Talk about trying to bury the bad news, Tony Clement has out done himself

Health Canada released a 500-page report yesterday that urges the federal government to act immediately to prepare Canadians for the an "onslaught of climate change, calamities"

But you won't find it on the Health Canada web site.

What you do find is a press release here from the Health Minister, talking about how serious the government is about climate change and their action plan to reduce greenhouse gases.

"Our government takes the issue of climate change very seriously," said Minister Clement. 

"We are already taking real action to combat climate change with our Turning the Corner Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

As for the details of the report they are not provided on the site, instead with quite bit of searching you are directed here where can try to order a copy.

So what is in the report.

The report which was supposed to be released earlier this year consists of updated information prepared and researched by Canada's top heath and climate experts.

It is not a report about reducing  greenhouse gases, it is about what is going to happen to us because of the existing levels of gasses and the current changes in the climate.

"The findings of this assessment suggest the need for immediate action to buttress efforts to protect health from current climate hazards," it says.

"If there is somewhat of a doom context or feeling ... well, that's because that's what it is,".

"It's not because we're making it up. That's what it is. We need to understand and deal with that reality." said one particpant in the report.

Here are some of the forthcoming calamities that the authors want the government to prepare us for.

• increase in the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths
  
• more respiratory and cardiovascular disorders
  
• higher risk of physical injuries
  
• increased stress-related disorders
  
• increased asthma symptoms and allergies
  
• more heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases
  
• outbreaks of E. coli and typhoid
  
• new infectious diseases
  
• the return of diseases previously eradicated
  
• food shortages and less clean drinking water in remote regions
  

Meanwhile when asked about the report our Minister of Health Tony Clement commented.

"This report makes it clear that if you have bad health outcomes now, you're likely to be more impacted by extreme weather events than if you're at the top of the health ladder," he said.

Clement then touted the tangle of Tory measures to tackle climate change that make up the government's plan to lower Canada's greenhouse-gas emissions..

Why are the Tories burying the report.

Although some Canadians realize that global warming is already causing changes to the climate there are many of us who do not.

Reports like this one and the previous study released by Natural Resources Canada earlier this year will cause more Canadians to start demanding that the Tories actually start doing something about environment. 

That they put concerns for our health above concerns for the economy. That they finally set standards and go after polluters. That they stop expanding the Tar Sands. That they take the effects of global warming seriously.

And the Tories don't want that.

So when our Minister of Health is confronted with a report that describes the biggest threat to the health of Canadians, since I don't know...  he became Health Minister, we are told that it will only affect those with weak health, and the Tories have a plan to reduce greenhouse gases. 

Oh and I assume that the Liberals want to tax me.

Thanks for warning you idiot.

Reference Macleans here.