Joe Higgins signs IDEA pledge on health & environmental policies

national | environment | press release Thursday May 07, 2009 01:15 by Joe Higgins - Socialist Party info at joehiggins dot eu

Joe Higgins is standing for the Dublin Constituency in the Euro Elections to be held on Friday, June 5th

The Irish Doctors' Environmental Association (IDEA) and the European network, Health and Environment Alliance have asked candidates in the Euro Election if they commit to a number of objectives related to improving people’s health and wellbeing through a better environoment. Having studied the issues, Joe Higgins informed these groups that their proposals were closely in line with his and the Socialist Party’s views.

Here is a copy of the commitment requested by the IDEA which Joe has signed:

1. Environment & Health
More than 95% of European citizens feel that it is important to protect their health from the environmental stressors. Increasingly, Europeans put the importance of the state of the environment (80%) on a par with economic factors (84%) as issues which influence their quality of life.

While rebuilding Europe’s future, in the face of the economic crisis, I commit to promoting and protecting public health as a means to economic recovery, ensuring that the necessary resources are in place for precautionary environmental policies that will create healthy environments especially in our city areas, homes, workplaces and schools.

2 . Children
Our children are our future. The environmental stressors on their health are increasing and certain diseases and conditions in children are also increasing. For example, estimates suggest one in four children in Europe now have some kind of allergy; childhood cancer is growing at 1% every year; and almost 20% of children are overweight or obese.

I commit to ensuring that all environmental policies set standards at a level that would protect children’s health, and that of other vulnerable groups.

3. Climate change
We can achieve substantial health benefits and cost savings by reducing air pollution via reducing CO2 emissions. The co-benefits of CO2 action in the form of reduced air pollution and increased physical exercise, more energy security or more rural employment offset mitigation costs. The near-term health and other benefits from greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions can be substantial, both in industrialized and developing countries.

I commit to supporting higher CO2 reductions to address climate change, which will subsequently improve air quality and bring about health benefits in particular for cardio-respiratory disease, mental health and reduced obesity.

4. Toxic chemicals
Growing scientific evidence is showing the implication of hazardous chemicals, including pesticides, in a number of diseases and health disorders, such as allergies, asthma, learning disabilities, diabetes, cancer, endometriosis, Parkinson’s disease, infertility and other reproductive problems.

I commit to promoting policies, laws and standards which will help the EU reach a toxic-free future by 2020, a goal endorsed by the international chemicals management process SAICM.

5. Clean air
In Europe, 370,000 people die each year from air pollution, and many more suffer from serious health effects.

I commit to promoting citizens’ right to clean air by enacting stricter standards based on WHO/health guidelines for quality standards both outdoor and in our homes, schools and workplaces.

6. Nano materials
There are emerging negative health concerns regarding the use of nano-size materials in consumers products. As yet, no framework regulation specifically related to nanomaterials and nanotechnologies exists at EU level.

I commit to ensuring the safety assessment of nanomaterial as a new chemical, mandatory safety testing before they are used in our consumers products and sold on the market and labelling of consumers’ products containing nanos.

7. Electromagnetic fields
More and more scientific evidence shows the long-term negative effects of electromagnetic fields on human health, especially that of children and other vulnerable groups.

I commit to ensuring policies that set lower exposure limits to protect the most vulnerable.

8. Noise
Noise is an underestimated and little recognised problem for European citizens. The European Commission estimates that 20 % of the EU’s population suffer from noise levels that health experts consider to be unacceptable because they may cause annoyance, sleep disturbance and adverse health effects.

I commit to establishing legally binding daytime and night time noise limits based on WHO/health standards, especially to reduce transport noise in urban areas.