In December, The Tyee
reported that the current Canadian administration dismantled environmental libraries across the nation, closing 7 of 9 such facilities in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and
more under the purview of Environment Canada. During this process, evidence has surfaced that
implicates the government in the destruction of records, and many scientists believe the government has been
lying about digitizing these collections before
sending materials to landfills.
In many instances, these materials set the world standards for marine and fishery resources.
Rachel Carson corresponded with researchers at the St. Andrews Biological Station for her groundbreaking work
Silent Spring. SABS—and likely parts of its collection—are only some of the casualties of what Canadian scientists have called "libricide."
But these records were invaluable not just because of their historical data: they were also key to our current and future understandings of the effects of climate change, pollutants, and other topics pertaining to scientific research.
The destruction of these materials represents a huge loss to Canada and the entire world historically, scientifically, and environmentally.
Sign this petition to tell the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Harper Government that these actions and the lack of transparency surrounding them are unconscionable and unacceptable. 