WATCH ONLINE: "The Silence of the Labs"

WATCH ONLINE: "The Silence of the Labs"

Postby Oscar » Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:21 am

WATCH: The Fifth Estate, "The Silence of the Labs", January 10th. CBC TV

Please forward widely to get as much attention as possible for this issue.

PREVIEW:

[ http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2013-2 ... f-the-labs ]

The Fifth Estate on January 10th for an investigative report by Linden McIntyre on the troubling, shameful and 1984-ish firing and retiring of scientists and the closing of scientific labs in Canada by the current, despicable federal government. Some details and a LINK to the promo below.

The Silence of the Labs

In the past few years, the federal government has cut funding to more than 76 world renowned research institutes and hundreds of programs.

The Harper government has dismissed more than 2,000 scientists and researchers. It has cut programs that monitored smoke emissions, food inspections, oil spills, water quality and climate change. Now scientists have become unlikely radicals, denouncing what they call is a politically-driven war on knowledge.

In Silence of the Labs, Linden MacIntyre tells the story of scientists - and what is at stake for Canadians - from Nova Scotia to the B.C. Pacific Coast to the far Arctic Circle.

- - - - -

This message will be a reminder for some of you, but the contents will come as quite a shock to others!

It's hard to know where to start. Many of us have known about the wilful destruction of our Canadian science libraries for awhile, but it's only now becoming public. The very short 'youtube' on the Fifth Estate website (below) will give you an idea of what the Federal government has been doing 'behind the backs' of Canadians and it's very sad news.

Andrew Nikiforuk (investigative journalist Calgary) was on CBC radio a few days ago talking about the ongoing Library destruction, calling it a "national tragedy bordering on a criminal act".

Recently the government literally trashed approximately 7 Department of Fisheries and Oceans libraries across Canada, libraries that held years and years of research. We were aware of this story, but it was when we recently saw photographs (taken secretly) of the devastation that we felt kicked in the stomach - it looked as if a hurricane had ripped through the rooms.. books falling off shelves, many now empty.

They have lied about the 'why' of doing such an act... saying that they were digitalized, but they weren't. They have done the same to libraries under the Department of Environment, Parks, Immigration and the list goes on. The reason wasn't for cost savings as the government is saving only a small amount - everyone knows the reasons are strictly 'ideological'.

We forwarded the Fifth Estate program information to a Comox Valley social justice website dedicated to this kind of news, and when the editor emailed back to confirm she'd posted it, she added that a similar story is what happened to all of the journals and files from our west coast lighthouses when the government decommissioned them... they were thrown in bins or given away. More than 100 years of lighthouse history gone forever.

In the short video introduction to the Fifth Estate program you'll see a woman, an anthropology researcher who has worked in the far north for over 25 years on a scientifically sensitive plot of land. One day she was told to take what was important to her and leave. We saw that program last year and it was heartbreaking.

And in the helicopter scene you'll see the host, Linden McIntyre and Dr. David Schindler, recently retired from the University of Alberta, an outspoken critic of the ongoing destruction of our beautiful Canadian environment. This important program is on The Fifth Estate, January 10th. Please check your local listings for times.

Please forward the notice of this program to as many people as possible. Maybe it's not too late to save some of our Canadian heritage.

John and Rosemary Baxter

* current and detailed article and photographs on the same subject...

[ http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/capt-trevo ... 34729.html ]
Last edited by Oscar on Sun Jan 12, 2014 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Oscar
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NOW ONLINE: Silence of the Labs

Postby Oscar » Sun Jan 12, 2014 9:42 am

WATCH: Silence of the Labs

[ http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2429411271/ ]

The Fifth Estate | Season 39, Episode 10 | Jan 10, 2014 | 45:12 min.

With massive cuts by Ottawa to everything from food inspections to water quality and climate change and the dismissal of more than 2,000 federal scientists and researchers, some scientists have become unlikely radicals -- denouncing what they call a politically-driven war on knowledge.

In Silence of the Labs, Linden MacIntyre tells their story - and what is at stake for Canadians - from Nova Scotia to the B.C. Pacific Coast and the far Arctic Circle.

= = = = =

ALSO:


Link 1: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIH0o61Tjuk ]

Link 2: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms45N_mc50Y ]
Oscar
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FEFCHAK: The Fifth Estate says it best.

Postby Oscar » Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:13 am

FEFCHAK: The Fifth Estate says it best.

----- Original Message -----
From: John Fefchak
To: CALGARY HERALD NEWSPAPER
Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2014 11:56 AM
Subject: The Fifth Estate says it best.

Letter to the Editor:

"It's Open Season" on Canada.

Premier Harper has also been playing a central role in Canada; not only the political landscape, but the Canadian landscape itself. Just have a look at what's happening and taking place at the Athabasca Tar Sands.

"In the past few years, The government of Canada has cut funding to hundreds of renowned research institutes and programs. Ottawa has dismissed more than 2,000 federal scientists and researchers and has drastically cut or ended programs that monitored smoke stack emissions, food inspections, oil spills, water quality and climate change. Now some scientists have become unlikely radicals, denouncing what they call is a politically-driven war on knowledge. In 'Silence of the Labs', Linden MacIntyre tells the story of scientists - and what is at stake for Canadians - from Nova Scotia to the B.C. Pacific Coast to the far Arctic Circle."

From what I saw and heard from renown scientists telling their story, on the 5th Estate, Friday evening (10 Jan), all Canadians have to ask themselves…Why are we allowing this to happen? This one man, Harper, has taken it upon himself to practically de-regulate everything, and we have become slaves to the Corporate business organizations. Our Canada is becoming a "Black Friday" sale, free for all. There are no limits or house rules, 'anything goes', as long as it's for the economy.

John Fefchak.
Virden, Man.
204 748-2521 11 Jan. 2014
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Re: WATCH ONLINE: "The Silence of the Labs"

Postby Oscar » Wed Jul 08, 2015 4:37 pm

Building on Momentum: 'Silence of the Labs' Close Out

[ https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/en/cont ... -close-out ]

July 8, 2015

Until recently, the negative consequences of federal funding cuts to public-interest science were largely unknown to Canadians. This is cause for concern considering these cuts affect monitoring programs that serve important public functions including sustainable management of fisheries, protecting species-at-risk, and keeping our drinking water clean.

Today, thanks to the generous support and engagement from the E4D community, Canadians are more informed about these pressing issues. Individuals in various communities are now taking action to help restore the science that keeps Canadians and our environment safe and healthy.

We like to think that Silence of the Labs campaign contributed greatly to this raised awareness.

Last November, forward-thinking volunteers, organizations, and citizens came together to help Evidence for Democracy launch this campaign to raise public consciousness about the erosion of public science in Canada.

E4D volunteers organized numerous screenings of Silence of the Labs - a CBC documentary investigating recent changes to the federal research funding climate in Canada - and we were able to make a significant contribution towards putting these issues on the public record.

Through the concerted efforts of dedicated volunteers, over 30 screenings across Canada have occurred. From Halifax to Port Alberni, E4D volunteers have helped to engage hundreds of Canadians in a national dialogue about cuts in funding that limit our research capacity and threaten our collective prosperity.

The screenings were held in a diversity of settings from university classrooms, to pubs, to private living rooms where collectively over 1000 attendees and 20 local organizations and public institutions came together to discuss how cutbacks to research programs are depriving Canadians of essential information - a conversation that was amplified through local and national media coverage.

SEE:

CBC News: [ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/ ... -1.2933936 ]

Kenora Daily Miner and News:
[ http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/ ... -economics ]

Vancouver Observer: [ http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/c ... -screening ]

The Silence of the Labs campaign sparked a needed national dialogue that will allow Canadians to demand evidence-based policies and programs from their Federal Candidates this Fall.

With these issues now in the spotlight and with the election fast-approaching, Evidence for Democracy has retired this campaign and will be mobilizing its participants to take action through our 2015 Election Campaigns. [ https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/en/election2015 ]

We are already off to a great start thanks to the support and engagement of the E4D community and the Silence of the Labs campaign!

Marija Curran
Fundraising and Communications Coordinator
marija@evidencefordemocracy.ca

Marija Curran joined Evidence for Democracy as a Communications and Fundraising Coordinator in 2014. She comes to E4D from the Council of Canadian Academies where she worked as a Communications Coordinator to create and promote independent, evidence-based research for public policy development.
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