[NatureNS] "I'm no longer surprised but I'm increasingly angry ....."

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 12:11:59 -0300
References: <CAA9nSY8nRYyXrN=XDdD-_Tk_je_HoosaHebkun2FnYfrguUBQQ@mail.gmail.com>
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Hi Rick, David, Richard, et al.,

The follow up story is published in today's Chronicle Herald:

	Ottawa: BIO-based agency will be cut back
	=
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/101822-ottawa-bio-based-agency-will-be-=
cut-back

While the centre won't close, "the department is phasing out the =20
portion that focuses on biological effects of oil and gas," Melanie =20
Carkner a DFO spokesperson wrote. Exactly what that "phase-out" =20
involves wasn't explained. About 400 positions will be eliminated =20
Carkner said, noting that the department has 11,000 workers.

The reactions?

Thomas Duck, a professor of atmospheric science at Dalhousie =20
University said the federal funding cuts haven't just hurt public =20
research. "They're pulling out of any environmental research at all. =20
They're not just eliminating government research work, they have also =20=

taken away critical funding opportunities that the universities depend =20=

upon as well. We're dying here at the universities, we are absolutely =20=

getting clobbered when it comes to environmental research."

Member of Parliament Megan Leslie, the NDP Environmental critic said: =20=

"It's so incredibly transparent. So we have a centre for oil and gas =20
research and now they're just not going to be doing oil and gas =20
research. C'mon. [They] are cutting Environment Canada, [they] are =20
eliminating science jobs at Parks Canada. The scientific community is =20=

not an activist community but they are pushing back because they know =20=

how important it is for us to have the scientific evidence."

These are bleak days for science, research, evidence, and knowledge in =20=

general, and the environment - and all of us - will be the poorer for =20=

it.

Chris

On 29-May-12, at 5:49 PM, Rick Whitman wrote:

> Renowned N.S. oil spill expert given job notice
> CBC News Posted: May 28, 2012 9:07 PM AT Last Updated: May 28, 2012 =20=

> 11:12 PM AT
>
> An internationally respected Nova Scotia-based scientist working for
> the federal government has been told his job is in danger, CBC News
> has learned.
>
> Kenneth Lee =97 an oil spill expert and the executive director of the
> Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research at the Bedford
> Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth =97 recently received a =
workforce
> adjustment letter informing him that his position is being eliminated.
>
> Lee confirmed he received the notice and his research centre is being
> eliminated, but declined an interview with CBC News on Monday.
>
> Others scientists are speaking out.
>
> "I'm no longer surprised but I'm increasingly angry and I'm also
> extremely wary of what the future means for Canada," said Jeff
> Hutchings, a biology professor at Dalhousie University.
>
> "The government's decisions lately are reducing our governmental
> scientific capacity and what that means is that it's reducing or
> seriously compromising the ability of science to contribute
> effectively to those decisions that affect the well being, the safety
> and the health of Canadians and their environment."
>
> According to affected unions, more than 1,000 workers with Fisheries
> and Oceans Canada have received notices across the country that their
> jobs could be affected by pending cuts.
>
> A spokesman for the department told CBC News in an email on Monday
> that only about 400 jobs are actually being eliminated. They declined
> to speak about Lee's case.
>
> In 2010, Lee joined experts trying to contain the BP oil spill in the
> Gulf of Mexico and provided scientific and technical expertise in the
> spill response operations.
>
> "Dr. Lee is a leading expert on the use of chemical dispersants to
> clean up oil spills," Fisheries and Oceans Canada wrote on its
> website.
>
> "The oil spill response operations in the Gulf of Mexico have provided
> new insights for development of international guidelines on the use of
> chemical oil dispersants."
>
> Now that Lee's position is disappearing, it's not clear whether he
> will continue to be in the federal government's employ.
>
> "It's a huge deal. I think Canadians seriously need to wake up to the
> fact that this isn't simply about scientists or researchers losing
> their jobs, but it's about the fact that Canada =97 over the last
> half-century =97 has built up an extremely impressive scientific
> capacity to deal with all sorts of different forms of scientific
> research," said Hutchings.
>
> "By cutting back and reducing and eliminating those positions, we are
> not only affecting those individuals but we are affecting us as a
> society and we are seriously affecting our government's ability to
> make wise decisions on our behalf."


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Hi Rick, David, Richard, =
et al.,</div><div><br></div>The follow up story is published in today's =
Chronicle Herald:<div><br></div><div><span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" =
style=3D"white-space:pre">	<b>Ottawa: BIO-based agency will be cut =
back</b></span></div><div><span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" =
style=3D"white-space:pre">	<a =
href=3D"http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/101822-ottawa-bio-based-agency-=
will-be-cut-back">http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/101822-ottawa-bio-bas=
ed-agency-will-be-cut-back</a></span></div><div><br></div><div>While the =
centre won't close, "the department is phasing out the portion&nbsp;that =
focuses on biological effects of oil and gas," Melanie Carkner&nbsp;a =
DFO spokesperson wrote.&nbsp;Exactly what that "phase-out" involves =
wasn't explained.&nbsp;About 400 positions will be eliminated Carkner =
said, noting that the department has 11,000 =
workers.</div><div><br></div><div>The =
reactions?</div><div><br></div><div>Thomas Duck, a professor of =
atmospheric science at Dalhousie University said the federal funding =
cuts haven't just hurt public research. "They're pulling out of any =
environmental research at all. They're not just eliminating government =
research work, they have also taken away critical funding opportunities =
that the universities depend upon as well.&nbsp;We're dying here at the =
universities, we are absolutely getting clobbered when it comes to =
environmental research."</div><div><br></div><div>Member of Parliament =
Megan Leslie, the NDP Environmental critic said: "It's so incredibly =
transparent.&nbsp;So we have a centre for oil and gas research and now =
they're just not going to be doing oil and gas research. =
C'mon.&nbsp;[They] are cutting Environment Canada, [they] are =
eliminating science jobs at Parks Canada.&nbsp;The scientific community =
is not an activist community but they are pushing back because they know =
how important it is for us to have the scientific =
evidence."</div><div><br></div><div>These are bleak days for science, =
research, evidence, and knowledge in general, and the environment - and =
all of us - will be the poorer for =
it.</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><div><br><div><div>On 29-May-12, =
at 5:49 PM, Rick Whitman wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div>Renowned N.S. oil spill expert given job =
notice<br>CBC News Posted: May 28, 2012 9:07 PM AT Last Updated: May 28, =
2012 11:12 PM AT<br><br>An internationally respected Nova Scotia-based =
scientist working for<br>the federal government has been told his job is =
in danger, CBC News<br>has learned.<br><br>Kenneth Lee =97 an oil spill =
expert and the executive director of the<br>Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas =
and Energy Research at the Bedford<br>Institute of Oceanography in =
Dartmouth =97 recently received a workforce<br>adjustment letter =
informing him that his position is being eliminated.<br><br>Lee =
confirmed he received the notice and his research centre is =
being<br>eliminated, but declined an interview with CBC News on =
Monday.<br><br>Others scientists are speaking out.<br><br>"I'm no longer =
surprised but I'm increasingly angry and I'm also<br>extremely wary of =
what the future means for Canada," said Jeff<br>Hutchings, a biology =
professor at Dalhousie University.<br><br>"The government's decisions =
lately are reducing our governmental<br>scientific capacity and what =
that means is that it's reducing or<br>seriously compromising the =
ability of science to contribute<br>effectively to those decisions that =
affect the well being, the safety<br>and the health of Canadians and =
their environment."<br><br>According to affected unions, more than 1,000 =
workers with Fisheries<br>and Oceans Canada have received notices across =
the country that their<br>jobs could be affected by pending =
cuts.<br><br>A spokesman for the department told CBC News in an email on =
Monday<br>that only about 400 jobs are actually being eliminated. They =
declined<br>to speak about Lee's case.<br><br>In 2010, Lee joined =
experts trying to contain the BP oil spill in the<br>Gulf of Mexico and =
provided scientific and technical expertise in the<br>spill response =
operations.<br><br>"Dr. Lee is a leading expert on the use of chemical =
dispersants to<br>clean up oil spills," Fisheries and Oceans Canada =
wrote on its<br>website.<br><br>"The oil spill response operations in =
the Gulf of Mexico have provided<br>new insights for development of =
international guidelines on the use of<br>chemical oil =
dispersants."<br><br>Now that Lee's position is disappearing, it's not =
clear whether he<br>will continue to be in the federal government's =
employ.<br><br>"It's a huge deal. I think Canadians seriously need to =
wake up to the<br>fact that this isn't simply about scientists or =
researchers losing<br>their jobs, but it's about the fact that Canada =97 =
over the last<br>half-century =97 has built up an extremely impressive =
scientific<br>capacity to deal with all sorts of different forms of =
scientific<br>research," said Hutchings.<br><br>"By cutting back and =
reducing and eliminating those positions, we are<br>not only affecting =
those individuals but we are affecting us as a<br>society and we are =
seriously affecting our government's ability to<br>make wise decisions =
on our behalf."<br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>=

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