It’s still important to listen to the country’s scientists

Re: “Federal government is wrong to muzzle scientists” (Editorial, Jan. 8)

That editorial may be one of the most important ever published in The Gazette.

Nearly 60 years ago Bertrand Russell, one of the great geniuses of the 20th century, wrote an essay, Science and Human Life, in which he warned that careless use, by technologists, of discoveries made by scientists, were a threat to the future of humanity.

He wrote that, in many cases, the technologists did not understand the consequences of their actions or ignored them if they did. He described their actions as “half way cleverness” and wrote that if the world could not be persuaded to listen to scientists “man will destroy himself by his halfway cleverness.”

He pointed out that those who have the final say on whether these technologies should be used are politicians, who are not always possessed “of any exceptional degree of wisdom.”

He concludes with the following sentence: “No previous age has been fraught with problems so momentous; and it is to science we must look for a happy issue.”

We cannot look to science in Canada if our government is stopping scientists from communicating with us. Ian Robinson

Baie-d’Urfé

I would like to address the unsubstantiated claims in your editorial regarding the federal government’s science record.

We value and support the work our scientists do each day and rely on the critical knowledge they produce to inform public policy and meet the needs of Canadians. The numbers show that not only does this government stand behind its scientists, we are making more of the data they generate available to more Canadians than ever before.

It is important to keep in mind that our government employs and supports scientists and researchers in countless capacities.

In 2011-12, more than 18,000 scientific and professional personnel worked for the federal government, including 6,683 engaged in research and development.

Media relations processes are needed and these have been in place for years (by previous governments also) for all government of Canada employees, not solely scientists.

Our government scientists continue to engage Canadians regularly. For example, in 2010, our government spent $894 million on science and technology initiatives related to the environment. Of that number, $430 million went directly to research and development. In that year, Environment Canada statistics showed that its scientists published 524 peerreviewed journal articles and participated in more than 1,200 media interviews.

The changing marketplace of information and ideas is allowing our government to share even more data. Technological change presents new possibilities, which is why our government has introduced the Open Data initiative. Since its launch last year, 273,000 data sets from 21 departments and agencies have been released and are available to download. Open data initiatives are widely recognized as the next technological step forward. We are harnessing and building on this opportunity.

Since 2006, our government has provided $8 billion in new funding for science, technology and the growth of innovative firms. In last spring’s budget, we ensured that programs and services that are priorities for Canadians are supported. This includes a wide range of sustained investments in research and new support for business innovation. We are not only addressing major challenges — Canada’s lagging innovation performance, including private sector investment in R&D — but we also ensured that research at all levels continues to be supported.

Declining innovation and competitiveness is a decades’ old problem that the previous Liberal government did nothing to solve, so our current prime minister launched our government’s national Science and Technology Strategy in 2007. This strategy has yielded encouraging results.

This fall, the Council of Canadian Academies released its second report on the state of science and technology. They found Canadian S&T to be healthy and growing and recognized for its excellence around the world.

As the priorities of Canadians and needs of the science community change, particularly in this period of economic uncertainty, this Conservative government is focused on creating jobs and growth by making investments in science and technology that deliver maximum benefits for all Canadians.

That means we need to nurture ideas in their infancy and encourage their transition from laboratory or classroom all the way to the marketplace. It is through commercialization that these ideas and inventions can create high-value jobs and create prosperity for Canadians.

Unlike the previous government, we are taking action and delivering results.

Gary Goodyear Minister of State (Science and Technology)

Ottawa

How can Environment Canada expect to draw top scientists to its posts if their research findings continue to be subjected to government control?

Perhaps the Harper government wants to get rid of them so they can be replaced by automatons mindlessly spouting “media lines.”

This move is just one more example of Stephen Harper’s insidious endeavour to run this country like an oligarchy. Sheila McCarthy

Montreal