Question Period: Canada-China Investment Treaty – elizabethmaymp.ca – December 1, 2012

Question Period: Canada-China Investment Treaty – elizabethmaymp.ca – December 1, 2012

Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize

Universally Available 

• Gilles-Eric Séralini^{a, ,} ,
• Emilie Clair^a,
• Robin Mesnage^a,
• Steeve Gress^a,
• Nicolas Defarge^a,
• Manuela Malatesta^b,
• Didier Hennequin^c,
• Joël Spiroux de Vendômois^a

• ^a University of Caen, Institute of Biology, CRIIGEN and Risk Pole, MRSH-CNRS, EA 2608, Esplanade de la Paix, Caen Cedex 14032, France
• ^b University of Verona, Department of Neurological, Neuropsychological, Morphological and Motor Sciences, Verona 37134, Italy
• ^c University of Caen, UR ABTE, EA 4651, Bd Maréchal Juin, Caen Cedex 14032, France

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2012.08.005, How to Cite or Link Using DOI

• Permissions & Reprints
   

  Abstract

  The health effects of a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize (from 11% in the diet), cultivated with or without Roundup, and Roundup alone (from 0.1 ppb in water), were studied 2 years in rats. In females, all treated groups died 2–3 times more than controls, and more rapidly. This difference was visible in 3 male groups fed GMOs. All results were hormone and sex dependent, and the pathological profiles were comparable. Females developed large mammary tumors almost always more often than and before controls, the pituitary was the second most disabled organ; the sex hormonal balance was modified by GMO and Roundup treatments. In treated males, liver congestions and necrosis were 2.5–5.5 times higher. This pathology was confirmed by optic and transmission electron microscopy. Marked and severe kidney nephropathies were also generally 1.3–2.3 greater. Males presented 4 times more large palpable tumors than controls which occurred up to 600 days earlier. Biochemistry data confirmed very significant kidney chronic deficiencies; for all treatments and both sexes, 76% of the altered parameters were kidney related. These results can be explained by the non linear endocrine-disrupting effects of Roundup, but also by the overexpression of the transgene in the GMO and its metabolic consequences.

  ---

  Highlights

  ► A Roundup-tolerant maize and Roundup provoked chronic hormone and sex dependent pathologies. ► Female mortality was 2–3 times increased mostly due to large mammary tumors and disabled pituitary. ► Males had liver congestions, necrosis, severe kidney nephropathies and large palpable tumors. ► This may be due to an endocrine disruption linked to Roundup and a new metabolism due to the transgene. ► GMOs and formulated pesticides must be evaluated by long term studies to measure toxic effects..

   

why the mistreatment of Sirius?

El gato keeps ratting me out and I've already had 3 lectures so I'm not writing about him today. I mean if I wasn't keeping an eye on him how could I be present to get the lecture? I've reread the first three Harry Potter books in French instead of reading something new and I still can't understand the way that Sirius was treated by J.K. Rowling. Hermione in the last book can catch fish and Sirius can't and has to eat rats? Sirius had money and a big house and needed company so who better for Dobby and Winky to work for? But no. Dumbledore went looking for one Horcrux. Who better than Sirius to go looking for Salazas Slytherin's locket but Sirius and Kreacher? That would have healed some of the enmity between them and Sirius would have learn't about his brother's sacrifice. So maybe Sirius could not use polyjuice potion because it would interfere with his Animagus transformation? But if the memories could be used by Dumbledore to find out what Voldemort was up to why couldn't they be used to prove Sirius's innocence? Even if the memories of the students could not be used because they were underage, Snape's memory could have been used if they did not want to trust Remus. Really I just don't get it and don't get me started on the numerous unnecessary deaths while people like the Malfoys did not even get their hair singed. Imagine killing off one of the twins instead of Percy? Jeez.

Nutrition, Hormones/Women’s Health, Mind Body Spirit, Integrative Approaches, Integrative Nurses, World Medicine

Practical and Inspirational knowledge to immediately enhance your practice.

The Integrative Healthcare Symposium brings together the most influential and inspiring multi-disciplinary practitioners and healthcare professionals who are dedicated to improving patient care and defining the future of integrative healthcare.

Join us for four days covering more than 60 live session hours presented by nationally and internationally renowned speakers in the fields of Nutrition, Hormones/Women’s Health, Mind Body Spirit, Integrative Approaches, Integrative Nurses, World Medicine and more.

2013 Keynotes include:	- Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACN, FACB
	- David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM
	- Mehmet Oz, MD
	- Larry Dossey, MD

No citation and I am supposed to say nothing?

Someone appears to have copied a method I used without citing my work or the work that I based it on or the other people that also used the method based on my work or the work of others in my field. I don't see why I should say nothing about that. I spent years of my life getting that method into the academic literature and I really believe that 2 female editors made the different. They may have even have had to review the papers themselves. Most academics using any method have to cite a source and that source is not usually a textbook. One of my many rejection letters is below, one that I actually complained about to my former supervisor because of who was on the committee that the letter mentions.

09-May-2008

Dear Dr.

I write to with regard to manuscript ***** entitled "Medicinal plants

used for SDNTYSUMD in pets in British Columbia, Canada", which you

submitted to the Journal of Journal of UZZ***YTNSHFS.

I have read your manuscript and do not feel that such a survey is appropriate

for our journal. The main issue is that your paper reports on use of these

materials, however efficacy is judged solely by the respondants.  Having just

chaired a NRC Committee on UZZ***YTNSHFS, I am convinced that data should only be

published once balanced trials of efficacy are conducted. In light of the

appropriateness of your manuscript for our journal, your manuscript has been

denied publication in the Journal of UZZ***YTNSHFS.

Thank you for considering the Journal of

for the publication of your research. I hope the outcome of this

specific submission will not discourage you from the submission of future

manuscripts that report on blinded trails or experimental studies.

Yours sincerely,

Call for Papers 2013 University of South Carolina Conference for Women’s & Gender Studies

Call for Papers

2013 University of South Carolina Conference for Women’s & Gender Studies

February 29-March 2, 2013

TRANSITIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS:

Gender at the Crossroads of the Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the Humanities

We invite papers that focus on gender studies across and between disciplines, and papers that focus on gender studies as transitional, transformative, and transnational.    

We also invite any papers that take on the trans- (papers about the ways gender studies addresses the across, the beyond, the between).  This includes, but is not limited to, topics invoking the intersections of gender and the environment or gender and space.

Please send proposals of approximately 250 words to Anna Sykes, WGST Program Director, by January 10.  You may email proposals to ESYKES@mailbox.sc.edu, or send hard copies to Anna Sykes, WGST, Jones PE Suite 109, USC, Columbia SC 29210.  Proposals must be received by January 10.

SCWIST board meeting

The Board of Directors is gathering information from the SCWIST membership to inform SCWIST’s programming and future directions. All members are welcome, including students, professionals, founders and volunteers. We will host two small focus group sessions at which we will discuss important questions including “Why is SCWIST’s mission important today?” and “How can SCWIST continue to be valuable to members?”

When: Thursday Dec 6th 7:00pm and Saturday Dec 8th 2:00pm
Where: Mount Pleasant Community Centre (1 Kingsway) Meeting Room 1

Space is limited; please RSVP to grants@scwist.ca with the following information to reserve your spot.

Who knew a computer clock could lose time?

At 2 pm I had 4 browers open so that I could listen to Rachmaninoff and do other things without using tabs and for some reason that I can't remember I clicked on Ad Aware to scan for problems. Next thing you know it is 10.00 pm and Windows 7 is checking to see why the computer clock is 10 minutes slow. I went to bed and left it checking for problems. I have now updated Firefox and I'm crossing my fingers.

Characteristics of a Stalker

Characteristics of a Stalker

http://www.marshall.edu/wpmu/wcenter/stalking/characteristic-of-a-stalker/

The profile of a stalker

Relationship to victim:   Sometimes they are prior intimate partners, but more often the stalker desires a relationship with an acquaintance.
Obsessed:   They constantly think about or fantasize about the victim. The fantasies can be love oriented or angry and vengeful.
Rejected:   Many stalkers have a history of failed relationhsips or have trouble communicating with others.
Intelligent:   Most stalkers are intelligent and they carefully plan their stalking behavior. Most just lack social skills.
Motivated:   Stalkers can be motivated by thinking that their victim is the only one they can ever love or they want revenge against someone who hurt them.

Common Stalker Characteristics

• Jealous
• Manipulative
• Narcissistic
• Deceptive
• Obsessive and compulsive
• Falls instantly in love
• Socially awkward or uncomfortable
• Needs to be in control
• Depends on others for sense of self
• Unable to cope with rejection
• Sense of entitlement (you owe me!)
• Unable to take NO for an answer
•  Does not take responsibility for own feelings or actions.

(Information in this section taken from West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services, www.fris.org)

Vindicated - internships for science grads already in Canada

Wonderful SCWIST event last night with Sang Mah of MITACS. The best part was the young women science grads who bent the ear of the presenter during and after the presentation. Among their statements was -Why do you bring students when we are right here, Canada is wasting our lives, no response to our resumes. I added that it is not that Canada's top universities can't compete with US ones, it is that Canada's reputation for not hiring people in their field is spreading and top students are choosing to go to the US where there are fewer needless career barriers. Imagine knowing for years that this problem exists but standing there and saying some lucky others have the opportunity to do up to 8 internships.

Electing Donald Galloway will send a shock wave to Ottawa

Dear Friends,

If you live in Victoria, you have a unique opportunity to have a real impact on national politics in this by-election. This election is a race between the Greens and the NDP. The other parties have no chance of winning.

If Murray Rankin wins, nothing will change in Ottawa. Murray is a good man, but if he goes to Ottawa he will be just another NDP MP who, like his fellow NDP MP's, gets a daily memo from Tom Mulcair telling him what he is allowed to say.

Anyone following what is going on in Ottawa cannot have failed to notice that although she is all alone in Parliament, and has no more office space or resources than any other back bench MP, Elizabeth May is providing much more effective opposition than all the other opposition parties put together - even though she barely has room for the desks of the eager and able researchers in her overcrowded office.

It was Elizabeth May who raised the cry against the omnibus budget bill(s) and strategized and organized the cross party opposition to them. It was Elizabeth who single-handedly raised the alarm about the China "free trade" deal. It was Elizabeth who worked with Conservative MP's from the Okanagen to save the Saanich Agricultural Research Centre, by reminding them that they didn't want the agricultural pathogens the Centre researches introduced into the Okanagen. That was a good example of how she works outside the box with PEOPLE to get RESULTS.

Electing Donald Galloway will send a shock wave to Ottawa. It will be the political news of the year. It will double the resources that Elizabeth has to fight Stephen Harper — including the office space.

While living in Victoria, Donald Galloway has already been working with Elizabeth analyzing proposed legislation, including Harper's assault on the civil rights of refugee children. Working together in Ottawa they will be a formidable force.

But Donald will remain his own man because unlike all the other party leaders, Elizabeth has sworn that she will never impose party discipline on Green MPs or tell them what to think or say.

Just yesterday, Murray Dobbin, long time NDP stalwart, asked "Is the NDP becoming Liberal Lite?" He wrote that Mulcair and the NDP have made "a complete about-face on so-called “free trade” deals. Instead of highlighting three incredibly destructive investment agreements currently in the news they panicked – ending their commitment to get out of NAFTA, calling on the WTO to re-launch global trade talks and urging Harper to sign deals with India, Brazil and South Africa... That Mulcair would back off the NDP’s historic position on these odious corporate rights deals demonstrates how vulnerable the party is to feeling obliged to move in the direction of being a second Liberal Party." http://murraydobbin.ca/2012/11/19/1182/
_________________________________________


I haven't said much about Donald Galloway so far. You know he's very smart - he's a tenured law professor - but you may not know that he is also a very authentic human being and an EXCELLENT LISTENER. How many politicians (besides Elizabeth) can you say that about?

But don't take it from me. Please take 3 minutes to hear what Elizabeth May has to say about Donald Galloway, and why it is so important to elect him to Parliament at
http://donaldgalloway.ca/

_______________________________________________________

AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS MESSAGE WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Children's Day

"We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue to be the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind."

We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up
to the World Summit for Children
Report of the Secretary-General (2001)

http://www.un.org/en/events/childrenday/

By resolution 836(IX) of 14 December 1954, the General Assembly recommended that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. It recommended that the Day was to be observed also as a day of activity devoted to promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. The Assembly suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the date and in the way which each considers appropriate. The date 20 November, marks the day on which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989

hina treaty uproar signals growing rift between Ottawa, grassroots conservatives Thursday, November 15, 2012 by Will Horter

Home › Blog › China treaty uproar signals growing rift between Ottawa, grassroots conservatives

Thursday, November 15, 2012 by Will Horter

http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/china-canada-treaty

China treaty uproar signals growing rift between Ottawa, grassroots conservatives

Prime Minister Stephen Harper deserves credit for doing something extraordinarily difficult: keeping groups of people who share some values — but fundamentally disagree on others — focused on areas of common agreement, not on their differences, for the past six years.
The Prime Minister’s ability to keep his caucus and supporters focused on toning down differences to maintain unity has been impressive. However, now that the Prime Minister has a majority government, cracks are appearing within his party. The growing backlash over potential Chinese control of Canadian resources is just the latest example of a growing trend.
After years of strong party discipline, conservative-leaning voters are starting to speak out against the party position. The controversy about the proposed Chinese takeover of Nexxen and the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA) are the latest in a string of controversies that seem to have taken Harper by surprise.
This growing backlash from conservative voices is worth exploring more deeply. To investigate this, in late October, Dogwood Initiative reached out to almost 7,000 donors to the Conservative Party of Canada from across Canada to see what they thought about the proposed trade treaty with China. The results were revealing.................

http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/china-canada-treaty

Safer Medicines Campaign - Quotes from Doctors & Researchers:

Safer Medicines Campaign - Quotes from Doctors & Researchers:

those leftover single women are just like the tar sands

Currently reading http://environmentaldefence.ca/blog/those-leftover-single-women-and-tar-sands

 

Seeking: A suitor with low environmental standards

 

Likes: long walks on polluted soil, big pipes, swims in toxic tailings lakes, the quiet calm of dwindling wildlife

 

Dislikes: pesky environmentalists, being told to clean up, virgin forests, healthy wildlife

 

Apparently, the tar sands are just like “leftover single women”, so I thought I’d lend a hand by taking a crack at an online dating profile for the lonely industry. It must be hard to find what you’re looking for with such a history of toxic relationships, not to mention that embarrassing gas problem.

 

At a recent conference in Beijing, a spokesperson for CNOOC said that tar sands oil will get left behind if new pipelines aren’t built to carry it to the west coast: “It’s the same situation as the leftover single women. … It will be the same for the oil sands, they will be outdated just like unmarried single women”.

 

First of all, tar sands, like women, don’t rot with age like leftovers sitting in a fridge. The oil has been sitting in the ground for millions of years, and is going nowhere.

 

Second, there’s a difference between what’s best for Canadians and what’s best for big oil. Getting tar sands oil out of the ground as fast as possible and selling it cheaply to other countries where it will be refined and burned boosts profits for oil companies in the near term. In dating terms, that’s a pretty one-sided relationship: the oil industry takes what it wants and gets profits. And what do Canadians get?  Risk of oil spills, water and air pollution and lost manufacturing jobs as the petrodollar becomes more entrenched. It also means we’re not getting as much value for our resources as we should. Not exactly an equal relationship.

Rock Ethics Institute Postdoctoral Scholars The Pennsylvania State University

The Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State has multiple postdoc opportunities starting next year.  These will be excellent opportunities for FEMMSS related PhDs to get experience working with scientists and doing coupled epistemis-ethical analyses.  Please encourage folks you know to apply.  

Best,  Nancy

Rock Ethics Institute Postdoctoral Scholars The Pennsylvania State University   The Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State http://rockethics.psu.edu/ has a threefold mission to promote ethics education, research, and outreach.  In particular, we aim a) to integrate ethics education across the Penn State curriculum and to provide informal ethics education to our community in order to underscore and strengthen a culture of integrity and responsibility at Penn State, and b) to serve as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research in the field of ethics that is both collaborative and policy-relevant.   We pursue our educational aim by working with faculty across the university to provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to integrate ethics into their undergraduate classes. We are also launching a program to train STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to become leaders and educators in the field of research ethics. Our research efforts have led to a series of exciting collaborations related to food ethics, neuroethics, and climate ethics, including a recent NSF sponsored research network for Sustainable Climate Risk Management Strategies http://scrimhub.org/which will investigate the question: “What are sustainable, scientifically sound, technologically feasible, economically efficient, and ethically defensible climate risk management strategies?” At least four ten-month postdoctoral scholarships will be awarded with appointments beginning August 2013. Appointments are for full time employment (40 hours per week) and may be continued for a maximum of 3 years contingent upon satisfactory performance and the needs of the Institute. The salary range is $45,000-$60,000 per year, depending on experience. We are interested in hiring Postdoctoral Scholars with expertise in the following areas:

• Science and ethics, with particular interest in coupled epistemic-ethical issues in climate change science and in the life sciences
• Engineering ethics
• Bioethics, with particular interest in food ethics
• Business ethics
• Ethics education and moral literacy, with particular interest in ethics education assessment
• Ethical leadership
• Ethics in K-12 curriculum
• Research ethics
• Institutional ethics
• Agricultural ethics

Scholars will receive training and mentorship. They will be expected to assist in designing, offering, and assessing ethics training for faculty and graduate students, to participate in collaborative research in ethics, and to help to strengthen the interdisciplinary ethics community across the campus. Scholars can expect to work on co-authored publications and engage in research that will contribute to their own research trajectory. Scholars may also receive experience working on grants and other fundraising activities. They will also work closely with senior faculty related to their area of expertise and participate in multi-disciplinary seminars and conferences. There may be opportunities to teach one class per year. Applicants are expected to have completed the requirements for the Ph.D. or professional degree by the appointment date. How to Apply
Candidates should submit an online application at http://www.la.psu.edu/facultysearch/ and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent confidentially to Deborah Trialonas at dlb49@psu.edu
A complete application will include the following materials:
1.        A cover letter detailing the candidate’s qualifications, including how their background qualifies them for one or more of the above listed areas of interest and how their experience is relevant to the position as described;
2.        A current curriculum vitae;
3.        A scholarly paper or dissertation chapter (not to exceed 12,000 words) representing the applicant’s scholarly achievement or potential;
4.        Three letters of recommendation.
To ensure full consideration, complete applications should be received by January 4, 2013. The selection committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and incomplete applications may be at a disadvantage.  We will be interviewing candidates February 20-23, 2013 at the Central APA in New Orleans.  Skype interviews will be arranged for those unable to attend the Central APA meetings.
We encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds. Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and diversity of its workplace.

Implicit Bias, Philosophy and Psychology, Sheffield: April 20-21, 2013

Implicit Bias, Philosophy and Psychology, Sheffield: April 20-21, 2013

Deadline for Submission: 15 December 2012

The Leverhulme-funded Implicit Bias and Philosophy Project
(www.biasproject.org) announces its fourth and final event, a
conference on Implicit Bias, Philosophy and Psychology. Authors of
accepted papers will have the costs of their conference attendance
(including transportation) fully funded, within reason.  We invite
papers on any
topic falling under the conference title, but would especially welcome
papers exploring any of the following topics:

-Correcting for implicit biases
-Intersectionality and implicit bias
-Measurement of implicit bias
-Relationship between implicit and explicit bias
-Implementation intentions
-Motivation to control prejudice
-Implicit bias and real-world behaviour
-Malleability of implicit bias
-Varieties of implicit bias
-Implicit bias and academia
-Implicit bias and ethics
-Implicit bias and the law
-Stereotypes
-Stereotype threat
-Implicit biases and social construction
-Implicit bias and institutional prejudice
-Responsibility and implicit bias
-Blame and implicit bias
-Implicit bias and self-knowledge
-Applications of implicit bias research to "real world"



Keynote speakers will be:

Helen Beebee (Philosophy, Manchester)
Irene Blair (Psychology, Colorado)
Paschal Sheeran (Psychology, Sheffield)
Manuel Vargas (Philosophy, University of San Francisco)

Please send  abstracts (up to 500 words) prepared for anonymous review
to Angie Pepper:
a.pepper@sheffield.ac.uk

Queries to Jenny Saul, j.saul@sheffield.ac.uk.

--
Professor Jennifer Saul
Head of Department
Department of Philosophy
University of Sheffield
45 Victoria St
Sheffield S3 7QB

Roche should be sued to release data on oseltamivir, says Cochrane leader

BMJ 2012; 345 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e7658 (Published 12 November 2012)

Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e7658

A leading Cochrane researcher has suggested that European governments should sue the drug firm Roche and that doctors and others boycott the company’s products until it published all its data on oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

Peter Gøtzsche, head of the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen, was responding to an open letter to Roche from the BMJ’s editor in chief, Fiona Godlee.

His plea came the same week as Godlee and other campaigners met with the health minster Lord Howe to discuss missing data, European Union clinical trial regulation, and the role of regulators.

Afterwards Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative MP who last month asked in parliament for a meeting on the issue,1 said she hoped to have a full day’s event to discuss further what could be done.

She told the BMJ, “Few would buy a car without comparing fuel economy and safety, yet the NHS pays for drugs without insisting on seeing all the data. We have many levers to insist on sharing this data, and we should use them.”

In October Godlee wrote to Roche as part of the BMJ’s open data campaign, saying that researchers were still being denied access to raw data on oseltamivir despite a promise from the company nearly three years ago to make trial data available for independent scrutiny.2

She wrote, “Billions of pounds of public money have been spent on [Tamiflu] and yet the evidence on its effectiveness and safety remains hidden from appropriate and necessary independent scrutiny.”

Cochrane researchers knew that there were at least 123 trials of oseltamivir and that most (60%) of the patient data from Roche’s phase 3 completed treatment trials remained unpublished. The researchers’ main concern related to the “likely overstating of effectiveness and the apparent under reporting of potentially serious adverse effects,” said Godlee.

In his response Gøtzsche said that he questioned “why European governments had not sued Roche to get the money they had spent on needlessly stockpiling Tamiflu. Roche has withheld data that purports to show that Tamiflu has dramatic effects. We all wonder why it is so difficult to get these data from Roche and why Roche has not published them if it is really true that they show these effects.”3

He concluded: “European governments should sue Roche, which might have the effect that the hidden trial results come out in the open. Furthermore, I suggest we boycott Roche’s products until they publish missing Tamiflu data.”

Roche responded to Godlee’s letter in a “reactive statement” saying that it “does not accept or agree with the content of the letter regarding our transparency.”4

Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e7658

Canada-China FIPA: The Facts

Source:... | Canada-China FIPA: The Facts http://fipafacts.ca/post/35279488130/fipa-fact-1

At any moment, Prime Minister Harper could pass the most secretive and sweeping trade deal of a generation.

This deal would pave the way for a massive natural resource buyout and allow foreign corporations to sue the Canadian government in secret tribunals, restricting Canadians from making democratic decisions about our economy, environment and energy.¹
Most Canadians have never heard of FIPA, the Canada-China Foreign Investment Protection Agreement, because Prime Minister Harper is trying to sneak it through without a single vote or debate in Parliament.^2,3
Canadians have a right to determine our future, but this agreement will undermine our democratic rights and lock us into an inescapable path of foreign-ownership and resource extraction until at least 2040.
The Canada-China FIPA could be approved as soon as November 2nd unless we get the word out now that the Harper Conservatives are trying bypass Parliament and sneak this deal by Canadians. That’s why we partnered with SumOfUs.org on this campaign – if enough of us raise our voices now, we can create a massive public outcry to stop this devastating deal in its tracks.

Send a message to Prime Minister Harper and your MP: stop the Canada-China FIPA and the Nexen takeover.

Alongside this deal, the Harper government is trying to sell off Nexen, a major Canadian oil and gas company, to the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), one of China’s massive state-owned oil companies.⁴ The $15 billion-dollar Nexen takeover will open the floodgates to a wave of foreign buyouts of Canada's natural resources.
If FIPA passes, a Chinese company can take over Canadian resources and then sue Canadian governments in secret, if the government does anything that threatens the company’s profits
Any Canadian law or government decision – even ones that protect Canada’s environment, create jobs and stop dangerous projects – could be fought in secret tribunals outside of our legal system. Arbitrators unaccountable to the Canadian public would have the power to award billions in damages to foreign corporations if we do anything that hurts corporate profits, like improve environmental standards or slow down the export of cheap, unprocessed resources.^1,5,6

Time is running out. We have days before FIPA is set to pass into law, and the Nexen takeover could be approved at any time. Canadians, including many Conservative MPs, oppose the Nexen takeover, and Prime Minister Harper has just asked for a 30 day extension to regroup. We need a massive public outcry now.

And let’s remember: this isn’t about Canadians vs. Chinese, it’s about people having a right to participate in the decisions that affect their lives.

Additional Information

The ability for corporations to sue foreign governments in private courts, called “investor-state arbitration,” is a controversial practice built into many trade deals like NAFTA that has cost Canada millions and over-ruled democratic decisions, but none impose the level of secrecy in the Canada-China FIPA.
Incredibly, if BC tries to regulate or block Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline, Sinopec, another Chinese state-owned oil company with investments in Canada’s natural resource infrastructure, may be able to sue for damages, and we may never even hear about it the case or the details of the results.^5,6
Other countries like India, South Africa and Australia are moving away from this kind of trade deal. Last year Australia rejected investor-state arbitration due to concerns that it would “constrain the ability of Australian governments to make laws on social, environmental and economic matters”.^7,8
The BC Union of Indian Chiefs has also written an open letter to Prime Minister Harper condemning the Canada-China FIPA. They begin their letter: On behalf the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, we are writing to firmly express, advise and direct the Government of Canada to reject the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with China as the Government of Canada has breached its fiduciary duty to consult First Nations on our respective constitutionally-enshrined and judicially-recognized Aboriginal Title, Rights and Treaty Rights.⁹
The Chiefs of Ontario have also written to both Prime Minister Harper and China's Ambassador to Canada advising that the Canada-China FIPA investment deal violates First Nation Treaty rights and international law, and should be postponed indefinitely, pending nation-to-nation discussions between Canada and First Nations.^10,11

Why is Canada moving backwards?

Sources:

1. Canada-China Investment Deal Allows for Confidential Lawsuits Against Canada (Toronto Star)
   http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1264290--canada-china-investment-deal-allows-for-confidential-lawsuits-against-canada
2. Tories quietly table Canada-China investment treaty (Globe and Mail)
   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-quietly-table-canada-china-investment-treaty/article4573635/
3. Battle over CNOOC’s proposed Nexen Takeover Heats Up In Ottawa (Financial Post)
   http://business.financialpost.com/2012/09/17/battle-over-cnoocs-proposed-nexen-takeover-heats-up-in-ottawa/
4. Ottawa extends it review of CNOOC’s nexen bid (The Globe and Mail)
   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/ottawa-extends-its-review-of-cnoocs-nexen-bid/article4604093/
5. Chinese Companies Can Sue BC for Changing Course on Northern Gateway, says Policy Expert
   http://www.vancouverobserver.com/sustainability/chinese-companies-can-sue-bc-changing-course-northern-gateway-says-policy-expert
6. Chairman Harper and the Chinese Sell-Out (The Tyee)
   http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/10/11/Chairman-Harper/print.html
7. Trading our way to more jobs and prosperity (Government of Australia)
   http://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/trade/trading-our-way-to-more-jobs-and-prosperity.html#investor-state
8. Multiple Countries Rejecting Investor State Dispute Settlement (Janet M Eaton, PhD)
   http://www.sierraclub.ca/en/main-page/multiple-countries-rejecting-investor-state-dispute-settlement
9. Open Letter: Canada – China Agreement Abrogates Rights of Indigenous People (Union of BC Indian Chiefs)
   http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/News_Releases/UBCICNews10311201.html
10. China Canada FIPA - Chiefs of Ontario Letter to PM Harper
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/112459570/
11. China Canada FIPA - Chiefs of Ontario Letter to China's Ambassador
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/112459565/

Call for Applications: University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy Penn Fellowship in Advanced Bioethics

Call for Applications: University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy Penn Fellowship in Advanced Bioethics

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:01 AM PST

Call for Applications: University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy Penn Fellowship in Advanced Bioethics
The Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine invites applications for a new postdoctoral Fellowship in Advanced Biomedical Ethics, beginning in September 2013.  The mission of this 2-year Fellowship is to train scholars and future leaders in academic biomedical ethics.  Fellows will participate fully in the life of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, which is among the world’s leading bioethics departments.  They will have full access to the intellectual resources of the larger Penn community.
Applications are invited from scholars with doctoral degrees in hand (PhDs or equivalent, JDs, MDs), or who will have received such degrees by September 2013.  Doctorates may be in any relevant field, including but not limited to philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, economics or anthropology.
The core fellowship experience will consist of:
Mentored research
Master of Science in Medical Ethics
Department seminars
Ethics committee, consultation, and institutional review board experience
Fellows will receive an annual stipend, benefits, and full tuition for coursework required for the MSME degree.
Interested applicants should send the following materials to Olivia Hamilton, Graduate Program Coordinator, olivh@upenn.edu by January 2, 2013:
A curriculum vitae
A personal statement (maximum 1200 words) that describes your reasons for applying to the fellowship, your career goals, and your specific areas of interest, if any, within bioethics.
A published or unpublished writing sample (maximum 12 pages of text if a published work, 25 pages if an unpublished manuscript).
In addition, applicants should arrange for 2 letters of recommendation to be submitted by individuals familiar with their academic work.  Such letters must be submitted to Olivia Hamilton, Graduate Program Coordinator,  olivh at upenn.edu by the recommender, rather than forwarded by the applicant.
Physician applicants who are currently enrolled in a clinical or research training program at Penn should contact Autumn Fiester, PhD at the address below for additional requirements.
For additional information, contact:
Autumn Fiester, PhD
Director of Education, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
fiester@mail.med.upenn.edu

RCMP Criminal Harassment: Stalking -- It's NOT Love

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cp-pc/crimhar-eng.htm

Criminal harassment, more commonly known as STALKING, is a crime. Generally it consists of repeated conduct that is carried out over a period of time and which causes you to reasonably fear for your safety or the safety of someone known to you. Stalking does not have to result in physical injury in order to make it a crime. The law protects you even if the conduct of the stalker is not done with the intent to scare you. It is enough if the conduct does scare you. This may be an advance warning of the possibility of future violent acts.

Diet and Optimum Health 2013 Young Investigator Awards

Diet and Optimum Health 2013 Young Investigator Awards Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:07 AM PST Diet and Optimum Health 2013 Young Investigator Awards May 15-18, 2013, on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis Oregon, USA Diet and Optimum Health 2013 will emphasize dietary and lifestyle approaches to improving human health and preventing or treating disease, including dietary supplements, micronutrients, and antioxidants. The target audience includes scientists and health professionals in biochemistry, nutrition, preventive medicine, public health, endocrinology, cardiology, oncology, and gerontology. We anticipate a strong scientific look at the cutting edge of nutrition research. The program features individual sessions including: Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Fatty Acid Oxidation and Cardiovascular Health Diet and Epigenetic Impacts on Disease and Aging Vitamin D—Health Benefits Beyond Bone Health Effects and Mechanisms of Action of Xanthomumol Health Benefits of Vitamin C: Beyond Scurvy Micronutrients in Fertility and Pregnancy Whole Food Approaches to Disease Prevention The three most outstanding poster or oral presentations by graduate students or post-doctoral fellows will be awarded Young Investigator Awards, consisting of $500 and a certificate commemorating the award. The competition is open to: Graduate students who are enrolled in an accredited full-time doctoral degree program at the time of abstract submission. Post-doctoral fellows engaged in full-time, post-doctoral research who have no more than two years of research experience beyond their doctoral degree. Applicants need to submit no later than March 15, 2013: A one-page statement of achievements and career goals in micronutrient and antioxidant research in health and disease A letter of recommendation from their major professor or supervisor A scientific abstract of their conference poster presentation (submit online) Please mail or email the statement and letter of recommendation to: Barbara McVicar Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University 307 Linus Pauling Science Center Corvallis, OR 97331, USA lpi@oregonstate.edu Applications will be reviewed by the Awards Advisory Committee, and the awards will be presented at the Conference. Linus Pauling Institute Prize for Health Research Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:56 AM PST Linus Pauling Institute Prize for Health Research Sponsorship: The Prize is sponsored by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. The LPI functions from the basic premise that an optimum diet and a healthy lifestyle are the key to optimum health. LPI's mission is to determine the function and role of vitamins, essential minerals, and phytochemicals in promoting optimum health and preventing and treating disease; and to determine the role of oxidative/nitrative stress and antioxidants in human health and disease. Major areas of research in the Institute encompass cardiovascular diseases, cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. The goal of LPI's outreach and education program is to help people everywhere achieve a healthy and productive life, full of vitality, with minimal suffering, and free of cancer and other debilitating diseases. For more information, please visit the Institute's website. Nature: The prize consists of a substantial monetary award and a medal, and is awarded biennially. Purpose: The Prize recognizes innovation and excellence in research relating to the roles of vitamins, essential minerals, and phytochemicals in promoting optimum health and preventing or treating disease; and the roles of oxidative/nitrative stress and antioxidants in human health and disease. The goal is to stimulate innovative research that enhances our knowledge of the role of diet and lifestyle in the primary and secondary prevention of disease; and the role of oxidative/nitrative stress in disease pathology. The Prize also recognizes successful efforts to disseminate and implement knowledge on diet, lifestyle, and health to enhance public health and reduce suffering from disease. Procedure: The nominator should submit a nomination letter, two supporting letters solicited from his/her colleagues, and the candidate's up-to-date curriculum vitae. The candidate's research accomplishments in light of the purpose of the Prize should be amply described in the letters. The awardee must be present to accept the Prize and deliver a talk at LPI's "Diet and Optimum Health" conference which will be held May 15-18, 2013, on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, OR. Nominations are due no later than Friday, December 14, 2012. Nomination packages should be sent to: Barbara McVicar Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University 307 Linus Pauling Science Center Corvallis, OR 97331 Sam Schmidt Para

Calypso Hurricane Janet

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/limers/message/1154

HURRICANE JANET (Melody) 1956

Janet, ah beg you hard

Janet not Trinidad

Janet, ah beg you hard

Janet not Trinidad

You blow way the whole of Grenada

Same fate, the Barbadians suffer

Every day you read the “Evening News”

Enough to make a man jump out of his shoes

Chorus:

Janet hide in the mountain

Janet lick down a million building

Janet’s sister was Katie

Janet blow way the whole ah Miami

They had a misprint, they publish there

They said Janet had silky hair

About six foot the paper state

September 28

But when Janet visit Grenada

Nothing was standing in the area

She blow down the place like a pasture

And all we reading on the monkey papers here

Chorus

In St. Vincent I was afraid

So help me I was afraid

Ah hear she blow up a concrete well

And it fell down on the Town Hall

When Janet start to ramajay

If you see how St. Vincentian break away

And all we reading down here on the paper

Katie will move Janet from the area

Mexico was bitterly

Damaged Lord have mercy

Women and children were left out to roam

Janet destroy their home

Death was their only companion

And so they died from starvation

May the souls departed rest in peace

Thank heavens this Janet business cease

And so she died in the mountains

And leave them repairing house and kitchen

Janet sister was Katie

Janet blow way the whole of Miami