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Issues & Experts Archive > Salmon, politics, dinosaurs, religion, Internet - Issues and Experts
Salmon, politics, dinosaurs, religion, Internet - Issues and Experts
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September 22, 2004
Forecasting the fate of Fraser River sockeye…It's a nebulous and often inaccurate science, but it is the primary way in which the fishing industry and the government keep track of the health of salmon runs. Canada's department of Fisheries and Oceans is on the hot seat again for allegedly miscalculating the number of sockeye salmon expected to return to their spawning grounds this year. Sean Cox, a professor in SFU's school of resource and environmental management, can comment on the foibles of fish run forecasting and other factors affecting the rise and decline of salmon runs.
Paying for the political past at the polls…The federal and BC Liberals seem to be wracking up dubious points on their political score cards. The federal government is still dealing with the fallout from the sponsorship scandal inquiry. On top of the fall-out from raids on the BC legislature for alleged breach of trust, the provincial government is weathering charges against a high profile Liberal. Former riding association president Doug Walls faces criminal fraud charges. SFU political scientist Lynda Erickson can offer some thought on the extent to which the federal and provincial governments have to worry about paying the price at the polls for their members' sins.
Dinosaur tracks discovered in far western BC…SFU earth scientist Peter Mustard and a fellow geologist stopped dead in their tracks recently when they saw something unbelievable while surveying a region 200 kilometres north of Terrace. As Mustard gazed in disbelief at the three-toed Theropod tracks of a dinosaur made 125 to 145 million years ago, his colleague stared at a fossilized fresh water turtle shell from the same time period. Mustard can talk about the significance of his dinosaur track find. The tracks are the oldest and the furthest west to be found in the province. “The tracks are about 25 cm long,” says Mustard, “and probably belonged to a carnivorous dinosaur, about the size of a human and similar to the dinosaurs in the film Jurassic Park.”
The challenge of religious conflict….Prime Minister Paul Martin, who this week addressed the United Nations general assembly, told participants at an interfaith conference at McGill University, prior to heading to New York City, that religious conflicts are among the biggest challenges facing the international community. SFU humanities lecturer Donald Grayston can look at how religious differences divide. In July he attended the Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona, an event that focused on similar questions of the role of religious conflicts.
Changing the rules on internet use…Proposed changes to Canada's copyright laws are causing educators to take notice, given the possibility that a costly pay-per-use system could be introduced. They argue that such a move could hinder Internet use in the classroom or even cause some schools to cut off access. SFU communication associate professor Richard Smith studies Internet use and can look at how it is evolving in the classroom and what such a move could mean.
- Sean Cox, 604.291.5778; spcox@sfu.ca
Paying for the political past at the polls…The federal and BC Liberals seem to be wracking up dubious points on their political score cards. The federal government is still dealing with the fallout from the sponsorship scandal inquiry. On top of the fall-out from raids on the BC legislature for alleged breach of trust, the provincial government is weathering charges against a high profile Liberal. Former riding association president Doug Walls faces criminal fraud charges. SFU political scientist Lynda Erickson can offer some thought on the extent to which the federal and provincial governments have to worry about paying the price at the polls for their members' sins.
- Lynda Erickson, 604.291.4357; erickson@sfu.ca
Dinosaur tracks discovered in far western BC…SFU earth scientist Peter Mustard and a fellow geologist stopped dead in their tracks recently when they saw something unbelievable while surveying a region 200 kilometres north of Terrace. As Mustard gazed in disbelief at the three-toed Theropod tracks of a dinosaur made 125 to 145 million years ago, his colleague stared at a fossilized fresh water turtle shell from the same time period. Mustard can talk about the significance of his dinosaur track find. The tracks are the oldest and the furthest west to be found in the province. “The tracks are about 25 cm long,” says Mustard, “and probably belonged to a carnivorous dinosaur, about the size of a human and similar to the dinosaurs in the film Jurassic Park.”
- Peter Mustard, 604.291.5389; pmustard@sfu.ca
The challenge of religious conflict….Prime Minister Paul Martin, who this week addressed the United Nations general assembly, told participants at an interfaith conference at McGill University, prior to heading to New York City, that religious conflicts are among the biggest challenges facing the international community. SFU humanities lecturer Donald Grayston can look at how religious differences divide. In July he attended the Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona, an event that focused on similar questions of the role of religious conflicts.
- Donald Grayston, 604.291.5516; donald_grayston@sfu.ca
Changing the rules on internet use…Proposed changes to Canada's copyright laws are causing educators to take notice, given the possibility that a costly pay-per-use system could be introduced. They argue that such a move could hinder Internet use in the classroom or even cause some schools to cut off access. SFU communication associate professor Richard Smith studies Internet use and can look at how it is evolving in the classroom and what such a move could mean.
- Richard Smith, 604.291.5116; smith@sfu.ca