An Open Letter on Science to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
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An Open Letter on Science to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper October 21, 2014 The Right Honourable Stephen Harper Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON Canada K1A 0A2 Dear Prime Minister Harper, As scientists outside of Canada committed to international cooperation in confronting threats to the planet and human health, we urge you to remove excessive and burdensome restrictions and barriers to scientific communication and collaboration faced by Canadian government scientists. Meeting today's complex environmental and public health challenges requires the full participation of scientists around the globe. But recent reports (i, ii, iii) highlight a rapid decline in freedoms and funding extended to Canadian government scientists, which make it more difficult for them to continue research, communicate scientific information and expertise, and collaborate internationally. A recent New York Times editorial, referencing the rapid development of the Alberta oil sands, went so far as to describe new communications restrictions on government scientists as "an attempt to guarantee public ignorance." Canada's leadership in basic research, environmental, health, and other public science is in jeopardy. We urge you to restore government science funding and the freedom and opportunities to communicate these findings internationally. Sincerely, [815 scientists from 32 countries listed below] (i) The Big Chill: Silencing Public Interest Science, A Survey. 2013. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. Available online at http://www.pipsc.ca/bigchill. (ii) Vanishing Science: The Disappearance of Canadian Public Interest Science. 2014. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. Available online at http://www.pipsc.ca/vanishingscience. (iii) Muzzling Government Scientists: A Threat to Democracy. Democracy Watch and University of Victoria Environmental Law Clinic. Available online at http://democracywatch.ca/wp-content/uploads/OpenGovReportJan2113.pdf. ARGENTINA Alejandro Bianchi, Ph.D. research Director, Hydrographic Office and University of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Val Hindle, M.D. SMO, GEBA Buenos Aires Ana Malizia, Ph.D. Professor, Mar del Plata National University Mar Del Plata Virginia Palastanga, Ph.D. CONICET-UBA Buenos Aires AUSTRALIA Beth Fulton, Ph.D. Head of ecosystem modeling, CSIRO Lucaston Lance Hill, Ph.D. Professor, UPNG Cairns, Old Joanna Jones (Kain) Visiting Fellow, Australian National University Canberra, Act Michael Nordstrom, Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Adelaide Wayville Dominique Roche, Ph.D. Postdoc, Australian National University Canberra Karen Wilson, M.S. Senior Research Scientist, National Herbarium of NSW Sydney Trevor Wilson, Ph.D. Doctor, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Petersham AUSTRIA Bano Mehdi, Ph.D. candidate PhD Candidate, McGill University Vienna BANGLADESH M. Zahidul Haque, M.S. Professor, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Dhaka Mahfuja Parven Parven, M.S. Secretriate/Assistant Director of Asia, IHRC/GWO/IYC Dhaka BELGIUM Filip Volckaert, Ph.D. Professor and lab director, University of Leuven Leuven BRAZIL Orlando Necchi Jr, Ph.D. Professor, Sao Paulo State University S. Jose Rio Preto CHILE Francisco Matus, Ph.D. Professor, La Frontera University Temuco Jorge Medina, Ph.D. candidate Universidad de La Frontera Temuco Mauricio Molina, Ph.D. Researcher, Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria Santiago CHINA Liuming Hu, Ph.D. Deputy Executive officer, East China Normal University Shanghai CROATIA Ognjen Culic, Ph.D. University of Zagreb Zagreb CZECH REPUBLIC Pavel Kram, Ph.D. Ph.D., Czech Geological Survey Prague Jaroslav Vrba, Ph.D. Professor, University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice DENMARK Chelsea Chisholm, M.S. PhD Candidate, University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Jannik Hansen, M.S. Scientific officer, Aarhus University Copenhagen EGYPT Naglaa Abdallah, Ph.D. Professor and Head Department of Genetic, Faculty of Agriculture Cairo Essam Hassan Mohamed Ahmed, Ph.D. Director, EEAA Cairo FRANCE Patrice Guillotreau, Ph.D. Professor, Université de Nantes Nantes Marta Coll, Ph.D. Professor, IRD Sete Fritz Schuster Agrobase-Logigram St Julien En Genevois Isabelle Veissier, Ph.D. Research director, INRA Saine-Genes-Champanelle GERMANY Hans-Peter Grossart, Ph.D. Professor, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology Stechlin Bernd Hezel, Ph.D. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Res Potsdam Jens Kattge, Ph.D. Max Planck Institute Jena Clara Mendoza-Lera, M.S. PhD Candidate, BTU-Cottbus Senftenberg Cottbus Ryan North, Ph.D. Research Scientist, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geestacht Hamburg Dietrich Schwaegerl Prof. em., Munich University of Applied Sciences Ottobrunn GUINEA Ibrahima Diallo, M.D. Researcher, CNSHB Conakry INDIA Nagamani Sukumar, Ph.D. Professor, Shiv Nadar University Dadri ISRAEL Dror Angel, Ph.D. University of Haifa Haifa ITALY Gabriele Guidi, Ph.D. Professor, Politecnico di Milano Milano, MI Günther Seufert, Ph.D. Senior scientist, EC Joint Research Centre Gemonio LIBYA Almahdi Aliaitwish, Ph.D. Professor, non-governmental organization Tripoli, LA MEXICO Pablo De La Mora, Ph.D. Researcher, Facultad de Ciencias Antonio F. Sarmiento Galan, Ph.D. Professor, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Cuernavaca, Morelos NETHERLANDS Peter Verhaert, Ph.D. Professor, Delft University of Technology Delft NEW ZEALAND Michael Atkinson, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Otago University Dunedin Robert Hickman, M.S. Aquaculture Scientist, National Institute of Water & Atmosphere Wellington Peter Hollings, Ph.D. Retired, Cancer Society of New Zealand Wellington NORWAY Bjørn Ådlandsvik, Ph.D. Principal Scientist, Institute of Marine Research Bergen Heleen De Wit, Ph.D. Senior research scientist, Norwegian institute for Water Research Oslo Kenneth Drinkwater, Dr. P.H. Senior Scientist, Institute of Marine Research Bergen Godtfred Anker Halvorsen, M.S. Research scientist, Uni Research Bergen Jeppe Kolding, Ph.D. A/professor, University of Bergen Bergen Einar Lilleeng, Ph.D. Formulation manager, BioMar Group Haugesund Lisa Maddison, M.S. IMBER Bergen Geir Ottersen, Ph.D. Principal scientist, Institure of Marine Research Oslo Karin Pittman, Ph.D. Professor, University of Bergen Bergen S LOVAK REPUBLIC Miroslav Hain, Ph.D. head of department, IMS Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava Juraj Kubica, Ph.D. Research Coordinator, Slovak University of Technology Bratislava SOUTH AFRICA Neil Griffin, Ph.D. Dr, Rhodes University Grahamstown Moenieba Isaacs, Ph.D. Professor, University of Western Cape Cape Town Astrid Jarre, Ph.D. Prof, University of Cape Town Rondebosch Lynne Shannon, Ph.D. Chief Research Officer, Marine Research Institute Cape Town Martin Smit, M.S. Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch SPAIN Jose Babarro, Ph.D. Scientist, CSIC Vigo Joan Cerda, Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist, IRTA-CSIC Barcelona Daniel Gil-Pérez, Ph.D. Professor, Universitat de València Alboraia Manuel Manchado, Dr. P.H. Researcher, IFAPA El Pto Sta Maria Gonzalo Martinez-Rodriguez, Ph.D. Researcher, Spanish Council for Scientific Research Puerto Real - Cadiz Francesc Piferrer, Ph.D. Professor, Institute of Marine Sciences-CSIC Barcelona Jeroen Steenbeek, M.S. IT system architect, Ecopath International Initiative Sant Cugat Del Valles Manuel Yufera, Ph.D. Professor, Spanish National Research Council Puerto De Santa Maria SWEDEN Georg K.S. Andersson, Ph.D. Researcher, Lund University Dalby Mirco Bundschuh, Ph.D. Assistant Prof, Swedish University of Agricultural Science Uppsala Jens Fölster, Ph.D. Associate professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Science Uppsala Nike Henriksson, M.S. University of Gothenburg Goteborg Richard Johnson, Ph.D. Professor, SLU Uppsala SWITZERLAND Tim Haye, Ph.D. Section Head, CABI Delémont Marco Moretti, Ph.D. Researcher, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Bellinzona Marie-Eve Randlett, Ph.D. candidate PhD candidate, ETH Zurich Zurich TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Caleb Lewis, M.P.H. candidate MPhil candidate, University of the West Indies Chagaunas UNITED KINGDOM Sara Bárrios, M.S. candidate Royal botanic gardens Kew London Neeltje Boogert, Ph.D. Research Fellow, University of St. Andrews Cambridge Kathryn Elmer, Ph.D. Lecturer, University of Glasgow Glasgow Christopher Hassall, Ph.D. Lecturer in Animal Biology, University of Leeds Leeds Claire Henderson, Ph.D. Clinical Senior Lecturer, King's College London London Sheila Heymans, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer and Head of Ecology, Scottish Association for Marine Science Oban Jennifer Houle, Ph.D. Research Fellow, Queen's University Belfast Belfast Trevor Hughes, Ph.D. Dr & Higher Education Tutor, Luton Sixth Form College Luton Brian Moss, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor, University of Liverpool Liverpool Tim Woolmington, B.A./B.S. Senior Research Engineer, BP Wells Chris Illidge, Ph.D. Principal Scientist Amersham Crispin Jordan Edinburgh UNITED STATES William Scott Armbruster, Ph.D. Principal Research Scientist, University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK Russell Hocproft, Ph.D. Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK Olivia Lee, Ph.D. , University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK Martha K. Raynolds, Ph.D. Dr., University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK Michael Stekoll, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Southeast Juneau, AK Benjamin Williams, Ph.D. candidate Ph.D. candidate, University of Alaska Fairbanks Anchorage, AK Douglas Brooks, M.S. Microbiological Curtor, The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Janna Y. Owens, Ph.D. Environmental Scientist, Chaac Water