> > > > More about our famous Harper muzzling, this link came back from Australia > DonC > > > http://www.troymedia.com/2013/09/22/the-death-of-evidence-in-canada/ > > TORONTO, ON, Sep 22, 2013/ Troy Media/ – For years now, the federal > government has been censuring, muzzling, de-funding, and laying off > scientists, librarians, archivists, statisticians, and researchers in its > efforts to vacate government involvement in core research, and to shift its > focus to industry-specific needs. > There are three granting councils that allocate federal funding for research > in Canada: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada > (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC), and the > Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). In constant dollars, from 2007 > to 2013, base funding for SSHR has decreased by 10.1 per cent; funding for > NSERC has decreased by 6.4 per cent; and funding for CIHR has decreased by > 7.5 per cent. > > Meanwhile, NSERC funding aimed at “company-specific” problems has increased > (between 2001 and 2012) by 1178 per cent, while success rates for CIHR grants > has dropped by 61 per cent. > > The government rationale for the de-funding and transfer of funding is that > taxpayer-funded research should serve the needs of industry. However, the > shift in focus corrupts core research by creating research parameters that > compromise thorough examinations of any given hypothesis or premise. While > these restrictions serve the government’s agenda to create an > unimpeded/streamlined environment for both industry and government ideology, > they endanger the public. Core research that interferes with the > government/corporate agenda (but sometimes negatively impacts public health > and safety) is discarded or suppressed, while narrowly focused research that > doesn’t contradict corporate government messaging is rewarded. > > Public dangers inherent in this strategy of information suppression and > distortion are not always tangible, but they are toxic nonetheless. > > Consider, first, the federal government’s de-funding of the internationally > acclaimed Experimental Lakes Area in Kenora, Ont., (constituency of Canada’s > recently-appointed Minister of State for Science and Technology, Greg > Rickford.) > > The only plausible explanation for such a closure would be that its findings > would likely serve as an impediment to reckless resource extraction. Instead > of addressing challenges such as the effect of crude spills on water, or the > impact of air pollutants on an ecosystem, the government chooses to deny that > the problems exist, or to minimize their impacts. Both strategies of evasion > (deny or minimize) are enabled in the absence of core scientific data, but > the problems remain and the impacts on the environment, including humans, are > perpetuated. > > The track-record of the pharmaceutical industry also serves to highlight the > dangers of industry-specific scientific research. > > The tragedy of Vioxx is a case in point. > > In its rush to secure a new patent for a new product, the international > pharmaceutical company Merck rejected studies on the cardio-vascular risk of > its new arthritis and pain drug, Vioxx (rofecoxib), and introduced it > prematurely to the general public in 1999. The drug contributed to an > estimated 88,000 to 140,000 excess cases of serious heart disease, of which > close to half would have resulted in fatalities, before it was withdrawn from > the market on September 30, 2004 > > In Canada, the drug caused from 4,000-7,000 deaths. > > Corporate corruption of science is not a new phenomenon. For decades, > scientists employed by Big Tobacco successfully created unreasonable doubt > about the safety of their products. Their distorted findings, as we now know, > were to the detriment of the public. > > The same dynamics are at play with global warming. > > Industry-funded global warming “scientists”, unqualified to make > pronouncements on global warming and unimpeded by the rigors of submitting > their work for peer-review, have created unreasonable doubt about man-made > global warming. Consequently, they have impeded efforts to responsibly > address what is likely the largest threat to humanity. > > The Harper government’s decision to cancel the Long Form Census (LFC) is > another example of the suppression of core evidence. A thorough census such > as the LFC produces a detailed and accurate picture of Canada’s demographics. > Normally, such data is crucial for creating evidence-based policy; however, > the comprehensiveness of the data reveals unwanted information. For example, > according to the Toronto Star there are currently about 4.2 million people > living in poverty in Canada. Once poverty issues are no longer statistically > verifiable, they will no longer need to be thoroughly addressed. Not > surprisingly, Canada does not have a national anti-poverty strategy. > > Core historical/social science – oriented research, another area targeted for > cuts – is vital for a nation’s self-awareness. Without such awareness, a > government can create alternate narratives, at will, that may be to the > detriment of the public. > > Censuring, muzzling and de-funding of Canada’s knowledge base are cancers > that undermines public safety, health and welfare, as well as our societal > pluralism, self-determination, and sovereignty. > > The first step in combating this assault is continued awareness. > > Troy Media contributor Mark Taliano is a writer, activist, and retired > teacher. > > This column is FREE to use on your websites or in your publications. However, > www.troymedia.com MUST be credited. > > © Troy Media > > > > > __._,_.___
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