"Everyone talks about the weather,
but nobody does anything about it."
A Petition to the Canadian House of Commons:
The Government's Response.
Petition No. 372-1644 By: Mr. Herron Date: June 3, 2003
Response by the Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Signed by: Mr. Geoff Regan, MP - Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Subject: Health Care Services
I am informed as follows:
ENVIRONMENT CANADA:
There is no substantiated evidence, scientific or otherwise, to support the allegation that there is high altitude spraying conducted in Canadian airspace. The term "chemtrails" is a popularized expression, and there is no scientific evidence to support their existence.
Furthermore, weather modification experiments carried out over Canadian airspace legally require that Environment Canada be notified. We have no information of any such efforts.
On the other hand, it is our belief that the petitioners are seeing regular airplane condensation trails, or contrails.
Contrails are long white trails made up of ice crystals left behind by jet-propelled aircraft flying at high altitude. Contrails form when the hot water-vapor produced by the burning of jet fuel cools very rapidly as it comes into contact with the much colder air. This rapid cooling causes the water vapour to change to ice almost immediately, forming a trail of ice crystal clouds. This process is analogous to seeing one's breath on a winter day.
Under certain atmospheric conditions, contrails can linger in the air for more than a day and usually grow wider and more dissipated over time. If the wind at altitude is very strong, contrails will move away from the area where they were formed, often changing in appearance and opacity as they are moving.
The increase in air traffic, compared with 10 to 20 years ago, has inevitably caused an increase in the number of visible contrails in the sky. Also, the paths of aircraft at various altitudes can criss-cross each other. This explains why contrails sometimes form unusual patterns.
Since contrails are composed primarily of water, they do not pose health risks to humans.
HEALTH CANADA
High altitude aerial spraying of pesticides does not occur in Canada and any spraying that is currently done in Canada does not encompass the use of large military type jet aircraft.
Aerial spraying of pesticides in agricultural areas is usually accomplished using small fixed wing or rotary aircraft, both of which allow the pilot the required manoeuvrability. To maximize on-site deposit and minimize drift, these aircrafts typically fly at 2-3 metres, above the crop. Due to the large areas to be sprayed, aerial spraying in forestry does utilize larger rotary and fixed wing aircraft; however, normal aircraft heights are typically less than 50 metres above the canopy. Best management practices for aerial spraying of pesticides recommends these typical flying heights as high altitude aerial spraying of pesticides results in poor on-site deposit and excessive offsite drift.
In Canada, the regulation of pesticides relies on complementary interaction between the different levels of government. Provinces and territories administer pest management programs in their jurisdiction that include education and training programs; these may be developed in conjunction with Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). These programs provide for the licensing and certification of pesticide applicators, including pilots who spray aerially, to ensure that all products are used responsibly, according to the restrictions imposed by the PMRA. Provinces and territories are also responsible for regulating the sale, transportation, and disposal of pesticides. They can and do impose further restrictions on the use of pesticides based on their detailed knowledge of their region. They can also delegate to municipalities the ability to pass further bylaws on the use of pesticides within their constituencies.
|
Our comments:
I suggest that that you return to the actual text of the Petition as submitted and see the phrasing used there: "aerial spraying has been carried out by large military type jet aircraft that create white plumes which evidence suggests are chemical-laden (hereinafter "chemtrails")" and so on.
The wording used here in the response by Environment Canada is much the same as has been found in earlier Access to Information letters from the Minister. See: Access page
As we said in the Access web page - this response does not correspond with reality.
So what next? As a Petitioner - or simply as a concerned Canadian - I urge you to consider writing to the Ministers of both Environment Canada and Health Canada and send them a copy of both the Petition and the response. Express your views. Ask them whether in fact any investigation has been made of the many reports by citizens of apparent illegal aerial spraying as described in this Petition. Have they conducted any investigations of the source and identification of aircraft that are being observed? Ask for copies of the investigation reports. Make reference to the many thousands of other informed Canadians who have made similar observations of this illegal spraying of unknown substances. Plus, of course, add any additional ideas you can come up with!
In any event copy or directly involve your own Member of Parliament.
In addition, you may make requests under the Access to Information and Privacy Act to the Ministries themselves.
Write via Canada Post:
Environment Canada
10 Wellington Street, Room 2701
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H3
Tel: (819) 953-2743
Fax: (819) 997-3653
Plus:
Health Canada
A.L. 1912C1
12th Floor - Jeanne Mance Building
Tunney's Pasture
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Tel: (613) 954-1690
Fax: (613) 941-4541
These are the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinators for the two ministries.
Send a cheque for $5.00 payable to the "Receiver General of Canada" for each request.
The letter should state something on these lines:
"Dear Sir or Madam,
Please find enclosed my cheque for $5.00 in payment of the fee for a search under the Access to Information and Privacy Act regarding all investigations made regarding high altitude aerial spraying. A petition, #372-1644 was presented to Parliament regarding such spraying and a response has been received. Copies of both are enclosed. I assume that investigations were made regarding such spraying over the years. Please send all documents regarding these investigations and the reports of the investigators. Thank you."
|
You are invited to contact us at the "Holmestead".
|