’Problematic if misused’

Former cabinet minister Chuck Strahl says the government should support the addition of asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention.

Canada has to decide if asbestos should be listed in the Rotterdam Convention as a product that is ’flagged’ as potentially harmful. We should do that, not because chrysotile, or white, asbestos is the most dangerous (it’s not) or because it cannot be used safely in some circumstances (it can), but because importers and exporters have the right to know it can be problematic if misused.

While the government still refuses to say whether it will support the listing of asbestos, Julia Belluz takes to our new blog Science-ish to take apart the claim that chrysotile asbestos can be used safely.