Frozen Assets
Maclean’s Ice cores tell the history of Canada’s climate, but now the government doesn’t want them anymore.
Posts Categorized: news
Panel would change Canada’s research landscape
Posted on the Nature News blog on 14 October 2011. In an effort to address Canada’s problem with innovation, an independent panel has recommended a radical overhaul that includes the creation of a new funding council and transforms the country’s largest research entity, the billion dollar National Research Council (NRC). Study after study has shown that Canada’s businesses invest less on R&D, relative to the country’s gross domestic product, than those of many other OECDcountries and, unlike others, has actually decreased its spending over the last decade. Many of these business investments include government support in the form tax credits, training … Read more…
Canada’s ice cores seek new home
Confusion over fate of valuable climate record chills researchers. An unusual ‘help wanted’ advertisement arrived in the inboxes of Canadian scientists last week. The e-mail asked the research community to provide new homes for an impressive archive of ice cores representing 40 years of research by government scientists in the Canadian Arctic. The note was sent out by Christian Zdanowicz, a glaciologist at the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) in Ottawa. He claimed that the collection faced destruction owing to budget cuts at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the government department that runs the survey, and a “radical downsizing” of the Ice Core … Read more…
Mixed Reviews for Quebec’s Plan Nord
The government of Quebec (Canada) has launched its multibillion-dollar Plan Nord, which will open the vast northern reaches of the province to mining and energy development–and protect 50% of the territory from economic development. The 1.2-million-square-kilometre region—twice the size of France—is known for its wild rivers, biodiversity, diverse ecosystems and a large swath (about 20%) of Canada’s boreal forest. Boreal forest covers more than 25% of Quebec. More than 120,000 people, including 33,000 aboriginals also live in the region. Quebec Premier Jean Charest said yesterday the government will invest CDN$80 billion into mining, forestry, transportation, energy development and tourism over the … Read more…
The numbers don’t lie
The day before Barry Shiffman was to fly from Toronto to Russia to begin serving on the Violin Jury of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, the 44-year-old learned he had prostate cancer. “I was floored by the diagnosis. I sat for in the lobby of Sunnybrook for two-and-a-half hours thinking, ‘What is happening?’” recalls Barry, who is the associate dean of the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and father of two. “But once you get over the insanity, the realization, that you have cancer, then you think, ‘I am so lucky. It could have easily been missed’,” … Read more…