4 - Wednesday, August 9, 1989 - North Shore News

1 ASKED an expert on CFCs how Jong we’ve got before the
Ozone Shield is ruined, if production levels of
chlorofluorecarbons remain the same as they are.

It’s a fiercely debated issue, he
said, ‘‘but by tise year 2010 there’s
a good chance we won’t be able to
go out in the sunlight for more
than three hours at a time.””

This will amount to a lot more
* than an inconvenience. It will
mean skin cancer, cataracts,
weakened resistance to disease,
radical reductions in crop yields
and mass die-offs of marine life.

Not to worry, you say. Hasn’t
Canada signed the Montreal Pro-
tocol, vowing to ‘‘completely elim-
inate emissions of controlled.
ozone-depleting substances within
the next 10 years’’?

Indeed. But has anything actual-
ly changed as a result of Canada
joining 36 other countries in sign-
ing the Protocol a year and a half
ago?

The answer is a flat no.

The main producer of ozone-
destroying CFCs in Canada is the
multinational Du Pont Chemical
company, whose gigantic refining
facility is located at Maitland, On-
tario, between the Trans-Canada
Highway and the St. Lawrence
River.

Last year, some 20,000 metric
tonnes of chlorofluorocarbons
were manufactured there.

This year, so far, production
levels have remained the same.
And Bill Barley. the vice-president
in charge of CFC production ad-
mits that it could easily be another
nine months before he has to ad-
just his productivity downward.

The reason Canada’s main
Ozone Shield-destroyer gets away
with this is because federal En-
vironment Minister Lucien
Bouchard is barely moving at a
snail’s pace on CFCs.

Here is a sure-fire environmental
issue where the minister could
make himself look good, as well as

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incidentally saving the ozone layer
— yet for some maddening reason,
he dithers.

He has not hired a single extra
person to orchestrate Ottawa’s an-
ti-CFC program. His department,
emasculated when the Tories first
came to power, has still not been
restored to its former vigor.

Any talk of an environment
minister making a difference when
he’s running a skeleton operation
is pure hokum. The environment

ce
M. ulroney is all

rhetoric and no

action on the

environment, ”’
De
ministry should be functioning on
a war footing, and if you believed
Brian Mulroney's recent declara-
tions of greenness, you’d assume it
was.

It’s not.

Mulroney is all rhetoric and no
action on the environment. In fact,
it’s worse than that. He is practis-
ing the Big Lie technique, because
in fact he is throwing megabucks
at oil extraction projects like
Hibernia.

This is madness. The two biggest
environment disasters facing us are
the Greenhouse Effect and the
destruction of the Ozone Shield.
Producing more gasoline guaran-
tees that the Greenhouse Effect is
only going to get worse. And turr-
ing a blind eye on CFC production
guarantees the doom of the Shield.

On these absolutely critical
issues, Mulroney and Bouchard are
doing exactly the wrong things.
They should be shutting down all
CFC production immediately and

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starting to phase out gasoline.

It is as though the chemical in-
dustry somehow managed to mug
the environment minister as he
wandered about his new depart-
ment, scratching his head.

Whe are the players who stand
to gain from delays in cutting CFC
production? Apart from Du Pont,
there are big chemical-makers like
Dow and CIL, backed up by
heating, refrigeration and air-
conditioning engineers and a host
of societies and unions.

As well, there are outfits such as
the Electrical and Electronic Man-
ufacturers Association, who are, at
the moment, enjoying the early
stages of the global warming trend.
This gang has seen air conditicner
sales increase by 68 per cent in the
last year.

Behind this formidable group
stands the American Frozen Food
Institute, representing everyone
from corner groceries to food
chains like Loblaws. And then
there are legions of farmers, ex-
porters, importers, shippers,
truckers, who also have a vested
interest in CFCs.

Refrigeration is the key to the
modern mass food market, you
see.

Refrigeration depends at the
moment primarily on CFCs. No-
body wants to take any chances
with his CFC supply, even if it

‘means delaying legislation irittended

to save the Ozone Shield.

The biggest fear is that
Bouchard will come up with such a
vague timetable, with so many
loopholes, that effective actions
will be kneecapped.

The proposals being slowly
assembled by his understaffed
department are nearly useless, I’m
told. Which is possibly why, every
time I ask to look at them, I’m
told they are only being circulated
“internally.’’ Not for release yet.

The only thing being released are
CFCs into the atmosphere @

and more. _

See

ROM ZALKO HEALTH CLUB is expanding its facilities on

the North Shore and will soon add 10,000 square feet
(previously the Piano Lounge and the Windows Restaurant
of the former international Plaza Hotel). With extensive
renovations underway, this will be the largest and the
most advanced fitness centre in the country.

Since opening in 1980, RON ZALKO centres have expand-
ed to their present 2 locations serving thousands of
members in Vancouver and on the North Shore The RON
ZALKO clubs are dedicated to providing Canada’s finest
physical improvements through the ultimate combination
of personalized programs and modern equipment. At RON
ZALKO there is everything you need for physicat fitness:
modern facilities in a pleasant environment,
knowledgeable staff interested in your satisfaction and
well-being, exercise programs built upon a solid base of |
contemporary scientific expertise, spa facilities and ten- |
nis courts. ;
At RON ZALKQ you have the potential to achieve your
physical fitness goals and enjoy doing it. if you are in-
terested in physical improvement ... go first class ... ao
RON ZALKO — the name in fitness.

EXPANDED FACILITIES

* New entrance loboy (where the old notel entrance
and lobby were) and easy access through the former
Daddy Long Legs entrance to provide convenient
passage from the free parking area to the club.

* New free-weights area —. air-conditioned — at the .
former hotel Piano Lounge area; specially designed for °
body building — men and women

* New weight equipment area — air-conditioned — for
trimming, firming and shaping (the former notel Win-
dows Restaurant area)

* New cardiovascular room consisting of computeriz-
ed rowing machines, bikes and “stir masters”

* New additional changing area vw ::h lockers.

* New separate sauna and steam ruoms for men and
women

* New alr-conditioning to service ali change areas
and aerobic area.

* New large jacuzzi under the dome and easy access to
the pool in exotic environment.

* New babysitting area adjacent to aerobic area. |

IN SUMMARY AVAILABLE TO
YOU AND NOWHERE ELSE -

— the RON ZALKO workout for. all fitness levels

-- free weights weight equipment !
— cardiovascular room :
~-- indoor heated swimming pool and jacuzzi

— steam rooms and saunas, separate for men and women

— aquatic exercise programs i
— one to one supervision

— tennis courts

— babysitting service

NOW FOR LIMITED TIME ONLY

4 inten

9979 MARINE DRIVE
NORTH VANCOUVE