[All] Covid 19 and Particulate Pollution connections & Bill C-230

Lanteigne water.lulu at yahoo.ca
Mon Mar 22 23:53:42 EDT 2021 

Hi folks
I've been very busy networking with folks in the scientific community on issues of Covid 19 and working with Social Justice and Advocacy groups grabbing data and putting it together to try and understand the issue of Covid 19 as it relates to particulate pollution issues. I've also been working to get bill C-230 passed, that's the bill to stop environmental racism and it all comes together. I've written this piece to basically share the key findings to help show what the global community sees on this issue. 

I've been working  with Doctor Ingrid Waldron and black and social justice community advocates in Canada to promote a bill that comes originally from Ingrid's research in Nova Scotia flagging environmental racism. Her book There's Something in the Water illustrates how First Nations and Black communities experienced systemic racism by policy for generations because Provincial laws don't apply on federal lands and many pollution laws are Provincial. High polluting firms targeted First Nations lands and poor communities to pollute in knowing the community was marginalized and unable to fiscally or judicially fight back.  
The book and movie inspired by the book, helped to create bill 111 in Nova Scotia, a bill to fight environmental racism. They have mapping to prove the issues.
Mapping environmental racism in Nova Scotia


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Mapping environmental racism in Nova Scotia

A new interactive map aims to show that pollution disproportionately affects communities of African Nova Scotian...
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If you go to the Nova Scotia Covid 19 Dashboard the central region is the hardest hit with cases and historically it is also the area of marginalized communities identified with environmental toxins. https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/204d6ed723244dfbb763ca3f913c5cad


The Bill 111 didn't pass. The vote was before Covid 19 but since that time Liberal Nova Scotia MP Lenore Zann reintroduced the bill at the Federal Level to address environmental racism across Canada. That bill is C-230. The text of the bill is online here. It was seconded by Elizabeth May
 Private Member's Bill C-230 (43-1) - First Reading - National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act - Parliament of Canada

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Private Member's Bill C-230 (43-1) - First Reading - National Strategy t...

Private Member's Bill C-230 (43-1) - First Reading - National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act - Par...
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Related media release of the bill
Nova Scotia MP's bill targets environmental racism | The Chronicle Herald

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Nova Scotia MP's bill targets environmental racism | The Chronicle Herald

Andrea Gunn

Liberal Nova Scotia MP Lenore Zann has introduced a bill aimed at addressing environmental racism across Canada....
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With Covid 19  I've been sending Ingrid and other health and social justice groups the mappings of both smog and Covid 19 outbreaks and it appears smog is a direct contributor to where higher incidents of Covid 19 are being reported. It is likely aggravated by the presence of particulate pollutions.
One of the first studies on the Covid and smog issue came from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and it found places with even slightly higher than particulate matter at 2.5 levels had a far higher Covid 19 death rate than less polluted areas. New Research Links Air Pollution to Higher Coronavirus Death Rates

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New Research Links Air Pollution to Higher Coronavirus Death Rates

A nationwide study has found that counties with even slightly higher levels of long-term air pollution are seein...
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Studies happening globally on Covid 19 are finding that the relation is particulate based because in the outbreak area of the Netherlands, were in rural areas not cities due to the poor air quality associated with intensive livestock farming. This isn't a "city" thing but data suggests that it is particulate pollution connected issue.
‘Compelling’ evidence air pollution worsens coronavirus – study


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‘Compelling’ evidence air pollution worsens coronavirus – study

Exclusive: best analysis to date indicates significant increases in infections, hospital admissions and deaths
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A study took place by the Yellow Head Institute on water issues and Covid 19 focusing on Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta that revealed communities with cisterns experienced twice the risk of Covid 19 outbreaks compared to communities with piped in systems. Details here: 
https://yellowheadinstitute.org/2021/03/09/water-is-life-the-fatal-links-between-water-infrastructure-covid-19-and-first-nations-in-canada/


This is an article featuring Toronto's smog pollution map to give a quick view on areas contaminated with smog. 
. This Map Shows Where Toronto's Air Is At Its Worst


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This Map Shows Where Toronto's Air Is At Its Worst

Hold your breath.
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MSc student Spencer Elford did his Masters report on the topic of "Associations between socioeconomic status and ultrafine particulate exposure in the school commute: An environmental inequality study for Toronto, Canada" and it featured more specific mapping on the particulate distribution and sizes. The overview is here:
Associations between socioeconomic status and ultrafine particulate exposure in the school commute: An environmental inequality study for Toronto, Canada


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Associations between socioeconomic status and ultrafine particulate expo...

Ultrafine particulate matter (UFP) air pollution is unevenly distributed across urban environments. Disparities ...
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The map from that report is in the attachments. It maps the distribution of fine particulate matter. 


This is the website showing the map of Covid 19 confirmed cases. Hit the neighbourhood map to see the distribution. There appears to be a connection. COVID-19: Status of Cases in Toronto


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COVID-19: Status of Cases in Toronto

If you think you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, find out if you s...
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Here is the view in Louisiana pollution and confirmed cases of Covid 19 on the same map, seen on page 14 of this report by Tulane University, Environmental Law Clinic and again, there is a connection. https://law.tulane.edu/sites/law.tulane.edu/files/Files/Terrell%20-%20COVID-19%20-%20PM%202.5%20Louisiana%202020-5-14%20WEB%20VERSION.pdf

These issues like the air itself are not isolated in any way. The people of these communities are interwoven with the fabric of our society as service workers, care givers, front line workers and people who are loved and integrated with the communities they live in. However, there were issues beyond this that flag concern that are rooted historically to issues of racism and colonialism and systemic inequities and Canada is stuck in these policies that mandate discrimination. 
The BNA Act states Canada is to serve British Empire. We have Supremacy of God clause at the top of the Constitution that puts Protestants above everyone else by policy and if people are not Protestant where do their fundamental rights come from including Human Rights, Charter Rights etc. These are the systemic policy inequities have justified the  international law. 
All the good people being adversely impacted by smog and Covid 19 deserve clean air. It is time and I know the time is right to see Bill C-230 pass. We have good word from the powers that be that know it is time for this bill to pass. Never the less public support for this would be greatly appreciated.
This form from Environmental Defence allows folks to reach their MPs to show support for C-280. 
Sign on here: Canada: Environmental racism cannot be ignored

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Canada: Environmental racism cannot be ignored

Escaping toxic pollution is a privilege inaccessible to many Indigenous, Black and racialized communities in Can...
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I wonder if cloud seeding is contributing to the particulate issues or not. I suppose it would depend on the chemicals used. I was reading a story on Wikipedia about a US Military Operation Popeye where they cloud-seeded silver iodide to extend the monsoon season over North Vietnam resulting in an extended monsoon season from 30-45 days. The 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron carried out the operation to "Make mud not war." The Wikipedia page about the technology is online here. 
Cloud seeding - Wikipedia

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Cloud seeding - Wikipedia


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Keep well, mask up and enjoy the spring. Have a good one! 

Lulu :0) 

 











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