Latest news with #Charette
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rain, snow expected in Kern County with first of two storms approaching area
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through Thursday night as the first of two storms makes its way through Kern County, bringing with it rain and snow that may impact travel through the mountain passes. The Winter Storm Warning is in effect through 11 p.m. Thursday for the lower Sierra Nevada, including the Kern County mountains and through the Grapevine, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford. A High Wind Warning is also in effect for hill areas on the west side and in the Mojave Desert. CHP advises drivers to slow down on Kern County highways as winter storm approaches Forecasters said a strong atmospheric river will make its way through the Central Valley beginning Wednesday afternoon through Thursday. Much of the rain is expected Wednesday evening through Thursday morning, the weather service said. 17 News chief forecaster Kevin Charette the Bakersfield area could get anywhere from a half inch to a quarter of an inch of rain. Mountain areas could get a half-inch to two-thirds of an inch before it becomes snow. Snow levels could drop to around 3,000 ft by Thursday morning. There is a possibility of thunderstorms related to this storm on Thursday. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Charette said the Tejon Pass could get as much as 3 inches of snow, Pine Mountain Club could get 2 to 11 inches, Tehachapi could get 2 to 5 inches of snow through Thursday night. A weaker system could bring rain Friday, followed by another storm system Sunday night. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
16-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
HPV infections pose serious risks for both men and women, experts say
Gilles Charette first noticed something was going on with his body when he found an anal wart during a shower. Charette confirmed with a nurse practitioner that he had acquired a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and quickly received topical ointment for treatment. As a gay man in an open marriage, Charette also decided to get the HPV vaccine, choosing to pay out of pocket to be immunized rather than risk another HPV infection or HPV-associated cancer. "The recommendation was to [get vaccinated]," said Charette, who is the director of the Gay Men's Sexual Health Alliance in Toronto. "And so I did." HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in Canada and the world, and is estimated to be responsible for five per cent of all cancer cases globally. HPV infection is most commonly associated with cervical cancer, since roughly 99 per cent of all cervical cancer cases are connected to HPV. But experts warn that HPV is a virus that affects all sexually active people and can lead to a variety of cancers — regardless of gender. "We tend to focus on women because of the concern with cervix cancer … but in fact men also carry and can be infected and affected by HPV," University of British Columbia (UBC) professor Dr. Deborah Money, told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC's The Dose. How common is HPV? The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) estimates that roughly three quarters of sexually active men and women will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. "The good news is that, in fact for most people, it's a transient infection and it's cleared and it just goes away," said Money, who heads the UBC faculty of medicine's department of obstetrics and gynaecology (OBGYN). While HPV infection is dangerous for women because of the risk of cervical cancer, HPV is dangerous for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men because of concerns over genital and anal cancer. Of the more than 100 strains of HPV that exist in nature, two strains cause the majority of cancer cases associated with HPV, including cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis and anus. However, HPV infections can also lead to cancers of the throat, tongue and tonsils. WATCH | Calls for schools, pharmacies to boost lagging HPV vaccination rates for kids: Calls for schools, pharmacies to boost lagging HPV vaccination rates for kids 3 years ago Duration 2:02 Gilla Shapiro, a psychologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and faculty member of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, says rates of mouth and throat cancers are on the rise for men and women in Canada, but at a faster rate for men. According to numbers from the Canadian Cancer Statistics Dashboard, male head and neck cancer rates were 2.7 times higher than female head and neck cancer rates in 2019, with 2024 rates projected to be 2.8 times higher for men versus women. In communities of men who have sex with men, HIV/AIDS status is more openly discussed than whether someone has had HPV, according to Charette. bBut he notes that an HPV infection can be especially detrimental for people who are HIV positive. A 2020 review looking at the relationship between HIV status and HPV-related cancers in sub-Saharan Africa found that HIV positivity is associated with an increased prevalence of HPV infection, "which will result in increased burden of HPV-related cancers among [people living with HIV]," according to the authors. "So certainly people living with HIV should be considering HPV vaccination," said Charette. PHAC recommends that immunocompromised individuals — including people living with HIV — receive three-dose schedule of the Gardasil-9 vaccine. It estimates that 25 to 35 per cent of mouth and throat cancers are associated with oral HPV infection. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 90 per cent of people with anal cancer also have an HPV infection. HPV vaccines lead to reduced cancer rates, research shows Experts agree the easiest way to prevent HPV infection is through one of the two approved HPV vaccines: Gardasil-9 and Cervarix. Gardasil-9, which protects against nine types of HPV, is available for men and women, between the ages of nine and 45. Cervarix, approved for women aged nine to 45, protects against the two high-risk HPV types that cause approximately 70 per cent of all cervical cancer cases. A 2022 U.S. review found that an earlier version of Gardasil, which protected against four strains of HPV, was 90 per cent effective at reducing genital warts in males, and 77.5 per cent effective in reducing anal intraepithelial neoplasia in males, a precancerous condition that causes abnormal changes to the lining of the anal canal. According to research published by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, HPV immunization before the age of 17 leads to a 90 per cent reduction in invasive cervical cancer risk, while HPV immunization before the age of 30 leads to a 50 per cent reduction in cervical cancer risk. WATCH | Canada's cancer screening guidelines are out of date, doctors say: Canada's cancer screening guidelines are out of date, doctors say 10 months ago Duration 0:01 A group of cancer experts say Canadian national screening guidelines are a decade out of date, which is leading to people getting diagnosed later, when they are more difficult to treat. "They're much more effective than many of the vaccines we use," said Money. HPV vaccines are usually offered to school-aged boys and girls, ideally before the average age that they begin engaging in sexual activity. Nonetheless, even people who are already sexually active can benefit from the HPV vaccine, because the likelihood that someone has been exposed to every type of HPV that the vaccine protects against is low, according to B.C. Cancer. A Health Canada spokesperson confirmed that the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends HPV vaccines for people between nine and 26 years of age. "[NACI] also recommends vaccination of individuals 27 years of age and older following a consultation with a health-care provider, in consideration of risk factors which may lead to infection with the human papilloma viruses," wrote Health Canada via email. NACI estimates that vaccine uptake for at least one dose is higher among females than males. Roughly 77 per cent of females have at least one HPV vaccine dose according to 2023 numbers, compared to 75 per cent of males. The vaccine is free for males and females under the age of 26, typically through school-based and catch-up programs in every province and territory, according to the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. If you're older than 26 in most parts of Canada, however, you will have to pay out of pocket, like Charette. He says the price of the HPV vaccine for those not eligible for free programs — $215 per dose in Toronto, for example — can be prohibitive for some. Shapiro says there are programs developed to support the vaccination of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, "because of the higher risk of developing certain types of HPV associated cancers."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quebec open to rekindled GNL Québec gas facility project amid U.S. tariff threats
QUÉBEC — The Quebec government says it would be open to reviving a liquefied natural gas project in the Saguenay region to transport Alberta energy overseas, as a way to reduce the country's reliance on the United States as an export market. Quebec refused to authorize GNL Québec Inc.'s proposed liquefaction facility and export terminal in 2021 and Ottawa followed suit in 2022, with both governments citing environmental and other concerns. However, U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on Canadian energy have increased the urgency for Canadian oil and gas producers to seek export markets beyond south of the border. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette signalled a willingness to entertain proposals from GNL Québec. "We're not closed to energy projects that respect environmental criteria," he said, later adding he would "study (the project) on its merits." In the government's 2021 refusal, Charette said the proposed facility and export terminal risked 'disadvantaging the energy transition' away from fossil fuels. The project, he added, was economically 'risky' and posed 'more disadvantages than advantages.' The following year, Charette said the province "made the decision (to say no) ... and we have no intention of reconsidering it. It's no longer a project (under consideration) in Quebec and we're pretty firm on that.' Christine Fréchette, the province's economy and energy minister, said Wednesday that the project would need to be accepted by the population to go forward, a green light that didn't exist a few years ago. 'We need social acceptability for a project like GNL Québec,' she said. In February 2022, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada concluded that the plant and export terminal would increase greenhouse gas emissions, harm the beluga population, and negatively impact Innu First Nations. And while members of the governing Coalition Avenir Québec party showed openness to the project on Wednesday, later in the day its members voted down an attempt by two Independent members to adopt a motion in the legislature asking the government to "re-evaluate its positions on transporting Canadian energy resources.' Youri Chassin and Éric Lefebvre, both former CAQ members turned Independents, failed to get enough votes to have their motion adopted. Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime, who doesn't have a seat in the legislature, told reporters Wednesday he welcomed the end of the unanimity of elected officials against GNL Québec. Amid the tariff threats by Trump, Duhaime said, Québec must have greater energy autonomy. "And that involves three things: exploiting our natural gas in Quebec, building pipelines across the province, and reviving the GNL Quebec project." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2025. Patrice Bergeron and Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
CBC
05-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Looking to diversify its exports, Quebec willing to rethink natural gas pipeline project
Social Sharing The threat of tariffs and lingering economic volatility has prompted the Quebec government to reconsider a pipeline project bringing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Western Canada to the province before shipping it overseas. Quebec nixed the project, known as LNG-Québec, in 2021, for environmental reasons. But now, with economic uncertainty surrounding the province's relationship with the U.S., its largest trading partner, Quebec's environment minister said the government is interested in taking another look at it. "We're not opposed to energy products that respect the environmental criteria," Benoit Charette, the environment minister, told reporters at the National Assembly on Wednesday. Charette cautioned that the project would have to respond to the previous concerns raised by Quebec's public consultation bureau, the BAPE, which played a role in the project's refusal. The Legault government had initially supported the project. It had hoped the project would diversify the economy in the Saguenay area, north of Quebec City, a region largely dependent on the aluminum and forestry industries. But it had axed it after concluding that the project's environmental risks outweighed the gains and that Quebecers didn't want a pipeline. The project proposed building a 780-kilometre natural gas pipeline from northern Ontario to Saguenay and a separate project to build a plant to liquefy the gas in Saguenay and load it onto tankers. The BAPE had concluded that the increased tanker traffic along the Saguenay River would pose a risk to vulnerable beluga whale populations and would lead to a spike in greenhouse gas emissions. "If it's the same project with the same specs, the decision will be the same," Charette said. "We recall the decision of the BAPE, we recall the decision of the Ministry of the Environment. If we respond to those concerns today, it's a project that could be accepted. Projects are studied based on their merits." Quebec Premier François Legault said Tuesday the province needs to diversify its exports in the face of U.S. economic hostility. Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly suggested LNG-Québec could play a role in getting Canada's oil and gas to new markets overseas, like Europe. "We currently have a vulnerability with respect to the United States for our oil and our gas," she said. "Canada has essentially one client. For Alberta oil, 98 per cent of the oil goes to the U.S. but we don't currently have pipelines that cross Canada to come to Quebec." Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre has said he would approve LNG-Québec to respond to the threat of American tariffs. "We can sell something 200 per cent or 300 per cent higher in Europe if we export overseas instead of giving all our gas to the Americans and letting them have all the profit. What we're doing is ridiculous," he told Radio-Canada in January. 'Questions are still there' says PQ Though the Quebec government withdrew its support for the project in 2021, the federal government also refused to approve it in 2022. Some of Quebec's provincial political parties reacted with apprehension to the idea of a natural gas pipeline. Parti Québécois MNA Pascal Paradis said it would have to be up to Quebec to decide if a pipeline was a good idea. "It's not Mélanie Joly and it's not the Conservative Party of Canada to decide for Quebecers when it comes to that project," he said. "We had a big debate on that project already and it wasn't determined that it was in Quebec's economic interests at the time and there was a problem with social acceptability. Those two questions are still there." When Quebec announced it was scrapping the project in 2021, Charette had acknowledged that the government's decision angered people in Western Canada. The project would have provided an additional export market for natural gas from hydraulic fracking operations in British Columbia and Alberta.
