OTTAWA– Continuing major budget cuts at Environment Canada are threatening Canada’s position as a global leader on ozone science and Arctic research, said Liberal Environment critic Dr. Kirsty Duncan today.
“Right now, Canada’s ozone measurement stations are considered a model among Arctic countries, which are very at risk for stratospheric ozone depletion,” said Dr. Duncan. “Yet despite assurances by this Conservative government, scientists, policy makers and the international community are concerned that cuts to Environment Canada will keep Canada from meeting its international obligations to the ozone monitoring and assessment studies.”
Canada has long been a world leader in actic research, serving as the inaugural chair of the Arctic Council, which promotes international cooperation in this area. Sadly, in light of significant budget cuts to Environment Canada, the international community may no longer be able to count on Canada’s leadership and outstanding work on Arctic research.
“Canadian observations were essential to the quantification of last year’s discovery of a new Arctic ozone hole,” continued Dr. Duncan. “Though the government would like Canadians to believe that they are living up to their international agreements, I am deeply concerned that observations and research related to ozone depletion, tropospheric pollution and the transport of toxic chemicals in the northern latitudes may be seriously jeopardized by on-going budget cuts.”
“Be it their withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol, their silencing of scientists or their cutting of the budget of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency by 43%, the sad reality is that this Conservative government has lost all credibility when it comes to meeting Canada’s global environmental commitments,” concluded Dr. Duncan.
