News Release
The Council recently received two new questions for assessments on the measurement and evaluation of health risk communication, and the association between wind turbine noise and human health. Both questions were referred to the Council by the Minister of Health on behalf of Health Canada.
The first question received on health risk communication asks: How can the effectiveness of health risk communications be measured and evaluated?
Risk communication is an essential part of any risk management program and an important component of risk minimization strategies. More importantly, timely and effective risk communication is essential to maximizing the health and safety of Canadians. Many federal departments and agencies, as well as public and private organizations, rely on clear communication techniques to protect Canadians from preventable health risks associated with food and drugs. The Council’s assessment will offer insights and evidence pertaining to the types of tools and instruments currently available for health risk communication, methodological best practices, and existing barriers to effective risk communications.
The second question asks: Is there evidence to support a causal association between exposure to wind turbine noise and the development of adverse health effects?
Wind turbines are becoming an increasingly popular power generation option as governments start to encourage more renewable energy initiatives, with Canada seeing its own steady increase in the number of wind turbines being installed across the country. Despite the benefits of wind turbines as an energy source, considerable attention has been generated internationally and nationally by, concerned citizens, and the media over the potential health impacts from the noise produced by these machines. The Council’s assessment will seek to present the evidence as it relates to wind turbine noise and adverse health effects in humans, identify knowledge gaps in scientific and technological areas, and examine the new engineering technologies and best practices currently employed in other countries.
The Council’s Board of Governors has officially approved these questions for assessment, and preliminary background research has begun. Two expert panels will be assembled in 2013. The panels will consist of experts from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds to ensure the most authoritative, credible, and independent responses to the questions.
The Council of Canadian Academies offers science-based insights and evidence to enrich Canadian policy development and decision-making. This is achieved by harnessing the collective wisdom of the finest minds to develop independent, authoritative, and evidence-based expert assessments on the issues that matter most to Canadians.
To learn more about the Council’s active assessments, visit Assessments in Progress.