FSU researchers develop tool to track marine litter polluting the ocean

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

Research News

VIDEO: A BRIEF EXAMPLE OF A VIRTUAL TOOL DEVELOPED BY THE CENTER FOR OCEAN-ATMOSPHERIC PREDICTION STUDIES TO TRACK MARINE LITTER. THE COLORED LINES SHOW THE PATH OF DEBRIS IN THE OCEAN.... view more 

CREDIT: COURTESY OF THE CENTER FOR OCEAN-ATMOSPHERIC PREDICTION STUDIES

In an effort to fight the millions of tons of marine litter floating in the ocean, Florida State University researchers have developed a new virtual tool to track this debris.

Their work, which was published in Frontiers in Marine Science, will help provide answers to help monitor and deal with the problem of marine litter.

Eric Chassignet, director of the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies and professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science.

"Marine litter is found around the world, and we do not fully understand its impact on the ocean ecosystem or human health," said Eric Chassignet, director of FSU's Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) and the paper's lead author. "That's why it's important to learn more about this problem and develop effective ways to mitigate it."

Marine litter is a big problem for the Earth's oceans. Animals can get entangled in debris. Scientists have found tiny pieces of plastic inside fish, turtles and birds -- litter that blocks digestive tracts and alters feeding behavior, altering growth and reproduction. Most of that marine litter is mismanaged plastic waste, which is of particular concern because plastics remain in the ocean for a long time.

Understanding where marine litter goes once it's in the ocean is a big part of understanding the issue and helping individual countries and the international community to develop plans to deal with the problem. The United Nations, which funded this work, is trying to mitigate the impact of mismanaged plastic waste, and this work can inform their policies and regulations.

Take the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a cluster of marine debris in the Pacific Ocean, for example. Tracking marine litter will help answer questions about whether it is growing larger and questions about how much plastic is breaking down or sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The virtual tool also shows how countries around the world are connected.

"Knowing where the marine litter released into the ocean by a given country goes and the origin of the litter found on the coastline of a given country are important pieces of information for policymakers," Chassignet said. "For example, it can help policymakers determine where to focus their efforts for dealing with this problem."

The tracking tool uses worldwide mismanaged plastic waste data as inputs for its model. The model uses data about ocean and air currents to track marine debris starting from 2010. Fire up the website and you can watch as colorful lines swirl across the Earth's oceans. It looks pretty -- until you realize it is tracking litter.

COAPS -- an interdisciplinary research center focusing on air-sea interaction, the ocean-atmosphere-land-ice earth system and climate prediction -- is 25 years old this year. Researchers at the center uses sophisticated ocean models to map the ocean and predict ocean currents that help scientists understand where marine litter released in the ocean is likely to travel and end its journey.

"If you have data for the past 20 years, a lot can be done in terms of modeling and simulations," Chassignet said.

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COAPS researchers Xiaobiao Xu and Olmo Zavala-Romero were co-authors on this paper.

This work was supported by the United Nations Environment Programme.

GLACIER RACING

Glaciers getting smaller, faster — especially in North America, study finds

A new study is using millions of satellite images to generate a clearer picture of the fate of the world's glaciers than ever before.

© Provided by The Canadian Press 

THIS IS AN ICEBERG NOT A GLACIER

Study co-author Brian Menounos of the University of Northern British Columbia says those glaciers are getting smaller, faster — with those in western North America thinning more quickly than almost any others in the world.

The amount of ice that the study says is melting away each year is almost unimaginable.

Menounos says it's 267 billion tonnes a year.

Just one billion tonne is equal to the mass of 10,000 fully loaded aircraft carriers.

The pace is picking up, especially in North America, where glaciers are melting four times faster now than they were 20 years ago.

With glaciers being a crucial source of fresh water, Menounos says the findings have important lessons for water managers.

The Canadian Press

UK
Policing bill will have ‘chilling effect’ on right to protest, MPs told

Haroon Siddique Legal affairs editor THE GUARDIAN

4/28/2021

Anti-protest curbs contained in the new policing bill are disproportionate, hand subjective powers to officers and the home secretary and violate international human rights standards, MPs and peers have been told.

© Photograph: Guy Smallman/Getty Images The home secretary, Priti Patel, described the Black Lives Matter protests that swept the UK last year as ‘dreadful’.

Giving evidence to the joint committee of human rights on Wednesday, lawyers said that if the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill was passed as it stands it would have a “chilling effect” on the right to protest.

Jules Carey, the head of actions against the police and state team at Bindmans solicitors, said the provisions “clearly violate international human rights standards, and they constitute a savage attack on the right to peaceful assembly”.

He added: “This represents a clamping down on protest and this clamping down on protests isn’t just muting the voices of dissent, it’s also the government deliberately closing its ears to the warnings and the alarms that are raised by citizens on the street. And what I’d say is that it is a foolish landlord who removes the fire alarms from his property because he doesn’t like the noise.”

Related: This anti-protest bill risks making the UK like Putin's Russia | David Blunkett

The committee heard criticism that new grounds for clamping down on protests because of “noise” and “unease” were vague and subject to interpretation, while a potential 10-year sentence for public nuisance was described as “disproportionate”.

Additionally, Carey said that there was a conflict of interest in the bill, which passed its second reading in parliament last month, handing the home secretary, Priti Patel, power to define what serious disruption is, given her budget is affected by policing protests.

Concerns were also raised that it could have a discriminatory effect. Zehrah Hasan, the director of Black Protest Legal Support, said: “There’s a concern that protests about police violence, brutality against black people in the UK are exactly the types of protest that the state might want to stifle. And, you know, we’ve seen this reflected also in the comments of the home secretary, who branded last year’s Black Lives Matter protests dreadful.

“Chants which might highlight the plight of black communities may inevitably cause some white people to feel uneasy, but is it not important that protests by their very nature cause the state and cause the public to pause for thought and to be challenged?”

Kevin Blowe, coordinator at Netpol: the Network for Police Monitoring, said the bill, would have a “chilling effect”, and was less interested in upholding the right to protest than “in way finding ways of imposing restrictions”.

The committee also heard from BJ Harrington, from the National Police Chiefs Council, and Matt Parr from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Harrington said current laws were insufficient and the new powers were “proper, and they do give us the ability within all the safeguards to balance or discharge our duties”.

However, Parr said: “We didn’t advocate use of the word ‘unease’, nor did we specifically look at whether noise should be included and whether it was covered elsewhere anyway. And I think if you were being charitable you might say that the advantage of it is that it at least offers clarity … but … that’s a matter for parliamentarians, not really us.”

Calm returns to Chad capital after deadly protests against military rule

By Mahamat Ramadane 4/27/2021

Reuters/ZOHRA BENSEMRA Tires burn at a barricade during protests demanding return to civilian rule in N'Djamena

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - The capital of Chad appeared calm on Wednesday morning, with security forces deployed in large numbers and burning tyres still smouldering in the streets, a day after at least five people were killed in clashes between protesters and the army.

Civil society groups have called for more demonstrations against the military, which took power after long-serving president Idriss Deby was killed on April 19.

The government said five people were killed in clashes on Tuesday. A Chadian civil society group put the death toll at nine, with dozens more injured.

Although opposition and civil society groups called for demonstrations to continue on Wednesday, protesters appeared to be staying home in the capital N'Djamena, at least in the morning.

"We want to give a bit of time for the families of our comrades to mourn their loved ones. The fight continues," said Digri Parterre, one of the protest leaders, who said he had spent the morning visiting the wounded in hospitals.

Video: Chad in turmoil after Deby death as rebels, opposition challenge military (Reuters)

In an apparent sign that Western countries long supportive of Deby want to keep communications open with his opponents, opposition figure Succes Masra tweeted on Wednesday that he had been visited by U.S. Ambassador David Gilmour. The embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.

Deby was killed on April 19 as he visited troops fighting rebels opposed to his 30-year rule. His death came just a week after he was re-elected in a vote the opposition says was rigged. A military council headed by his son took control of the country after his death, a move which opposition politicians have condemned as a coup.

The government issued a statement on Monday saying all protests were banned, and security forces used tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators. Reports on social media said live ammunition was used in certain places on Tuesday. Reuters was not able to verify those reports independently.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who initially backed the military takeover, appeared to shift his position on Tuesday, calling for a civilian-led unity government until elections to be held within 18 months.

France has a military presence in its former colony and was a long-term backer of Deby.

The Libya-based rebel group that claimed responsibility for Deby's death, known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), issued a statement condemning the use of force against protesters and said it would remain engaged in the fight for a democratic transition.

FACT rebels came as close as 200-300 km (125-185 miles) from N'Djamena last week before being pushed back by the army, which has refused to negotiate and called for them to be tracked down and arrested. [L8N2MI0LQ]

(Reporting by Mahamat Ramadane; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Bate Felix and

Protesters at South Korea THAAD site dispersed after attempting to block delivery


Police break up a sit-in by residents and activists opposing delivery of materials to the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE

April 28 (UPI) -- South Korea's military confronted dozens of protesters while attempting to deliver construction materials and power generators to a base for the U.S. missile defense system Terminal High Altitude Area Defense in Seongju.

The military was able to bring in the materials Wednesday. Seoul said the equipment was for the purposes of "improving accommodations" for soldiers. Protesters who claimed the materials were being used to upgrade THAAD batteries attempted to block the delivery, but were dispersed, News 1 reported.

Seoul began the delivery early Wednesday, at 7:30 a.m., but protesters already had begun to gather near the entrance of the THAAD site in central South Korea at 5:30 a.m., local newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported.

The protesters were residents of Seongju and a nearby town, Gimcheon. More than 70 local civilians claimed that "battery upgrades" were, "threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula," the report said.

South Korea's defense ministry has denied the equipment was being used for upgrades. The government said Tuesday that the materials had "nothing to do with THAAD battery capabilities," according to Yonhap.

Local groups including the Council for THAAD Withdrawal and Peace said they are skeptical of government claims.

"Deploying a large number of police in a small town with many elderly residents amid the coronavirus pandemic is dangerous," the coalition of groups said, according to the Chosun. "We will fight to the end to stop them

No major injuries were reported, but at least three protesters were transferred to a nearby hospital after they suffered cuts or abrasions, the report said.

THAAD is designed to intercept intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The South's military is on guard for additional North Korea provocations after Pyongyang tested two short-range ballistic missiles March 25.

The defense ministry said Wednesday that the missiles flew 370 miles. Last month, the military said the flight range was 280 miles, according to Yonhap.

US Air Force forms teams to address LGBTQ, Indigenous issues


Maj. Gen. Leah G. Lauderback is one of the founders of the Air Force's newly formed LGBTQ Initiative Team. Photo courtesy of Air Force


April 27 (UPI) -- The Air Force has formally established two teams to identify and address issues affecting LGBTQ people and Indigenous people in the service.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning Initiative Team and the Indigenous Nations Equality Teams were formed under the umbrella of the Air Force's Barrier Analysis Working Group, according to a press release from the service.

"Once again, our airmen and guardians are leading the way. With the addition of these two groups, we will have a better understanding of barriers to service which allows us to enhance our diversity and inclusion," said Gwendolyn DeFilippi, assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services for the Air Force.

The release notes that the formation of the LGBTQ initiative team comes 10 years after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which prohibited lesbian, gay and bisexual service members from serving openly

"I expect our group will grow-our community and allies want to help," Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, one of the group's founders and its military officer champion, said in the Air Force's release.

The INET's acronym is a play on words for the term "Innit," a slang term among Native Americans meaning, "Yes, I agree," according to the release.

The group is tasked with reviewing and analyzing guidelines, programs, data and other information for barriers to employment, advancement and retention of Native American and Alaska Native employees and military members.

RELATED Pentagon reverses Trump-era policies to allow transgender people to serv

"We are looking forward to representing our Airmen and Guardians who are a part of the indigenous nation's community," said Col. Terrence Adams, INET champion. "We are hoping to identify changes that will eliminate barriers affecting members within these groups. We cannot be aware of things that need to change unless we are talking about them with an open mind."

Both teams could also serve as an initial member/employer resource group for their communities, the Air Force said.

The Air Force created the BAWG in 2008 to analyze data, trends and barriers to service for the civilian workforce, with the group's focus expanding to include personnel issues in subsequent years.

Aos f March 2021, the Air Force has also established the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team, the Disability Action Team, the Hispanic Empowerment and Action Team, the Pacific Islander/Asian American Community Team and the Women's Initiatives Team.

Earlier this month the Air Force began a survey for its second Inspector General's report on diversity and disparity in its ranks.

The review follows a 2020 report, which focused on racial disparity among Black members of the military branch, where the second survey expands the focus to other ethnicities and also examines the role of gender in the branch.

The first review found that Black men at every level of the service experience disproportionately negative outcomes at nearly every level, including increased likelihood of court-martials and less likely to be placed in fields that offer opportunities for advancement.
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Tesla rejects environmental accusations from U.S., German regulators



A Tesla Motors factory is seen in Fremont, Calif., on May 10, 2020. The plant is the subject of environmental rule violations, according to U.S. regulators. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo



April 28 (UPI) -- Tesla Motors is facing accusations from regulators in the United States and Germany that say the electric carmaker failed to provide information related to federal pollution laws and old batteries from its vehicles.

The accusations were outlined in a financial filing the company made Wednesday.

According to the document, the Environmental Protection Agency accused Tesla this month of failing to provide proof that it's complying with pollution rules regarding the surface coating of its vehicles.

California environmental authorities have previously filed reports of air quality violations at Tesla's plant in Fremont, near San Francisco.

The paint shop at the Fremont plant has reportedly had problems of improper cleaning and maintenance. Some re-touching has taken place in an open-air tent at the factory, employees told CNBC.

Tesla defended itself against the accusation and said in its filing that it's responded to all EPA requests and "refutes the allegations."

The company said in the filing that it does not anticipate any "material adverse impact" regarding the EPA issues.

The filing also shows that Tesla has been fined 12 million euros [$14.5 million] by German regulators for failing to take back old vehicle batteries from customers and making public notifications.

Under German law, electric carmakers must take back old batteries and dispose of them in an environmentally safe manner.

In its filing, Tesla said it has "continued to take back battery packs" and that it's filed an objection to the fine.

The company said it doesn't expect the battery issue to have a :material adverse impact on our business."

CAN CHOOSE TO NOT WEAR A MASK BUT NOT TO GET AND ABORTION

Arizona gov. signs anti-abortion bill into law amid GOP push to restrict the procedure


Democrats and women's rights advocacy groups accuse Republicans seeking to pass sweeping anti-abortion legislation of attempting to use the bills, which will be challenged in court, to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo


April 28 (UPI) -- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed into law a sweeping controversial anti-abortion bill that criminalizes abortions performed due to genetic issues of the fetus amid a Republican push to limit access to the procedure.

The Republican governor signed the bill Tuesday, making it a felony for a medical provider to knowingly perform an abortion because of a fetus' "genetic abnormality," including chromosomal disorders, such as down syndrome, and morphological malformation. Exceptions are in place for "lethal fetal" conditions.

"There's immeasurable value in every single life -- regardless of genetic makeup," Ducey said in a statement. "We will continue to prioritize protecting life in our preborn children, and this legislation goes a long way in protecting real human lives."

S.B. 1457 also criminalizes the use of force to coerce a person to have an abortion because of a genetic abnormality or accept money to finance such a procedure.

Under the law, the medical practitioner must sign an affidavit stating they are performing an abortion not because of a genetic issue. They must also inform the person they are performing the procedure on that it is unlawful to have an abortion over the fetus' sex, race or genetic abnormality.

It also bans the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs and requires fetal remains from an abortion to be cremated or interned.

The Center for Arizona Policy, an anti-abortion group, celebrated the bill being signed into law as a "win" for Arizonans.

RELATED FDA approves removing in-person requirement for abortion pill amid pandemic

"Arizonans can be proud of a state that leads the way in protecting the preborn and caring for women facing unplanned pregnancies," Cathi Herrod, the center's director, said in a statement.

The Bishops of Arizona Catholic Conference also issued a statement Tuesday, saying the bill maintains Arizona's status as "the most pro-life state in the country."

"This legislation looks forward to the day that Roe vs. Wade is overturned and shows concern for both unborn children and their mothers," the state's five bishops said in a statement, referring to the landmark 1971 ruling by the Supreme Court that legalized abortion.

The bill reached Ducey's desk after it passed the Republican-controlled House along party lines 31-29 and the Republican-controlled Senate also along party lines 16-14 on Thursday.

Reproductive health and women's rights advocates and Democratic politicians had urged the governor to not sight the bill, stating it is unconstitutional and harms both medical practitioners and women.

"S.B. 1457 will undoubtedly have unintended consequences for people who experience pregnancy loss of any kind and will force people to carry pregnancies to term against their will," Darrell Hill, director of policy at the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said in a statement, stating that abortion was still legal and protected under federal law.

Progress Arizona, an organization that promotes progressive policy in the state, called the bill "horrible" for equating the rights of fetuses and embryos with full personhood to take away the rights and freedoms of the person who is carrying the fetus.

It also said it will be costly for the state as the law will be challenged in court.

"The AZ GOP knows that this bill is disgusting, extreme and wrong," the organization said in a statement. "They want to go to court and use it as an excuse to overturn Roe vs. Wade."

The bill was signed as Republican-controlled states seek to pass sweeping anti-abortion legislation and a day after the GOP governors of Oklahoma and Montana each signed into law three such bills to restrict access to medical procedure.

Arizona House Democratic leader Rep. Melody Hernandez accused Republican lawmakers of pursuing a bill no stakeholder from the disability community had asked for.

"Republicans will use anyone as pawns in their relentless effort to waste millions in taxpayer dollars defending this blatantly unconstitutional law in court hoping that the Supreme Court will upend current precedent on this essential form of healthcare and grant a fetus more rights than the person who is pregnant," she said in a statement.

Wisconsin opens investigation claims of clergy sexual abuse



Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said they are seeking accountability and to heal wounds by investigation claims of clergy sexual abuse. File Photo courtesy of Pixabay

April 28 (UPI) -- The Wisconsin Department of Justice has launched an investigation into reports of sexual abuse by clergy and faith leaders in the state, Attorney General Josh Kaul said.

Surrounded by clergy abuse survivors and advocates, the state's Democratic attorney general announced the probe during a press conference Tuesday. Kaul encouraged victims as well as family and friends who have information concerning abuses committed by the church to come forward.

"We are conducting this review to get greater accountability and to promote healing for victims, and we're conducting this review to improve the response to abuse and hopefully to prevent future cases of abuse," Kaul said.

The attorney general's office explained in a statement that the statewide investigation will be an independent review of the sexual abuse claims and will not be limited by when they occurred.

Kaul told the public that the Department of Justice will gather information on reports of abuse as well as attempts to cover up alleged criminal acts through a toll-free phone line and an online reporting tool. The investigation will include reviewing documents produced by dioceses and religious orders in Wisconsin.

"I want to stress that we strongly encourage anyone who knows anything to report," he said. "No detail is too small. If you've reported before, we would like you to contact us. If you haven't reported before, we would like for you to contact us. And if you know about abuse involving someone who can't report, we want to encourage you to report that abuse."

The investigation will begin with a review of the dioceses of the Catholic church but Kaul said that his office is seeking claims concerning leaders of any faith or institution.

RELATED Catholic bishop in Minnesota resigns after inquiry over sexual misconduct cases

"This is an opportunity for us to bring transparency and accountability to a wrong that hasn't been addressed for far, far too long and it's my hope that the diocese and religious orders will work with us," he said.

Sara Larson, executive director of Awake Milwaukee, a non-profit group of Catholics seeking to raise awareness of clergy abuse, urged other Catholics during the press conference to welcome the investigation and to face whatever it might reveal.

"It is true that the process and results of this investigation are likely to be painful for anyone who loves the church. I understand the temptation to wish that this would all just go away so we don't have to think about these horrible stories any longer," she said. "But the reality is abuse in our church is not a problem of the past."

Several of the state's dioceses responded separately to the announcement, stating the church takes issues of clergy sexual abuse seriously and has put in place several prevention and accountability measures since 2002, when abuses in Boston were widely covered.

Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff to the archbishop of Milwaukee, said the church has taken action to prevent such abuse and that he worries the investigation will negatively affect abuse survivors because of the publicity it will attract.

"There is no evidence that the church as a whole and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee hasn't already taken all possible steps in addressing issues surrounding clergy sexual abuse," Topczewski said in a statement. "We also do not understand the legal basis for the inquiry. We also question why only the Catholic church is being singled out for this type of review when sexual abuse is a societal issue."

The church understands it has made mistakes but it has since become "a model of how this issue is addressed," Topczewski said, adding that the diocese will review Kaul's requests for documents and information when it is received.

Nate's Mission, a Wisconsin-based project against clergy abuse, responded to the dioceses' statements, saying if the church is so confident it hasn't committed any crimes, then it should "be eager" to provide the attorney general with the documents his office has requested.

"The fact that they have not made any public commitment to do so raises serious questions," the organization said in a statement.

Asked during the press conference why the Department of Justice was launching the investigation now, Kaul said, "because it's the right thing to do."

SUDBURY 

Laurentian cuts threaten Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, advocates say

For now, Laurentian University's restructuring process has spared Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies — or WGSX.

But professors, students and supporters say WGSX faces an uncertain future, especially since Laurentian is tearing up its agreements with its federated universities, including Thorneloe, where the program has been housed.

"If they are targeting core offerings (math, physics, engineering, etc.) then I wonder what’s next," said Jennifer Johnson, who chairs the department. "We worked in tandem with midwifery, and overlap with social work and Indigenous Studies. We are efficiently run and economically successful. This program is no burden to Laurentian."

“It’s such a disaster for our community. We were so blindsided with the errors that have been made.”

Laurentian is insolvent, is restructuring and has cut almost 70 programs and more than 150 professors and staff. The university, however, said students will be able to continue to study and graduate from a restructured Laurentian.

“While not among the nearly 70 programs axed last Monday at Laurentian, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies is nonetheless one of the many academic programs also threatened by the LU administration’s handling of its financial crisis,” Johnson and program support Beth Mairs said in a release.

For the time being, the program remains in place and have qualified faculty to lead them.

The program is strongly networked in the community and it provides students with first-hand experiences in advancing social justice and provides exposure to work roles, and needs, within many organizations and advocacy groups.

Professor Mercedes Steedman offered the first course in Women’s Studies in 1979. Margaret Kechnie and Andrea Levan developed on-campus and distance education programs. Current enrolment is 53 program students and more than 500 taking courses towards minors, a certificate and electives every year.

A diverse range of courses and pathways has always been encouraged at Laurentian and its federated universities, at least until now. Laurentian has shared funding with Thorneloe, the University of Sudbury and Huntington; that ends May 1 when Laurentian will keep all the money.

“I think right now the administration at Laurentian is having a hard time making the connection between programs that are explicitly about gender equity and what they are actually doing to our community," Johnson said. "WGSX has been left in a precarious situation since Laurentian’s announcement April 2 that it was unilaterally cancelling the federation agreement

"The whole process that has happened at Laurentian has been so violent. My students have tried to speak, but have been shut down by the administration. It all runs counter to the mandate of the university, which is to encourage dialogue.”

Johnson said Laurentian's decision to end the federation agreements "was my signal, very clearly, that the administration does not care about Women and Gender Studies students and the program’s place within the university.

“Almost two years ago they tried to cut things at the feds (the federated universities). The day that theatre arts was closed, I cried and cried. Its closure was a direct result of the budget cuts at Laurentian. We know COVID didn’t cause the insolvency. Laurentian had problems before that.

She said the lack of certainty about the state of the program and Laurentian generally has already severely affected students, especially those near graduation and with concentrations in Women’s Studies.

“I know I am not the only student who is a stone’s throw away from graduating," said fourth-year student Courtney Nelson. "This change in programming puts us in an impossible position of needing to sacrifice our education for Laurentian's poor financial management. I am now in a position where I may have to start over again.”

Another student, April Scott-Nichols, said in a statement students and faculty within WGSX have fought against the system their entire lives.

“We were born fighters, and we will fight here for the future of our WGSX program.”

Community member Beth Mairs the program is a key to the future of gender equity in the North. “Women's and Gender Studies isn't just a program, it is a network of advocates, employers, and families, who care about these things," she said.

“That the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies program speaks to marginalized groups and draws eager students from communities with historically less access to higher education, the community mobilization to preserve this program has been strong. An open letter to LU resident Robert Haché drew over 1,000 signatures in less than one week.”

The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @SudburyStar

Hugh Kruzel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Sudbury Star