Minister of the Environment
Supports Canadian Lung Association in Taking
Action on Pollution to Reduce Lung Disease
Ottawa, April 27, 2007 – The Honourable
John Baird, Minister of the Environment,
today expressed Canada’s New Government’s
strong support for the objectives of the
Canadian Lung Association’s Lung Health
Framework in his closing address to the
Framework’s conference.
Minister Baird spoke to the gathering of
about 175 stakeholders one day after announcing
the Government’s new plan – Turning the
Corner: a Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
and Air Pollution – which will see, for
the first time ever, the federal government
force industry to reduce greenhouse gases
and air pollution.
“Canadians can breathe easier knowing that
these new regulations will have tangible
health and environmental benefits for everyone,”
Minister Baird said. “Our Turning the Corner
Plan will cut air pollution and greenhouse
gases, and will lead to real health benefits
for all Canadians, including cleaner communities,
healthier children, fewer premature deaths
and more sustainable natural resources.
The Canadian Lung Association’s Framework
supports and compliments these regulations
nicely. Canada’s New Government’s plan,
together with initiatives like this Framework,
will ensure we’re on the right path to cleaner
air for all Canadians. ”
These industrial regulations will have
real, tangible health and environmental
benefits for Canadians. For example, the
plan will reduce the number of Canadians
suffering from respiratory and cardiovascular
disease and it will reduce the number of
premature deaths because of health problems
linked to air pollution. Canadians will
visit hospitals and the emergency room less
often and there will be fewer episodes of
acute childhood bronchitis, and asthma days.
The World Health Organization predicts
that, by 2020, lung disease will be the
third leading cause of death in the world.
By bringing together a wide range of stakeholders
from patient and consumers to health care
and pharmaceutical workers, as well as Aboriginal
and business groups, the Lung Health Framework:
Plan for Action will see a comprehensive
action plan developed for launch in 2008.
For the first-time ever there will be clear
objectives for reducing key environmental
contributors to lung disease including air
pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Canada is an international leader in the
fights against lung disease,” said Nora
Sobolov, Chair of the Interim Steering committee
of the Lung Health Framework. “The Plan
of Action will further that leadership by
building strategies that deal with one of
the root causes of lung disease: the air
we breathe. The work being done in this
Plan will ensure that our children – and
future generations – will enjoy cleaner
air both indoors and outdoors, and as a
result significantly lower rates of lung
disease”
“The link between the environment and the
respiratory health of Canadians is clear,”
said Kenneth Maybee, Chair of the Environmental
Issues Working Group or the Lung Health
Framework. “Strategies that combat lung
disease and their link to indoor and outdoor
air pollution, as well as the effects of
climate change, are critical to stemming
the annual increase in respiratory illness
in Canada.”
For more information on what the Government
is doing to tackle climate change and reduce
air pollution, visit www.ecoaction.gc.ca
or call 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232,
or TTY 1-800-926-9105).
For more information about the Lung Health
Framework: Plan for Action, visit http://www.lung.ca/about-propos/framework-cadre_e.php
or call 613-569-6411.
Eric Richer/Press Secretary/Office of the
Minister of the Environment
+ More
Minister Baird Responds to Statements by
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore
OTTAWA , April 28, 2007 - With respect
to the comments of former United States
Vice President Al Gore, the Honourable John
Baird, the Minister of the Environment,
made the following statement:
“Former Vice-President Al Gore deserves
acknowledgement for the success of his film
in highlighting the huge ecological challenge
of climate change. It is regrettable, however,
that the former Vice President has criticized
Canada’s recently released action plan to
cut greenhouse gases and air pollution.
“It is difficult to accept criticism from
someone who preaches about climate change,
but who never submitted the Kyoto Protocol
to a vote in the United States Senate, who
never did as much as Canada is now doing
to fight climate change during eight years
in Office, and who has campaigned exclusively
for hundreds of Democratic candidates who
have weaker plans to fight greenhouse gases
than Canada’s New Government.
“It is equally regrettable that the former
US Vice President decided to speak out without
ever having been briefed on the contents
of our plan.
"The fact is our plan is vastly tougher
than any measures introduced by the Administration
of which the former Vice President was a
member."
“I am ready to meet with Mr. Gore at any
time to discuss the climate change threat
and our Government's tough plan to reduce
Canada's emissions”.
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
