BURNABY, B.C. (CUP) — A new report released this month claims Canadians feel more threatened by the radical change in global climate and their environment than terrorism.

An online survey was conducted by the Innovative Research Group and commissioned by the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute from the end of December to the beginning of January, asking members of the Canada 20/20 panel how much of a threat they perceived a variety of hot issues to be.

Canada 20/20 is an online panel focused on gathering public opinion from a pool that reflect’s Canada’s diverse population. The sample included 1,229 different respondents and had a 2.8 percentage point margin of error 19 times out of 20.

Of the people surveyed, nearly half agreed that climate change is a “critical threat,” while only about one in four people said the same about international terrorism. In a similar 2004 poll, Canadians considered the two threats as equal.

Compared to 52 per cent of respondents in 2004, 49 per cent felt climate change is a critical threat in 2010, while international terrorism dropped from 49 per cent in 2004 to 28 per cent in 2010.

Lt.-Gen. Michael Jeffery, a senior research fellow for the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, told Canwest News Service that “Canadians are blessed by living in a secure environment. . . . All of the major threats have been on other people’s shores, not here, and that’s great.”

However, he noted that “We are not aware that the world around us has changed, it is continuing to change, and emerging from that very . . . different world are increasing threats to Canada . . . and our way of life.”

Despite his attempts to call attention to the reality of terrorism and convince Canadians of the threat it imposes on the country, he also urged the government to take action against climate change, including through environmental policies and international trade agreements.

The poll further noted increasing concerns among Canadians about immigration, however, and a decline in concerns about globalization and potential epidemics, such as AIDS, the flu and SARS.

“It really is up to the leadership, political or otherwise, to educate society about what those risks are, and to move to policies, both domestically and internationally, that start to deal with the underlying root causes,” Jeffery told Canwest.

He said that Canadians want a society “that is aware, that knows these threats are there and sees them for what they are, and is prepared to support a government in dealing with those threats in a logical fashion.”

MONTREAL (CUP) – Braving harsh temperatures, snow and strong winds, some cyclists continue to commute by bike all year round. In the winter, biking remains a sustainable, affordable, and effective method of transportation. It’s easy, it’s exercise and it’s not as crazy as you might think.

Before getting ready to ride, make sure both you and your bike are prepared. Start by choosing your tires. Mountain bike tires provide the best grip, but road tires cut through snow more effectively. Look for a narrow tire with knobs so you can benefit from the advantages of both types. Studded tires, which are specifically designed for riding on ice, are also available, but most riders agree they are unnecessary — especially in a city.

Krzysztof Welfeld, a volunteer at the Flat, a bike collective in Montreal, recommends getting a cheap bike to ride during the winter.

“Unless you are prepared to clean your bike after each ride and overhaul it every month” — which is still a good idea, especially since it’s made easier through groups like the Flat — “your favourite bike is going to suffer a lot of damage over the winter.”

In order to prevent some of that damage, there are things you can do to maintain your bike, but they will require a little effort. You should lubricate your bike’s chain once a week for 10-15 minutes and keep the chain and brake pads clean.

“It seems arduous,” says Ed Hudson, a volunteer at Right To Move, Concordia University’s bike co-op. But as he points out, it probably takes you the same amount of time to walk to the bus stop.

Store your bike inside (unless it’s above 0 degrees outside, but who are we kidding?) in order to keep it from rusting or being snowed on. Michael Prebil, public editor of the *McGill Daily* and another volunteer at The Flat, suggests removing the seat post and flipping your bike over in order to drain any water that might have leaked into the frame.

There isn’t much equipment you need to buy before riding, but a fender is crucial for keeping you dry. Also, ensure all lights work properly, and don’t forget to turn them on if it’s starting to get dark. “Drivers don’t expect to deal with cyclists during the winter, so you want to stay visible,” Welfeld says.

When dressing to ride in the winter, it’s important to layer. Avoid cotton because it will soak up sweat and cool you down. Opt for a wool sweater or fleece, plus a lightweight waterproof jacket to break the wind. Remember that cycling is exercise and it will increase your body temperature, especially around your core. Overdressing will just make you sweat.

Double-layer gloves, wool socks and a toque will help keep your hands, feet, and head warm. “But don’t sacrifice a helmet for a toque,” Hudson says.

Prebil advises wearing both: “Keep your head warm with a cap underneath your helmet, as riding with an exposed head in sub-zero temperatures can cause debilitating headaches.”

Cam Novak, creator of Montreal’s Cycle Bird Courier, has been biking year-round for the past three years. “Everyone has their own style,” he says, but he makes sure to wear a protective facemask, sunglasses, and thermal spandex during the winter. On his feet are clipless winter mountain-biking shoes with stretchy slipover covers. Both Hudson and Novak suggest tying a bandana around your neck to protect the skin there from being exposed.

Winter riding is not as dangerous as most people think, says Novak. “There’s never a day where you absolutely can’t ride,” he says.

Though the sidewalks that pedestrians tread over may be icy, “in general, the streets are well-plowed. They don’t plow the sidewalks the same way they plow streets.” He believes that drivers are actually more cautious during the winter months, and he’s never been in a winter riding-related accident.

Hudson warns that cyclists should be careful though, as plowed snow and slush take over bike lanes and drivers have less space to work with in the winter. Though small streets have less traffic, in the winter, they are the least likely to be plowed. It’s safest to ride in a road’s tire treads, as opposed to the snowy curbside. “Don’t be afraid to be assertive,” Hudson says.

And don’t let honking drivers scare you. “If they honk at you, they’ve seen you,” he adds.

With winter biking, you might have to experiment before you really begin to enjoy it.

“Don’t be afraid to approach it bit by bit and see what works for you,” Hudson says.

Welfeld agrees. “Winter biking is a fun learning process.  You need to relearn your biking technique, how to deal with the types of snow and ice, and how to balance and stop well, but in the end it’s a wicked thrill and a good way to stay warm.”

EDMONTON (CUP) – Todd Cherniawsky left Alberta to go to Los Angeles years ago for grad school and a career in Hollywood. These days, he’s enjoying silver screen success – having most recently been a supervising art director of the James Cameron’s blockbuster *Avatar*.

Born in Edmonton, he received an architecture diploma from the Northern Alberta Institute for Technology (NAIT) and a bachelor of fine arts in art and design from the University of Alberta (U of A). From there, he pursued filmmaking.

Cherniawsky says his schooling in Alberta allowed him to sample different types of design and improve his drawing skills. The province, he explains, provided a great foundation that helped him achieve success in Hollywood.

“I think it’s a real testament to the whole faculty and staff [at U of A] to make things work for those who were trying to get into disciplines that weren’t traditional to Alberta industry.”

With NAIT being one of the first technology schools in Canada to implement the use of digital tools, says Cherniawsky, “We’re very lucky in Alberta.”

The artist describes leaving Canada to attend graduate school in Los Angeles as an “eye opener.” He found himself in an environment where he was no longer the only one interested in film.

“I became very inspired and challenged because all of the sudden there’s another dozen people like you and maybe half of them have more talent than you . . . You have to push yourself to try and be successful, whatever that means in your own mind.”

Cherniawsky worked hard to be successful and throughout his career he has contributed to some high-profile blockbusters. He has worked as set designer and art director in over 20 feature films including *Armageddon* (1998), *Planet of the Apes* (2001), *War of the Worlds* (2005), *Ocean’s Thirteen* (2007), and most recently *Avatar* and Tim Burton’s upcoming *Alice in Wonderland*.

Cherniawsky described *Avatar* as one of the most involved but also most rewarding experiences of his professional career.

“For those people who are lucky enough to have something like *Star Wars* or *Raiders of the Lost Ark* on their resume, in some ways *Avatar* is [my] equivalent. It’ll be something that will be talked about and I think ingrained into people’s memories for a little while, so it is nice to be part of something like that,” says Cherniawsky.

“Because there was so much new technology . . . there was a lot of exploration, a lot of excitement along the way, and of course, a lot of momentary failures along the way. So that all being said, it’s been the best professional experience I’ve had.”

His role as one of the supervising art directors for the film was to co-ordinate the live action, focusing specifically on the aircraft and vehicles featured in the film. Cherniawsky said that one of the unique parts of working on *Avatar* was the importance of realistic science in the film.

“I was really proud to be part of a project that involved so many real scientists at the cutting edge of their disciplines to act as advisors. Over 75 or 80 species of plants were designed from scratch and about a dozen and a half creatures as well . . . and things were driven to be plausible.”

Cherniawsky’s career has been driven not only by a passion for drawing but also one for story telling. An art director has a key role in bringing the story to the screen.

“When you read a book, whatever you create in your mind’s eye of the world that the book exists in and how those characters move through that world – that’s art direction; translating words into images. But we then have to go one step further and actually produce it,” he says.

Cherniawsky’s success has been the product of perseverance. For others with big dreams, he believes that there are no excuses for not finding a career that you love.

“As a kid when I walked out of the movie theatre I thought ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be great to be able to do that,’ but dismissing it immediately . . . We’re now at a point where if you can think up a job you can find a way to get paid to do it.”

SURREY, B.C. (CUP) — The Kwantlen Student Association now have the representation they pay for after winning a B.C. Supreme Court case against the British Columbian component of the Canadian Federation of Students earlier this week. Students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University who pay fees to CFS-BC have not been represented on the CFS-BC executive for nearly two years.

According to Derek Robertson, KSA director of external affairs, the case was brought forward to the courts by the KSA after the CFS-BC executive committee refused to recognize Robertson as a director for CFS-BC as required by the B.C. Society Act and CFS-BC bylaws.

The case sought to have Robertson ratified as a representative on the CFS-BC executive, and to recover funds remitted (paid by Kwantlen student fees) to CFS-BC since May 11, 2008, the period at which Robertson was no longer recognized by CFS-BC.

Shamus Reid, chairperson of CFS-BC, commented on the case stating that Robertson was not acting in the best interest of the organization when he removed himself as a director to campaign against the CFS-BC — for a 2008 KSA referendum to leave the organization — and immediately sought to be reinstated as a director after. While Robertson was re-elected and re-nominated by the school to represent the KSA to CFS-BC, its executive committee chose not to recognize him as a representative, considering his de-federation campaigning as an attempt to undermine the organization.

Reid noted that part section 3 of the B.C. Society Act states that “a director of a society must (a) act honestly and in good faith and in the best interests of the society, and (b) exercise the care, diligence and skill of a reasonably prudent person.” He further commented that Robertson clearly did not follow this section of the act while serving as a director, as he had voted in favour of hiring a campaign manager for the KSA’s CFS de-federation campaign, and joined the “Kwantlen Students who want out of CFS” Facebook group.

According to the KSA press release, Madam Justice Brenda Brown, who was ruling on the case, ruled in favour of the KSA, based on the fact that the CFS-BC was in violation of section 4 of the Societies Act and their own bylaws.

“The decision is that the ratification process has no power,” commented Reid. “He must be ratified if he has been selected by the Kwantlen Student Association.”

Robertson is disappointed that it “has taken a court order to make (CFS-BC) listen to the students that they claim to represent.”

“Sadly, the only governance ability that individual student members have (at Kwantlen) is their ability to elect their KSA representative to the CFS-BC board of directors,” and by disallowing him to sit on the executive committee, the CFS-BC hindered that individual student representation, Robertson claimed.

Reid, however, said that “it’s really ignored the fact that a super-majority of its members felt that Robertson could not represent their interests.”

As a paying member of the CFS-BC — paid by Kwantlen student fees — the Kwantlen Student Association is entitled to have a representative act on the CFS-BC executive committee to identify issues important to Kwantlen students, largely for lobbying purposes. As a result of the court ruling, Robertson must now be recognized as a director of CFS-BC, and costs of the case must be awarded to the KSA.

OTTAWA (CUP) – After a marathon closing plenary session, the Canadian Federation of Students’ four-day November general meeting wrapped up late in the evening of Nov. 28.

Hundreds of delegates from campuses across the country met just outside of Ottawa, at the Best Western Jacques Cartier in Gatineau, Que. from Nov. 25–28 to participate in panel discussions, attend seminars by notable speakers such as Canadian writer John Ralston Saul and suspended Afghan MP Malalai Joya, and ultimately discuss and debate several major and highly contentious changes to the organization.
Referendum Reforms
The sixth motion on the meeting’s original agenda – proposed by local 78, the Carleton Graduate Students’ Association, and dubbed “motion six” throughout plenary, despite a change in motion order – brought forward the greatest debate at the meeting.

The motion to bring reforms to the membership referendum process included extending the minimum time period between defederation referendums on a university campus from two years to five years (three years for colleges); limiting the number of such referendums in any three-month period to two for the entire organization; and increasing the number of required referendum petition signatures from 10 per cent of a member local’s student population to 20 per cent.

The vote on the motion, toward the end of the final plenary of the meeting, was stalled as the hotel’s fire alarm went off in the middle of debate and all present in the room filtered out into the hotel parking lot. After a delay of over 20 minutes, delegates were allowed back into the large room to continue the debate and vote on the motion, which passed 44 to 19.

Kimalee Phillip, president of Carleton’s Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) – the student union that originally presented the motion – indicated she and fellow delegates were expecting some opposition to their proposals.

“Well definitely, we knew it would be a contentious motion . . . we’ve been getting a lot of backlash from the moment we served this motion to be discussed at plenary,” she said. “We were just really happy that it passed, and I think it showed that CFS is stronger than most people assume, and that we are here for the students.”

Matt Musson, director of campaigns for the local 21, the GSA of the University of Calgary, was one of two students behind an open letter against “motion six,” sent to numerous campuses and student newspapers last week.

Local 21 voted against the motion.

“I would have to say that [the end vote was] more than slightly disappointing. My feeling, based on what went down at the meeting, was that no one really wanted to discuss this rationally and think about the consequences for future members and even current members,” he offered.

“I really feel like this was restricting the individual rights of the current members by limiting discussion about their membership to once every five years.”

The motion required two-thirds support to be adopted. However, CFS-Quebec treasurer Andrew Haig contended that there was no proper two-thirds majority in the vote, due to a large number of abstentions.
“The decision of the chair to accept the motion as passed was clearly wrong. The CFS bylaws set out that it requires the votes of [two thirds] of member locals present to pass a bylaw amendment,” he said. “Of 69 members present, only 44 supported it. That’s less than [two-thirds], and the question really isn’t more complicated than that.”

According to CFS bylaws, “local student associations representing individual members are called voting members.” Additionally, “the Constitution and Bylaws of the Federation may only be repealed or amended by the vote of at least two-thirds of the voting members present at a general meeting.”

At closing plenary, the chair maintained her belief that the “two-thirds” was in reference to the total number of members who voted, not the total present.

When asked whether the national executive will be looking into the issue or would continue to stand by the chair’s decision to consider the motion adopted, National Chairperson Katherine Giroux-Bougard was unclear.

“The national executive actually hasn’t met following the meeting; our next meeting will be in January, so if there [are] any concerns, [they] would be brought up at that meeting,” she said.

While he declined to go into further detail in an interview, Haig did announce the possibility of pursuing legal action shortly before he and several other delegates walked out of the meeting after the “motion six” vote on Nov. 28.

Working with CASA and the Media
Two motions dealing with media access to CFS meetings were submitted for consideration prior to the meeting. The first, written by Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University (local 79), dealt with the media as a whole, but was withdrawn from consideration at opening plenary by the delegates themselves.
The other motion, proposed by local 26, the Kwantlen Student Association, suggested the CFS open meetings to all campus and Canadian University Press media. It ultimately failed as the committee charged with examining the motion suggested it contravened the existing media policy of the CFS.

Under the existing policy, CFS meetings are closed to media unless special permissions are extended by a majority vote of the organization’s national executive. In recent history, special permission has been granted to one Canadian University Press bureau chief to attend to provide coverage that is national in scope for distribution on its newswire.

Another motion proposed by Kwantlen that garnered some attention was the motion to further consultations and discussion with Canada’s other national student lobbying group, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. After its defeat was also recommended by the subcommittee, the motion failed to pass.
Several campaigns were also successfully adopted, surrounding support for reforms to Employment Insurance, work against the privatization of water, and the fight against the implementation of tuition fees at CEGEPs in Quebec.

Three positions for the 2009–10 national executive were also elected on Nov. 28: Dave Molenhuis, current national treasurer, will be next year’s national chairperson; current CFS-Ontario chairperson Shelley Melanson was elected national deputy chairperson; and Roxanne Dubois, current francophone students’ representative, will be taking over the position of national treasurer in May 2010.

MONTREAL (CUP) – Health Canada approved the H1N1 vaccine earlier this month, and administration is slowly underway. Because the shots are being administered by the provincial health authorities, how quickly members of the public can get the vaccine varies from province to province.

While Health Canada has said the vaccine is safe, a large number of Canadians say they’re wary of getting the shot. According to a Strategic Counsel survey, released last week, 51 per cent of Canadians said they’re not planning to get the vaccine. The Canadian University Press talked with officials from Health Canada and the vaccine maker, GlaxoSmithKline to get some answers for some common questions about the new vaccine.
What kind of testing has been done?

GlaxoSmithKline says that they’re going to be testing the vaccine on a little fewer than 9,000 people worldwide; 2,000 of those people will be Canadians. The Canadian tests began two weeks ago and it could take up to a year for the results. This means that Health Canada’s going to be reviewing early European tests done on a small number of individuals.
How are vaccines approved in Canada?

It’s mostly a review process. Health Canada looks at the results of clinical trials, where the vaccine is actually given to people; those tests are conducted by pharmaceutical companies. Health Canada also inspects their manufacturing plants and tests a small amount of the vaccine, but as a quality control measure, the government doesn’t do any clinical trials.
How is the vaccine made?

The vaccine is produced in a similar way to the seasonal flu vaccine. Pharmaceutical companies get an inactive form of the virus from the World Health Organization. They then grow the virus in eggs.
How did they make the vaccine so fast?

The seasonal flu tends to mutate from year to year; scientists call this mutation “drifting.” Because of this, a new seasonal flu vaccine is required each year. While it may seem like the new vaccine was developed very quickly, it’s not much faster than the response to a new strain of seasonal flu.
So what’s in this vaccine?

It contains an inactive form of the virus. The type of vaccine that will be more available in Canada also contains an “adjuvant,” which is designed to stimulate the immune system; it contains fish oil, vitamin E and water. The vaccine also contains a small amount of mercury as a preservative, but Health Canada says there’s less mercury in a dose of the vaccine than in a can of tuna.
Why is the H1N1 strain more serious than other types of flu?

Because the changes in the virus caused by the mutations aren’t that significant most people tend to have some level of natural immunity. But because humans have never had the H1N1 strain before, most of us wont have any of these antibodies.

OTTAWA (CUP) – A new study released on last week by International Trade Minister Stockwell Day has announced that international students generated a whopping $6.5 billion for the economy while completing studies in Canada in 2008.

The report, entitled “Economic Impact of International Education in Canada,” was released on Oct. 28 and indicated that over 178,000 students arrived to study for six months or more last year – with nearly 50 per cent coming from East Asian countries in particular. Ontario hosted the largest amount of students out of all the provinces, welcoming over 65,000 into its post-secondary institutions.

After bringing in $6.5 billion last year, Canada’s education export now tops the regular revenue the country gains from exporting certain natural resources, such as coal, which normally accounts for $6.07 billion per year.

“We’ve always known that it’s a big number, but this is new – that they’ve quantified it in this government-commissioned report,” said Robert White, an international relations policy analyst for the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

According to the report – which was originally commissioned this past February and prepared by Vancouver consultants Roslyn Kunin & Associates, Inc. – nearly 65,000 jobs in the education services industry were directly supported by the funds generated by international students, equal to 5.5 per cent of all jobs in the sector.

“In terms of the economic impacts, there’s that direct impact of the tuition fees that they’re paying,” said Tyler Chamberlin, assistant professor at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. “Then you also have, of course, all the indirect benefits that come to the region: they’ve got to live somewhere . . . they’re going to buying books, they’re going to be buying food . . . plus, bear in mind that many of these students, when they’re on exchange, are going to travel as well.”

The study estimated that over $285 million alone was funneled directly into the tourism industry in 2008 – supporting another 5,000 jobs and accounting for $161 million in Canada’s gross domestic product.
White indicated that these findings are an excellent incentive for the government to focus more on the internationalization of post-secondary education in Canada.

“It was one of the priorities in our advocacy agenda – recommending a major government investment or initiative in an international student recruitment strategy,” he said, referring to the AUCC’s pre-budget submissions to the House of Commons finance committee. “In laying out that recommendation, one of the things we point to is that among other things, international students bring a pretty significant amount of dollars into the Canadian economy.”

White noted, however, that economic effects account for only some of the many benefits Canada enjoys when international students choose to study in the country.

“It’s only one element of the rationale behind why it’s important for Canadian universities to continue to attract international students and why we need to government’s support in doing that,” he continued. “Having these international students, these minds, the best and brightest coming to our campuses enhances the teaching and learning and research environments of our universities.

“We see the benefits of that on many levels, beyond just the economic impact for the communities; but it’s a compelling argument too, and yes – we think it adds some impetus for the government to focus on it, to look at this.”

The report stopped short of making recommendations for broader education strategies, but did suggest methods of keeping better records of international students in the future. Suggestions included surveying foreigners about their experiences in Canada upon their departure and encouraging government agencies and post-secondary institutions to develop a proper system of tracking international students’ expenditures, tuition rates, and enrolment.

By Conor Kerr

The Gateway (University of Alberta)

EDMONTON (CUP) – The idea of a language becoming extinct is a far-flung idea to most people, but on the Tsuu T’ina reserve just west of Calgary, it is reality.

With no fluent speakers of the Tsúùt’ìnà language under the age of 50, the language could very likely be extinct within 20-30 years.

The Tsúùt’ìnà Gunaha project aims to preserve the Tsúùt’ìnà language and eventually spark revitalization of the language within the community. Linguistic researchers from the University of Alberta (U of A) are working with members of the Tsuu T’ina community to preserve the language.

In an effort to document it in action, researchers Sally Rice and Benjamin Tucker in the Department of Linguistics brought recording equipment to the Tsuu T’ina reserve, and set up recording sessions that captured the language in normal conversation.

“Speaking the language is very different than just reading it,” Dr. Tucker added. “This gives us an opportunity to record exactly what they’re doing when speaking it.”

To make the language more accessible, the tapes are being converted into high-quality recordings. These recordings are then transferred onto DVDs, completing the digitization process. Over 500 hours of recorded daily conversations and stories from fluent Tsúùt’ìnà speakers are now archived and in the final steps of being digitized.

“The digitization adds potential for interest in the language; younger generations will even be able to listen to podcasts in Tsúùt’ìnà,” Tucker said.

Already, an interest in the Tsúùt’ìnà language revitalization is stirring within the reservation. Members from the community are coming to U of A to record Tsúùt’ìnà, get training in the digitization process, or takes courses based on language revitalization.

“When you have economy, politics, and community acceptance behind the revitalization it can make all the difference,” Tucker said.

The Tsuu T’ina community is behind the revitalization, providing all the funding for the digitization of the language. There is a strong movement in the community to create programs that will help Tsuu T’ina youth in learning the language. The Tsúùt’ìnà Gunaha project is one of these. The Tsúùt’ìnà Gunaha program is putting on camps that allow children to immerse themselves in the culture, language, and heritage of their ancestors. These camps provide a great way for younger generations to learn the language in an active and fun way.

On the Tsuu T’ina reserve, there is a language revitalization program run in the schools. However, those certified to teach the language aren’t fluent speakers. This presents a huge challenge to the teachers, who are learning the language while teaching it.

“It’s like having a French teacher who’s not fluent in French,” Tucker added.

The interest in the community is there, however. With the digitization in its final steps, teachers will have access to more material to draw from, for both their learning and the children’s. In addition, with members of the band trained in digitization and preservation, they will be able to continue work documenting the language after U of A is no longer involved.

“Part of the reason they’re doing the training is so they’ll be able to teach it themselves, and not just have some academic telling them how to do things,” Tucker said.

After U of A is finished involvement, the projects put in place will continue. Moreover, with the communities’ involvement, revitalization could very well occur. Even if the language does not come back prominently, Tucker hinted that the digitization will leave all necessary aspects for revitalization in the future.

EDMONTON (CUP) – The debate surrounding the costs and benefits of the Alberta oilsands is a polarizing topic, but a panel assembled by the Royal Society of Canada has made it its mission to put bias aside and find the best course of action for the resource.

Many groups internationally and locally have condemned the oilsands for its detrimental effect on the environment and health of people and wildlife in surrounding areas.

Industry has downplayed the damage being done, hoping to protect its stake in the estimated 173 billion barrels of oil recoverable with current technology.

“The public debate is obviously quite split,” said Steve Hrudey, panel chair and professor emeritus in environmental health sciences at the University of Alberta. “Most of the information that’s out there is coming from sources that have an agenda, being from the oilsands or opposing it for a variety of reasons.”
“We just felt there was a need for the public to have access to a review from people who don’t have a stake in that outcome.”

The panel has convened 10 experts from a wide array of disciplines, including air quality, pollution control technology, aquatic toxicology and ecology, land reclamation, public health, and resource economics.

“Given the discussion about serious environmental and health impacts, we need to know what the evidence supports in terms of how serious these impacts are, [and] can they be mitigated within the economic benefits of the industry,” Hrudey explained.

Groups that have been vocal opponents of further oilsands development welcome a more public debate, especially with contributions from academia.

“Data’s being collected, but it isn’t being widely disseminated or analyzed. I think that will contribute to the debate, but I think what else it will also demonstrate is how many unanswered questions there actually are,” said Simon Dyer, oilsands director at the Pembina Institute, a group which has the mandate of advancing sustainable energy solutions.

“It’s likely we need a pause in oilsands development and a cap on expansions while we address some of these unresolved issues,” he continued. “It would be very helpful if the academic community engaged much more deeply.”

That’s precisely the goal of the new panel, which plans to release a report on its findings in early 2011.
“What academics are supposed to do is to look for the truth and be faithful to the truth,” Hrudey explained. “Our task is to try and describe the way things are, but what society’s going to do with that evidence is really a societal decision. We believe those types of decisions should be made on an accurate assessment of the evidence, not on something that’s biased one way or the other.”

The industry welcomes analysis from this “very credible and science-based group,” stated Travis Davies, public affairs advisor for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

“We’ll do as much as we can in terms of what we can supply anything [the panel] request from us in terms of data, and we’ll obviously stand behind the findings,” Davies said. “The fact that Canadians expect a high degree of environmental performance and sustainability that balances with the economic and energy supply issues the oilsands also have an impact on is pretty telling on where industry needs to be on this.”

The newly assembled panel doesn’t have the resources to conduct its own research, but will instead judge the merit of what’s already out there, Hrudey noted.

“The panel will be bringing our own understanding of issues to the table, and then deciding on a process. It’s really when we’ve got the evidence at hand that we’ll be identifying [our priorities],” he said. “It’ll be a question of looking at everything that’s out there and critically assessing credibility.”

A detailed review of evidence couldn’t come soon enough, Dyer argued.

“In many ways we’re 10 years too late in terms of assessing the impact of the oilsands and developing a plan going forward. Unfortunately, the industry isn’t waiting for environmental rules or a clear plan,” he said.
Hrudey is confident that the meticulous method of review used by the group will earn it due attention.

“This panel has been initiated on behalf of the Royal Society. It’s not funded by any external organizations, there’s no commitment [to action] made by any parties. I guess we wouldn’t expect that,” he said. “If we do a balanced job of getting the facts out there, and if we can’t reach consensus on issues, which may happen, then we’ll spell out what the disagreements are and that openness and frankness should speak for itself [...] If we do a good enough job, then maybe it will be compelling so they’ll have to listen.”

The Royal Society of Canada is the country’s oldest association of scientists and scholars.

By Alexandra Fox

The Carillon (University of Regina)

REGINA (CUP) – The first Olympic snowboarding competition took place in 1998. Canadian Ross Rebagliati won the gold medal only to have a urine test reveal positive for marijuana use. This event changed the stereotype of snowboarders forever, but this sport requires some serious skills.

On slopes anywhere, snowboarders are viewed as the rebellious, free stylin’ snow bunnies – the renegade ex-skiers turned boarders.

I have heard of people selling their boards and trading them in for skis. The reason is simply: “It’s just too hard.”

Snowboarding is not as easy as it looks. Many people get by with pure athleticism, but it can be a vulnerable and dangerous sport if you are not prepared for it.

Here is my advice for the newcomers to snowboarding:

Wear bright colours. Not only is this a free-style point, but it also helps when you hit a ditch while night snowboarding.

You can always pinpoint a newbie because their arms flap out to the sides, similar to surfing. Drop your arms and learn to balance. Keep your knees bent and fake it until you make it.

There are two types of riding: Regular means your left foot is in front. Goofy means your right leads. Traditionally, people think it is best to put your strongest foot forward. Do not be fooled. Unlike wakeboarding, carving in snowboarding is done by shifting your back foot.

Plowing is not the same thing as carving. Plowing refers to only going down the hill on your heel-edge – which is for lazy people. Carving is the ability to switch from toe to heel-edge at will. Only plow in panic situations.

Taking the chairlift is a bitch. If you are a newbie, sit on the side of the chair that you lead with. You can avoid a lot of awkward collisions by doing this. Also, do not stop right when you get off the chairlift because I, and most others, will not pause before running you over.

Screaming on the hill is not sexy. Don’t do it.

If you get separated from your friends, do not waste time looking for them. Everyone is headed in the same direction anyways. Slide your ass down the hill while following the above advice.

Do not take off your snowboard on the hill. I cannot stress this enough.

Speaking from personal experience, there is nothing more horrific than watching your snowboard slip through your mitts and race down the hill, pummeling all the helpless skiers.

Don’t bother wearing make up on the hill. Tear ducts tend to water when they are really cold, causing mascara, and your attractiveness, to smear everywhere. A little bit of cover-up and SPF 15 lip chap is all that is required.

I would not recommend attempting a jump until you can carve. Things get ugly when you are in mid-air and realize you can only steer in one direction.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with showboating on the hill. Assuming you do not screw up.

If you run into someone, acknowledge it. Do not awkwardly speed away without a word. Just apologize, crack a quick joke, and then speed away. If they are cute, act like you did it on purpose and offer to buy them a drink.