Cleaner Greener Healthier: A Prescription for Stronger Canadian Environmental Laws and Policies

Published in 2015, this book is still current and is a good blueprint for future and current Canadian policy-makers and laypeople alike. If readers had illusions about Canadian health as I did, this book offered a number of myth-busting facts early on that are potentially shocking. For instance, early in the book I learned that our chemical burden is similar to our American counterparts. The author also teaches us that Canadians are bearing transgenerational vulnerability to certain diseases, while hot spots such as air pollution in Alberta's heartland is in fact similar to big cities.

Fortunately, the book is dense with references to every available study, citing WHO frequently as well as creating perspective, such as the fact that more than 1 in 4 Canadian has a family member who had sought treatment for environmental illness such as asthma or cancer. This mirrors some of the statistics on Health Canada's 2017 trend analysis "How Healthy are Canadians" but that study somewhat rolls smoking related cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases together. I already thought Canadians had a high number of smoking-related deaths, but the book helped make it clear this is not about smoking.

The book also drew attention to the studies of the Conference Board of Canada, which found Canada ranks 10 out of 17 wealthy industrialized nations in regards to health performance, leaving Canada lagging well behind Sweden, Norway and France among others.
There is a massive lack of an environmental health strategy in Canada, one that causes Canada to even lag behind the United States in terms of health strategy, by as much as 20 years. How did we come to have such an alarming strategy gap regarding public health?

There have been a few attempted policy strides since the book first came out, but Health Canada's own website is not a terrific research source at the moment on this topic. The Environmental Impact Initiative page @ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/activities-responsibilities/strategies-initiatives/environmental-impact-initiative.html is literally archived, as is the Canadian Diabetes strategy page, "We have archived this page and will not be updating it" while a small "news item" announces it is radon awareness and lung cancer month.
This does not mean our government is not moving on these issues, but these are bad optics that do not contribute to a feeling of confidence around Canada's need for a comprehensive health strategy.

This book is readable and detailed. It outlines various contaminants in lay terms, and goes so far as to explore issues around antibiotics, the GMO debate, pesticides, and other exposure questions with detailed scientific evidence. The good news is that the Canadian Medical Association found 90 % of Canadians rank air pollution a high or moderate health risk, while 75% concerned about pesticides and herbicides and 82% are deeply concerned by climate change specifically as having potential to spread diseases. The book acknowledging the positive progress Canada has made in the past such as banning lead from gasoline, the reduction of dioxins by 99% in pulp and paper mills effluent, our advances in wastewater treatment, sulphuric levels from industry and in gasoline and the remediation of contaminated sites. These advances are encouraging given our immediate challenges.

Following quite a few interesting statistics, Boyd tackles a discussion of environmental injustice and structural inequalities in our society with considerable eloquence. The author uses the story of places where the burden of diseases are higher then average rates, and discusses environmental justice movement in these places. Useful histories include the story of Sarnia's Chemical Valley and the nearby Aamjiwnaang First Nation. The book also breaks down the adverse economic cost of environmental pollution which are massive with costs that run into the billions. Remarks this, despite great strides, at least according to Boyd's 2015 scan of circumstances, "there is no mention of environmental justice, environmental injustice, environmental equity, or environmental racism in any Canadian law, regulation, or policy at the federal, provincial, or territorial level." There are several statements like this that are quite the challenge to Canada and our policy-makers, and it's a tone that gives the book its vigor.
On pg 110, Boyd expresses some hope through the channel of children's environmental rights. A national strategic framework on children's environmental health was "finally released" in 2010. However, remarks, Boyd, Canada's environmental laws are strikingly substandard, and "the hour is late."
Notes are extensive, making this a helpful resource for anyone interested in understanding more about the solutions to our current environmental quandary. Recommended.

Boyd, D. R. (2016). Cleaner, greener, healthier: A prescription for stronger Canadian environmental laws and policies. UBC Press.