Near the Ontario-Michigan border, Canada’s densest concentration of chemical manufacturing surrounds the Aamjiwnaang First Nation. Living in the polluted heart of Chemical Valley, Indigenous community members express concern about a declining rate of male births in addition to abnormal incidences of miscarriage, asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. As this book reveals, Canada’s dark legacy of inflicting harm on Indigenous bodies persists through a system that fails to adequately address health and ecological suffering in First Nations’ communities like Aamjiwnaang. Everyday Exposure uncovers the systemic injustices faced on a daily basis in Aamjiwnaang. Exploring the problems that Canada’s conflicting levels of jurisdiction pose for the creation of environmental justice policy, analyzing clashes between Indigenous and scientific knowledge, and documenting the experiences of Aamjiwnaang residents as they navigate their toxic environment, this book argues that social and political changes require an experiential and transformative “sensing policy” approach, one that takes the voices of Indigenous citizens seriously.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters.This collection of timely chapters presents a nuanced study of environmental toxins and the risks they pose to children's development. The book details the impact of a number of commonplace environmental toxins, focusing on everyday exposure to tobacco smoke, lead, pesticides, and flame retardant

How toxic are the products we consume on a daily basis? Whether it’s triclosan in toothpaste, formaldehyde in baby shampoo, endocrine disruptors in water bottles, or pesticides on strawberries, chemicals in food and personal care products are of increasing concern to consumers. This book chronicles how ordinary people try to avoid exposure to toxics in grocery store aisles using the practice of “precautionary consumption.” Through an innovative analysis of environmental regulation, the advocacy work of environmental health groups, the expansion of the health-food chain Whole Foods Market, and interviews with consumers, Norah MacKendrick ponders why the problem of toxics in the U.S. retail landscape has been left to individual shoppers—and to mothers in particular. She reveals how precautionary consumption, or “green shopping,” is a costly and time-intensive practice, one that is connected to cultural ideas of femininity and good motherhood but is also most available to upper- and middle-class households. Better Safe Than Sorry powerfully argues that precautionary consumption places a heavy and unfair burden of labor on women and does little to advance environmental justice or mitigate risk.

The concept of environmental justice has offered a new direction for social movements and public policy in recent decades, and researchers worldwide now position social equity as a prerequisite for sustainability. Yet the relationship between social equity and environmental sustainability has been little studied in Canada. Speaking for Ourselves draws together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal scholars and activists who bring equity issues to the forefront by considering environmental justice from multiple perspectives and in specifically Canadian contexts.

This Surgeon General's report returns to the topic of the health effects of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. The last comprehensive review of this evidence by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was in the 1986 Surgeon General's report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Smoking, published 20 years ago this year. This new report updates the evidence of the harmful effects of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. This large body of research findings is captured in an accompanying dynamic database that profiles key epidemiologic findings, and allows the evidence on health effects of exposure to tobacco smoke to be synthesized and updated (following the format of the 2004 report, The Health Consequences of Smoking). The database enables users to explore the data and studies supporting the conclusions in the report. The database is available on the Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco.

Do you worry about how the poisonous chemicals in your home might be affecting you or your children? Are you worried that your cosmetics or cleaning products might be carcinogenic? Would you like practical, cost-effective methods for detoxing your home? Less Toxic Living is a down to earth book that will help you limit your family's exposure to dangerous chemicals in your home, cleaning products, food & water, cosmetics & skin care, and plastics. Based on scientific research, yet set in real-world, easy to understand terms, this book will give you Quick tips for reducing the toxins coming into your home The basics of non-toxic cleaning and how to do it cheaply and effectively The information you need to make informed decisions on your food purchases to get the biggest impact for your family Theory and practical advice on all these areas and more. With chapters from nineteen inspiring contributors, including the bestselling authors of Healthy Home, Healthy Family and Chemical Free Kids, this book provides a user-friendly introduction to a range of issues and effective solutions, with ample references for more in depth information. Less Toxic Living also includes free bonus downloads that will help you put the information you learn into practice in your daily life. More and more research is revealing the links between our everyday use of chemicals and increasing rates of cancer, allergies and behavioural disorders. Less Toxic Living arms you with workable solutions to protect your family. What People Are Saying "This book supplied me with so much information, some I already knew but a lot I did not, it was a real eye opener reading this book and realising how many toxins we can expose ourselves to everyday. I would recommend this book to everyone." Julie Edwards "a compilation of really useful information in a concise format, and with practical solutions for making changes in your life and home" Jacqui Calvert "a wonderful informative collection of articles that make clear argument for change in all our lives" Penelope Pell "easy to read, understand and implement" Jessica Warfel "This book is super fantastic, with the delivery of knowledge in every bite sized segment." Holly Atkinson "For the last decade, I've known it's important to eat organic, create a chemical-free home and support others in their endeavours to help create a healthier world. But Less Toxic Living goes beyond the basics, in an easy to read and lighthearted way. It is a concise guide to help us understand the importance of and the steps to take towards being sustainable in our daily lives... for each other, future generations and of course, for our precious planet." Chrissy Gruninger, Social {media} Wellness