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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-08-14, Page 7Page 4 Times -Advocate, August 14, 1996 Publisher 8.1 Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord e Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy News; Heather Mk, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke Aima Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert front Officp & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Hollings, Ruthann Negrlin, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership • • Publications Mall Registration Numb., 0386 StIUSCRIPTION RATES One year rate for Ontario subscribers - $35.00 + GST Two year rate for Ontario subscribers - $63.00 + QST inion One year subscription - $63.00 . SIT Two year subscription - $119.00 + OST OTHER RATER Outside Canada - $99.00 + OST Published Each Wr' Exeter,NOM151s8, by J.W.EsdyhiontIngrtPublicatons Lt424 Main d. Telephone 1-619.235-1331 • Pax: 619.23110764 GAT. Qt101210131 Get off the couch of everyone can be a Donovan Bailey, or a Martie McBean or Kath- leen Heddle, but we can all derive some inspiration from the athletes we've been watching perform at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, GA. If we can't do the 100 -meter dash, or dive off the 10 -meter board, we can sure as heck get off the couch and take a walk at least once a day. Sport as it is represented at the Olympics is for the very few. However, some level of fit- ness is within everyone's capabilities. Just how important is fitness? A re- cent study by the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas found be- ing physically fit is a powerful force for health. It is so powerful that even smokers with high blood pressure and high cholesterol who are in good aero- bic shape tend to live longer than non- smoking couch potatoes who are other- wise healthy. The research team studied 25,341 men and 7,080 women who received physi- cals at the clinic between 1970 and 1989. The one-fifth of men who were least fit were found to be 52 per cent more likely to die over the study period than the two-fifths of men who were most fit. Men who were most fit and who smoked, had high blood pressure and high cholesterol still had a 15 per cent survival advantage over the least fit who didn't smoke, or have high blood pres- sure or high cholesterol. Similar trends were found among the women. The min- imum exercise recommended by the U.S. surgeon general is 30 minutes of accumulated moderate activity daily. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Listowel Banner Your ie Letters to the editor Against casinio in Grand Bend In some countries billions of dol- lars raised this way come in large part from the most discouraged part of the population.. Dear Editor: As a part time resident of Beach 0 Pines, near Grand Bend, I would like to express my concern and opposition to the proposed casino in Grand Bend. I have spoken at length to Professors John Warr - ren Kindt and E.L. Grinols, both experts in the long term effects of gambling on community health. In fact professor Kindt has testified in U.S. Congres- sional Hearing on this matter. His statement is in- cluded. The factual evidence provided by a broad spec- trum of non -industry, unbiased studies from the de- partment of Economics at the University of Illinois and others (including articles from the Canadian Medical Association Journal and the Canadian Jour- nal of Psychiatry, leave no doubt a casino would be a financial, social and human health burden on the Village of Grand Bend and surrounding communi- ties. In the book, "The Unconscious Civilization" based on the 1995 Massey Lecture given at the Uni- versity of Toronto and aired on CBC radio, the dis- tinguished Canadian writer and thinker John Ralston Saul says this about gambling: "Perhaps the most disturbing consequence of gov- ernment's loss of corporate tax revenues has been the rise of publicly organized gambling. The hun- dreds of millions, in some countries billions, of dol- lars raised this way come in large part from the most discouraged part of the population. It's their choice, the cynical will say. But it is the governments of those citizens, governments constantly going on about the need for hard work and initiative, who suddenly are calling on those same citizens via vast advertising campaigns to "Escape the Jungle" for $2 with a possible return of $1,000. Or win "instant millions" for $5 with a possible return of $1 million. This takes us back to the state lotteries prominent in the early Industrial Revolution. Governments, confused by the disorder in their society, turned to gambling to raise funds. As they are today, those lotteries were aimed at the Less fortunate and less ed- ucated." Dr. Joe Rea Vancouver, B.C. TORONTO -- Premier Mike Harris will do almost anything to help business and has prompted concerns he will accept lower envi- ronmental standards than Alabama. The Progressive Conservative premier has outlined plans to make Ontario's environmental laws more "responsive," and by this he clearly means more responsive to the wishes of busi- ness. To their credit, the Tories will cut red tape by getting rid of some regulations that un- necessarily tie up developments. They also should win applause for wanting to collect and recycle more of the materials that householders put in their garbage. But their main trend is to weaken stan- dards. As examples, fewer developments will be subject to environmental assessments and public scrutiny. The Tories will relax gov- ernment pressures on companies to reduce waste and recycle in favor of voluntary compli- ance and are on the verge of ending a worth- while requirement, which has never been ade- VIDEO GAMBLING ADDICnVE?. —WANNA BET?! Rau _ Digiibuted by Miller Futures Syndicate 4 ca at*. NiferA,k By Heather Mir Airpollution rises during heat wave Thank goodness for air con- ditioning! As temperatures and the hu- midex soared last week, bringing the hottest days of the year so far, extensive smog brought air quality ad- visories for Southwestern Ontario. Muggy air and tem- peratures topping 30 degrees celsius made outdoor activi- ties uncomfortable. Even the nights were warm with lows only reaching only 22 de- grees. Southern Ontario re- corded highs on the air quali- ty index that peaked on Monday and Tuesday when levels reached 67 and 60, well above 50 which indi- cates a poor rating. Because Southwestern On- tario is located upwind of the Ohio Valley and east of Chi- cago, it is often the first area in the province to experience high pollution levels. Ground -level ozone is a ma- jor component of smog that travels north from large in- dustrial centres in the United States and creates health - threatening pollution levels. Equipment operated by a internal combustion engine, including gas lawn mowers and cars, contribute to smog. People are encouraged to car- pool and use electric or push mowers to reduce pollution levels, especially during a heat wave. Those who suffer from lung, heart or eye problems are advised to avoid spending time outdoors under these conditions. Stagnant air makes breathing difficult and adds to eye irritation. Health officials also recommend people wear light clothing and keep hydrated by drink- ing plenty of water and other fluids during a heat wave. Small children and the eld- erly are amo..g the groups considered more vulnerable to poor air quality conditions, excessive heat and high ultra- violet levels. In addition to air quality and UV advisories, some beaches have permanent post- ings warning bathers of high bacterial levels. Beaches not posted are considered safe for swimming. Don't forget Fido durings these hot, humid Au- gust days. Pets need plenty of water and 1iade to stay cool and should never be left in a hot vehicle. By the end of the week, a break in the heat wave came and those of us who had avoided gardening and exer- cising outdoors have a lot of down-time to make up for. But next time the mercury skyrockets, keep an eye out for air quality advisories and play it cool. quately enforced, that a proportion of soft drinks be sold in refillable bottles to avoid waste. They also will pull the plug on a require- ment that pulp and paper mills work toward a target of stopping discharge of chlorine into riv- ers and lakes by the year 2002, which they think is unrealistic, and try to "discourage trivial and frivolous reporting of (pollution) spills." Hams makes no secret that his underlying motive is to help business and "remove govern- ment barriers to job -creation, investment and economic growth." This is consistent with what Harris has done in other areas in giving a freer hand to business to encourage investment. Harris scrapped the labor law that prevent- ed companies from bringing in replacement workers in strikes and removed some of the bit- terness that had been seen earlier on picket lines, but which he felt "placed business at a disadvan- tage. Harris will allow companies to negotiate out of some basic protection that Ontario has U.S. is concerned about weak laws long given workers, such as the right to over- time pay after working 44 hours a week, which could save large employers a lot of mon- ey. He also is placing a $10,000 limit on the amount an employee can claim in pay and ben- efits owed, although some past claims have run higher. Also to help business, Harris will weaken consumer protection by allowing many indus- tries to regulate themselves through their own associations rather than the heavier hand of government, still another inducement to in- vest. But the premier's proposals to cut envi- ronmental protection have quickly raised alarms in the United States, where his earlier pro-business policies had gained him some ad- mirers. Canada and the U.S. signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in the 1980s and it prohibits them from governmental ac- tions that would give their industries an unfair competitive advantage. Companies consider environmental restrictions and their cost when deciding where to locate and expand and tough- er controls may sway them to choose one loca- tion over another, so a strong case can be made that lowering environmental standards to attract industry is a breach of NAFTA. Federal Liberal Environment Minister Ser- gio Marchi helped blow the whistle on Harris, accusing him of taking environmental stan- dards "down to the basement." The U.S. En- vironmental Protection Agency has now said it is aware of interpretations that Harris's plans are a breach of NAFTA and its lawyers are ex- amining them closely. Ontario governments. and agencies have complained over many years that the U.S. has lax pollution controls that allow its air and wa- ter pollution to cross the border. Now, oddly, the U.S. is concerned that Ontario's laws are too weak. •1