Factless

Now I am starting to worry. The current Conservative government in Canada has "shuffled" one Rona Ambrose out of the Environment Minister sear in Janurary 2007, after only one year in this high profile cabinet post.

Then recently Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn, most likely under direction or permission of the PMO fired the Linda Keen, president of supposedly the "independent" Canadian nuclear safety watch, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission after the shutdown of Chalk River's medical isotope production, due to numerous unresolved safety violations that were well anticipated and documented well before the shutdown in reports given to the Natural Resources Department.

While Environment Canada's overall budget increased in 2007-08, Canadian Wildlife Services and many other departments within EC have concerns of preservation (and here) of endangered species conservation and similar programs.

Now, the Conservative government has decided to terminate the National Science Adviser position when Arthur Carty retires as the position is being phased out.

While I believe Ambrose switch out of Environment was necessary attempt at damage control, these other terminations of senior science-focused positions within the federal government is concerning. While Canada's national economy is doing well only through the means of industries that are science intense (oil & gas exploration and refining, mining of metals and uranium, high tech companies like RIM) right down to their daily operations, it is concerning to see what may be a lack of foresight that a could have dramatic long term consequents for many Canadians in the future.

I hope this is not the rise of the Luddites or of the more vague Anti-Science, sometimes disguised as or infiltrates religion and its organizations but which is far from synonymous.