More than 2,900 people from around the world have signed an online petition aimed at saving a unique open-air freshwater laboratory from federal government budget cuts.
About one-third of those signing the document come from outside Canada, Heidi Swanson, a biologist helping organize the effort to save the Experimental Lakes Area, said Wednesday.
The petition has been signed by both scientists and non-scientists alike, she said.
"There was a mixture of scientists, but a lot of people were just cottagers, people that are generally concerned about the environment, including other cuts to science and environmental regulation."
The experimental area, which includes 58 remote Ontario lakes and an on-site laboratory, has yielded crucial long-term data on concerns such as acid rain and fertilizer contamination. Scientists say it continues to be a base for research relevant to questions on the cumulative impacts of oilsands development, how ecosystems process toxins such as mercury, the effects of hydro development and climate change.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tory government has ordered it closed next March for a saving of $2 million.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent said he hopes another operator can be found for the program, such as a university or group of universities.
"I hope the Experimental Lakes program doesn't close down," he said. "Environment Canada has found the Experimental Lakes over the past couple of decades extremely valuable."
Scientists have said universities are unlikely to be able to afford the kind of long-term commitment required.
The area is less relevant to the government's current concerns, such as environmental monitoring of the oilsands — although that work is expected to be funded by industry, Kent said.
The latest petition, which can't be presented to Parliament because the signatures were collected online, follows several other protests.
In June, eight top Canadian and international researchers released an open letter to Harper asking him to reverse the cut. And earlier this month, scientists held a demonstration outside Parliament Hill to protest what they called the "Death of Evidence" — a reference to Harper government decisions to cut funding to a variety of research initiatives.
They include the PEARL atmospheric lab on Ellesmere Island and scientific programs at the National Research Council, Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The government has said it intends to focus research dollars where they can generate more immediate economic payoffs.
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Hakuin
43 weeks ago
the Dear Leader
is saving all these petitions. He plans a special auto-de-fe.
toquer
43 weeks ago
Less than 3000 signatures is pathetic
Less than 3000 signatures on a global petition is something to quietly brush under the rug, not issue a press release about. It's actually just sad.
It's balderdash that Universities couldn't 'afford' to take it over. They receive lots of money, charge extraordinary high tuition fees, and seem to have no dearth of expensive infrastructure projects underway at any given moment.
Are there any petitions demanding these institutions step up? Perhaps a number of extremely over-compensated professors, administrators and researchers would give a little of their upper class income towards such a project?
sharkravingmad
43 weeks ago
University faculty & staff "upper class" - ridiculous claim
@toquer "...extremely over-compensated professors, administrators and researchers would give a little of their upper class income..." Really? I'd be interested in seeing the data to back up this claim. I know a long list of people who work in corporations who would rather be a professor however the pay is far too low. Nowhere near what they earn in the market place. Not even close. Further, researchers rely on grants and funding that they raise in order to conduct their research.
The point of the articles posted on this issue is that Canada used to be a country in which meaningful scientific and environmental research was supported by the government, and respected globally. That is the Canada I grew up in and was proud of. I for one, am actively pursuing ways to get it back.
psosp
43 weeks ago
It's balderdash that Universities couldn't 'afford' to take it o
Universities are going through the same budget constraints as any gov't bodies. I was recently visiting both UBC and BCIT and they are anticipating the axes will swing yet again, more likely than not next year. Not just cuts impact them, but inflation too. While there are many overly-compensated adim-types out there (as well as CEO-wannabes) most profs are not even full time or tenured. Most of the work is contract-based and part-time now. I have a close personal friend who is teaching a program part-time, contracted. She was off work for emergency surgery to remove an aggressive form of cancer (multiple masses throughout). Her recovery is remarkable and complete, but she did not receive any pay while she was gone. Her students had to wait for her to return and "catch up" on the course material.
Better idea! Why isn't a measly couple million dollars being rerouted from things like our carbon tax? Oh, I forgot, that is pouring into general revenue and can't be given up, right? Well, how about we demand Bev Oda reimburse us for all her taxpayer-funded glasses of OJ? That should be good for at least half the funding!
By the way, can anyone provide a link to the petition? I would love to sign it if still possible, but hadn't even heard of it (and I regularly follow these blogs)
Hakuin
43 weeks ago
start one
http://www.avaaz.org/en/
Sask Resident
43 weeks ago
Senior Bureaucrats are the Problem
Governments make cuts to the budget of the departments but it is the senior bureaucrats in the black hole called the civil service that decide which programs and people will be actually cuts. They may change their mind if politicians can't take the heat (like Sheila Copps did in 1995 when Environment was to cut people in Burlington, her riding). Senior bureaucrats always make the first cuts as far as possible from the center, Ottawa for the feds and Victoria and maybe Vancouver for the province of BC. Why else would the coast guard station in Vancouver be cut rather than paper pushing staff in Ottawa? The scientists have to focus their complaints on the deputy and assistant deputy ministers of EC and DFO, perhaps publicly naming the director general that decided strategic planning was more important than real information.
Hakuin
43 weeks ago
why would the coast guard in Vancouver be cut?
because the emperor is punishing a disloyal district.
toquer
43 weeks ago
Hey Sharkravingwhatever...Here's your data
read it and weep, peasants: the 2009 canadian faculty salary review...science faculty salaries routinely topping 100k.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-595-m/81-595-m2009076-eng.pdf
Hakuin
43 weeks ago
nah Toquer
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/30/income-inequality-study-one-per-cent_n_1554555.html
profs don't make that much.
Hey!: "Why are academic power struggles so bitter?"
" Because the stakes are so small."
hg
43 weeks ago
Coast guard
I don't remember all the details, but around 10 years ago a family perished in their overturned boat, while divers could not go in for some reason or another because of the lack of $30000 funding. While I was making deliveries in Victoria, I saw somebody riding around in a full-size Ford SUV with a Coastguard decal on it. Value what, more than $30000 for sure,.
toquer
43 weeks ago
That's rich, Hakuin
I suppose it's a matter of one's perspective, but if you don't think $117k annually is "that much", then you're not in my percentile, buddy.
That is most certainly an elite level salary. Claiming otherwise is either laughable, or a demonstration of your stunning lack of awareness regarding the financial reality of the rest of us. Clearly, the view is skewed from the top.
If each prof. gave up 5k per year towards the Experimental Lakes, a mere 400 of them could fund the thing in perpetuity.
Not very enlightened of you, Hakuin.