Experimental Lakes Area Closure a Financial Blunder, Say Greens
 |
 |
 |
| Grandview: The Green Party of Canada calls on the federal government to keep the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) research station open. Closure of ELA will cost Canadian tax payers $50 million to decommission the site while keeping it open would only be $2 million a year. “Do the math,” says Kate Storey, of the Dauphin Swan River Marquette Green Party. “This attack on science is a financial blunder.”
Giving no reasons, the Harper government terminated
funding to the facility, forcing it to close this March. Concerned citizens have suggested that the closure is a vendetta against environmentalists. Research coming out of the experimental lakes could be inconvenient to those wishing to ignore the effects of toxins on the water and on the health of Canadians.
The Experimental Lakes station has operated as a unique,
world-renowned centre for freshwater research in northwestern Ontario for about half-a-century. Studies done there have resulted in strategies to combat acid rain, climate change, algae blooms, mercury poisoning and nutrient buildup in lakes such as Erie and Winnipeg. The science could be used to move industry to become more environmentally responsible.
The ELA cost relatively little to maintain. Scientists could
bring in specific funding for their experiments and be asked for rent, potentially making it self-funding. The scientific activity is also an economic boon to the local economy. However, even scientists with funding to offer are no longer being allowed to work there. Thousands of people have signed petitions to keep it open and various groups have offered to buy the facility, but the Harper government is deaf to common sense.
Storey is particularly appalled at the actions of the local
Dauphin MP. “Mr Sopuck ran a campaign on his "green credentials" and commitment to science.
Yet, on March 20th, he voted with his Conservative
colleagues to defeat an Opposition motion calling for continued funding to keep the ELA open until another operator could be found. "Why would anyone with even a small bit of environmental or economic common sense agree to close such a valuable scientific facility?" Storey asks.
The ELA was a help to ordinary Canadians because it
provided the science needed to keep our drinking water clean. Canada’s pre-eminent water scientist David Schindler recently called the government’s action “sheer stupidity.”
=====
Green Party Demands Action On GE foods
Dear Larry,
Are you eating untested genetically engineered foods?
If you buy anything from a typical grocery store, the answer is yes.
Unfortunately,
avoiding them is almost impossible since the labeling of GE ingredients
is not required by law and is entirely voluntary.
Health
Canada has never conducted independent research into the safety of GE
foods, relying solely on information provided by the companies making
the products.
In
fact, despite being on shelves since 1996, genetically engineered foods
have never been subjected to any long-term testing to review potential
health hazards, including antibiotic resistance, toxicity, or allergic
reactions. Genetically engineered crops also pose serious threats to the
health of natural ecosystems and organic agriculture.
Elizabeth May has been fighting for transparency in food labeling, and to stop GE foods being sold in Canada.
The Green Party will continue to speak out to demand:
We can win this fight with your help.
Please help us continue to speak out publicly in Parliament and in the media about this important issue now by donating $15, or any amount you can afford.
With
your support, we will have the resources needed to call attention to
the Conservatives’ attempt to relax Canada's food standards, and ensure
an open and transparent food system that is safe for all Canadians.
Sincerely, 
Kate Storey
Shadow Cabinet Critic for Agriculture Green Party of Canada |
Comments