Radon Environmental & CR3 Partner To Raise Radon Awareness Through Animal Wellness

January 3, 2023 - The Bark Side of Radon, presented by Radon Environmental (REM), is a Canadian public awareness campaign promoting home-owner radon testing through pet health. Medical conditions that veterinarians see in animals are like those doctors see in patients, but the diseases often develop earlier in animals.

"The Company is pleased to announce that it is joining forces with Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3), in the United States, to expand the campaign to protect all our loved ones, from exposure to cancer causing radon gas, across North America" said Alan Whitehead, President & CEO of REM.

"Your pets are at the lowest level near the ground. Because of their silence, we can be less aware of their suffering until it's too late." says, Jackie Nixon, Cancer Survivor. "We found that the general public truly cares about their pets and really want the best for them. Talking to them about how radon affects animals and how they can protect their pets, really gets their attention and increases their willingness to consider testing for radon."

The oncologist said, “radon is a known cause of lung cancer”. When my husband, Joe, was diagnosed with lung cancer. A radon test revealed we had been living with over 4 times the EPA action level of this demon for 18 years and didn’t know it. We, like millions of others, didn’t know that radon exposure could cause lung cancer; and we didn’t know this silent killer was living with us." says Gloria Linnertz, CR3 President.

About REM

Radon Environmental is a building and environmental health sciences company focused on reducing public exposure to radon gas. REM provides innovative high-performance radon detection and mitigation solutions to treat radon in air and water. The company consults on radon education, mapping, testing and mitigation planning, with government organizations and the building and construction sector across North America. A strength of the company is its emphasis on strategic development to build strong partner and customer relationships.

Contact Radon Environmental:

Emma Whitehead , Customer Relations & Communications Manager

Email: ewhitehead@radoncorp.com 

 About CR3

Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3) promotes radon reduction to communities through education and awareness. By helping them to understand the risks of not testing and the effects of long-term exposure, CR3 broadens radon knowledge and the willingness of community members to test their properties for radon gas.

Contact CR3:

Jacquelyn E. Nixon, Director of Marketing & Communications

Email: jackie@citizens4radonreduction.org

citizensforradioactiveradonreduction.org

Bark Ambassadors Are Barking About Radon

The Bark Side of Radon sprouted from Dr. Anne-Marie Nicol’s health sciences class at SFU where the students came up with the health promotion marketing idea. Radon Environmental’s President, Alan Whitehead, loved the idea so much that they brought one of the students onboard the team to help develop it, and here we are with a full-blown collaborative radon awareness movement. 

The Bark Side movement is rapidly growing and wouldn’t be where it is today without the initiative of Dr. Anne-Marie Nicol and the imagination and creativity of her SFU students.

Dr. Aaron Goodarzi is the latest Bark Ambassador to join the movement. He is the Canada Research Chair for Radiation Exposure and the Chair of the Board and research lead of Evict Radon, a Canadian non-profit organization whose goal is to solve Canada’s substantial and worsening radon-gas exposure problem through interdisciplinary research for the benefit of all Canadians. The Evict Radon Study is now recruiting for the study and is open to all Canadians – tests can be purchased on the Evict Radon website.

In 2015, Dr. Goodarzi was named one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40. In 2016, he was made a University of Calgary “Peak Scholar” for innovation in radon gas and lung cancer knowledge engagement; in 2018, he was selected as a TEDx speaker and, in 2019, received one of the School of Medicine’s Education Awards for innovation in graduate training. 

The Evict Radon project helps researchers understand how our home environment influences our radon exposure. For instance, they found that newer Western Canadian homes have higher radon levels. Research also showed that 1 in 6 homes tested in Western Canada had dangerously high levels of radon gas.

Stay tuned for more profiles on the Bark Radon Ambassadors, including Janet Whitehead from Janet's Story, Anne-Marie Nicol (PhD, SFU health sciences professor), Mike Holmes and Mike Jr., hosts of "Holmes on Homes®." and Sherry Holmes, contractor & weekend DIYer! 

News Release - August 27, 2019

Radon Environmental launches new radon awareness and testing campaign, “The Bark Side of Radon”, with support from Sherry and Mike Holmes Jr.

August 27, 2019 - Radon Environmental is launching The Bark Side of Radon, a radon awareness campaign encouraging pet owners to test their indoor air quality for radon. The Holmes family, including Mike Holmes Jr., Sherry, and their furry family members, are supporting the campaign with videos for pet lovers (see links below). The key message? Pets are part of the family and breathe the same air we do. Protecting their health is protecting your whole family’s health when you test for radon.

Radon, a radioactive, invisible gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Seven times heavier than air, radon accumulates close to the ground – where your pets are. Animals can’t take action to protect the air they breathe, but you can.

The Bark Side team is reaching out to every homeowner that loves their pets. To bolster the campaign, they’ve brought on Bark Ambassadors like Simon Fraser University (SFU) professor Anne-Marie Nicol. The campaign started as a health risk communication project to raise public awareness of radon in Nicol’s Faculty of Health Sciences class. Radon Environmental President, Alan Whitehead recognized the idea’s potential to amplify radon awareness. “We love our pets like family – they are our family and best friends. Protect their health and wellness by preventing exposure to radon and the associated cancer risk. Pet owners who care are pet owners who test,” says Alan.

Emily Li, one of the SFU students behind the idea, is now working with Radon Environmental. The momentum has been building with outreach to the animal wellness community, including veterinary colleges and offices, animal advocacy groups, and pet food supply stores. “This is a unique approach to communicating a public health hazard,” explains Nicol. “By reaching out to pet owners known for their high level of commitment to their animal’s health, we are motivating them to test for radon and protect everyone in the home.”

Watch the videos:
Mike Holmes Jr. and his dog Caicos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2w_WZkoYcE&feature=youtu.be

Sherry Holmes and her cat Loki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg4mLmG6-8s&feature=youtu.be

Visit the website:
barksideofradon.com

Contact us, get involved:
Alana McFarlane, Communications + Design
Radon Environmental
amcfarlane@radoncorp.com, 778 327 4717

@barksideofradon  @radoncorp  #barkradon

What's new at Radon Environmental

Summer is in full swing but we are gearing up for another busy fall season here at Radon Environmental!

As of July 29th, our office moved to 502-1281 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3J7. We are excited about the fresh new space and open for business!

We are booked to exhibit (and speak) at seven shows across North America and more to come! Check out our Events page for details. If you’d like to join us, follow the events page for upcoming promo codes and discounts to attend some of these shows.

We’re already planning for Radon Action Month and we’re launching a new wellness campaign for all the loved ones in your home. Stay tuned for more details!