The Harper government wants out of a Canada-led UN program that monitors freshwater around the world — a move seen by critics as the latest Tory abdication of global causes once championed by Ottawa.
Not going to impress people on your World Stage™ that way, Harper. Maybe no one will notice.
(Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians said) "I have people say to me around the world: whatever happened to your country? We used to be able to count on Canada to take stands. And now, Canada is in some cases worse than the United States — just absolutely refusing to partake and participate in international programs."
Whoops. Steve’s reason?
Environment Canada spokesman John Carey says the Global Environment Monitoring System is no longer a priority. "We like the program. It's just not a priority for Environment Canada."
Not a priority? We like the program? Sounds rather like fluffy window dressing, doesn’t it?
Errol Mendes, a University of Ottawa law professor and former adviser to the United Nations, says the timing is baffling. "What will be the most important commodity in the second half of this century? It will not be gold. It will not be oil. It will be water," Mendes said. "Water is not a question of whether or not you have more money in the bank. It's a question of whether you live or die.”
Oh, just a question of whether you live or die. I see, not a priority, that. Not really important like a UFO festival.
Well, maybe the cost of maintaining the program is exorbitant. Seems the CONs looked and looked, but just couldn’t find the cash, according to Carey Spokesthingy.
"We considered within the department at our management board last spring whether there was any opportunity to replenish the trust fund, and we could not find one."
So how much was this life saving fund? The cost must have been astronomical.
The previous Liberal government set up a five-year trust fund worth $1.5 million that was allowed to expire last year, Carey said in an interview.
$1.5 mill over 5 years? That’s...let me see...$300 thou a year. I wonder if there’s some unnecessary fat that could be trimmed to save this worthwhile program?
1 comment:
Fresh water bodies monitoring is an unconditional need for some places like California, Florida. Both chemical and biological monitoring is the part of this program. Chemical monitoring is not that instant as you do with equipment.
Groundwater Monitoring
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