Natural Gas: Avoidable Health Hazard

Natural Gas: Avoidable Health Hazard by David Wimberly, October 2000, Natural Gas Health Information Coalition N.S.
The introduction of natural gas to the Maritimes is a juggernaut that is difficult to resist as government and business are falling over themselves to promote it. However all the hype just covers up the surprising, awful truth. Government contrived deviously to avoid any evaluation during the rigged environmental assessment of the environmental, social and health effects of the actual USE of natural gas. Why? Because the truth is – it isn’t good for the environment to use gas, gas use suppresses, not promotes, truly sustainable energy alternatives and gas is bad for the public’s health in indoor uses. The immediate question facing Maritimers is, “Should I connect my home or business to use natural gas?” We say that it is a risk better avoided. … Gas fumes include methane itself, radon and other radioactive materials, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene), organometallic compounds such as methylmercury organoarsenic and organolead, mercaptan odorants, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, fine particulates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (including formaldehyde), and hundreds of other chemicals. … All gas lines eventually leak. … Investing in clean energy more than pays for itself in health expense savings. Health is priceless. So why even consider squandering it for a few pennies?

Le gaz naturel: Un risque sanitaire évitable David Wimberly, de la Natural Gas Health Information Coalition, déclare que le gaz naturel a causé plus de cas de sensibilités environnementales que toute autre substance, même plus que les pesticides. Des études scientifiques récentes ont établi un lien solide entre le gaz naturel intérieur et l’augmentation des maladies respiratoires et de l’asthme. On dit que les cuisinières sont les plus dommageables, mais les radiateurs indépendants, les foyers, les sécheuses, les fournaises et les chauffes-eau peuvent tous avoir des effets néfaste et contribuer à la mauvaise santé. Les plus hauts taux d’asthme et de maladie au Canada se trouvent ici, dans les Maritimes. Investir dans l’énergie couvre ses propres frais et permet en plus des économies en coûts de santé; éviter l’usage du gaz naturel est donc critique.

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