This past spring, ozone monitoring showed a record ozone hole over the Arctic, partly due to the effects of climate change, and the World Meteorological Association warned that could lead to increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Canadian cuts received international attention this week when an article about them appeared in the prominent scientific journal Nature.
When asked to confirm or deny the cuts, Environment Canada said in a statement emailed to CBC News that all government programs are reviewed regularly to ensure "they are effective and efficient, respond to the priorities of Canadians and are in line with core federal responsibilities." It added that programs that fail those tests are "adjusted" or have their funding reallocated.
He noted that staff cuts at Environment Canada will also affect a large number of other environment monitoring programs, including the solar radiation program that also feeds into the UV index, aircraft measurements of the atmosphere that were also to be used in oilsands monitoring, and a program to look at toxic substances such as pesticides in the atmosphere.
"The problem goes far, far beyond ozone. We're talking about our basic ability to monitor our environment and respond to problems when they occur," he said. "This is kind of like taking the batteries out of your smoke detector."
No comments:
Post a Comment