The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is a Canadian-based non-profit organization dedicated to

environmental issues Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...

, especially as they relate to human health. The group was founded in 1994, and is composed of over 4,700 medical doctors and concerned citizens from across

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. Its main focus is education of physicians and members of the public, sending delegates to scientific conferences, publishing opinion articles, talking to the media,Get tougher on toxic chemicals, scientists urge PM Critics say new federal plan doesn't commit Ottawa to act; may not protect consumers or environment Monday, December 11, 2006 CBCNews.comWeeding out the options in a thorny issue May 25, 2007 Globe and Mail and disseminating educational materials (including a video on the hazards of lawn

pesticide Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and ...

s). It also makes presentations to parliamentary committees.

Mission

CAPE's current programme is focused on educating health professional on environmental issues, reducing pesticide use, "greening" hospitals and health clinics, and developing organic agriculture and gardening.

Ongoing projects

There are ongoing projects regarding: #Children's health and how it is affected by the environment. #

Toxins A toxin is a naturally occurring organic poison produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. Toxins occur especially as a protein or conjugated protein. The term toxin was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849� ...

including:

pesticides Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and la ...

persistent organic pollutant Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), sometimes known as "forever chemicals", are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes. They are toxic chemicals that adversel ...

metals A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typical ...

genetically modified organisms A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

and endocrine disruptors #Greening health care #

Climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

Accomplishments

The organisation is responsible for the publication of ''The Canadian Guide to Health and the Environment'', (

University of Alberta Press University of Alberta Press (UAlberta Press) is a publishing house and a division of the University of Alberta that engages in academic publishing. Overview UAlberta Press is situated in the Rutherford Library on the University of Alberta campu ...

, 1999), a 322-page handbook that offers an overview of environmental health threats and how citizens can effectively respond to them. They launched the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, a network of groups committed to reducing the environmental impact of the health care sector in 2000. The group was a founding member of the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment in 2001, and initiated the "Changing the Environmental Impact of a Quebec CLSC" project in 2002. They provided expert testimony to the City of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

during its pesticide bylaw hearings. This contributed to the passing of pesticide restrictions in Toronto in 2003. The group played an educational role in the passage of

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire unti ...

's pesticide bylaw in 2005, named "the strongest pesticide bylaw in Canada" by the

Canadian Environmental Law Association The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) is a non-profit, public interest organization established in 1970 to use existing laws to protect the environment and to advocate environmental law reforms. It is also a free legal advisory clin ...

, and played a role in the education of legislators of the province of Ontario leading to the Ontario Pesticide Law in 2008.

Awards

*Received a 2006 Canadian Environment Award (Gold) for cross-Canada pesticide education work. The Award was given by ''

Canadian Geographic ''Canadian Geographic'' is a magazine published by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, (RCGS) based in Ottawa, Ontario. History and profile After the Society was founded in 1929, the magazine was established the next year in May 1930 unde ...

'' Magazine and the Government of Canada. *Received a 2007 "Virtuoso Award" from the

International Association of Business Communicators The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communications professionals. Each summer, IABC hosts a World Conference, a three-day event with professional development seminars and activities, as well as t ...

for creating a campaign to ban lawn pesticides in

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximat ...

. *Received a 2008 "Shared Interest Award" from Citizens Bank of Canada for general environmental protection work. *Received a 2010 "J.R. Dymond Public Service Award" from

Ontario Nature Ontario Nature is a non-profit organization based in Toronto that promotes the preservation and conservation of wild species and spaces in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was established in 1931 as the Federation of Ontario Naturalists and ch ...

for playing a leadership role in the campaign to ban lawn and garden pesticides across Ontario.

References

External links