Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
A new study warns that the amount of chemical pollution on the planet has now exceeded a safe limit, threatening the 'viability' of human civilization.
An international team of researchers published their findings in the journal Environmental Science & Technology on Tuesday. Their study builds on a 2009 Swedish-led paper that established the safe limit, otherwise known as "planetary boundary," for several environmental metrics, including greenhouse gas emissions, ozone layer depletion, deforestation, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and chemical pollution.
The planet had remained within those limits for 10,000 years since the start of human civilization. But a 2015 study concluded that we had then exceeded safe limits when it comes to climate change, biodiversity loss, shifts in soil nutrients and land use. Now, this new study says we're beyond the planetary boundary for chemical pollution, also called "novel entities."
"The impact of those changes is on the viability of human civilization," study co-author Miriam Diamond, a University of Toronto environmental sciences professor, told CTVNews.ca over the phone on Friday. "We are very concerned that there's a tipping point at which human civilization is really imperilled."
There are around 350,000 different chemicals manufactured globally. These chemicals are involved in everything from plastics, pesticides, manufacturing, industrial applications, pharmaceuticals and more.
"That means everything from what's in my toothpaste to what I'm wearing," Diamond said. "We mobilize many, many chemicals in our daily lives, of which we're able to understand the implications of so few."
These chemicals are ubiquitous. They can be found on all seven continents, in the atmosphere and even in Mariana Trench – the deepest part of all the oceans.
Chemical production has seen a 50-fold increase around the world since 1950 and researchers expect that to triple by 2050. Plastic pollution alone increased 79 per cent between 2000 and 2015 and is expected to reach 33 billion tonnes by 2050.
"The rate of production and the rate at which new chemicals are entering commerce far exceeds the rate at which we can figure out their effects," said Diamond.
Some of the adverse effects of these chemicals can be clearly seen in certain animal populations. For example, polychlorinated biphenyl, an industrial chemical that was banned in North America in the 1970s, continues to linger in our ecosystems and has been linked to reduced fertility in orca whales and polar bears, threatening their populations. Seabirds have also been observed ingesting plastic while mistaking it for food, which often leads to death.
"You can find a synthetic chemical in every organism on the planet," Diamond said.
In humans, numerous studies have found a correlation between exposure to certain chemicals and reduced fertility, lower IQ and even weaker immune functions.
"It's a big, large body of evidence. It's not a single study. It's many studies, from the toxicological studies done in test tubes, to the rats and mice and to the epidemiological studies in humans," said Diamond.
At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to impose a hard cap on oil and gas emissions. Diamond believes similar measures should be taken to limit the production of chemical pollutants.
"Canada is so far behind. You know, this is bad news for Canadians, because ultimately … reducing our dependence on so many synthetic chemicals is going to benefit our prosperity because it will push innovation," she said. "Canada needs to be a leader."
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
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A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
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Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
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Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
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Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.