This is the online version of TREA Talk, the newspaper of the Thames Region Ecological Association. It will be updated regularly with articles from the print version as well as other information relevant to TREA members or anyone interested in the health of both the local and global environment. The print version of TREA Talk is distributed free of charge to TREA members and is also made available to local schools and libraries. Look for TREA Talk and TREA's informational displays at Grosvenor Lodge or at local community events.
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By: Ron More
The people of Hudson, Quebec decided that their children were more important. They passed a municipal bylaw in 1991 which tightly restricted the use of pesticides for non-essential (cosmetic) uses within its boundaries. Chem Lawn and Spray Tech, both companies that routinely apply toxic pesticides, challenged the bylaw in two Quebec courts and lost. They then appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that municipalities did not have the power to control local pesticide use. This appeal threatened the ability of local governments to address environmental matters. Finally on June 28, 2001 a decision was reached.
By: Kathryn-Jane Hazel, Steering Committee, London Chapter, Council of Canadians
By the time this article is published, London's water services may already be privatized.
By: Joyce Castanza, Public Health Nurse Middlesex-London Health Unit & Kelly Leroux, Good Hearted Living
Every Saturday morning this summer, Londoners have laced up their walking shoes and joined community volunteers with a passion for walking. Anywhere from 25 -70 weekly walkers have foregone yard sales and sleeping in to enjoy the great outdoors on foot. Conditions ranged from paved pathways along the Thames to dirt trails in many natural areas. Whether the trails were muddy or the skies crystal clear, laughter and enthusiasm were abundant among the participants of all ages. As these weekly walks have shown, walking is a healthy activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. In fact, ages of the participants ranged from 17 months to 78 years! An intergenerational activity, indeed.
By: Norm Tufts
M.M.T. what is it? Most people in Canada have no idea what Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl (M.M.T.) is or that our gas has M.M.T. in it. Most people can’t even pronounce the name let alone try and describe what it is or does. M.M.T. is a dangerous chemical found in Canadian gasolines since 1977, used as a replacement for lead. As indicated in the Middlesex-London Heath Unit report #117-98 and signed by Dr. Graham Pollett, Medical Officer of Health, M.M.T. poses a public health hazard when used in gasoline as an octane enhancer.