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Pamela Fayerman 7 days ago
The work of some researchers in New Zealand about the ecological impact (or shall we say paw-print) of dogs being greater than the eco-print of SUVs has prompted some great debate. The dog vs-SUV findings were written about in an article in New Scientist and one of the best rebuttals I've seen comes from Seattle sustainability policy wonk Clark Williams-Derry, a research director for Sightline Institute. Williams-Derry chomps down on the SUV vs. pooch research and shreds it to bits. He dissects the methodology the researchers used to compare the amount of energy to grow and produce dog food (mainly energy-intensive meat) and that which is used to manufacture and operate Toyota Land Cruisers. I think he might even be over-estimating the energy requirements for dog food production because he doesn't take into consideration folks like me who feed our dogs lots of vegetables and leftover table scraps, along with their dog food. So one could argue we ...
Pamela Fayerman 9 days ago
Sheryl Stanton is a B.C. registered nurse who also works as a "stress relief coach." She therefore has a vested interest in trying to convince us that H1N1 swine flu is more likely to afflict those who are stressed out, anxious and worried. Our immune systems, she contends, are weaker when we are suffering from stress. She believes those who fret about not yet being vaccinated may be more likely to get infected with swine flu. It is a provocative notion and certainly debatable. Here's her letter, republished here with her permission: "I read your article of November 11th with interest. I appreciated that you reported that all eight people who had died in the last week had underlying health conditions. I was also glad to see that you reported the number of deaths from the swine flu so far is still lower than what is usually seen in seasonal influenza. As a registered nurse and stress release coach, I have been very interested in the astounding amount ...>
Pamela Fayerman 15 days ago
The H1N1 "swine" flu is a big unknown in many respects. That's one of the reasons why we can all be forgiven for feeling more than a little perplexed by the conflicting opinions, projections and guess-timates we're hearing from public health experts. Predictions and statistics are clearly a moving target. During any given influenza season, 10 to 15 per cent of the general population is stricken. If that rule of thumb applies to H1N1, at least 400,000 B.C. residents are due for it, even taking vaccinations into account. Dr. Perry Kendall, BC's chief provincial medical health officer, told me that back in August when he also said that in a worst case scenario, a million citizens would be infected. But more recently, Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health official, said infection rates could be as high as 35 per cent of the country's population. That is far higher than what Dr. Bonnie Henry, director of public health emergency management ...
Pamela Fayerman 26 days ago
Nearly a year after the B.C. Cancer Agency’s former leader resigned, a new president finally takes the reins today. Dr. David Levy (pronounced lee-vee), a British oncologist who specializes in brain tumours, has been hired to succeed Dr. Simon Sutcliffe who resigned a year ago. The search for his replacement began in August, 2008 when Sutcliffe first disclosed to the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) his intention to resign at the end of that year. Click here to read my report at the time. Levy will be paid $380,000 a year, according to Lynda Cranston, chief executive officer of the PHSA who led the search and who essentially had the last word. Levy declined an interview request this week, citing a desire to first get settled into his job. Fair enough. Even though he hails from a public health care system, the breadth of his new post is far greater. He last worked as a clinical lead for the National Health Service’s North Trent Cancer ...
Pamela Fayerman 28 days ago
I've lost count of how many different types of hand santizing products I've seen in the marketplace since the swine flu took hold last spring. But today I received a product in the mail that strikes me as the ultimate in convenience, portability and sheer novelty. A lovely downtown Vancouver boutique hotel called the St. Regis is placing in all its guest rooms a spray sanitizer shaped like a felt pen. It's 62 per cent ethyl alcohol with vitamin E and aloe vera oil added to counteract skin dryness associated with frequent use. The citrus scent is quite refreshing. The hotel's public relations representative said he thinks the St. Regis is the only hotel offering this product as a complimentary amenity to guests. It's placed on the desk in each room with a card that says "hand sanitizer" in five languages! The sanitizers were originally used as a tradeshow giveaway but they were so popular that the St. Regis Hotel decided to order enough for hotel guests. ...
