You are what you eat

For generations, parents have told their kids, “You are what you eat.” David Suzuki has an inspiring way of describing this as well: “We are the earth, through the plants and animals that nourish us.” He talks about how everything we eat and drink gets broken down into the fundamental building blocks that give us energy and make up our bodies, literally becoming a part of who we are.

That’s why it’s shocking to learn that Canada allows the use of hundreds of pesticides already banned in other nations because of concerns about their effects on human health.

Researchers have also identified links between some of these pesticides and declining bee populations and other pollinators, threatening our ability to grow food. Our government’s own scientists found evidence that one class of pesticides, “neonicotinoids”, caused bee deaths in Ontario and Quebec in 2012. Neonicotinoids are already banned in the European Union.

Legal recognition of every Canadian’s right to a healthy environment would ensure that people and the food we depend on would not be put at risk.

If you care about the food that sustains us, stand with more than 29,000 Canadians who have already called for stronger regulation of our food systems and the land and soil we all depend on.

The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat should be our highest priorities — but they aren’t. That’s why David Suzuki, the David Suzuki Foundation and friends are hitting the road this month for the Blue Dot Tour. We’re hoping that you will join us and our Right to a Healthy Environment campaign so that we can get our priorities right.

With your help, we can work to dramatically reduce the use of pesticides and eliminate those we know are harmful to human health.

Through sound science we can become more informed about what’s happening in our backyard, and hold our leaders to account to ensure their decisions are in our best interests.

With the protection afforded by recognizing every Canadian’s right to live in a healthy environment, laws and regulations designed to protect human health would not be weakened. We would always be moving forward.

Already, more than 29,000 Canadians have agreed that it’s time for everyone — no matter who they are or where they live — to have the right to live in a healthy environment. We must all help protect the people and places we love. Please sign the petition today.