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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-56--693733155 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 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." --Apple-Mail-56--693733155 Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <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 that = focuses on biological effects of oil and gas," Melanie Carkner a = DFO spokesperson wrote. Exactly what that "phase-out" involves = wasn't explained. 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. 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. 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. [They] are cutting Environment Canada, [they] are = eliminating science jobs at Parks Canada. 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>= --Apple-Mail-56--693733155--
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