Randy Bachman Joins the Environmental Defence

Canadian rock icon Randy Bachman has teamed up with green advocacy group Environmental Defence during his cross-Canada Vinyl Tap tour.

The video, presented during an evening of storytelling and music, focuses on toxins in everyday products that are known carcinogens, particularly those in cosmetics and those used as fire retardants in furniture.

Bachman whose friend and sometimes collaborator Jeff Healy died of cancer in 2008 at the age of 41 says he's "seen the devastating effects that cancer has on families and communities."

"[I] know we won’t overcome this unless we start to address the issues,” says Bachman.  “I’m honoured to be involved with Environmental Defence and have the opportunity to bring awareness for this cause to the forefront of our everyday lives.”

Environmental Defence program manager Maggie MacDonald says that the former Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive guitarist turned host of CBC Radio’s Vinyl Tap was a natural choice for the organization. “Randy has had an interest in environmental issues for a while. At his shows he always says, do something green this week.”

Though Environmental Defence is running a variety of campaigns aimed at raising awareness and inspiring change on green issues at both personal and political levels, MacDonald says it's important to remember that toxins don't just happen outdoors. “We're all aware that there's environmental pollution but there's also environmental pollution in the home,” she says.

The group's mandate has recently expanded to include chemical fire-retardants furniture manufacturers use to comply with California state regulation TB117. These chemicals spread around the house in the form of dust and can come in contact with small children as they crawl around the house.

“Scientists have shown that the law is based on faulty science, a faulty understanding about how house fires actually start,” says MacDonald. “On top of that, the flame-retardant chemicals are linked to learning problems in children, some of them are carcinogenic.”

The problem worsens when the chemically treated furniture is exposed to flame. “Once it is burning the toxins released into the air are highly hazardous. There's increasing awareness now about risks to the health of firefighters.”

The group has won a small victory lately with California Governor Jerry Brown promising to amend the regulations. But MacDonald points out that this change will not act as an incentive for companies to remove chemicals that are already in furniture. That would take more pressure from consumers.

“You can still have fantastic cosmetics, fantastic furniture without these carcinogenic chemicals in the products,” she says. “It's not going to hurt businesses at all. It's a chance for businesses to get ahead and show leadership by being health friendly as well as environmentally friendly by taking these chemicals out.”

She hopes that connecting the beloved Canadian musician with the group will help people connect to the issue on a personal level. “He's a musician a lot of people love and with his radio show, his stories are so personal,” she says. “People feel a real connection to him. We hope that by having someone of Randy's stature, a figure who is as loved and appreciated as Randy talk about this issue, that it'll help people see this issue in a light that's not controversial but in a light that this is something that matters to the health of Canadians.”

Image Credit: Mark Maryanovich