Category Archives: Human Rights

Property Manager’s Guides to MCS

From the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA):

Environmental Sensitivities and Housing

Every year, CERA receives a significant number of calls from tenants being made ill from the poor indoor air quality in their apartment buildings. Most of these individuals suffer from environmental sensitivities and are particularly sensitive to contaminants in the air. With funding assistance from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, CERA recently launched HomeSafe, an initiative to educate tenants and multi-unit housing providers on strategies to improve indoor air quality and create healthier living environments.

The resources section has some excellent documents that are designed to “help landlords, property managers, and co-operative and condominium boards of directors reduce the health impacts associated with multi-unit housing and create living environments that are as safe and “green” as possible… and make their properties more attractive…”

For example:

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Money, Masks and MCS

Here is yet another way petro-chemical and wireless pollutants and policies create barriers to access, barriers that personal actions and responsibility alone cannot overcome…

Background: Michellina  wrote about her masked experiences on her blog The-Labyrynth, which inspired Colleen to write about her mask breakthrough on her blog Life in the City with a Future, which inspired me to share her link and post on the subject here, which then inspired Suki to chime in here adding her experiences, as well as a link to some really great resources from from The (US) National Center for Independent Living on environmental health barriers to access, which links back here to one of my  posts! And here’s an example of just how prevalent fragrance chemicals are.

And then… my friend Melody posted this photo, which brings up another issue:

How can we have access to our money when wearing disability related “accessories”?

What about the masks we wear to be able to breathe cleaner air?

What about the masks we wear  to breathe? Or the hats and scarves we wear to keep some of the fragrance chemicals off of our hair? Or the special fabric head-coverings to protect from wireless radiation? These are necessary “accessories” which prevent further disability, and allow some of us to lead somewhat more normal lives, kind of like what wheelchairs are for people who can’t walk.

Do they have these signs (and policies) everywhere now?

How do you manage?

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Report: RECOGNITION, INCLUSION AND EQUITY – THE TIME IS NOW

Many of us have been waiting for action for decades, let’s hope that this is the project that finally makes it happen. It has been a long time coming…

‘RECOGNITION, INCLUSION AND EQUITY – THE TIME IS NOW: PERSPECTIVES OF ONTARIANS LIVING WITH ES/MCS, ME/CFS AND FM’

Recognition Inclusion and Equity the Time is Now

From Varda Burstyn:

At long last, I am writing to let you know about four new groundbreaking reports – products of a 5-year initiative that I and colleagues began in 2008 – that present exciting new research on the three environmentally linked conditions of ES/MCS, ME/CFS and FM, and that develop a wonderful new model of care and support for those living with the conditions in Ontario.

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Human Health Rights Declaration

Currently, there seems to be in place a legal “right” to pollute for profit, be it wireless  radiation, toxic chemicals, or any other source of pollution. These harmful exposures  cross property lines and enter our bodies, sometimes with devastating and deadly results. They also  occur without our free, prior and informed consent.

This is not right! 

Cindy Sage and Paavo Huttunen suggest a change:

In every society the basic rights of citizens must be safeguarded. Adoption of a Human Health Rights Declaration is necessary to protect all life and our living environment from harmful exposures that have run out of control and ahead of the scientific warnings. Some 100 years back, we learned the hard lessons of ionizing radiation and the need for strict health protections. Now it is the time to turn toward safer and healthier forms of non-ionizing radio waves and electromagnetic fields, if they exist.

Human Health Rights Declaration

Fundamental Human Health Rights

The right to homeostasis in our own bodies.

The right to normal central nervous system function.

The right to natural environmental cues that synchronize our circadian rhythms.

The right to sleep.

The right to heal.

The right to hear.

The right to reproduce.

The right to learn and retain memories.

The right to an intact genome.


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New PAGE on Statistics for MCS/ES, FM and ME/CFS

I’ve assembled prevalence statistics from Canada and the US into one place, including images and links to documents with more information.

Included are links and images with Canadian stats for MCS/ES, FM, and ME/CFS, and US stats for MCS. I will update to include more stats from more countries when I have reliable sources for them. Please share any that you are aware of.

The new page is located at the top of this site under the MCS/ES page, or via this link:

Statistics for MCS/ES, FM and ME/CFS

Here is a sample of what you will find there:

According to The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and Statistics Canada, between 2005 and 2010 the rates of people diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in Canada increased significantly.

The number of people diagnosed with MCS increased by 31%
The number of people diagnosed with FM increased by 15%
The number of people diagnosed with CFS increased by 24%

Chronic Conditions Prevalence Comparisons
(for perspective)

You can find all the statistics, links and images in the ‘Statistics for MCS/ES, FM and ME/CFS’ page at the top of this site under the MCS/ES page, or click on this link:

https://seriouslysensitivetopollution.wordpress.com/mcses/statistics-for-mcses-fm-and-mecfs/

With gratitude to the National ME/FM Action Network for much of the material.

Allergic to a World Full of Cats?

Warning: This post contains many photos of cats.

What follows is something I thought was a great response by Kristine Kruszelnicki  to someone who trivialized her MCS and compared it to his cat allergy

(shared with her permission, and with many photos of cats added by me):

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MCS Video Interviews

Enlightening (in a relative way)…

Before watching, it might be helpful to get really grounded and plan how you will deal with the emotions that come up.

These interviews and the roundtable discussion were filmed in Sante Fe, New Mexico in 1995. Parts of this piece are in the full documentary, Homesick: Living With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.

Also check out MCS Under Siege by Ann McCampbell, MD
http://annmccampbell.com/publicationswritings/publication-1/

Learn more about the film Homesick at: http://www.homesick-video.com

may all beings be free

TTC launches wi-fi network at two subway stations

Great (not)… The TTC is erecting more accessibility barriers for people who are disabled with EHS, and it’s a big move backwards for protecting the health of children and pregnant women.

Accessibility wise, this is similar to removing ramps for people who are mobility disabled. It creates barriers to access and also subjects some people to further pain, suffering and disability.

Blanketing the subway system with microwave radiation is NOT a good idea when independent research shows enough harm caused by exposures that wireless is now declared a class 2 carcinogen…

Using the precautionary approach would be the wise thing to do.

See C4ST for more information about wireless technologies and health.

Frank Clegg, the former CEO and President of Microsoft Canada is the CEO of C4ST.

How to Enforce a Fragrance-Free Policy

How to Enforce a Fragrance-Free Policy

“Make it clear that the policy applies to everyone”

effective enforcement

WHY?

Fragranced consumer products: exposures and effects from emissions

“Overall, 34.7 % of the population reported one or more types of adverse health effects from exposure to one or more types of fragranced products.”

“72.6 % were not aware that even so-called natural, green, and organic fragranced products typically emit hazardous air pollutants.”

“20.2 % of the population reported that if they enter a business, and smell air fresheners or some fragranced product, they want to leave as quickly as possible.”

“Significantly, 15.1 % of the general population reported that exposure to fragranced products in their work environment has caused them to become sick, lose workdays, or lose a job.”

 

Health and societal effects from exposure to fragranced consumer products (AU)

…”Finally, for public officials, the problem of “secondhand scents,” or indirect exposure to fragranced products, has parallels to secondhand tobacco smoke. Prevention from fragrance product exposure will enable individuals to work in their workplaces, attend school, and function in society without suffering involuntary harm.” …

 

More Resources:

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Ontario Centre of Excellence in Environmental Health Project

Ontario Centre of Excellence in Environmental Health

Business Case Proposal Project

I’ve received the following email and attachments (copied below) which we are being asked to share:

Dear Friends of the ES/MCS Community:

 We have some very important and exciting news to share with you regarding the creation of a number of key health and social supports within the health care system for people who suffer from environmental sensitivities and multiple chemical sensitivities (ES/MCS).

 We are attaching the following:

1.     Letter which is self-explanatory with the latest news

2.     Questions and Answers Background Briefing document which describes Steering Committee of the Ontario Centre of Excellence in Environmental Health Business Case Proposal project.

Please read this very important information.

Best wishes,

Denise Magi, V-P MEAO
http://www.meao.ca

AU 2011

What follows is copied from the PDFs for those who do not have easy access to downloading
(The PDF is also available for those who prefer to download files)

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