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Issues & Experts Archive > Volcanoes, oil and gas, national health, Turkish law, dialogue - Issues and Experts
Volcanoes, oil and gas, national health, Turkish law, dialogue - Issues and Experts
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September 29, 2004
Mount St. Helens rumbles…Geologists are bracing themselves for Mount St. Helens' repeat performance of her eruption in 1980. That natural disaster killed 57 people in southwest Washington State. SFU earth scientist and vulcanologist Glyn Williams-Jones uses tools such as remote sensing imagery, ultra violet spectrometers, seismometers and global positioning systems to forecast a volcano's gas buildup and potential for eruption. He is one of about 20 vulcanologists in Canada who are studying collaboratively the creation, structure and activity of volcanoes worldwide in an effort to spare lives during volcanic eruptions.
To drill or not to drill…B.C. municipal leaders have voted to support lifting the 32-year-old moratorium on oil and gas drilling off B.C.'s north coast. Their vote will likely refuel the already fiery debate over whether the ban should be lifted. This summer, a commissioned report, co-produced by SFU associate professor Tom Gunton, concluded that the modest economic gains of lifting the ban wouldn't justify the problems incurred by the move. Another commissioned study drew a similar conclusion. SFU energy expert Mark Jaccard can comment on the debate, its likely outcome and what he views as the best resolution. SFU geographer and dean of arts John Pierce
can also comment. An expert on natural resource management and community sustainability, Pierce has co-hosted several SFU forums about this issue.
Planning for national health emergencies…Prime Minister Paul Martin has introduced Dr. David Butler-Jones, a former chief medical health officer, as Canada's first-ever chief public health officer. Butler-Jones will head the Public Health Agency of Canada, which will have a lead role nationally and internationally during an outbreak of an infectious disease, such as SARS. The dean of SFU's new faculty of health sciences, David MacLean can comment on the effectiveness of the federal government's national plan to prepare for a health crisis. A former family physician and medical health officer in Nova Scotia, MacLean favours national health strategies to fight chronic and infectious diseases.
Penal law reforms open economic doors…Turkey is one step closer to meeting the European Union's (EU) demand that it modernize its human rights laws if it wants to join the EU. Sociologist Yildiz Atasoy and political historian Andre Gerolymatos at SFU can comment on the Turkish Parliament's approval of one of the largest-ever reforms of the country's penal code. The duo can also offer some thought on how this reform is registering with liberal and conservative political forces in Turkey, and other Middle Eastern countries.
Dialogue training for community change…Underpinning the city of Vancouver's Four Pillars drug management strategy is public dialogue. SFU's dialogue program provided training to the 30 community leaders who conducted public discussions throughout Vancouver over the summer months. These facilitators are now reporting on the community conversations. "Dialogue-making skills can be learned," explains Joanna Ashworth, SFU's north growth management director of dialogue programs. "It's important to know how to listen and to invite participation. Dialogue creates a strong basis on which to create mutual understanding and build consensus on important community issues."
- Glyn Williams-Jones, 604.291.3306; glynwj@sfu.ca
To drill or not to drill…B.C. municipal leaders have voted to support lifting the 32-year-old moratorium on oil and gas drilling off B.C.'s north coast. Their vote will likely refuel the already fiery debate over whether the ban should be lifted. This summer, a commissioned report, co-produced by SFU associate professor Tom Gunton, concluded that the modest economic gains of lifting the ban wouldn't justify the problems incurred by the move. Another commissioned study drew a similar conclusion. SFU energy expert Mark Jaccard can comment on the debate, its likely outcome and what he views as the best resolution. SFU geographer and dean of arts John Pierce
can also comment. An expert on natural resource management and community sustainability, Pierce has co-hosted several SFU forums about this issue.
- Mark Jaccard, 604.291.4219, jaccard@sfu.caJohn Pierce, (out of town Sept. 30-Oct. 5), 604.291.4415; pierce@sfu.ca
Planning for national health emergencies…Prime Minister Paul Martin has introduced Dr. David Butler-Jones, a former chief medical health officer, as Canada's first-ever chief public health officer. Butler-Jones will head the Public Health Agency of Canada, which will have a lead role nationally and internationally during an outbreak of an infectious disease, such as SARS. The dean of SFU's new faculty of health sciences, David MacLean can comment on the effectiveness of the federal government's national plan to prepare for a health crisis. A former family physician and medical health officer in Nova Scotia, MacLean favours national health strategies to fight chronic and infectious diseases.
- David MacLean, 604.788.2574 (cell), dmaclean@sfu.ca
Penal law reforms open economic doors…Turkey is one step closer to meeting the European Union's (EU) demand that it modernize its human rights laws if it wants to join the EU. Sociologist Yildiz Atasoy and political historian Andre Gerolymatos at SFU can comment on the Turkish Parliament's approval of one of the largest-ever reforms of the country's penal code. The duo can also offer some thought on how this reform is registering with liberal and conservative political forces in Turkey, and other Middle Eastern countries.
- Yildiz Atasoy, 604.291.5520, yildiz_atasoy@sfu.caAndre Gerolymatos, 604.291.5597, andre_gerolymatos@sfu.ca
Dialogue training for community change…Underpinning the city of Vancouver's Four Pillars drug management strategy is public dialogue. SFU's dialogue program provided training to the 30 community leaders who conducted public discussions throughout Vancouver over the summer months. These facilitators are now reporting on the community conversations. "Dialogue-making skills can be learned," explains Joanna Ashworth, SFU's north growth management director of dialogue programs. "It's important to know how to listen and to invite participation. Dialogue creates a strong basis on which to create mutual understanding and build consensus on important community issues."
- Joanna Ashworth, 604.268.7883.