This year’s Rotterdam Convention was a dissatisfaction for foes of asbestos and mesothelioma : even though the 141 nations involved agreed to add 3 pesticides - alachlor, aldicarb and endosulfan to a list of 40 chemicals it considers hazardous, they could not reach an accord on asbestos.
Chrysotile asbestos, up for debate on addition to the list, was not banned. In general, asbestos is poison in the minds of many illness advocates worldwide, mainly those in developing countries, where environmental regulations are minimal. Several nations including Canada and the Ukraine (two of the largest miners and producers of asbestos ) -opposed adding asbestos to the list. Following Canada's lead, the only countries that opposed listing asbestos under the convention were Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam. Even India, one of Canada's largest asbestos customers, and the leader behind efforts at COP 4 against listing, changed its stance.
Canada is the only "enlightened" industrialized country that exports asbestos, and does so predominantly to the developing world where there are few health and safety standards. The Canadian position is, by most other countries, considered hypocritical because the country exports a mineral which is banned in domestic construction, and they also have spent millions ridding parliamentary buildings in Ottawa of the toxic substance, all while lobbying tirelessly to keep asbestos unregulated.
One Canadian mesothelioma widow wrote in to the Vancouver Sun :
“We all feel the tarnish from our government’s refusal to do right in the Rotterdam Convention, which would have warned defenseless workers and the general populations in developing countries that Canadian chrysotile asbestos is an extremely dangerous carcinogen.”
Her largest censure was that not only did Canada inhibit the addition of asbestos to the list of dangerous chemicals, they also refuse to accurately label their products: “Their present labels do not even enter the Canadian workplace's dangerous materials data network standards as to handling of asbestos. There are usually hard-to-read warnings in French and English, and that is unsatisfactory when shipping to developing countries where workers do not speak or read French or English.”
According to the Washington Post , the agreement [Rotterdam Convention] “aims to upgrade the data that is exchanged during general traffic in chemicals that have been criminalized or restricted, so that importers and consumers may be better informed.” By refusing to add asbestos to their list, the Convention did not achieve their goal for this year.
The information in this post was gleaned from a french-published article, so although some of the grammar may seem a bit strange, it is still accurate. (I'm glad that I studied College-level French for 4 years, and received all As and A+s, in reading, writing and speaking the language)!.
Thank you all very much for reading and sharing, and for your kind comments. I truly appreciate every one of them, and every one of you! Look forward to seeing you back soon! :)
Blessings,
ninib :)
Chrysotile asbestos, up for debate on addition to the list, was not banned. In general, asbestos is poison in the minds of many illness advocates worldwide, mainly those in developing countries, where environmental regulations are minimal. Several nations including Canada and the Ukraine (two of the largest miners and producers of asbestos ) -opposed adding asbestos to the list. Following Canada's lead, the only countries that opposed listing asbestos under the convention were Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam. Even India, one of Canada's largest asbestos customers, and the leader behind efforts at COP 4 against listing, changed its stance.
Canada is the only "enlightened" industrialized country that exports asbestos, and does so predominantly to the developing world where there are few health and safety standards. The Canadian position is, by most other countries, considered hypocritical because the country exports a mineral which is banned in domestic construction, and they also have spent millions ridding parliamentary buildings in Ottawa of the toxic substance, all while lobbying tirelessly to keep asbestos unregulated.
One Canadian mesothelioma widow wrote in to the Vancouver Sun :
“We all feel the tarnish from our government’s refusal to do right in the Rotterdam Convention, which would have warned defenseless workers and the general populations in developing countries that Canadian chrysotile asbestos is an extremely dangerous carcinogen.”
Her largest censure was that not only did Canada inhibit the addition of asbestos to the list of dangerous chemicals, they also refuse to accurately label their products: “Their present labels do not even enter the Canadian workplace's dangerous materials data network standards as to handling of asbestos. There are usually hard-to-read warnings in French and English, and that is unsatisfactory when shipping to developing countries where workers do not speak or read French or English.”
According to the Washington Post , the agreement [Rotterdam Convention] “aims to upgrade the data that is exchanged during general traffic in chemicals that have been criminalized or restricted, so that importers and consumers may be better informed.” By refusing to add asbestos to their list, the Convention did not achieve their goal for this year.
The information in this post was gleaned from a french-published article, so although some of the grammar may seem a bit strange, it is still accurate. (I'm glad that I studied College-level French for 4 years, and received all As and A+s, in reading, writing and speaking the language)!.
Thank you all very much for reading and sharing, and for your kind comments. I truly appreciate every one of them, and every one of you! Look forward to seeing you back soon! :)
Blessings,
ninib :)
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