[NatureNS] Nature of science

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:08:12 -0300
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Hi John,

On 28-Jul-11, at 10:40 AM, John and Nhung wrote:

> To:  All
>
> From:  John Sollows
>
> Date: July 28/11
>
> Can we all agree that honest science
> (a) considers all possibilities without bias,
> (b) realizes that qualitative information can be as important as =20
> (and sometimes more important than) quantitative data, and
> (c) does not confuse absence of evidence for a phenomenon or an =20
> effect with absence of the phenomenon/effect, but
> (d) acknowledges the need to test for alleged phenomena/effects, if =20=

> their importance warrants it?

Well said.

>  In the case of the effects of large-scale cage culture of =20
> carnivorous fish on ecosystems, I would bet that a bit of digging =20
> into the literature of various sorts would raise serious concerns =20
> about the wisdom of promoting this sort of thing.

It's not a literature that I'm very familiar with, but there have =20
indeed been such serious concerns raised. On June 10th, Jordan =20
Nikoloyuk, the Sustainable Fisheries Coordinator for the Ecology =20
Action Center (EAC) wrote:

"The known environmental impact associated with open net-pen salmon =20
aquaculture, and the unknown risk related to such a large-scale =20
endeavor has raised concern throughout the communities and within =20
conservation organizations. The proposed sites have the potential to =20
negatively affect the lobster fishery in one of the most productive =20
and lucrative lobster fishing areas in the world, and may spread =20
disease and parasites to already endangered wild Atlantic salmon =20
population."

=
http://www.ecologyaction.ca/content/approval-salmon-aquaculture-lease-spur=
s-outrage-community-and-conservation-groups

And furthermore, the runner-up to the EAC's 2011 "Tarred Duck Award", =20=

presented annually to a group or individual who has acted in violation =20=

of environmental issues or advocated for economic development without =20=

consideration for the environment," went to Minister of Fisheries and =20=

Aquaculture and Minster of the Environment Sterling Belliveau and the =20=

Nova Scotia Government for:

"For approving the the rapid expansion of industrial-scale salmon =20
feedlots along Nova Scotia's coasts and for failing to adequately =20
consult Nova Scotians. As a former fisherman and as Minister of =20
Fisheries and Aquaculture and Minster of the Environment Belliveau =20
should know better. Decisions like these mean lobster fishermen from =20
St. Mary=92s Bay will no longer be able to fish in the 209 acre inshore =20=

waters that Cooke Aquaculture salmon farms will soon cover. It is =20
shocking that this government has entirely failed to take the lead on =20=

sustainable aquaculture innovation and progressive coastal policies in =20=

general."

http://www.ecologyaction.ca/content/annual-awards

In my view, its particularly egregious that Sterling Belliveau - =20
himself a former fisherman - has taken such action.

>  Politicians need to understand that long-term economic issues and =20
> environmental issues coincide.  It=92s some short-term economic issues =
=20
> that conflict with them, and the long-term costs of promoting such =20
> short-term economic fixes often exceed the benefits.

And sadly, that's when science goes right out the window in the =20
pursuit of short-term economic goals driven by uninformed political =20
objectives. That's where we need to direct our ire.

Cheers!

Chris


Christopher Majka
6252 Jubilee Rd., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2G5
c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca

"If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular =20
error." - John Kenneth Galbraith


--Apple-Mail-6-694927135
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi John,<div><br><div><div>On =
28-Jul-11, at 10:40 AM, John and Nhung wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; =
font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; =
line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; =
text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: =
0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div =
lang=3D"EN-CA" link=3D"blue" vlink=3D"purple"><div class=3D"WordSection1" =
style=3D"page: WordSection1; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; =
margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: =
11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">To:&nbsp; =
All<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; =
margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; =
font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">From:&nbsp; John =
Sollows<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: =
0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; =
font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
">Date: July 28/11<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; =
margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: =
11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
">Can we all agree that honest science<o:p></o:p></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
">(a) considers all possibilities without bias,<o:p></o:p></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
">(b) realizes that qualitative information can be as important as (and =
sometimes more important than) quantitative data, =
and<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; =
margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
Calibri, sans-serif; ">(c) does not confuse absence of evidence for a =
phenomenon or an effect with absence of the phenomenon/effect, =
but<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; =
margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
Calibri, sans-serif; ">(d) acknowledges the need to test for alleged =
phenomena/effects, if their importance warrants =
it?</div></div></div></span></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Well =
said.</div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; =
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; =
orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: =
0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div =
lang=3D"EN-CA" link=3D"blue" vlink=3D"purple"><div class=3D"WordSection1" =
style=3D"page: WordSection1; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; =
margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: =
11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p></o:p></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In the case of the effects of large-scale cage =
culture of carnivorous fish on ecosystems, I would bet that a bit of =
digging into the literature of various sorts would raise serious =
concerns about the wisdom of promoting this sort of =
thing.&nbsp;</div></div></div></span></blockquote><div><br></div><div>It's=
 not a literature that I'm very familiar with, but there have indeed =
been such serious concerns raised. On June 10th, Jordan Nikoloyuk, the =
Sustainable Fisheries Coordinator for the Ecology Action Center (EAC) =
wrote:</div><div><br></div><div>"The known environmental impact =
associated with open net-pen salmon aquaculture, and the unknown risk =
related to such a large-scale endeavor has raised concern throughout the =
communities and within conservation organizations. The proposed sites =
have the potential to negatively affect the lobster fishery in one of =
the most productive and lucrative lobster fishing areas in the world, =
and may spread disease and parasites to already endangered wild Atlantic =
salmon population."</div><div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://www.ecologyaction.ca/content/approval-salmon-aquaculture-le=
ase-spurs-outrage-community-and-conservation-groups">http://www.ecologyact=
ion.ca/content/approval-salmon-aquaculture-lease-spurs-outrage-community-a=
nd-conservation-groups</a></div><div><br></div><div>And furthermore, the =
runner-up to the EAC's 2011 "<b>Tarred Duck Award</b>", presented =
annually to a group or individual who has acted in violation of =
environmental issues or advocated for economic development without =
consideration for the environment," went to&nbsp;Minister of Fisheries =
and Aquaculture and Minster of the Environment <b>Sterling Belliveau</b> =
and the Nova Scotia Government for:</div><div><br></div><div>"For =
approving the the rapid expansion of industrial-scale salmon feedlots =
along Nova Scotia's coasts and for failing to adequately consult Nova =
Scotians. As a former fisherman and as Minister of Fisheries and =
Aquaculture and Minster of the Environment Belliveau should know better. =
Decisions like these mean lobster fishermen from St. Mary=92s Bay will =
no longer be able to fish in the 209 acre inshore waters that Cooke =
Aquaculture salmon farms will soon cover. It is shocking that this =
government has entirely failed to take the lead on sustainable =
aquaculture innovation and progressive coastal policies in =
general."</div><div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://www.ecologyaction.ca/content/annual-awards">http://www.ecol=
ogyaction.ca/content/annual-awards</a></div><div><br></div><div>In my =
view, its particularly egregious that&nbsp;Sterling Belliveau - himself =
a former fisherman - has taken such action.</div><br><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div lang=3D"EN-CA" link=3D"blue" vlink=3D"purple"><div =
class=3D"WordSection1" style=3D"page: WordSection1; "><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
"><o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; =
margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Politicians need to understand =
that long-term economic issues and environmental issues coincide.&nbsp; =
It=92s some short-term economic issues that conflict with them, and the =
long-term costs of promoting such short-term economic fixes often exceed =
the benefits.&nbsp;</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: =
0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; =
font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
"><o:p></o:p></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div><div>And =
sadly, that's when science goes right out the window in the pursuit =
of&nbsp;short-term economic goals driven by uninformed =
political&nbsp;objectives. That's where we need to direct our =
ire.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div>=
<br><br><div apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <div style=3D"word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 14px; "><div>Christopher Majka</div><div>6252 =
Jubilee Rd., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2G5</div><div><a =
href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><=
div><br></div><div><i>"If all else fails, immortality can always be =
assured by spectacular error."</i>&nbsp;- John Kenneth =
Galbraith</div></span></div></div> </div><br></body></html>=

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