Topic
Experimental Lakes Area was world famous; its findings might have saved Canada billions.
One of many experimental lakes in the ELA that researchers used to uncover important insights about how fresh water ecosystems work. Photo: DFO.
Tories plan to stop protecting waterways with fish deemed to lack 'economic, cultural or ecological value.'
As PM re-engineers Canadian society, he never lets facts get in the way.
Over the Victoria Day weekend Canadians lost another vital national institution that quietly stood on guard for the nation's 4 million lakes.
Just as citizens flocked to their cottages and launched their boats, the government of Stephen Harper pulled the plug on Canada's greatest freshwater defender and scientific achievement: the Experimental Lakes Area.
And though its muzzled scientists haven't been able to talk about the program's impressive research in recent years without Ottawa's approval, this uniquely Canadian endeavor both changed and educated the world. It also drove global public policy on watershed protection.
In a move that stunned and appalled scientists around the world the Harper government laid off as many as 40 scientists associated with the legendary program working out the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Winnipeg's office.
According to Ottawa's tiresome newspeak, the program no longer "aligned with the department's mandate and is not responding to our research priorities."
The killing of the program is the latest in a series of coordinated attacks on environmental science and the gutting of most of the nation's environmental legislation. It not only trashes Canada's international reputation but confirms the Harper government's pathological hatred for science of any kind.
In fact the country has now officially entered a Dark Age for science. After spending $2.5 million renovating the Arctic Institute of North America's Kluane Research Station, the Harper government just eliminated the funding for the global leader in climate change and boreal mammal research. It also provided federal Arctic researchers at a recent Montreal conference with Iraqi-like minders to control their comments. Nature, one of the world's foremost science magazines, has written editorials about the muzzling of Canadian scientists.
In this new political order of attacks on science and environmentalists, the closure of the ELA program takes on special significance. The irrational decision strikes most scientists as a feat of colossal stupidity, economic folly and ideological backwardness.
ELA said to be 'best in the world'
"The ELA is, in my opinion, the best known freshwater research facility in the world. You can be at any aquatics conference in Europe or Asia or anywhere and you don't even have to say Experimental Lakes Area -- just ELA -- and everyone knows what you are talking about," John Smol told The Tyee. Smol holds the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change at Queen's University and is recognized as one of Canada's most honored scientists.
"My first reaction was, 'You have got to be kidding,' which fairly quickly moved to 'Why am I surprised?' This is just another attack on the war against the environment."
Ragnar Elmgren, a distinguished Swedish ecologist, called the closing of the ELA "an act of wanton destruction of the scientific value" that would leave "Canada much less prepared to tackle the important challenges of managing its freshwaters under climate change."
Added Elmgren in an email to Canadian politicians: "This is the kind of act one expects from the Taliban in Afganistan, not from the government of a civilized and educated nation."
Jim Elser, a highly respected aquatic scientist at Arizona State University, described the destruction of the ELA both pennywise and pound foolish in an email. "It's not an example of good governance." The world offers very few places where scientists can study whole ecosystems in a remote location aided by an excellent research facility as well as decades of baseline data, adds Elser. "ELA is completely and totally unique and unmatched in offering all three."
"I was pretty shocked," added Harvard University aquatic sciences professor Elsie Sunderland in an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press. "This is one of the foremost research projects and places to do research in the world. To have it shut down is just appalling. It's just embarrassing."
What the ELA did
The ELA was to water ecology what the supercollider is to physics. Here's a little history about the Canadian people have just lost and why every Canadian should be alarmed. For more than 44 years the modest program (it costs but $2 million a year) located near Kenora, Ontario, conducted ground breaking research on acid rain, toxic metals, phosphates, algal blooms, climate change and mercury that eventually strengthened water pollution legislation around the world.
The project not only broadened the world's horizons on water with more than 750 peer reviewed studies and 120 graduate theses, but provided hard data on the impact of industrial activities on the world’s most critical resource. The unique research program began in 1966 with a novel idea by fisheries scientist Waldo Johnson. Confronted with explosive and deadly blooms of algae in Lake Erie, Johnson proposed polluting several small lakes in the Canadian shield to figure what was going on and why.
At the time scientists didn't know if phosphates from soaps and fertilizers or nitrogen or carbon caused the lake killing blooms. After Winnipeg's Freshwater Institute located a collection of unique lakes with good water chemistry and few groundwater connections, the scientists got to work.
They started by adding carbon to Lake 227 which disproved the detergent industry's theory on the origin of algal blooms. Next researchers divided Lake 226 with a plastic curtain. They added nitrogen and carbon to both basins, but phosphorus as well to one of them. The half that got loaded with phosphorus exploded into a sea of green soup of algae and became "the most photographed lake in science." Shortly afterwards Canada banned phosphates from detergents, and most other first- world countries soon followed its lead.
Another experiment funded by the now defunct Alberta's Oilsands Environmental Review Project (AOERP) changed the global politics of acid rain. In the 1970s, AOERP had concerns about the impact of sulphur oxide emissions and the resulting acid rain on lakes in the tar sands area in northeastern Alberta.
Schindler's legacy
Ecologist David Schindler, who energetically led the ELA for more than two decades, convinced the group to fund ELA to study the issue. AOERP funded the acid rain work until the federal government finally recognized acid rain as a problem in 1978.
In 1985 the ELA again made headlines with publication of the research, which proved that that acidification can damage a lake's food chain at a pH level of 6.0, 10 times less acidic than that previously assumed. The studies showed that acid rain starved lake trout by killing smaller organisms that made up their main food supply. It reduced a lake’s biodiversity by as much as one third before reaching the level of acidity that previous studies assumed the damage began. ELA experiments also proved that damage from acid rain to lakes could be reversed, counter to main stream scientific opinion at the time.
Since then the project has continued to make waves with "big picture" science that often reveals consequences and impacts on pollution on ecosystems that small scale experiments can't. At Lake 260, for example, scientists added synthetic hormones from birth control pills at concentrations found downstream of wastewater outfalls, to test the effects on aquatic organisms. Within two years all of the male fish had been feminized, and reproduction ceased. Fish recovered once the hormone additions ceased.
Researchers stocked Lake 375 with farmed fish to gauge the impacts of aquaculture. They added cadmium, a common pollutant from smelters, to Lake 382 to determine if regulations were tough enough to protect water life. They created small model reservoirs, proving that hydroelectric dams released greenhouse gases and caused mercury to increase in fish.
In one the ELA's most ambitious experiments, researchers added tiny amounts of specially labelled mercury (about a sixth of a teaspoon) to Lake 658 and its watershed for seven years in a row to determine if direct inputs from air pollution, or runoff from wetlands or forests caused the most damage to fish. The METALLICUS study found mercury deposited directly to the water did the most damage, entering fish quickly after being added to the lake. Moreover the findings proved the efficacy of stringent air pollution controls on mercury spewing coal-fired plants.
Money saving research, cut
Recent ELA research on the importance of nitrogen pollution in producing algal blooms could save billions of dollars in clean-up costs. Research from the study proved that focusing on phosphate controls as opposed to nitrogen will end algal blooms at far less cost. For the huge Baltic Sea alone, the cost saving is estimated at nearly 3 billion Euros.
The future of proposed studies on nanoparticles and oil sands contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may now be dead. "There were some troubling signs that toxic nanoparticles of silver could go through biological membranes," says Schindler.
But the Harper government apparently doesn't want you to know that truth. Nor does it want Canadians to learn about what role oil sands pollutants such as PAHs might play in fish deformities in Lake Athabasca or cancers in Fort Chip. "Politicians have never understood what the ELA does or why it's important," says Schindler from his cottage near Brisco, British Columbia. "We are losing an opportunity to improve the public's scientific literacy on water." He adds that "democracy, to be effective, needs to have an informed electorate."
In this regard the full scale assault on science funding and scientific freedom in Canada makes the country look increasing like another sorry Arab oil exporter. The sheiks, a group as fundamentalist in their orientation as Harper's Tories, don't like science either.
As molecular biologist Rana Dajani explains in a 2011 Nature editorial, the political and religious environment in most Arab states currently "fails to sustain creativity, curiosity and striking out into the unknown -- all of which are essential for science to flourish."
And that's where Harper is taking Canada: back to an Arab winter. ![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
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frank2
1 year ago
Harper's gutting of
Harper's gutting of scientific activities is heart rending. Is there any upside? None, unless we consider that the Harper team's preference for ideology over knowledge is now crystal clear to everyone who cares.
Feverish
1 year ago
Public meeting tonight in Victoria
There is a public meeting tonight in Victoria... a chance to hear more and speak up! (Torches and pitchforks optional)
David
Victoria VI
"Details: The New Democratic Official Opposition is hosting regional budget hearings across the country from May 22nd - May 25th. We want to hear your thoughts on the recent Omnibus Budget Bill and share with you information about the many harmful, non-budget measures hidden in the massive 425-page bill."
Vancouver Island MPs Denise Savoie (Victoria), Randall Garrison (Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca) and Jean Crowder (Nanaimo-Cowichan) invite you to a discussion on the Budget's impact on you and on Vancouver Island’s communities.
Let’s talk about what’s hidden in the Conservative ‘Trojan Horse’ Budget Implementation Bill C-38 and how it will affect your lives and the lives of your children
Date: Wednesday May 23rd
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: First Metropolitan United Church Fellowship Hall, 932 Balmoral Rd., Victoria
Jeffrey J.
1 year ago
Warning: Dark Age Ahead
So Jane Jacobs was right.
The great author (may she RIP) wrote the eerily prescient Dark Age Ahead only 8 years ago.
Harper is accelerating the process of de-civilizing Canada with these draconian and short sighted violent actions. As Jacobs explains, once we enter the beginning of a Dark Age, you eventually won't even know how much you've lost. It becomes a vicious cycle, self fulfilling.
Frightening events by Canadian extremist neocons.
Thanks Tyee and Mr. Nikiforuk for keeping the light of knowledge glowing bright.
Van Isle
1 year ago
The way the Conservatives
The way the Conservatives have bee behaving this last year it seems that they are are the road to destruction. They know that they won't be re-elected in 3 years. They don't care what the great unwashed think.
MalcolmIslander
1 year ago
Iraki Minders?
Maybe Nikiforuk or someone else could explain just what he meant by the phrase "Iraqi minders" in this sentence:
"It also provided federal Arctic researchers at a recent Montreal conference with Iraqi-like minders to control their comments."
This seems like a completely uncalled for and idiotic denigration of Iraqis. Is Nikiforuk's outlook on the world determined entirely by imperial propaganda from south of the border about the Empire's enemies?
Do we want to read anything written by such a limited individual?
snert
1 year ago
I think the lakes will survive
a few more years without the program.
That being said after sitting back and watching all the anti Harper hate speech that goes on in this country I've come to the conclusion that the only way way to pin the man down is to keep asking him just what it is that makes him a proud Canadian.
Crying WOLF all the time will not work because gradually people will stop paying attention.
jimmmmy
1 year ago
Great article
Mr Harper is a Christo- Capitalist who belives he'll be rewarded in heaven for his "good works" here on Earth . His concern is about enriching his friends, and regulating who you sleep with and in what position. Governess for the greater good is not of any interest to him and his cabal.He clearly said these things in his campaign and yet 35% of the people voted for him anyway? You get the government you deserve has never been truer.
igbymac
1 year ago
MalcolmIslander
I am not going to speculate the intent of the author. But if 'limited individual' is the test, clearly few are as limited as Stephen Harper himself.
You might consider asking yourself the Q, "how does the nation give a moment's credence to a clown like Harper, and how does he ever escalate the rungs of power?".
When we can all grasp the effect of propaganda and the shaping of minds on ourselves, then we will stand a chance for revolution.
Until then, it will remain more of the same no matter the spot-fires igniting at the grassroots.
jimmmmy
1 year ago
Malcolmislander
An Iraqi minder is a military intellegance officer assigned to reporters who might show the war in a bad light. It was a routine practice at the height of the war. No one wanted the pictures of dead women and children in general circulation.
jimmmmy
1 year ago
Igbymac
If Mulcair had any balls he would get lawyers to go through all parliamentay rules and stall Harper at every pretext until the next election . We live in a Parliamentary democracy not a Republic. Harper is using power not given to him by our system . Some one should start invoking the "rules" at every opportunity. A Prime Minister is spokesman not a king.
Miss BC
1 year ago
Is there a way?
If this program "only" costs 2 million a year and enough scientists around the world respect and want it to be maintained, is there a way to privately fund ELA?
Should a petition be started to reverse this decision? Can it be reversed?
The rage I feel about the current government and sh*tty Harper doesn't get me very far, I'm way more interested in solving the problems he's creating. We've got a huge list to work with and thank goodness other people of government are noticing and trying to help.
@Ferverish - do you have to be at the meeting right at 7 or could you be able to attend shortly after?
nikkobaud
1 year ago
Acid-Reign
It has been proven: an Acid-Reign kills all viable and vibrant life.
RockyRacoon
1 year ago
Montreal STudent's, Unions, Environmental activists Mom's Dads
Brother'sa ans sister's spread the word on this as far and as fast as you can to local radio blogs other politician's let them know you know and what something done about it other reporter's in MSM. I doubt if they search alternative media sources the way most of us do. I hope you all do. It seems to me they are off the mark and just parrotting what they are told and not challanging anything at all.
RR
OwlRol
1 year ago
Who would have thought
Nearly 1 year ago, after the election results, we knew things would change to a more conservative bent, but who would have thought it would shift so quickly and so extremely. Keep opposition off balance by throwing everything, including the kitchen sink, at these various groups, even the most legitimate and worthwhile.
! year down, 3 to go.
Unbelievable ignorance, manipulation, vindictiveness and background greed.
And it's not just science efforts and research watch dogs.
Parks Canada, with its associated biology and archeology programs, also nearly forever dismantled through funding cuts. Lanse o Meadows historical research,
Needed coast guard services minimized.
Tiny costs in the big scheme of federal expenditures, but directed at each and every possible criticism of the all mighty but narrow development agenda.
Only 3 words that end in Y seem to matter to this regime, technology (not science), military and economy (in its narrowest sense), all others are hindrances to be rid of, in spite of these guys' references to family and community.
Can't even imagine the next 3 years as they hyper fast-track their agendas. Can't slow it down at hazzardous junctures without evidence from the soon to be defunct human resources we need.
The joke is on all of us if it wasn't so sad.
Let's start by defunding some of the PMO PR expenses while defusing some of its power. Then oust the high priced lobbyists who have set up shop around the hill, both corporate or religious zealots. That would be a good beginning.
Feverish
1 year ago
Elizabeth May - Green Petition
Miss May is on fire - someone Steve-0 may not want to tangle with. She's having an impact... Wish there were more like her!
http://www.greenparty.ca/ for a copy of the petition to help slow the rush to the bottom.
He will probably just prorogue since he doesn't have a ball of his own to take home in a huff. This guy needs to go. Months is too long, let alone years.
Fiat lux
1 year ago
Harper will be out of office
Harper will be out of office sometime next year.
His job was to go wild, destroy democracy, sell off the country to "foreign investors" in the first year, or two, in office, as per long standing plans.
The party's poll numbers will go hell, as expected, and Steve will then be replaced, most likely into a string of directorships, with somebody who may be acceptable by the sucker public for the reelection, perhaps 2 years down the line.
This is politics, as always have been, to ensure the rule by ruling classes. As I wrote many times before, I have seen those eyes and face under Totenkopf and Red Star caps and everything is moving exactly as expected.
Ed Deak.
Steve Hetherington
1 year ago
I agree fiat
but there is nothing better coming.Harper is so damn stupid he thinks it's all about him.He is not even aware he is just a number---he thinks he is "it"when ---as you say--he will soon be replaced by someone with an honest face.He is under the false belief that the corps will be true to him----fool.If someone was to ask Stephen(I want this printed) who had the biggest penis--he would say---of course--ME-----for now.
Come on folks---lets revolt
rationalideas
1 year ago
No surprise!
The current government will destroy anything that stands in the way of their idea of economic progress ( which usually means harvesting of natural resources as fast as possible for the most profit gain). Environmental concerns derail this economic progress. If no one is studying environmental impacts, there is no environmental impacts? But why is anyone surprised.... people voted this party in ! you were expecting something else?
Canadian Patriot
52 weeks ago
Canada's Dark Ages
The Harper government believes that the earth was created literally in seven days. The Harper government believes that the earth is flat. The Harper government believes that the earth is at the centre of the universe. The Harper government believes that dinosaurs are a creation of the NDP.
Canada has indeed entered a dark age under the Harper government. Any scientific program that does not fit in with the totalitarian ideology of the Harper government is gutted or completely disbanded.
Any program that is considered a "threat" to the Harper government is eliminated, ie the census forms.
The Harper government refuses to acknowledge anything that is happening that does not conform to its reality. The 2008 recession being an example, and the looming financial crisis yet to come that is hanging over the world.
The Harper government's policies are indeed extremely frightening and reminiscent of the 1930's when the extreme right wing took power in Germany and extreme left wing was in power in Communist Russia. Indeed Harper's policies are more in tuned with those governments than they are with traditional Canadian democratic values.
Indeed in Nazi Germany and Stalin's Russia, scientific programs that did not conform to the political ideology were gutted, disbanded, scientists silenced or forced to leave their countries.
Sound familiar today in Canada?
It will take Canada most likely a decade or two to clean up the Harper government mess and enter back into the "light" as it were.
Remember, Tony Clement's fake lake and gazebo cost more than the Experimental Lakes program.
This leaves a rather bad taste in this Canadian's mouth.
freewilly
52 weeks ago
No use complaining
Any slightly enlightened individual could see this coming, yet this is a great piece of journalism and might open up a few more eyes.
Another poster suggested funding this research privately, and thats about the best thing that could happen. The only solution.
Considering the global scope of this sort of research, some funding should be found. Its apparent the Harper is trying to shut down all potential studies and research that might make the oil industry look bad.
Common sense should always trump ideological decisions, but in this country thats no longer the case. Research like this, can actually inform industry: the forest industry, agriculture and even mining and many more. Science doesnt hinder economic growth, it promotes efficency, best practices and finds solutions to diffcult problems.
Bill_Horne
52 weeks ago
Kluane
I was just in Whitehorse and noted that my mug at breakfast at my friend's house had an imprint from 2011 to commemorate 50 years of research at Kluane. Aarg.
pwlg
52 weeks ago
my dyslexia showing
I initially read the headline for this article, "The Gem of Canadian Science that Harper Killed" as:
"The Gem of Canadian Science that Killed Harper"
and was eagerly awaiting how science had created a GMO that repelled bare-faced liars.
Feverish
52 weeks ago
Despite my general lack of
Despite my general lack of faith in politicians, I find that there is great value in public meetings organised by political parties as they do attract inspiring, committed citizens that are willing to take action.
Thanks to all those that spoke (or not) last night at First Met United - good to be with people that care!
@MissBC: Me w/ clipboard & petition in hand. You, anonymous citizen in the crowd? Did we meet?
Aurora
52 weeks ago
And on it goes..
Conservatives moving with stunning pace to gut our environmental acts and laws, combined with the decimation of our national renowned science programs apace, is truly a double whammy juggernaut, not to mention some attack strategy.
To compound things, the running tally of public services and program closures in the past couple months alone:
- All Environmental Emergency Response Coordination Offices (2 exceptions - Gatineau, Montreal)
- Canadian Coast Stations, in particular recent announcements of City of Vancouver's
- Marine Traffic Communication Centres (in particular west coast, Tofino and Courtney)
- Closure of National Ocean Pollution Monitoring Office (Inst. of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC)
At same time, BC is being asked to bear ALL the risk of Northern Gateway Project AND the twinning of Kinder Morgan's pipeline, quadrupling present supertanker travel in Vancouver's port and harbour. What is wrong with this picture? Nothing, in a Conservative universe.
The timing has to be now for the Canadian public to rally and begin to organize, undoubtedly. Disgusted shock and dropped jaws is only taking us so far. I think the need is great, however, for a coordinated, multi-pronged effort, to adapt to the Conservatives own scatter-shot technique,throwing everything at us but the kitchen sink. Also needed, are these many scientists themselves, to participate. Three more years of this utter bullshit is too much to sit and watch from the sidelines. I am feeling rage, only rage at what Conservatives have wreaked in the first year alone. I can only hope a vast majority of the Canadian public is waking up to this same outrage and are mobolizing to action.
snert
52 weeks ago
Interesting video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmsjGys-VqA
Feverish
52 weeks ago
Well said...
There have been many stirring comments recently about this massive attack on every aspect of what we value about our country.
There was one in particular at a gathering last night by a man who proposed that this assault of such magnitude that is being launched is being rolled out in order to deflect scrutiny of an even larger issue being negotiated in secret.
The agenda seems to be in full display, but perhaps there is smoke and mirrors being employed. Seems like cnsprcy-thry material, but maybe we should not underestimate the potential of this treasonous man called Steve-o
crh
51 weeks ago
E May
Miss May is on fire - someone Steve-0 may not want to tangle with. She's having an impact... Wish there were more like her!
http://www.greenparty.ca/ for a copy of the petition to help slow the rush to the bottom.
.....
Oh Great! Another petition!
Granville
51 weeks ago
Stephen Harper is a radical and a terrorist
He is a radical because he is reversing every environmental protection law since the Fisheries Act came into being. He is a terrorist because he and his party intimidate the opposition, trying to marginalise them.
Harper suspended parliament twice in his minority reign and he is forging ahead with destructive legislation through omnibus bills.
All the environmentalists want is clean water; Harper is prepared to designate any lake as a mines tailings pond, on request.
Harper will try to force the northern pipeline across BC. We will have to fight as never before to protect our province.
I have never bothered much with politics until now. I joined the Green Party only because the other three were colluding on leaving them out of the TV debate years ago.
Stephen Harper is the most dangerous leader in the western world and he is earning Canada reputation as a Rogue Nation in the environmental field. He is a regular chip off the George W. Bush block and John Baird is his Dick Cheney.
To call a spade a spade, Harper is a 1950's-style Redneck's Redneck. He is as ruthless as any western leader and he has already garnered comments from Germans who compare him to Hitler. We should be anticipating his next moves as they are sure to be against the public interest.
schessor
51 weeks ago
Petition
http://saveela.org/2012/05/24/take-action-now/
RickW
51 weeks ago
Granville
Perhaps we should be looking for the equivalent of the Reichstag Fire....?
sunwukong
51 weeks ago
.. here's the next move
Feds to cut air pollution monitoring team
http://www.canada.com/news/national/Federal+government+pollution+monitoring+team/6679995/story.html
charlesjustice
51 weeks ago
Let's see: build more
Let's see: build more prisons, buy more jet planes, demonize environmentalists, and fire environmental scientists, get rid of the census, defund climate change research. Can you sense the direction we are heading here?
Harper already has more than enough power to do what he wants. It's pretty transparent that he is paving the way for expansion of the tar sands by getting rid of any potential evidence-based opposition.
And the money for prisons, in the face of an aging demographic? Perhaps he's planning to fill the new prisons with the senior citizens that will be protesting the Enbridge pipeline, the tar sands, and the Chinese takeover of our economy.
Eric Johnson
51 weeks ago
What's the big deal?
It's not as though water security is going to be a concern in the future.
bhglennie
51 weeks ago
The Harper ditatorship
The Harper Dictatorship makes the US's Tea Party look sane and pleasant. They hate science, rational thought and workers with any rights or benefits.
The Harper Dictatorship is selling off Canada to the highest bidder.
The Harper Dictatorship has set Canada back 70 years.
Gonzaga
51 weeks ago
Well, look at the results!
This project has no one but itself to blame. Look at those results! Let me help them out with a few research tips: prove that oil sands tailings are healthy for an ecosystem. Prove that genetically modified organisms promote biosystem stability and diversity. Prove that pesticides reduce cancer rates. Prove that increased atmospheric carbon increases biomass and diversity while driving out exotic species. Prove that crime is rising and mandatory minimum sentences are the solution (it might be hard to prove using a lake, but hasn't anybody heard of "innovation"?)These putzes need to take a cue from the Fraser Institute. If you want government support--you gotta get results! It's not rocket science you know!
Marysue52
50 weeks ago
TAR Sands, not OIl Sands
Let's call it what it is--not what some bloated Esso executive wants us to call it.
Canadian Patriot
50 weeks ago
The Harper government
When the Harper government begins to discount any advice from former Conservative Ministers such as Tom Siddon and John Fraser who believe that the changes to the Fisheries Act will be detrimental to Canada one begins to wonder. Even former Conservatives are questioning the Harper government about its' scientific and environmental policies.
When Canadian solider Trevor Greene, who had been fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and was struck in the head after removing his helmet out of respect, has an issue with the Harper government calling environmentalists "eco-terrorists" one begins to wonder.
More Canadians are beginning to wake up to the Harper government's extreme policies which are reminiscent of both the extreme left and right of the 1930's.
Let no one fool themselves. The Harper government wanted a Wildrose win in the recent Alberta election. But when even Albertans, Canada's most conservative province votes against extreme right wing parties, there's hope for Canada.
Canadians must never forget the Harper government's policies. Canadians also need to let the world know.
For a Prime Minister to continually question global warming, to be gutting the scientific and environmental programs that Canada is world renown for is disgusting and repugnant.
True Canadian Conservatives must wake up and reclaim their party. This is not the Canadian Conservative Party. This is the Reform Party led by Stephen Harper who has hijacked the Conservative Party so he could get elected. He couldn't get elected as Prime Minister under the Reform brand. So, he needed a national party to do so. He wanted the government to be known as the Harper government. Canadians must continually address it as such. why? Because when things really go badly for the Conservatives, Canadians need to know that it's Stephen Harper. It's all about Stephen Harper. And Conservatives will then want to distance themselves from the man.
The Harper government brooks no opposition, no criticism. It embraces those polices that are non-democratic.
Stephen Harper is no Canadian. Stephen Harper NEEDS CANADIANS. CANADIANS DO NOT NEED Stephen Harper.
theveganarchist
47 weeks ago
conservative majority?
less than 40% (5.8 million) of those who voted (14.8 million) in the last federal election cast their ballots for stephen harper and his band of blue meanies.
now this conservative "majority" is making decisions that are affecting the lives and well being of not only the 34 million+ people who reside within its borders, but they are also taking it upon themselves to ride rough shod over wild nature. destroying the habitat of many other beings who also call this country home.
and in the process, they are making every effort to keep people ignorant and in the dark about how industrial activities and our business-as-usual consuming lifestyles are polluting the air, toxifying the water and littering the landscape with the waste produced as a result of our prevailing attitude that economic growth must trump ecological protection.
and for what? for a little bit of money. hey, stephen...there's more to life than a little money, you know. don'tcha know that? and here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. well. i just don't understand it.