Canada's oceans on the crest of a transformative decade
Canada is in the enviable position of having the longest coastline in the world.
But our trio of oceans is being battered by a storm of negative impacts, be it overexploited fish stocks, plastics pollution, degrading marine food webs, increasingly fragile coastal ecosystems or biodiversity loss accelerated by ocean warming and acidification.
Yet, at the very crest of their vulnerability, Canada’s oceans may stand to benefit from a potentially transformative decade.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is partnering in the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science spanning from 2021 to 2030.
Touted as a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity, the Ocean Decade’s goal is to lay a new foundation in the sustainable management and development of the globe’s oceans and coastlines for the benefit of humanity.
Yet, while three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity to meet necessities, ocean science accounts for only between 0.04 and four per cent of the total research and development expenditures worldwide.
The maxim of the ambitious undertaking to rectify that deficit is “the science we need for the oceans we want.”
The problems facing the oceans are global, as are potential solutions, said federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan in a recent statement launching Canada’s participation in the international initiative.
“Working together we will improve our understanding of ocean conditions, better understand and predict consequences of ocean changes and better inform the ways we can lessen these impacts,” Jordan said.
“It will shine a spotlight on the importance of ocean science and sectors, and how our global ocean nations can work together to grow a stronger, more sustainable, global blue economy.”
The marine research community, as well as First Nations, citizen scientists, environmental and conservation organizations, and economic stakeholders are rolling up their sleeves this week to take a first crack at developing an initial blueprint of scientific priorities and contributions Canada’s ocean community could make towards the international initiative at an open, two-day workshop hosted by the Hakai Institute on Quadra Island starting Wednesday.
One of the engaging aspects about the Ocean Decade is key scientific goals and specific outcomes — whether at the federal, regional or local level — will be the result of grassroots input, said Eric Peterson, co-founder of the Hakai Institute, which specializes in research along B.C.’s remote Pacific coast.
“The Ocean Decade is going to be a collaborative exercise in which lots of people are involved, so it isn't all top-down coming from the UN,” Peterson said.
Beyond natural science, the Ocean Decade workshops will also factor in Indigenous knowledge, local and experiential learning, policy and technological expertise, the humanities and citizen science, he said.
“I'm very excited by it,” Peterson said.
“Anybody can contribute. What we’re trying to do via the workshop is to get everybody excited, too... and turn it into a significant movement where we can get quite a lot done in ocean science over the next decade.”
The West Coast, for example, has a burgeoning, committed citizen science community that can play a big role in the Ocean Decade, he added.
Already well-informed about coastal issues, citizen scientists would be an effective group to help define and achieve project goals, he said.
“If you put them on task to help you with monitoring, they understand what’s going on and take it very seriously,” Peterson said.
Some chief outcomes Canada has broadly outlined for the project are healthy, resilient, clean and productive oceans that inspire and engage citizens.
The goal of the immediate workshop is to try and reach general agreement on some defined priorities for the Ocean Decade at a federal level, he added. The next logical steps in the future will likely be to establish objectives regionally and locally.
For example, the issue of microplastics in the marine environment and how to clean them up and to reduce pollution sources is very likely to find its way onto the virtual whiteboard, Peterson said.
Other objectives might be data or scientific gaps that impact the sustainability of oceans nationally or globally, he added.
The goal isn’t to replicate but, rather, tap into the work and experience of individuals and groups already involved in the ocean community, Peterson said.
“The main principle that underlies the ocean decade, if you read the literature, is to collaborate, collaborate, collaborate,” he said.
“We’ll be recruiting projects and organizations that are already working hard in these areas.”
Peterson concedes that getting so many stakeholders to prioritize, mobilize and commit to the mobilization and solving the number of problems plaguing the world’s oceans is a big undertaking.
“I think it is going to be a very difficult decade,” he said.
“But we can be concerned without getting terrified, and we can worry without being immobilized.”
Oceans are worth preserving, and humans are capable of great progress when they engage in widespread, collaborative approaches to problem-solving, he added.
“It’s amazing to see how much could be done a hurry if it needs to,” Peterson said.
“Look how quickly we developed (COVID-19) vaccines, and that was seen as impossible.”
Rochelle Baker / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada's National Observer
Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
CANADA
Health care providers, advocates cry foul over stalled action on pharmacare
OTTAWA — Doctors and nurses on the front lines of Canada's health system are sounding the alarm after the Liberal government appears to have put its promise of a national pharmacare program on the back burner.
When the Trudeau government delivered its first federal budget in two years last month, it included more than $100 billion in new spending over the three years.
But while there was one brief mention of pharmacare in the 739-page document, it only re-stated a commitment from the 2019 budget of $500 million for a national program for high-cost drugs for rare diseases.
Dr. Melanie Bechard, a pediatric emergency room physician and chair of Doctors for Medicare, says she was disappointed at the lack of new funding for pharmacare in the budget. She believes it’s an indication the government is not making it a priority.
"I was very disappointed because the government has promised national pharmacare. They've conducted a study that really outlined the path to get there," she said.
Even the Budget 2021 document itself acknowledges that "the case for universal pharmacare is well-established," Bechard noted.
"The budget acknowledges that it makes sense. It's good public policy. But unfortunately, we're just getting words instead of any funding towards it, so that's completely ineffectual."
The Liberals campaigned on a promise to "take the critical next steps to implement national universal pharmacare" in their 2019 election platform, and similar commitments have since appeared in throne speeches and mandate letters to the federal health minister.
In 2019, an expert panel appointed by the Liberals recommended a universal, single-payer public pharmacare system should be created in Canada to replace the current patchwork of prescription drug plans. This panel, which was led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins, reported that such a plan would result in savings of an estimated $5 billion annually.
Canadians spent $34 billion on prescription medicines in 2018, the panel report said, adding drugs are the second-biggest expenditure in health care after hospitals.
Bechard says emergency room doctors and primary care physicians see patients every day whose health conditions have worsened from trying to ration medications they can't afford.
"I have seen instances where kids have come into the emergency department having asthma attacks, and the parents show me inhalers and they're nearly empty. And when I say, 'We need to refill this so that we can avoid situations like this,' the parents say, 'Well, these are expensive to refill, Dr. Melanie, we can't always afford to get a new one every couple of months.'
"And it's sad because arguably the child did not need to come into the emergency department if they had sufficient medication at home."
While she also expressed disappointment at not seeing new spending for pharmacare in the budget, Sharon Batt, adjunct professor of bioethics and political science at Dalhousie University and a health policy expert, said she was not surprised.
"It does seem like it's taken a back burner," she said.
"Certainly there's a huge resistance to this plan... on the part of the pharmaceutical industry, some of the patient groups and some researchers, and I think that is definitely playing out within the government's priorities and making it harder for them to move forward with pharmacare."
Some provinces and territories have also been lukewarm toward the idea of pharmacare, pushing instead for increases to federal health transfers.
Batt attributes this resistance to the reason Ottawa is instead focusing its efforts on creating a program to fund medications for rare diseases, which has more political buy-in.
"I think they're just kind of kicking the can down the road and hoping that the industry will back off or that there will be more public pressure against the industry," Batt said of the federal government.
"I think they don't know what to do. I think they probably would like to bring a plan in, but they want to have the public support. And that would include patient support."
Earlier this year, the NDP tabled a private member's bill to establish the legal framework for a national pharmacare plan, but it was defeated at second reading by a vote of 295-32. Only two Liberal MPs supported the bill.
NDP health critic Don Davies said he worries Canadians are increasingly becoming cynical about politicians who promise things, such as pharmacare, during elections and then don't follow through.
"They continue to tell Canadians that they believe in pharmacare, yet opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to act on that promise passes."
Health Minister Patty Hajdu was not available for an interview, but her spokesman, Cole Davidson, pointed to the paragraph in Budget 2021 that commits to work with provinces and stakeholders to "build on the foundational elements that are already in progress, like the national strategy on high-cost drugs for rare diseases, toward the goal of a universal national program."
He also noted Ottawa has established a "transition office to create a new Canada Drug Agency and a national formulary" and officials are currently working with provinces and experts to create a drug plan for Canadians with rare diseases, with a target launch date of 2022-23.
"No Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on the table," Davidson said in a statement.
"We're committed to working collaboratively with willing jurisdictions to develop a national, universal pharmacare program, and that important work continues."
Linda Silas, who presides over the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, said nurses across Canada were sure that pharmacare was a "done deal" after the last election.
The budget's lack of focus on making it a reality is concerning, she said.
"You'd think, because we're in the middle of a health crisis, they would have put a big focus on a health crisis that already exists. One in four families do not have prescription drug coverage, that's a crisis for those families."
However, Silas said she wasn't entirely surprised not to see new money in the budget for pharmacare. In the lead-up to its release, she said her organization was consulted numerous times by Liberal cabinet ministers and officials asking for input on what should be in the budget.
When she told them pharmacare was at the top of the list, she said there was a notable change in tone.
"The messages we were hearing was, 'Well, Linda, is there something else (other) than pharmacare?...You know, Linda, our priorities are pharmacare. But if pharmacare is not there, what else should be in there?' " she said, recalling the conversations.
Speaking ahead of her shift at the children's hospital in Ottawa, Bechard said she doesn't understand how pharmacare has seemingly fallen off the radar when she believes the case for bringing in a national medicare plan is "even more dire" due to COVID-19.
"The pandemic has brought with it massive amounts of job losses and unemployment, and in our current system people rely on employment to get coverage for medications," she said.
"Arguably now, more than ever, we need to have national, universal pharmacare to make sure that people can actually access the meds they need to stay healthy."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2021.
Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Doctors and nurses on the front lines of Canada's health system are sounding the alarm after the Liberal government appears to have put its promise of a national pharmacare program on the back burner.
When the Trudeau government delivered its first federal budget in two years last month, it included more than $100 billion in new spending over the three years.
But while there was one brief mention of pharmacare in the 739-page document, it only re-stated a commitment from the 2019 budget of $500 million for a national program for high-cost drugs for rare diseases.
Dr. Melanie Bechard, a pediatric emergency room physician and chair of Doctors for Medicare, says she was disappointed at the lack of new funding for pharmacare in the budget. She believes it’s an indication the government is not making it a priority.
"I was very disappointed because the government has promised national pharmacare. They've conducted a study that really outlined the path to get there," she said.
Even the Budget 2021 document itself acknowledges that "the case for universal pharmacare is well-established," Bechard noted.
"The budget acknowledges that it makes sense. It's good public policy. But unfortunately, we're just getting words instead of any funding towards it, so that's completely ineffectual."
The Liberals campaigned on a promise to "take the critical next steps to implement national universal pharmacare" in their 2019 election platform, and similar commitments have since appeared in throne speeches and mandate letters to the federal health minister.
In 2019, an expert panel appointed by the Liberals recommended a universal, single-payer public pharmacare system should be created in Canada to replace the current patchwork of prescription drug plans. This panel, which was led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins, reported that such a plan would result in savings of an estimated $5 billion annually.
Canadians spent $34 billion on prescription medicines in 2018, the panel report said, adding drugs are the second-biggest expenditure in health care after hospitals.
Bechard says emergency room doctors and primary care physicians see patients every day whose health conditions have worsened from trying to ration medications they can't afford.
"I have seen instances where kids have come into the emergency department having asthma attacks, and the parents show me inhalers and they're nearly empty. And when I say, 'We need to refill this so that we can avoid situations like this,' the parents say, 'Well, these are expensive to refill, Dr. Melanie, we can't always afford to get a new one every couple of months.'
"And it's sad because arguably the child did not need to come into the emergency department if they had sufficient medication at home."
While she also expressed disappointment at not seeing new spending for pharmacare in the budget, Sharon Batt, adjunct professor of bioethics and political science at Dalhousie University and a health policy expert, said she was not surprised.
"It does seem like it's taken a back burner," she said.
"Certainly there's a huge resistance to this plan... on the part of the pharmaceutical industry, some of the patient groups and some researchers, and I think that is definitely playing out within the government's priorities and making it harder for them to move forward with pharmacare."
Some provinces and territories have also been lukewarm toward the idea of pharmacare, pushing instead for increases to federal health transfers.
Batt attributes this resistance to the reason Ottawa is instead focusing its efforts on creating a program to fund medications for rare diseases, which has more political buy-in.
"I think they're just kind of kicking the can down the road and hoping that the industry will back off or that there will be more public pressure against the industry," Batt said of the federal government.
"I think they don't know what to do. I think they probably would like to bring a plan in, but they want to have the public support. And that would include patient support."
Earlier this year, the NDP tabled a private member's bill to establish the legal framework for a national pharmacare plan, but it was defeated at second reading by a vote of 295-32. Only two Liberal MPs supported the bill.
NDP health critic Don Davies said he worries Canadians are increasingly becoming cynical about politicians who promise things, such as pharmacare, during elections and then don't follow through.
"They continue to tell Canadians that they believe in pharmacare, yet opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to act on that promise passes."
Health Minister Patty Hajdu was not available for an interview, but her spokesman, Cole Davidson, pointed to the paragraph in Budget 2021 that commits to work with provinces and stakeholders to "build on the foundational elements that are already in progress, like the national strategy on high-cost drugs for rare diseases, toward the goal of a universal national program."
He also noted Ottawa has established a "transition office to create a new Canada Drug Agency and a national formulary" and officials are currently working with provinces and experts to create a drug plan for Canadians with rare diseases, with a target launch date of 2022-23.
"No Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on the table," Davidson said in a statement.
"We're committed to working collaboratively with willing jurisdictions to develop a national, universal pharmacare program, and that important work continues."
Linda Silas, who presides over the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, said nurses across Canada were sure that pharmacare was a "done deal" after the last election.
The budget's lack of focus on making it a reality is concerning, she said.
"You'd think, because we're in the middle of a health crisis, they would have put a big focus on a health crisis that already exists. One in four families do not have prescription drug coverage, that's a crisis for those families."
However, Silas said she wasn't entirely surprised not to see new money in the budget for pharmacare. In the lead-up to its release, she said her organization was consulted numerous times by Liberal cabinet ministers and officials asking for input on what should be in the budget.
When she told them pharmacare was at the top of the list, she said there was a notable change in tone.
"The messages we were hearing was, 'Well, Linda, is there something else (other) than pharmacare?...You know, Linda, our priorities are pharmacare. But if pharmacare is not there, what else should be in there?' " she said, recalling the conversations.
Speaking ahead of her shift at the children's hospital in Ottawa, Bechard said she doesn't understand how pharmacare has seemingly fallen off the radar when she believes the case for bringing in a national medicare plan is "even more dire" due to COVID-19.
"The pandemic has brought with it massive amounts of job losses and unemployment, and in our current system people rely on employment to get coverage for medications," she said.
"Arguably now, more than ever, we need to have national, universal pharmacare to make sure that people can actually access the meds they need to stay healthy."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2021.
Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press
Ex-UAW president sentenced to 21 months in prison in union corruption scheme
Michael Wayland
Former UAW President Dennis Williams was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison for his involvement in embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars in union funds.
Williams is the highest-ranking union official to be sentenced as part of a multiyear corruption probe into the prominent American labor union.
He is one of 15 people to have been charged as part of the investigation, including three Fiat Chrysler executives and his successor, who is awaiting sentencing.
Michael Wayland
Former UAW President Dennis Williams was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison for his involvement in embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars in union funds.
Williams is the highest-ranking union official to be sentenced as part of a multiyear corruption probe into the prominent American labor union.
He is one of 15 people to have been charged as part of the investigation, including three Fiat Chrysler executives and his successor, who is awaiting sentencing.
© Provided by CNBC United Auto Workers union president Dennis Williams raises his arm in solidarity after his farewell speech during the 37th Constitutional Convention in Detroit, Michigan, June 13, 2018.
DETROIT — A former president of the United Auto Workers who took part in a scheme along with other union officials in which they embezzled at least $1.5 million in member funds for lavish trips, golfing, alcohol and other luxuries was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison.
Dennis Williams is the highest-ranking union official to be sentenced as part of a multiyear corruption probe into the prominent American labor union. He is one of 15 people to have been charged, including three Fiat Chrysler executives and his successor, who is awaiting sentencing.
Williams on Tuesday choked up as he addressed the court during the virtual hearing. He apologized to his family as well as the UAW's members for his actions.
"I've thought long and hard about how my actions and the actions of others hurt the union that I love," Williams said. "I am more than the actions that have brought me here before you in this case."
Williams pleaded guilty in September to conspiring with other union officials to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars, as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Under terms of the agreement, his sentence would be between 18 and 24 months.
Williams was also instructed to pay $147,976 in restitution, including $132,517 to the UAW and $15,459 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Federal prosecutors had recommended the maximum sentencing guidelines for Williams, who led the union from 2014 to 2018. In court documents, they described Williams as being intricately involved with the illegal activities and living a "double life."
"Dennis Williams tried to live two lives. On the one hand, at public events, he excoriated the things that were 'wrong in the United States of America' because union members 'cannot buy the things they build,'" assistant U.S. attorneys wrote last week in a sentencing memo. "But in private, he exploited the hundreds of thousands of UAW members that he led."
DETROIT — A former president of the United Auto Workers who took part in a scheme along with other union officials in which they embezzled at least $1.5 million in member funds for lavish trips, golfing, alcohol and other luxuries was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison.
Dennis Williams is the highest-ranking union official to be sentenced as part of a multiyear corruption probe into the prominent American labor union. He is one of 15 people to have been charged, including three Fiat Chrysler executives and his successor, who is awaiting sentencing.
Williams on Tuesday choked up as he addressed the court during the virtual hearing. He apologized to his family as well as the UAW's members for his actions.
"I've thought long and hard about how my actions and the actions of others hurt the union that I love," Williams said. "I am more than the actions that have brought me here before you in this case."
Williams pleaded guilty in September to conspiring with other union officials to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars, as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Under terms of the agreement, his sentence would be between 18 and 24 months.
Williams was also instructed to pay $147,976 in restitution, including $132,517 to the UAW and $15,459 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Federal prosecutors had recommended the maximum sentencing guidelines for Williams, who led the union from 2014 to 2018. In court documents, they described Williams as being intricately involved with the illegal activities and living a "double life."
"Dennis Williams tried to live two lives. On the one hand, at public events, he excoriated the things that were 'wrong in the United States of America' because union members 'cannot buy the things they build,'" assistant U.S. attorneys wrote last week in a sentencing memo. "But in private, he exploited the hundreds of thousands of UAW members that he led."
© Provided by CNBC President Donald Trump talks with auto industry leaders, including General Motors CEO Mary Barra (L) and United Auto Workers (UAW) President Dennis Williams (R) at the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, U.S. March 15, 2017.
In a separate memo, Williams' lawyers argued he should not spend more than one year and a day in federal prison. They touted him as a "devoted family man" and Marine veteran who made "mistakes."
"Mr. Williams' life — until his conviction — was a great American success story," they wrote. The lawyers blamed his successor, Gary Jones, a regional director under Williams, for much of the maleficence. Williams and his lawyer on Tuesday continued to blame Jones, portraying Williams as an unwitting beneficiary of the illegal activities.
"In my gut I knew better, and I failed to stop it," he said. "I lost my perspective of who I was and what I was about. I'll always regret it."
Family members as well as others, including actor Danny Glover, submitted letters to the court in support of Williams. Glover, in a letter, said he "worked closely" with Williams for six years when the UAW was attempting to organize workers at Nissan Motor in Mississippi.
Prison sentences for those charged as part of the federal probe have ranged from 60 days to five and a half years. Ex-Fiat Chrysler executive Alphons Iacobelli, who led the company's labor relations, received the lengthiest sentence; however, it was recently reduced to four years.
In December, the UAW and federal prosecutors agreed to end the corruption probe into the union under a civil settlement that included an independent monitor overseeing the organization for six years.
Other requirements under the deal include the union conducting a memberwide vote to potentially reform its voting process and making certain repayments, including a $1.5 million payment to the IRS. The UAW has already paid back about $15 million to training centers for improper chargebacks uncovered by officials.
A federal criminal investigation into individuals regarding the probe is ongoing, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit.
The UAW, in a statement Tuesday, said Williams has "rightfully been sentenced today for his crimes that put his personal and self-interest above that of our members."
In a separate memo, Williams' lawyers argued he should not spend more than one year and a day in federal prison. They touted him as a "devoted family man" and Marine veteran who made "mistakes."
"Mr. Williams' life — until his conviction — was a great American success story," they wrote. The lawyers blamed his successor, Gary Jones, a regional director under Williams, for much of the maleficence. Williams and his lawyer on Tuesday continued to blame Jones, portraying Williams as an unwitting beneficiary of the illegal activities.
"In my gut I knew better, and I failed to stop it," he said. "I lost my perspective of who I was and what I was about. I'll always regret it."
Family members as well as others, including actor Danny Glover, submitted letters to the court in support of Williams. Glover, in a letter, said he "worked closely" with Williams for six years when the UAW was attempting to organize workers at Nissan Motor in Mississippi.
Prison sentences for those charged as part of the federal probe have ranged from 60 days to five and a half years. Ex-Fiat Chrysler executive Alphons Iacobelli, who led the company's labor relations, received the lengthiest sentence; however, it was recently reduced to four years.
In December, the UAW and federal prosecutors agreed to end the corruption probe into the union under a civil settlement that included an independent monitor overseeing the organization for six years.
Other requirements under the deal include the union conducting a memberwide vote to potentially reform its voting process and making certain repayments, including a $1.5 million payment to the IRS. The UAW has already paid back about $15 million to training centers for improper chargebacks uncovered by officials.
A federal criminal investigation into individuals regarding the probe is ongoing, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit.
The UAW, in a statement Tuesday, said Williams has "rightfully been sentenced today for his crimes that put his personal and self-interest above that of our members."
Windsor Assembly Plant workers 'concerned' as shutdown extensions continue
Duration: 01:12
Patricia Burford and Nick Dimitriou say their 'heart goes out' to junior staff members and those work at supplier factories since they're not entitled to the same benefits that they'll be getting over the course of this ongoing shutdown.
Duration: 01:12
Patricia Burford and Nick Dimitriou say their 'heart goes out' to junior staff members and those work at supplier factories since they're not entitled to the same benefits that they'll be getting over the course of this ongoing shutdown.
B.C. auditor general flags province’s inadequate management of lands, fish and wildlife
B.C. is falling short on its commitment to protect fish and wildlife habitat, according to a report released by the province’s auditor general on Tuesday.
The audit of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development’s Conservation Lands Program identified several deficiencies, including: a lack of strategic direction ensuring government collaboration with Indigenous communities; a failure to sufficiently monitor and enforce rules on conserved lands; and a need to update management plans for species and habitat.
“Overall, we concluded that the ministry has not effectively managed the program,” Michael Pickup, auditor general, said in a statement.
Pickup noted the program — which was developed over half a century ago to provide a framework for the province to work with non-profit organizations, federal agencies and First Nations — has not revisited its goals or strategic planning for over 30 years. He also found the program lacks clarity of purpose, leaving government staff working on local or regional conservation programs without clear directives.
The report noted that even on conserved lands, the province isn’t doing enough to regulate public use, stating that “hundreds of unauthorized activities had occurred on conservation lands” between 2009 and 2020. Infractions ranged from motor vehicle use in prohibited areas to illegal harvesting activities.
The auditor general outlined a series of recommendations, including cementing a strategic plan for the program and addressing the need to be more transparent with the public. The Ministry of Forests acknowledged its shortcomings and told The Narwhal in a statement it is already working on a number of initiatives to address the audit’s findings.
“Ministry staff are currently working on a strategic plan for the Conservation Lands Program that will detail our actions to fully address the auditor general’s 11 recommendations,” a ministry spokesperson wrote in an email. “The new strategic plan will include input from the existing Conservation Lands partners, the minister’s Wildlife Advisory Council and the First Nations-B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum.”
As for when the public can expect to see the ministry implement the recommended changes, Pickup said at a press conference that decision is at the discretion of the province.
“Most of the responses to these recommendations indicate what they are going to do but they don’t actually indicate a specific timeline to have things done,” he said.
The report comes as steelhead and salmon populations in watersheds across the province struggle to survive, caribou herds are extirpated and numerous species suffer from habitat fragmentation and the impacts of climate change. As The Narwhal recently reported, there are thousands of species at risk in B.C. and, despite this, the current government reneged on its promise to enact species-at-risk legislation.
One of the Conservation Lands Program’s key tools to address the needs of at-risk species and important habitats is the designation of wildlife management areas, but the audit flagged a number of problems with B.C.’s management of those areas, noting around 70 per cent of the plans have not been approved and the average age of the plans is almost 20 years.
The audit noted current plans need to reflect current risks, which include the ever-evolving risks associated with climate change.
The report also pointed out that the province did not maintain an accurate inventory of its conserved lands, including non-administered conservation lands, which are areas designated for conservation purposes under the Land Act.
“The ministry needs an accurate inventory of conservation lands to monitor and report on progress and to make informed program decisions,” the report said.
The ministry said one of the ways it is addressing the auditor general’s recommendations, while working to meet provincial conservation commitments, predates the report. The Together for Wildlife Strategy, announced last summer, is the province’s plan for conserving B.C.’s biodiversity. The strategy outlines five goals and 24 actions to achieve those goals, which involve working closely with First Nations.
But according to the audit, the ministry “has not supported staff to collaborate with Indigenous Peoples when securing and managing conservation lands.” It added that while the ministry is working to provide training and guidance to its staff, there is a lack of specific direction to collaborate and engage with First Nations.
In an interview conducted prior to the audit’s release, George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, told The Narwhal the province is working to align its conservation strategy with Indigenous Rights and community interests.
“We’re working hard to find a way forward that respects First Nations culture and values, that acknowledges and respects the importance of maintaining biodiversity and protecting species at risk, but doing it by developing an approach that doesn’t provide only one path.”
Matt Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Narwhal
B.C. is falling short on its commitment to protect fish and wildlife habitat, according to a report released by the province’s auditor general on Tuesday.
The audit of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development’s Conservation Lands Program identified several deficiencies, including: a lack of strategic direction ensuring government collaboration with Indigenous communities; a failure to sufficiently monitor and enforce rules on conserved lands; and a need to update management plans for species and habitat.
“Overall, we concluded that the ministry has not effectively managed the program,” Michael Pickup, auditor general, said in a statement.
Pickup noted the program — which was developed over half a century ago to provide a framework for the province to work with non-profit organizations, federal agencies and First Nations — has not revisited its goals or strategic planning for over 30 years. He also found the program lacks clarity of purpose, leaving government staff working on local or regional conservation programs without clear directives.
The report noted that even on conserved lands, the province isn’t doing enough to regulate public use, stating that “hundreds of unauthorized activities had occurred on conservation lands” between 2009 and 2020. Infractions ranged from motor vehicle use in prohibited areas to illegal harvesting activities.
The auditor general outlined a series of recommendations, including cementing a strategic plan for the program and addressing the need to be more transparent with the public. The Ministry of Forests acknowledged its shortcomings and told The Narwhal in a statement it is already working on a number of initiatives to address the audit’s findings.
“Ministry staff are currently working on a strategic plan for the Conservation Lands Program that will detail our actions to fully address the auditor general’s 11 recommendations,” a ministry spokesperson wrote in an email. “The new strategic plan will include input from the existing Conservation Lands partners, the minister’s Wildlife Advisory Council and the First Nations-B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum.”
As for when the public can expect to see the ministry implement the recommended changes, Pickup said at a press conference that decision is at the discretion of the province.
“Most of the responses to these recommendations indicate what they are going to do but they don’t actually indicate a specific timeline to have things done,” he said.
The report comes as steelhead and salmon populations in watersheds across the province struggle to survive, caribou herds are extirpated and numerous species suffer from habitat fragmentation and the impacts of climate change. As The Narwhal recently reported, there are thousands of species at risk in B.C. and, despite this, the current government reneged on its promise to enact species-at-risk legislation.
One of the Conservation Lands Program’s key tools to address the needs of at-risk species and important habitats is the designation of wildlife management areas, but the audit flagged a number of problems with B.C.’s management of those areas, noting around 70 per cent of the plans have not been approved and the average age of the plans is almost 20 years.
The audit noted current plans need to reflect current risks, which include the ever-evolving risks associated with climate change.
The report also pointed out that the province did not maintain an accurate inventory of its conserved lands, including non-administered conservation lands, which are areas designated for conservation purposes under the Land Act.
“The ministry needs an accurate inventory of conservation lands to monitor and report on progress and to make informed program decisions,” the report said.
The ministry said one of the ways it is addressing the auditor general’s recommendations, while working to meet provincial conservation commitments, predates the report. The Together for Wildlife Strategy, announced last summer, is the province’s plan for conserving B.C.’s biodiversity. The strategy outlines five goals and 24 actions to achieve those goals, which involve working closely with First Nations.
But according to the audit, the ministry “has not supported staff to collaborate with Indigenous Peoples when securing and managing conservation lands.” It added that while the ministry is working to provide training and guidance to its staff, there is a lack of specific direction to collaborate and engage with First Nations.
In an interview conducted prior to the audit’s release, George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, told The Narwhal the province is working to align its conservation strategy with Indigenous Rights and community interests.
“We’re working hard to find a way forward that respects First Nations culture and values, that acknowledges and respects the importance of maintaining biodiversity and protecting species at risk, but doing it by developing an approach that doesn’t provide only one path.”
Matt Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Narwhal
Canada is virtue signaling while waffling on global access to COVID-19 vaccines
Joel Lexchin,
Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management, York University, Emergency Physician at University Health Network, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
Based on public statements, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that Canada is working to improve global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Based on public statements, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that Canada is working to improve global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
© THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio - POOL Anita Anand, Canada's minister of public services and procurement, opens a box with some of the first 500,000 of the two million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses that Canada secured last March through a deal with the Serum Institute of India.
This quote comes from an opinion piece in the Washington Post on July 15, 2020; the lead author, none other than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
“…we must urgently ensure that vaccines will be distributed according to a set of transparent, equitable and scientifically sound principles. Where you live should not determine whether you live, and global solidarity is central to saving lives and protecting the economy.”
The person being quoted here in early May of this year is Mary Ng, the International Trade Minister in Trudeau’s cabinet:
“The work we have been doing and the leadership we have been providing is very much about removing all barriers to vaccine access, whether it be production or supply chain or export restrictions…We’re trying to remove all barriers to access to vaccines.”
But despite what Trudeau and Ng said, Canada is not doing all that it can to improve access. Far from it.
This quote comes from an opinion piece in the Washington Post on July 15, 2020; the lead author, none other than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
“…we must urgently ensure that vaccines will be distributed according to a set of transparent, equitable and scientifically sound principles. Where you live should not determine whether you live, and global solidarity is central to saving lives and protecting the economy.”
The person being quoted here in early May of this year is Mary Ng, the International Trade Minister in Trudeau’s cabinet:
“The work we have been doing and the leadership we have been providing is very much about removing all barriers to vaccine access, whether it be production or supply chain or export restrictions…We’re trying to remove all barriers to access to vaccines.”
But despite what Trudeau and Ng said, Canada is not doing all that it can to improve access. Far from it.
Virtue signalling with little action
Canada has signed contracts for enough vaccine doses to inoculate every woman, man and child in Canada four times. Canada is accepting vaccine donations from the United States and also purchasing vaccines from COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access — a mechanism mainly designed to ensure that low- and middle-income countries can access vaccines).
Over one-third of Canadians have received at least one dose of vaccine as of May 7, compared to vaccination rates of under two per cent in Africa. Back in January, Canada refused to donate any vaccines and that position has not changed since.
© (AP Photo/ Diomande Ble Blonde) A shipment of COVID-19 vaccines distributed by the COVAX Facility arrives in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, last February.
This pattern of virtue signalling about access to medicines and then doing nothing has a long tradition in Canada.
Back in the late 1990s, the South African government was trying to improve access to drug treatment for the staggering 22 per cent of the population that was HIV positive. At that time, triple therapy — the three-drug cocktail used to treat HIV — cost over US $10,000 per person per year, effectively putting it out of reach of the vast majority of South Africans.
South Africa wanted to encourage the use of low-cost generic drugs. The response from 39 drug companies, backed by the United States, was to take South Africa to court. Canada’s position? We supported access but we also supported the intellectual property rights of the drug companies.
This pattern of virtue signalling about access to medicines and then doing nothing has a long tradition in Canada.
Back in the late 1990s, the South African government was trying to improve access to drug treatment for the staggering 22 per cent of the population that was HIV positive. At that time, triple therapy — the three-drug cocktail used to treat HIV — cost over US $10,000 per person per year, effectively putting it out of reach of the vast majority of South Africans.
South Africa wanted to encourage the use of low-cost generic drugs. The response from 39 drug companies, backed by the United States, was to take South Africa to court. Canada’s position? We supported access but we also supported the intellectual property rights of the drug companies.
C-TAP, COVAX and the WTO TRIPS waiver
Fast forward to the present and COVID-19. In May 2020, the World Health Organization launched the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, or C-TAP, an initiative to accelerate and broaden global access to COVID-19 vaccines under development at the time, as well as treatments and diagnostics.
C-TAP has the endorsement of 40 countries. But not Canada. No pharmaceutical company has contributed to C-TAP. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said: “At this point in time, I think it’s nonsense, and… it’s also dangerous.”
© (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi, File) A Malawian policeman guards AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines after the shipment arrived in March at the Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi.
COVAX is designed to give poor countries enough vaccine for 20 per cent of their population, but it is $2 billion short of even achieving that modest objective.
In the face of the failure of C-TAP and in order to supplement what COVAX could do, back in October 2020 India and South Africa asked the World Trade Organization to suspend the protection of intellectual property.
The request included patent rights, technical know-how and undisclosed data for COVID-19 products for the duration of the pandemic. This is known as the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver. The objective was to free up unused worldwide capacity to increase the production of vaccines and other products necessary for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
As many commentators have pointed out, if the waiver is approved by the WTO (and approval requires consensus among all its 159 members), nothing will change overnight. It will take many months and possibly even longer to ramp up vaccine production.
But that increased capacity is going to be needed. It is increasingly looking like we might require yearly booster shots for COVID-19 as variants multiply. That’s almost six billion doses of vaccine a year for people 15 years and older, almost double the current capacity to produce vaccines.
Moreover, when drug companies think that the pandemic is over, they are going to raise prices dramatically. Pfizer currently charges US$19.50 per dose, but chief financial officer Frank D’Amelio said that Pfizer’s normal price for vaccines is $150 to $175.
Canada’s position on intellectual property
To the amazement of just about everyone, the Biden administration just announced that the U.S. is going to support the waiver for COVID-19 vaccines.
Canada? Just like the South Africa situation, we neither support nor oppose the waiver. The Canadian government will take part in talks at the WTO about the waiver, but won’t say which side it will be taking.
COVAX is designed to give poor countries enough vaccine for 20 per cent of their population, but it is $2 billion short of even achieving that modest objective.
In the face of the failure of C-TAP and in order to supplement what COVAX could do, back in October 2020 India and South Africa asked the World Trade Organization to suspend the protection of intellectual property.
The request included patent rights, technical know-how and undisclosed data for COVID-19 products for the duration of the pandemic. This is known as the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver. The objective was to free up unused worldwide capacity to increase the production of vaccines and other products necessary for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
As many commentators have pointed out, if the waiver is approved by the WTO (and approval requires consensus among all its 159 members), nothing will change overnight. It will take many months and possibly even longer to ramp up vaccine production.
But that increased capacity is going to be needed. It is increasingly looking like we might require yearly booster shots for COVID-19 as variants multiply. That’s almost six billion doses of vaccine a year for people 15 years and older, almost double the current capacity to produce vaccines.
Moreover, when drug companies think that the pandemic is over, they are going to raise prices dramatically. Pfizer currently charges US$19.50 per dose, but chief financial officer Frank D’Amelio said that Pfizer’s normal price for vaccines is $150 to $175.
Canada’s position on intellectual property
To the amazement of just about everyone, the Biden administration just announced that the U.S. is going to support the waiver for COVID-19 vaccines.
Canada? Just like the South Africa situation, we neither support nor oppose the waiver. The Canadian government will take part in talks at the WTO about the waiver, but won’t say which side it will be taking.
© THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette A police escort follows the shipment carrying just under 300,000 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which is developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on April 28.
Canada’s position for months has been that it was “merely asking questions about the patent waiver proposal, rather than opposing it.” But in a letter to the U.S. government back in March from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Canada was listed as one of the countries standing with the U.S. in opposing the waiver.
Canada is currently negotiating with drug companies over vaccine delivery schedules and is still in a battle with them about changes to how prices for patented drug will be determined.
Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC), the lobby group for the multinational companies, not surprisingly has come out strongly against the waiver. In a statement a few days after the U.S. announced its position, IMC said the “proposed waiver of TRIPS IP protections would be a disappointing step that will create greater uncertainty and unpredictability in the production, quality, and availability of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.”
How much is fear of further angering the pharmaceutical industry playing into Canada’s position on the waiver?
When it comes to standing up for access to medicines versus standing up for intellectual property rights, for Canada, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose; the more things change, the more they stay the same.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
In 2017-2020, Joel Lexchin received payments for being on a panel at the American Diabetes Association, for talks at the Toronto Reference Library, for writing a brief in an action for side effects of a drug for Michael F. Smith, Lawyer and a second brief on the role of promotion in generating prescriptions for Goodmans LLP and from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for presenting at a workshop on conflict-of-interest in clinical practice guidelines. He is currently a member of research groups that are receiving money from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. He is a member of the Foundation Board of Health Action International and the Board of Canadian Doctors for Medicare. He receives royalties from University of Toronto Press and James Lorimer & Co. Ltd. for books he has written.
Canada’s position for months has been that it was “merely asking questions about the patent waiver proposal, rather than opposing it.” But in a letter to the U.S. government back in March from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Canada was listed as one of the countries standing with the U.S. in opposing the waiver.
Canada is currently negotiating with drug companies over vaccine delivery schedules and is still in a battle with them about changes to how prices for patented drug will be determined.
Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC), the lobby group for the multinational companies, not surprisingly has come out strongly against the waiver. In a statement a few days after the U.S. announced its position, IMC said the “proposed waiver of TRIPS IP protections would be a disappointing step that will create greater uncertainty and unpredictability in the production, quality, and availability of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.”
How much is fear of further angering the pharmaceutical industry playing into Canada’s position on the waiver?
When it comes to standing up for access to medicines versus standing up for intellectual property rights, for Canada, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose; the more things change, the more they stay the same.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
In 2017-2020, Joel Lexchin received payments for being on a panel at the American Diabetes Association, for talks at the Toronto Reference Library, for writing a brief in an action for side effects of a drug for Michael F. Smith, Lawyer and a second brief on the role of promotion in generating prescriptions for Goodmans LLP and from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for presenting at a workshop on conflict-of-interest in clinical practice guidelines. He is currently a member of research groups that are receiving money from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. He is a member of the Foundation Board of Health Action International and the Board of Canadian Doctors for Medicare. He receives royalties from University of Toronto Press and James Lorimer & Co. Ltd. for books he has written.
Quebec government worries about repercussions of a prolonged ArcelorMittal strike
MONTREAL — Quebec's Labour Minister says he is concerned about the economic repercussions of a strike involving 2,500 ArcelorMittal workers announced Monday evening.
Jean Boulet said today in a statement a prolonged strike could have a significant impact on the Côte-Nord region and the province's economy.
The 2,500 unionized workers are members of the United Steelworkers union and are affiliated with the Quebec Federation of Labour; they went on strike Monday evening after rejecting the employer's offer.
Workers had already rejected a previous offer in April, after a tentative agreement.
The workers are employed at several of the company's work sites including the Mont-Wright mining complex and Fire Lake mine in the Côte-Nord region, and at a pelletizing plant in Port-Cartier, Que., about 575 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.
Boulet urged both sides to return to the negotiating table with conciliators from the Labour Department.
The company said in a statement today it is ready to return to talks.
Nicolas Lapierre, regional coordinator of the United Steelworkers, said today in a statement he was ready to return to the negotiating table too, but invited ArcelorMittal to improve its offer, as members had already rejected two offers — the last one was rejected by 97 per cent of voting members.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2021.
The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — Quebec's Labour Minister says he is concerned about the economic repercussions of a strike involving 2,500 ArcelorMittal workers announced Monday evening.
Jean Boulet said today in a statement a prolonged strike could have a significant impact on the Côte-Nord region and the province's economy.
The 2,500 unionized workers are members of the United Steelworkers union and are affiliated with the Quebec Federation of Labour; they went on strike Monday evening after rejecting the employer's offer.
Workers had already rejected a previous offer in April, after a tentative agreement.
The workers are employed at several of the company's work sites including the Mont-Wright mining complex and Fire Lake mine in the Côte-Nord region, and at a pelletizing plant in Port-Cartier, Que., about 575 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.
Boulet urged both sides to return to the negotiating table with conciliators from the Labour Department.
The company said in a statement today it is ready to return to talks.
Nicolas Lapierre, regional coordinator of the United Steelworkers, said today in a statement he was ready to return to the negotiating table too, but invited ArcelorMittal to improve its offer, as members had already rejected two offers — the last one was rejected by 97 per cent of voting members.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2021.
The Canadian Press
Box fan air cleaner greatly reduces virus transmission
Decades-old public classrooms with inadequate ventilation can be made safer with the use of a cardboard frame, air filter, and a low-cost box fan.
IMAGE: LOW-COST PORTABLE AIR CLEANER FOR REDUCING VIRUS SPREAD IN PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOMS. view more
CREDIT: RUICHEN HE, JIARONG HONG
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2021 -- Improved ventilation can lower the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus, but large numbers of decades-old public school classrooms lack adequate ventilation systems. A systematic modeling study of simple air cleaners using a box fan reported in Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, shows these inexpensive units can greatly decrease the amount of airborne virus in these spaces, if used appropriately.
A low-cost air cleaner can be easily constructed from a cardboard frame topped by an air filter and a box fan. The air filter is placed between the fan and the cardboard base. The fan is oriented so that air is drawn in from the top and forced through the filter, discharging cleaned air downward.
The investigators measured the clean air delivery rate of the air cleaning system in experiments conducted at two independent laboratories. Tobacco smoke was used to simulate the airborne virus, since the virus is known to travel through the air after exhalation in droplets about the same size as smoke particulates.
The experimental measurements were incorporated into a detailed computational model of a classroom. In addition to the box fan air cleaner, a ventilation unit known as an HUV, or a horizontal unit ventilator, was included in the simulation. This type of ventilation system is very common in public schools and is usually placed along an outside wall, drawing in air near the floor and exhausting it at the top to circulate fresh air around a classroom.
A cloud of virus particles was assumed to enter the simulation from an infected individual. The investigators assumed this individual was the instructor and experimented with different placements of the box fan air cleaner.
"Placing the air cleaner near the potential infector is the most effective way to reduce the aerosol spread," said author Jiarong Hong.
The simulations showed the best results were obtained by shifting both the box fan air cleaner and the infected instructor to a location near the HUV.
"At this location, owing to its proximity to both the infector and the HUV, the air cleaner extracts the majority of aerosols, leaving only a small percentage suspended in the air," Hong said.
Although placing the air cleaner near an infected individual is best, it is not always possible to know who is infected. In this situation, the investigators recommend placing the air cleaner near the HUV, with the air cleaner outflow pointing toward the inlet of the HUV.
"In addition, we find that in large classrooms, distributing multiple air cleaners in the space is more effective in controlling aerosol spread than simply enhancing the flow rate of the HUV or air cleaners alone," Hong said.
###
The article "Airborne transmission of COVID-19 and mitigation using box fan air cleaners in a poorly ventilated classroom" is authored by Ruichen He, Wanjiao Liu, John Elson, Rainer Vogt, Clay Maranville, and Jiarong Hong. The article will appear in Physics of Fluids on May 11, 2021 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0050058). After that date, it can be accessed at https:/
ABOUT THE JOURNAL
Physics of Fluids is devoted to the publication of original theoretical, computational, and experimental contributions to the dynamics of gases, liquids, and complex fluids. See https:/
Discovery of new geologic process calls for changes to plate tectonic cycle
VIDEO: ELEMENTS OF A NEWLY DISCOVERED PROCESS IN PLATE TECTONICS INCLUDE A MASS (ROCK SLAB WEIGHT), A PULLEY (TRENCH), A DASHPOT (MICROCONTINENT), AND A STRING (OCEANIC PLATE) THAT CONNECTS THESE ELEMENTS... view more
CREDIT: ERKAN GÜN/UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
TORONTO, ON - Geoscientists at the University of Toronto (U of T) and Istanbul Technical University have discovered a new process in plate tectonics which shows that tremendous damage occurs to areas of Earth's crust long before it should be geologically altered by known plate-boundary processes, highlighting the need to amend current understandings of the planet's tectonic cycle.
Plate tectonics, an accepted theory for over 60 years that explains the geologic processes occurring below the surface of Earth, holds that its outer shell is fragmented into continent-sized blocks of solid rock, called "plates," that slide over Earth's mantle, the rocky inner layer above the planet's core. As the plates drift around and collide with each other over million-years-long periods, they produce everything from volcanoes and earthquakes to mountain ranges and deep ocean trenches, at the boundaries where the plates collide.
Now, using supercomputer modelling, the researchers show that the plates on which Earth's oceans sit are being torn apart by massive tectonic forces even as they drift about the globe. The findings are reported in a study published this week in Nature Geoscience.
The thinking up to now focused only on the geological deformation of these drifting plates at their boundaries after they had reached a subduction zone, such as the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean where the massive Pacific plate dives beneath the smaller Philippine plate and is recycled into Earth's mantle.
The new research shows much earlier damage to the drifting plate further away from the boundaries of two colliding plates, focused around zones of microcontinents - continental crustal fragments that have broken off from main continental masses to form distinct islands often several hundred kilometers from their place of origin.
"Our work discovers that a completely different part of the plate is being pulled apart because of the subduction process, and at a remarkably early phase of the tectonic cycle," said Erkan Gün, a PhD candidate in the Department of Earth Sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science at U of T and lead author of the study.
The researchers term the mechanism a "subduction pulley" where the weight of the subducting portion that dives beneath another tectonic plate, pulls on the drifting ocean plate and tears apart the weak microcontinent sections in an early phase of potentially significant damage.
"The damage occurs long before the microcontinent fragment reaches its fate to be consumed in a subduction zone at the boundaries of the colliding plates," said Russell Pysklywec, professor and chair of the Department of Earth Sciences at U of T, and a coauthor of the study. He says another way to look at it is to think of the drifting ocean plate as an airport baggage conveyor, and the microcontinents are like pieces of luggage travelling on the conveyor.
"The conveyor system itself is actually tearing apart the luggage as it travels around the carousel, before the luggage even reaches its owner."
The researchers arrived at the results following a mysterious observation of major extension of rocks in alpine regions in Italy and Turkey. These observations suggested that the tectonic plates that brought the rocks to their current location were already highly damaged prior to the collisional and mountain-building events that normally cause deformation.
"We devised and conducted computational Earth models to investigate a process to account for the observations," said Gün. "It turned out that the temperature and pressure rock histories that we measured with the virtual Earth models match closely with the enigmatic rock evolution observed in Italy and Turkey."
According to the researchers, the findings refine some of the fundamental aspects of plate tectonics and call for a revised understanding of this fundamental theory in geoscience.
"Normally we assume - and teach - that the ocean plate conveyor is too strong to be damaged as it drifts around the globe, but we prove otherwise," said Pysklywec.
The findings build on the legacy of J. Tuzo Wilson, also a U of T scientist, and a renowned figure in geosciences who pioneered the idea of plate tectonics in the 1960s.
The research was made possible with support from SciNet and Compute Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.
CAPTION
Elements of a newly discovered process in plate tectonics include a mass (rock slab weight), a pulley (trench), a dashpot (microcontinent), and a string (oceanic plate) that connects these elements to each other. In the initial state, the microcontinent drifts towards the subduction zone (Figure a). The microcontinent then extends during its journey to the subduction trench owing to the tensional force applied by the pull of the rock slab pull across the subduction zone (Figure b). Finally, the microcontinent accretes to the overriding plate and resists subduction due to its low density, causing the down-going slab to break off (Figure c).
CREDIT
Erkan Gün/University of Toronto
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