Prevent cancer now EARTHFUTURE Guy Dauncey
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It was a privilege to be able to lay out t all started in Philadelphia in April the evidence, along with so many soluof 2002 when I attended the annual Assembly of the United Methodist tions. The cord blood of a baby born in Women as a guest speaker on global cliNorth America today is contaminated mate change. There was a lot of singing with 230 industrial chemicals, 190 of and a lot of sisterhood, but, alas, not a lot which have been linked to cancer. How of interest in global warming. There was can this be cause for anything but anger an amazing conference bookshop, how– then action? It is not just humans, ever, where I bought a copy of Sandra either. During the 1990s, one in four Steingraber’s book Living Downstream: of the beluga whales in the polluted St. An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Lawrence Seaway died of cancer – the Environment. same rate as humans, even though the Without knowing where it would lead belugas didn’t smoke, eat junk food, or me, I holed myself up in my hotel bedtan themselves in the noonday sun. The room and read it from cover to cover. belugas that swam in the open Atlantic Sandra is a poet, scientist and ecologist remained healthy. diagnosed with cancer as a young woman The evidence was overpowering, and – a disease that had afflicted other memour book called for activism, but here in bers of her adopCanada there was tive family. In her little happening. So book, she uses her Prevent Cancer Now is small, Liz and I decided to poetic imagination form a non-profit and her scientific but our ambitions are big. society called Preresearch to deeply vent Cancer Now explore the polto build a Canadaluted nature of rural Illinois where she wide movement to eliminate the preventwas raised, and the world in general. She able causes of cancer. We drew together writes: “In 1950, less than 10 percent a board of directors and poured our attenof cornfields were sprayed with pestition into organizing a big conference that cides. In 1993, 99 percent were chemitook place in Ottawa in May of 2006. Liz cally treated,” including with atrazine, also organized an annual Run, Walk and suspected of causing breast cancer and Roll for Cancer Prevention, since every ovarian cancer in humans. new society needs funding. My book Stormy Weather: 101 SoluPrevent Cancer Now is small, but our tions to Global Climate Change had just ambitions are big. Last month, we held been published; I had just dreamed up a retreat at Liz’s home in rural Ontario The Solutions Project, and I was castwhere we planned ahead. We want to ing around for the next big topic that tackle lindane, a very toxic pesticide and I would focus on while continuing my a suspected carcinogen that is banned work on climate change and sustainable throughout Europe, but still allowed for energy. Sandra had me hooked; it had use in Canada as a treatment for head lice to be cancer. on children. We want to do more public Over the next five years, I immersed education. We are lining up a project myself in learning everything I could to awaken teenagers to the need to eat about cancer’s environmental origins. organic food and avoid toxic products. My trail led me to Liz Armstrong, a canWe also need more members to help cer activist from Erin, Ontario, and then us eliminate the preventable causes to Anne Wordsworth, a cancer researcher of cancer. Will you join us? Will you from Toronto. Together, we completed donate to us? Will you help us with this Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Preventable all-important work, so that we can grow, Epidemic, published by New Society and take on greater challenges? Will you Publishers in May of this year. make this a Christmas gift to yourself, We are very proud of our book and its and your friends? challenge to the widespread belief that We start these things on faith, but cancer is overwhelmingly caused by our faith needs friends, for we cannot do it personal lifestyle choices, including diet. alone. See www.preventcancernow.ca. There is so much evidence that points in For information about the book, visit a different direction, linking cancer to the www.earthfuture.com/cancer pollution of our bodies by chemicals and radiation in our homes, schools, workGuy Dauncey is co-chair of Prevent places and the environment-at-large, Cancer Now, executive director of The combined with the absence of healthy Solutions Project and president of the BC organic local food, which is now getting Sustainable Energy Association. He lives more of the attention it deserves. in Victoria. Visit www.earthfuture.com
