Community Garden!

Just wanted to let everyone in the Alliston area know that we are currently starting a community garden. We have already tilled the land and it is now ready for planting. If anyone is interested in joining please let me know by commenting on the blog or emailing me. We hope to meet next weekend! Looking forward to having a few extra hands!

The, Not So Sweet, Smell Of Incense

Photography by: Aaron Harcourt
Article by: Wes Harcourt

Lately there has been news from around the world about burning incense, especially indoors and the effect that it has on our well being. Since this is a common and pleasant practice, we thought you would be interested in knowing the latest.

Cancer and Incense

Studies in the practices of burning incense have been done in Denmark, Taiwan and Singapore. These studies have been published in Cancer and New Scientist Magazine. The studies show that the use of incense, especially in enclosed settings, doubles and sometimes triples the risk of upper respiratory cancer. Research shows that the particulate that comes from burning incense is worse than second hand smoke and can pollute the air more than the car. The research conducted in Asia showed that the air quality in enclosed temples is poorer than the air quality in their most heavily trafficked cities.

What’s the Solution?

The best possible solution for yourself and people around you is not to burn incense at all. But this seems extreme, especially when it comes to religious practices. We cannot see an end at all to the use of incense in worship when it is documented in many sacred scripts from around the world, but the solution taken in Taiwan, to increase ventilation, seems a logical compromise. Worshippers in Taiwan and other Asian areas threw open the doors and windows of their places of worship to allow more breathable air into their temples. This could also take place here in our worship centre’s, except in winter months. In the winter months, exhaust fans should be brought into play for the sake of worshippers.

At home is another story. If children are present, then indoor incense burning should be suspended, as little ones are more susceptible to the fine particulate that incense produces. Outdoor burning should be considered at this point, in the garden, around the hot tub or on widow sills, are some suggestions. If you are going to burn incense indoors make sure you increase the ventilation too. Open the doors and windows and let the air flow free.

We would love to have your comments. Do you burn incense? What is your usual practice? Will this article change your habits? Do you think we are out in left field? Either way we want to hear from you so give us your comments, please.

Sources and Other Reading

http://news.bbc.co.uk Thursday, 2 August, 2001

www.cbc.ca Monday, August 25, 2008

http://health.usnews.com August 25, 2008

http://totobobo.com/blog info on August 31, 2008

http://publish.bsu.edu November 3, 2006

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• Lung Cancer Rates Among Nonsmokers Not on the Rise 20270473
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Fluoride...

Photography by: Aaron Harcourt

Article by: Wes Harcourt

Recently there has been news about fluoride in water and toothpaste and we thought that a consolidation of that information and some of our thoughts would be worth reading. We have compiled a brief history of the use of fluoride, the controversy around the use of fluoride and some recent. Have a read and let us know your thoughts and experiences.

Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Brief History

Fluoride has been in use in North American water systems since the 1940’s. It was introduced after studies were done on children in a region where higher levels of fluoride occur naturally in the water. A discovery was made by the researchers that moderate fluoridation prevented cavities. The result of this research encouraged many regions to add fluoride to drinking water so that people, especially children and children of the poor would benefit from this additive. You must be wondering how Fluoride in the water prevents cavities?

How Fluoridated Water Works

Drinking fluorinated water causes low levels of fluoride to mix with the saliva in the mouth. This fluorinated saliva prevents demineralization of the enamel of the teeth and helps teeth re-mineralize during the early stages to tooth decay. It is estimated that an 18–40% reduction in cavities is achieved when water fluorination is used by children who already had access to toothpaste. Fluoride in water is not the only source of this additive.

Fluoride in Toothpaste

Fluoride was introduced into toothpaste in the 1970s as the compound Sodium Fluoride. Since that time there has been a significant reduction of cavities in children and adults both in North America and Europe. To make things a little interesting the most recent studies show that the reduction in cavities has occurred despite water being fluorinated or not. This ineffective aspect of ingesting fluoride is not the only problem.

The Trouble with Fluoridated Water

Opposition to fluoridation has existed since its initiation in the 1940s. The main issue has been the ethics of the practice. Opponents say that fluorinating water violates the rights of those who need access to municipal water systems. There are direct implications to using fluoride in the water supplies as well. Dental fluorosis, or mottled teeth, has been directly linked to fluoride in the water supply. Dental fluorosis is the malformation of developing teeth. These have been the only concern until recently.

New studies from China and North America show that one of the biggest problems with fluorinated water is the intake cannot be controlled. This makes children, small individuals more susceptible to health problems. But people, in general, who consume fluoridated water, may be being overexposed. The town of Alliston has never fluorinated the water system. (For additional information check out the town’s committee report #PW-2009-10).

Recent research is also suggesting that fluoride may be connected to a number of serious conditions, including the development in teenage boys of osteosarcoma. Fluorinated water may also be connected to reduced intelligence levels in children and impaired thyroid function.

Despite these new findings, Health Canada and The Canadian Dental Association consider the benefits of fluorinated water to far out weigh the risks. In the U.S., water fluoridation is listed as one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th century. However, these finding seem to bring into question the consumption of fluoride as a benefit but there are factors to consider in the topical application as well.

Fluoride in Our Toothpaste

The potential danger regarding fluoride-containing toothpastes appears to be the accidental ingestion of fluoride due to inadvertently swallowing the paste. Young children are at the higher risk because they are more likely to swallow the toothpastes, if not properly supervised. Due to this concern, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, U.S.A.) requires a warning statement on the packaging of all fluoride-containing toothpastes. Some doctors and dentist recommend that fluoride toothpaste be avoided all together, but here it does seems, at least for adults, that the benefits out weighs the risks

Sources and Additional Reading

www.cuprident.com/fluoride.php

www.kidshealth.org

CTV.ca Experts disagree on fluoride in drinking water

Globe and Mail November 23, 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride