Bisphenol A

A rather alarming statistic comes from Statistics Canada today : more than nine out of 10 Canadians have detectable levels of bisphenol A in their urine.

From the Globe and Mail: Bisphenol A is a man-made chemical that is used in such everyday products as polycarbonate plastic water jugs, the epoxy resins lining the insides of tin cans and some types of carbonless cash-register receipts.

Elevated exposure to bisphenol A, which is also known as BPA, has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and adult-onset diabetes in humans.

Research in laboratory animals has associated BPA with such conditions as breast cancer, earlier sexual maturity in females and altered brain development, especially for exposures that occur during fetal or early neonatal life.



Exposure to high levels of the plastic-making compound are linked to sexual-performance difficulties in men. A Health Canada study also finds that elevated amounts of BPA can increase cardiac risk by 45%.
 
Go here for an updated primer on BPA from the CBC.

Ah, Canada's Silly Season!

Good to be back in the land of peace, order and good government. Ah well! You can't have everything, right? Still, a week on the shores of Maine serves as a great refresher but it was hard not to notice the struggle they are having with their democracy. Fights over long settled amendments to the constitution, religious bigotry and just plain old fashioned bigotry makes me happy to get back.

While there is some serious news to blog about (the ongoing census debacle) it looks as if we're finally getting some inconsequential summer headlines. I went over to The Globe and Mail and this is what I found for amongst the days' top ten most viewed stories:

Edmonton toddler back home after surgery to remove facial growth

One dead, one injured after Barrie bar fight

Man finds broken glass in Tim Hortons coffee

Barrie parents demand schools turn off Wi-Fi

Ontario to allow mixed martial arts

A back-garden tale of life and death

Now mostly that's hamburger helper, filler, paste, something to tide you over until there's real meat to dish up. I'm not in any rush but no doubt with Harper's poll numbers slipping (pdf), you can bet there'll be some fear-mongering any day now. Bruce from over at Canuck Attitude notes that reality is not really Stephen Harper's friend.

While we're on the subject of the PM, apparently the Prime Minister's inbox was flooded in May with e-mails from citizens outraged that MPs wouldn't allow the Auditor-General to scrutinize their expenses. Isn't that the kind of transparency he promised he would bring to Parliament? Shocking huh?

In the singular post I've managed to write since my return it seems that during my absence the MSM has found religion where anthropogenic climate change is concerned -- even the Globe and Mail. Good for them! It only took historically unprecedented disasters for them to see the light, and they're only a couple of years behind me and my little university radio show.

In the meantime, hope summer's going your way.