Why international agreements are necessary to protect Environmental and Community Health
International agreements are necessary to set out the ground work to protecting the environment and health of the communities from potentially harmful substances. The agreements are important to protect our ozone, water sources and control air pollants, dangerous chemical usage, storage of those chemicals,and greenhouse gases. The agreements allow Canada to have involvment over pollutants that originate from other countries, then enter into the Canadian environment. They are important to reduce and elimate the sources of these pollutants. The Stockholm Convention was enacted to attempt to control the persistant airborne pollutants which are highly dangerous and long lasting by restricting and ultimately eliminating their production, use, trade, release and storage. These pollutants get into the food chain by entering the Canadian environment through the atmosphere. Their was orginally 12 chemicals on the list of persistant airborne pollutants. The stockholm convention has since added 9 more chemicals to the list. These pollutants have major effects on health by causing serious diseases including cancer and cause a worsening of heart and lung disease. This agreement helps to protect people from these chemicals and to protect our food from being contaminated by these chemicals which can cause long term health effects. The Ozone Annex agreement between Canada and the United States was signed by both countries to address the issue of air pollutants that travel between the two countries and causes acid rain. The pollutants this agreement addresses is Sulfer dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide. The two main chemicals that cause high levels of ground ozone (smog) and acid rain. The Ozone Annex has both countries commited to reducing Nitrogen oxide,sulfer dioxide and volatie organic compounds, as well as a commitment to work together on scientific research on acid rain and its