14 DAY TRIAL // Starting with the 1st of April, 2013, the scientists employed by the Canadian government to deal with a rather pressing issue – that of marine pollution – are to be given the sack. The reason behind this abrupt shift in Canada's attitude towards the well-being of our oceans is, what else, money.
Apparently, one of the country's most prominent programs for marine life preservation is to be completely shut down.
According to government officials, this would save Canada a total of $79 million (€62 million), this large amount of money coming from approximately 1,000 workplaces being directly impacted and 76 jobs practically going down the drain.
However, what makes this decision an utterly mind-blowing one is not the fact that so many people will find themselves without the possibility to make a living.
On the contrary, what baffles the scientists and the Coast Guard employees currently working on the project is the fact that, should things go on as planned, there will no longer be any way of somewhat controlling the damages made to the Arctic marine wildlife.
The situation seems to be rather desperate, as a staggering number of 25,000 chemicals are used in industries throughout the world nowadays, and continual oil and gas explorations are carried out in these waters.
As msnbc.com reports, Peter Ross, a renown marine scientist, made the following statement regarding these new developments in Canada's so-called “concern” for the environment: “When told that entire pollution research and monitoring program for Canada's ocean is being eliminated, I was speechless.”
As well as this, he added that this was the first time he had ever heard of a nation completely shutting down its activities in the field of environmental preservation.
For the time being, we can only hope that the Canadian government will find it in its budget to revise this rather reckless decision, and that soon enough the program will be fully operational once again.