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Drugs, Climate Change, Security – Issues, Experts and Ideas
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January 15, 2007
Drug strategy deemed failure
Climate change – raising concerns about health
Canada’s no-fly list
Planet U – an approach to global warming
Climate change – raising concerns about health
Canada’s no-fly list
Planet U – an approach to global warming
Drug strategy deemed failure
A new report says the federal government’s investment in the war on drugs has been a failure, putting too much emphasis on law enforcement instead of on combating drug use and its damaging effects. The report’s authors are with the B. C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. SFU criminologist Neil Boyd can assess the government’s strategy.
Neil Boyd, 604.291.3324; neil_boyd@sfu.ca
Climate change – raising concerns about health
Public health officials are raising concerns over the potential health-related impacts of climate change. Tim Takaro, an associate professor in SFU’s faculty of health sciences, notes that in addition to its potential impact on disease there are other concerns - increases in poor air quality days and direct effects of heat on those with cardio-pulmonary conditions or other vulnerabilities. “It is particularly concerning because we have few tools to help us predict when and how much impact these changes might have. Without such information, few in the health sector will take the time and effort to think about preparing for these eventualities.”
SFU biologist Carl Lowenberger studies West Nile disease and says while increasing temperatures may allow for an earlier start to the mosquito season, these species are not infected with the virus. However he notes such temperatures may provide for an additional generation of mosquitoes. But he cautions, “There are many other factors involved than just mosquito populations. The impact of increasing temperatures on disease transmission is a complicated, multi-organismal situation that will be affected by many interacting layers of ecological complexity.”
Tim Takaro, 604.268.7186; timothy_takaro@sfu.ca
Carl Lowenberger, 604.291.3985; carl_lowenberger@sfu.ca
Canada’s no-fly list
Does the federal government plan to share names and information from Transport Canada's new no-fly list with U.S. authorities? Officials may not be elaborating but security experts, including SFU political science professor Doug Ross, think there is little doubt they will share the information with allies when the list is activated for domestic flights in March. Airlines will be required to check traveller names against the list before issuing boarding passes.
Doug Ross, 604.291.4782, douglasr@sfu.ca
Planet U – an approach to global warming
The issue of global warming is prompting a call for new action strategies. In his book, Planet U: Sustaining the World, Reinventing the University, Michael M’Gonigle, a professor of environmental law and policy at the University of Victoria, considers the potential of universities to become models of transformative change at the community level. He’ll talk on the subject at SFU Surrey on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 2:30 p.m. in room 3090, Galleria 3.
Fiona Burrows, PAMR, 778.782.7408
A new report says the federal government’s investment in the war on drugs has been a failure, putting too much emphasis on law enforcement instead of on combating drug use and its damaging effects. The report’s authors are with the B. C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. SFU criminologist Neil Boyd can assess the government’s strategy.
Neil Boyd, 604.291.3324; neil_boyd@sfu.ca
Climate change – raising concerns about health
Public health officials are raising concerns over the potential health-related impacts of climate change. Tim Takaro, an associate professor in SFU’s faculty of health sciences, notes that in addition to its potential impact on disease there are other concerns - increases in poor air quality days and direct effects of heat on those with cardio-pulmonary conditions or other vulnerabilities. “It is particularly concerning because we have few tools to help us predict when and how much impact these changes might have. Without such information, few in the health sector will take the time and effort to think about preparing for these eventualities.”
SFU biologist Carl Lowenberger studies West Nile disease and says while increasing temperatures may allow for an earlier start to the mosquito season, these species are not infected with the virus. However he notes such temperatures may provide for an additional generation of mosquitoes. But he cautions, “There are many other factors involved than just mosquito populations. The impact of increasing temperatures on disease transmission is a complicated, multi-organismal situation that will be affected by many interacting layers of ecological complexity.”
Tim Takaro, 604.268.7186; timothy_takaro@sfu.ca
Carl Lowenberger, 604.291.3985; carl_lowenberger@sfu.ca
Canada’s no-fly list
Does the federal government plan to share names and information from Transport Canada's new no-fly list with U.S. authorities? Officials may not be elaborating but security experts, including SFU political science professor Doug Ross, think there is little doubt they will share the information with allies when the list is activated for domestic flights in March. Airlines will be required to check traveller names against the list before issuing boarding passes.
Doug Ross, 604.291.4782, douglasr@sfu.ca
Planet U – an approach to global warming
The issue of global warming is prompting a call for new action strategies. In his book, Planet U: Sustaining the World, Reinventing the University, Michael M’Gonigle, a professor of environmental law and policy at the University of Victoria, considers the potential of universities to become models of transformative change at the community level. He’ll talk on the subject at SFU Surrey on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 2:30 p.m. in room 3090, Galleria 3.
Fiona Burrows, PAMR, 778.782.7408