nutritional value of organic and conventional food.
In a study led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, in collaboration with the Environmental Working Group and Commonweal, researchers at two major laboratories found an average of 91 industrial compounds, pollutants, and other chemicals in the blood and urine of nine volunteers, with a total of 167 chemicals found in the group. Like most of us, the people tested do not work with chemicals on the job and do not live near an industrial facility.
Scientists refer to this contamination as a person’s body burden. Of the 167 chemicals found, 76 cause cancer in humans or animals, 94 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 79 cause birth defects or abnormal development. The dangers of exposure to these chemicals in combination has never been studied...
Find out more! Visit www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden/index.php