Ruminations

Blog dedicated primarily to randomly selected news items; comments reflecting personal perceptions

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Advertorial Collusion?

The Canadian Medical Association has released new findings on the environment and its impact on the health of Canadians. Its calculations relating to air pollution and its deleterious effects on the health of people inform that the number of premature deaths now caused by air pollution is set to rise steeply over the next two decades. At the present time, eleven thousand Canadians, mostly the elderly and those with compromised health are admitted to hospital yearly.

The number of premature deaths caused by smog and our besmirched air altogether sits at approximately two thousand, seven hundred Canadians, yearly. At an estimated cost to the economy and to the health-care system of $1-billion, according to the nation's premier health association. Out of a population of well over thirty million, approaching 33-million, one supposes that to be an unfortunate but "acceptable" number of people mortally afflicted by pollution.

On the other hand, it's also estimated by our health-providers that twice that many lives will be impacted on yearly in the future, and the burdensome cost to the country through lost productivity and the onerous health care cost will rise concomitantly. With, it would appear, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec coming out the winners in this race to cull the elderly and the ill through dirty air.

Smog triggers problems with the human lungs, is responsible for heart attacks and stroke. Air pollution is responsible for over 60% of heart attack and stroke admissions to hospital. Who even knew? It's a safe bet most of us feel that it isn't the air we breathe but the food we eat and the exercise we deign not to partake of that are the culprits, along with unfortunate genetic inheritance.

But, the study tells us airborne pollutants such as nitrous oxide do foul damage to the human heart through the debilitation of blood vessels, which invariably leads to atherosclerosis which in turn makes us inordinately susceptible - poor us - to heart attack and stroke. There are some potential solutions. Look after yourself a little better. Get out in the clear open air, away from traffic-congested areas, and where green-growth areas scrub the air clean.

Take especial note of the food you eat; shun fast-food like the plague, since that's actually what it is, in our modern society; a plague. Along with our penchant to scoot about hither and yon in motorcars which themselves spew unending carbon dioxide and particulate matter into the atmosphere. Heat with lesser-polluting gas, give up oil heating. Don't burn wood in your fireplace, get yourself some gas-burning "logs". Get out of your house and get moving, walk, stumble, just get out there and exercise your limbs, your lungs.

If all else fails, move to the country, grow your own vegetables, shake a leg on country trails through forested areas, and learn to love Nature. You may or you may not lengthen your life-span but you will develop a new appreciation for all things natural that surround us, but from which we're hidden in our concrete jungles. Alternatively, stay where you are, and respond to the Big Three North American automakers.

On the very same page that published the article setting out this finding published by the Canadian Medical Association, just directly below it in fact, there's an intriguing advertisement from Ford ('powered by you'), labeled "Family Pricing". Highlighted are two vehicles, a 2008 Mustang V6 Coupe, and a 2008 Mustang V6 Convertible. The heading over both, in large letters reads: "Price isn't the only thing that'll kickstart your heart".

Cause and effect. Go for it.

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