In spite of efforts to quash their initiative, a group of Ontario registered nurses including the entire Algoma Chapter of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) and WCO president and RN Jane Wilson, forged ahead at the Annual General Meeting.
They presented a motion asking for members to support a call for more research into the reported health effects from the environmental noise and vibration caused by industrial wind turbines. The resolution also asked members to consider a moratorium on wind development until such research was complete.
While the motion was defeated, several members in the room abstained. "Abstaining from a public vote sends a message that there are those who have doubts about the current RNAO position on wind turbines," said Jane Wilson.
Discussion on the motion was limited to a brief five-minute window, much of which was used up by Gideon Forman, not a nurse but executive director of Canadian Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) pro-wind advocates. Forman, who is not a medical doctor, predicted pollution-related deaths from coal-fired power generation if the motion were to pass. The proponents were not permitted to rebut even though that is usually part of the rules of order.
"Clearly, Big Wind has billions in profits at stake," Wilson said shortly after the vote, "and it appears spokespeople for the opposing side were lined up in order to confuse the issue and to defeat the resolution. They must be worried about what people and nurses in Ontario's communities are thinking."
Wilson was alarmed when, during a discussion of the issue with voting delegates the evening before the vote, an RNAO staffer entered the group and dominated discussion. "I can't get a word in edgewise," commented an RNAO member to Wilson.
After the vote this morning, members were heard to say, "I want to hear the rest of her story!"
The RNAO released its policy statement on energy four days before the vote. The statement has been roundly criticized for lack of scholarship and going beyond the expertise of the nursing organization.
Guest speaker at the RNAO's annual general meeting in the afternoon session was Premier Dalton McGuinty.
Ethical Oil submitted a complaint to the CRA over the David Suzuki Foundation, perhaps the same thing should happen with CAPE. Gideon Forman spoke at the Bluewater Board of Education meeting dealing with the CAW wind turbine in Port Elgin. Now he is speaking at the RNAO with Dalton McGuinty. It is quite a coincidence that a person by the name of Christiano Forman is the director of wind turbine sales at Acciona.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the purported author of the RNAO's policy statement on energy is staffer Kim Jarvi, many have commented that Gideon Forman was at least a contributor to it, if not the ghost author.
ReplyDeleteMr Forman and Mr Jarvi sat side by side at the RNAO AGM, until Resolution 4 was dealt with.
How surreal that a guy with a degree in philosophy is acting as advisor to the Registered Nurses of Ontario on matters of health.
DeleteWorse, the nurses will see it as a doctor organization telling them how to vote!!!
ReplyDeleteHistory repeats itself. This is the same scam played out by the "DR" and the RNAO to get the pesticide ban in Ontario. False medical reports and the like. There should be an investigation into CAPE and the hundreds of thousands they received from the Trillium Fund. There should also be an investigation into the relationship between CAPE and members of the Liberal party of Ontario including Dalton McGuinty and John Gerretsen. Complaints should also be made to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner regarding the lobbying of "DR" Gideon Forman and Cape, neither of which are on the registered lobbyist list from what I can tell.
ReplyDelete