Edouard Bastarache Inc. on wed 9 nov 05
Chrysotile Institute (Quebec)
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
When it comes to the selective use of scientific data to come up with
unscientific policies, Europe is a world leader. A growing danger for the
global economy is that the European Union is trying to get the world to
follow its lead on important regulatory matters. The latest case concerns
asbestos. At a five-day conference beginning November 9th at Lyon, the
U.N.'s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) will review a
study of various synthetic chrysotile substitutes to determine whether they
are safer than the real thing. In making such a comparison, one might expect
the new information to be weighed alongside the most up-to-date data
available on chrysotile itself. IARC officials said that the World Health
Organization's "latest" study of chrysotile (nearly a decade old) should
suffice. Industry advocates say they have new scientific evidence that
chrysotile doesn't remain in the lungs to cause cancerous mesothelioma, as
amphibole does. However, they have been given only 15 minutes to make their
case. It's unclear why Europe is so interested in seeing chrysotile wiped
out beyond its own borders - in other words, in forcing its regulatory
standard on the rest of the world. We have heard a presentation about the
new study of chrysotile, and while we're not scientists it certainly seems
solid enough to merit a throughout examination before an entire industry is
effectively KO'ed. At the very least, chrysotile industry's new data should
be used to decide whether a new, neutral evaluation ought to be conclude. Or
do European and international bureaucrats only use their cherished
"precautionary principle" to guard against hearing information that might
change their predetermined outcome?
SOURCE: Wall Street Journal Online, November 7, 2005. WSJ.com The
World's Would-Be Regulator.
Later,
"Ils sont fous ces quebecois"
"They are insane these quebekers"
"Están locos estos quebequeses"
Edouard Bastarache
Irreductible Quebecois
Indomitable Quebeker
Sorel-Tracy
Quebec
edouardb@sorel-tracy.qc.ca
www.sorel-tracy.qc.ca/~edouardb/Welcome.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/potier/
http://stainlessfre.blogspot.com/
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/smart2000/index.htm
http://www.digitalfire.com/education/toxicity/
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