ARCHIVED-Meridian Autumn 1995

Published
by
the
Canadian
Pol a r
Commission
Welcame ta
MERIDIAN
MERIDIA i a window on Canadian
achievements in the field of polar cience.
Of Silver Linings
and Polar Science
Each i ue contains information on
Budget cutbacks are never welcome news, bur
new and exciting research initiatives in
rhe proces' of relliew dury !t>ndw engender can
the polar region ,feature about the
yield positive resulrs.
Arctic and Antarctic, updat on the
work f the Canadian Polar Commi ion,
and much more.
MERIDIA i C reveryone an anyone inter­
e ted in the polar regions and polar science.
Through articles, photograph , and graphic ,
we'lI cover the full breadth of polar re-earch,
including the natural and phy ical ciences,
the social ciences and humanitie , and engi­
neering and applied science. The Commi ion
i also dedicated to ensuring that there exi t a
stron link bet\veen rhe scientific community
and northemers, benveen th who live on
the land and practi e traditional way and
tho e for whom indigenous knowledae i only
a vaguely understood concept. Wirh thar
o jective in mind, the Commi ion will work
clo e1y wirh science instirute , Canadian uni­
ver itie, aboriginal people' organization,
and orh r to educate and inform Canadians
abour the polar regions.
MERIDIA welcomes your commenrs
and contributions. You can reach u by
phone, fax, or e-mail at the numbers li ted
in ide, or find out more abour rhe
Commis ion through our new Web ite at
htlp:\\www.po!arcom.gc.ca
\X/hit Fraser
Chairman, Canadian Polar Commi i n
ln the pa t year, Iike ail federal government
agenci and departmenrs, the Canadian Polar
Commi ion has had to confront the realities
of reduced budget in an effort ra rackl the
federal defi it.
The Commi ion accepts the principle
that deficit reduction i in the nationallnter­
e t. However, we maintain that a trang com­
mitment and pre ence in polar science is also
in the national inter t. It i vital ra develop­
ing and maintaining the northern environ­
ment, the health and well-being of northern
Canadian , and a viable northern economy.
Rather than impeding the develop­
ment of polar science, the current c1imate of
fiscal review and re-evaluati n afford the
o portunity ta re-examine our northem prior­
iti . If pr per.ly con idered, deficit reduction
may even erve ta complement and trength­
en our national efforts in polar cience.
ince irs establi hment in 1991, the
Commi i n ha advocated rhe need for much
greater co-ordination among the various fed­
eral government departmenrs and agencies
operating in northern Canada and me cir­
cumpolar wodd. We have heen forthright in
our as ertion mat Canadian lack an effective
Volume
1,
No.
Aulumn
1995
means of measuring the level of narional
spending on polar science and evaluatina the
benefir . Put bluntly, we are flying blind.
ln irs recent review of federal pro­
grams, the govemmenr acknowledged rhat
rhi lack of co-ordination ha seriou Iy weak­
encd anada' lar cience effort. A report
repart~d by Mr. Roger Ta"é concluded mat
the Canadian Polar Commi ion i a valued
instrument for the advancemem of polar ci­
ence in Canada and 'hould be 'Up rted by a
cont'd on page 3 ~
2
The Canadian
Polar Commission:
Serving Canadian
Interests in Polar
Research
The Canadian Polar Commi ion Act was
passed by Padiamenr in 1991. The Act sets
OUt the cru ture of the Commission, and
Left 10 righl: Whit Fraser, JoAnne Deneron, Michael Kusugak,
it mandate and r ponsibilities as a
Eva Arreak, Jan Granl, John Slager, Marc-Adélard Tremblay
Crown agency.
The Commi ion is an advocare on behalf of
Canada's polar sciemific communiry. Ir pr ­
mores and encourages sound federal policies in
upporr of polar science, m nirors rhe tare of
polar knowledg in Canada and abroad, and
works to inform Canadians abour the im r­
rance of polar re earch ra their cul rural and
economic well-being.
Bur while rhe promotion of science is
an importam part of the CPC' work, it i not
a sole priority. The Commi ion erves a a
vital link ta northern communities - those
mo t likely w be affected by both the conduct
of science and me resulrs of study.
The Commi ion works wim imerna­
tional bodie uch as rhe International
Arctic cience Committee, the cientific
Commitree for Anrarctic Research, and omers
in the development of multilareral approaches
ta re earch in the me polar regions.
For fmmer information, plea e contact
the Commi ion's Ottawa office or our region­
al offices in Yellowknife, .W.T. and
Kuujjuaq, Quebec. taff will be pleased ro
re pond to your enquirie .
Who's Who
Board of Directors
Commission Staff
The Commi ion is compri ed f a seven­
member board of direct rs, indu ing a Chair
and Vice-Chair, appoinred fot rerms of mree
years.
The board is divided imo four commit­
tees: teering Committee, International
Committee, Science and the Environment
Committee, and Communications Commitree.
ln addition to its membership me board of
direcro relie on the advice and coun el of
polar expert drawn from omer oroanization ,
m ny of whom represem rhe Commi ion on
international bodie .
Albert Haller, Executive Officer
Whit Fra er, Chairman
JoAnne Deneron, Vice-Chair
Eva Arreak, Member
Jan Grant, Member
Michael Kusugak, Member
John Stager, Member
Marc-Adélard Tremblay, Member
Alan Saunders, Co-ordinator,
Communication & Information
Elaine Anderson, Research A i tant
Sandy Bianchini, Executive Secretary
Bill Ryan, Comptroller
onia Bélanger, ormern cien e Officer,
Kuujjuaq
tephanie Irlbacher, orthern Science
Officer, Yellowknife
Focu on the Future:
Root Wins
Northern Science
Award for '95
Fred Roo • cience Aclvisor Emeritus with
Environment Canada and a prominenr
spok man on behalf of polar cience for
many decade • i thi year's winner of the
orthem
ience Award.
ln acc pting the award from Mini ter of
Indian Affair and orthem Development,
the Hon. Ron Irwin, at a special ceremony
June 19 in Ottawa, Dr. Roots stressed the need
ta look ahead rather that recall
t a hieve­
ments.
"We should not dwell on wharever we
may have done-or what mi take we have
made-in the past, but in the light of that
knowlcdgc, give our atrenti n to what i to be
donc in the future."
Dr. Roots u ed the occasion to link the
future priorities for northem science ra key
developments in the region over the pa t half
century-political and economic maturiry,
combineJ with a new en e of elf- uffi ien y,
and the increa ing integration of the North
into the global system. He sugge ted that
northern cience in the future will he:
• increa ingly oriented toward local prob­
lems and local priorities but also integrat­
ed to a greater extent with global ience;
• more involv d in the devoluti n of the
rth, and in finding ways of applying
We tern and indigenou knowledge ra eur­
rent and emergin problem i
• challenged ra kee irs credibility high with
rhe public and deci ion makers even a it
reveal the seriousne of environmental,
economic, and social problemsi and
Of Si/ver Linings and Polar Science
cont"d. {rom page 1
• upported by diverse funding urces that
stress short-term, bottom-line solution
rather rhan long-rerm, ophisticateJ
research.
"The future for polar science i full of
problem ," he aid. "Science in the North is
m re important toda'l' than ever before, and
will be even mOre sa in the future. At rhe
same time, 1 think any objective observer
wou Id have ra conclude that our collective
capacity ra do good science in me arrh is
declining...The uppl'l' f enthu ia tic, high­
qualiry, highly trainecl 'l'oun scientists keen {O
take up the challenge of northern i nc,
p cially in multi-Ji ciplinary field
much
needed in the orm i' 1011", not because of lack
of inter t but becau e of lack of long-rerm
support."
The Canadian Polar Commis ion will
publi h the c mplete texr of Dr. Root '.
rem rks a part of its Polari Papers eries
thi fall.
enim con ultative body made up of those
department involved in polar science.
The Commi ion believe an inrerde­
partmenral p lar re earch council would he a
key 'tep toward the co-ordination of Canada's
efforts in polar cience. For the fir t time in
decade , we would be able ta evaluate our
overall federal effort in the Norrh, we would
be able ra recognize and avoid duplication and
redundanr programs, we would re-establish
our priorities, and we would addre many of
the new cientifie and rechnological chal­
len es facing northern regions.
Thi" pring, the Commi ion released a
proposed federal polic'l' for polar science,
TOll'ard aPolicy for Canadian Polar Science and
Technology. It i the Commi ion firm belief
that thi policy, upled \Vith the recommen­
dations conrained in the Ta 'é report for a
co-ordinated approach ra polar cience,
should be oiven the highesr con iderarion by
the G vernment of Canada. Their implemen­
tation wou Id increa e our capaciry te under­
stand and addre s northern re 'earch concerns,
and ra derermine the real value of expendi­
tllres on polar research.
4
An Ozone Primer
1
ln the upper atmosphere ultraviolet
Iight breaks off a chlorine atom Irom
a chlorofluorocarbon molecule.
2
3
4
The chlorine attacks an ozone
molecule, breaking it apart.
An ordinary oxygen molecule and
a molecule 01 chlorine monoxide
are formed.
Alter a free oxygen atom breaks
up the chlorine monoxide, the
chlorine is free to begin the
process again.
The effcets of ozone depletion are a serious
concern for tho e who live in me ortho A
part of its effort to provid information ta
communities in the region, the Polar
Commission will publi h an overview of the
subject mis fall, as part of its Community
Information series.
Ozone
Oxygen makes up about Zl per cent of the air
we breathe.
Oxygen oeeur in mree forms in me
atmosphere: single oxygen atams (0), tela­
tively un table and found particularly at high
altitude; relatively stable oxygen moleeule
(OZ); and ozone (03)' more reactive than
oxygen and found in the upper atmosphere.
Comprising le than .0001 per cent of
the atmo'phere, ozone i a colourle ga with
a trang, pungent odour. It is formed in the
presence of high energy source such as light­
ning or ultraviolet radiation, and at ground
level.
The average amount of oz ne found
over the poles is abOlit twice as mueh as thar
found over me l'quator. The total zon found
over a particular location will also vary
aecording ta the time of day, season, and air
currents. ln Canada, the atmospherie ozone
can hall' a natural change of 25 per cent
between winter and summer.
The Atmosphere
The particles and gases above the surface of
the earth form the auno phere. The armo ­
phere is necC'Sary for alllife fonus and facili­
tares energy nows and matter eycling that
re ult in earm' climare.
The tropo phere is that part of me
atmo phere cio e t ta the surface of the earth.
It is characterized by a declining temperawre
wicll increa ed altitude. The trapo phete,
warmed by rhe heat radiated from the earth,
exrends [0 abour 17 km above the surface.
This moi t, turbulent air mas' i rhicke t
above the equator.
The strarosphere arises above rhe tro­
po phere and extend ta about 50 km above
the earrh. Here temperarures tend ta increa e
with altitude and the air is dry and statically
table. Almo t ail of the earth' atmo phere is
found in the fir t 50 km above the surface.
Only about 1 per cent extend· beyond the
trata phere.
About 80 per cent of the orone in the
atmo phere is found in the stratosphere at
about the Z5-km altitude level. When sun­
light reaches the stratosphere, it causes sorne
of the oxygen rnoleeule to break apart ioto
5
oxygen acom·. The intense form of unlight
that create· ozone is called ultraviolet radia­
tion. The single oxygen amms bind with other
oxygen molecules mform zone.
Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs)
Chloronuorocarbon , or CF ,are u ed in a
wide range of manufa([uring applications,
including refrigeranrs, air-conditi ning,
aero 01 , c1eanina fluid , and blowing agent
for foam. Fir t dcveloped in 1928 il' a replace­
ment for ammonia in refrigeracor', CFCs are
highly stable, non-taxic compounds that tend
not to rcact with other "ubstance or break
down easily under normal environmental
conditions. However, expo ure to ultraviolet
radiation plies the chemical bonds to free
highly reactive chi rin . Afree chlorine amm
can then com ine with one of the oxygen
awrns in zone; the chlorine atom 1V0uld be
fre again hould an individual oxygen atom
be pr nt W form an oxygen molecule.
lndustrial activities are r ponsible for a
ignificanr increase in chi rine in the atmas­
phere. The natural backg und level is estimat­
ed ar 0.6 par per billion by volume (ppbv). By
1991 thi had increased almast ix times, to
3.5 ppbv; ince then, it has continued CO
increase at arate of about 1.0 ppbv each decade.
Although CFC cau e about 80 per
cent 0 the current ozone depletion and are
increasing in the atmo phere at a rate of 5 per
cent co 6 per cent annually, other ub rances
alsc lead mozone depletion. These include:
• hal ns u ed in fire fighting {increa ing at a
rate of Il to 15 per cent annually in the
atmo phere and cau in o 5 per cem deple­
tion)i
• carbon tetrachl ride, u ed a a olvent and
as an ingrcdient for many organic chemi­
cal (increa ing at a rate of 1.5 per cent
annually in the atmo phere but cau ing
les' than 8 per cent depletion);
• hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFCs),
developed a a replacement for CFCs
(increa ing at a rate of 7 to 10 per cent
annually but cau ing le than 0.5 per cem
depletion)'
• methyl chlorofom1, used to cIean metal
(increa ing at a rate f4 per cent annually
in the armo phere and cau ing 5 per cent
depletion);
• and methyl bromide, used a a pesticide
(cau'ing - to 10 per cem depletion)
The Antarctic
The Arctic is particularty susceptible 10 Ihe
effects of ozone deplelion.
phenomena appeared in October, the outh­
em pring, but ozone level retumed almo t ta
normal by the end of the ummer. The ozone
depletion had not been predicted by previous­
Iy developed model. Later, atellite imagery
and other data were u d to ubstantiate the
finding.
[n Augu t and eptember of 1987, a
high-altitude sampling of gase in the ozone
h le provided conclusive evidence that deple­
tion of ozone over Amarctica re ulted from
hi hly reactive chlorine originating rom
indu trial activity.
The Polar Vortex
A polar vortex is caused by swirling wind
high in the straco phere during rhe long and
coId winrers over Amarctica. The e wind
form a barrier to the movement of air acr
the vortex boundary. Ama of coId air builds
up in"ide the lar vortex where ozone 1
concemrated.
The manner in IVhich the chemical
reaction leading ra depletion of ozone pro­
ceeds i as follows: Cloud are formed from
warer and nitric acid inside the vortex in the
trato phere (Polar trata pheric Cloud or
P Cs). The more stable and colder the vor­
tex, the grearer the occurrence of PSC' which
lack up most of the nitrogen in the 10IVer
straw phere. Thi nitrogen is often in the
fonn of nitrate which hold the harmful chlo­
rine and bromine. Throu h a complex set of
chemical reactions, chlorine and bromine
molecules are relea ed From the ice in the
P Cs by unlight in the spring. The chlorine
and bromine react with ozone, "rarting achain
reaction that resul in m ive depletion of
the ozone in the early spring. Once the polar
vortex reak' clown and the PSCS melt, air
from around the vortex area begins ta mix
again, and ozone levels rise.
In 19 5, following adecade of tudy, ciemi es
reported the pre ence of an oz ne "hole", or
dra tic ozone reduction of about 30 ta 40 per
cent, over part of Antarctica. Thi revelation
stimulated further re earch and debate. The
cont'd on next page ~
6
The Arctic
Record-Iow ozone levels were recorded
in early 1993 at monitoring stations
The Arctie i p rtieularly su ecptible to the
effects of ozone depletion becau'e it i 1
biologieally productive than mo t other part
of the w rld. Moreover, the condition that
promote ozone destruction are concentrated
above the polar region .
Following the di covery of ozone
depletion over Amaretica rescareh cienti ts
began tO look for similar trend in the Arctic.
In 19 6 pringtime ozone depletion (below
25 DU) over the Arctic was confirmed;
atellite ob ervation e rablished that the area
of deplction was centred ovcr southern
Finland and the northea tern viet Union.
A sub equent reanaly i' of 1984 satellite
dara uncovered evidence of the same ozone
rhinning.
The proce of ozone depletion in the
Aretic appear ro differ from that f the
Antaretic in several re pects. The Ar tic ha
its own vortex and a somewhat smaller ozone
hole, but the distribution of land and water
make ~ r variances in temperature, breaking
up the north polar vortex and keeping the
overall temperarure of the Arctic hi her than
that of Antarctiea. A the north polar vortex
is not a strono or long-lived as it uthern
counterpart, it ha been sugge ted that air cir­
. culares within the vortex from an outside
ource, forming a "flowing proce or". When
new, relatively ozone-rieh air enters the vor­
tex it i rapidly tripped of its ozone; as a
re ult, ozone loss is not eoncentrated at any
across Canada.
one altitude a it i in the Antaretie, and an
ozone "hole" does not accur over the Aretic.
A second AA E was undertaken in
1991-92 ro further inve tigare ozone 10 over
the Arctic and mid-latitudes in the northern
hemisphere. The data indicated a loss of
berween 15 per cent and 25 per cent of ail
ozone orne 18 km above the earth. The area
of mo t evere ozone depletion was cen r d on
eandinavia. AA E Il al provided sorne
valuable information on other proce es that
may lead ta ozone depleti n. The eruption of
Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in June
1991 injected ronnes of aerosols, induding
ulphates, into the atm phere. These fine
partide provide a urface for the chemical
rea tions that re ult in the relea e of ozone­
de rr ying chlorine.
Record-lowozone level were recorded
in early 1993 at moniroring tations acr
Canada, induding arctie ites at Alere,
Eureka, Resolute, Churchill, and Goose Bay.
Ozone levels for the early part of the years,
prior ro the break-up of the arctic polar vor­
tex, were 14 per cent lower than measure­
m nt made before 1980. A peak 10 of about
30 percent was found at 16 km abovc the
ground in the lower tratosphere. Thi' i com­
parable to what ha oeeurred over the
Antarctic and indudes data from moniroring
ite both in ide and out ide the aretic vortex.
Early evidence from Canadian ozone moniror­
ing tation for 1994 shows that ozone levels
and UV-B levels have rerurned ro do e ro nor­
mal. This indicates that recent trend may
have been enhanced by atmospherie debri
from the erupti n of Mount Pinatubo or that
other unknown atmo pheric and tran port
mechani m may be at \York in the northern
hemi phere.
L THE NEXT MERlD1AJ .
luJyin u the Effem of O:(\ne Depletion
What's New...
Research conducted by the British Antarctic SUf\'CY (BAS) l\leteorologid and Ozone
\ionitoring Unit indicates that the antarctic ozone hole is still dccpening. Springtimc \'alucs
recorded at the BAS's Halley Research Station ha\'e fallen to Icss than 40 per cent of those
seen in the 1960s. The research suggests, as weil, that the dccline is no longer restricted to
springtime but extends into Sl}mmer, increasing the le\'el of harmful ultra\'iolet radiation
reaching the surface of Antarctica and surrounding ocean~.
The BAS, which has monitored ozone le\'els in the south polar region for close to
four decades, first disco\'ercd the antarctic ozone hole in 198;. \Vriting in the August issue
of Natllre, BAS researcher Dr. Anna Joncs noted that international co-operation offers the
only real hope for reco\'ery of the atmosphere.
"Ir is only because of restrictions of the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments,
controlling chlorine and hromine emissions that we can expect the Antarctic ozone hole to
disappear," she obser\'es. "Enn though these controls arc coming into cHect, the o:one hole
is likely to appear for many decades."
7
Toward a Policy for
Canadian Polar
Science and
Technology
Northern
Contaminants
The Commi ion ha tres ed the need for
the federal govemment ta tate clearly a
national commitment and obligati n ta
polar science. The members of the
Commi ion believe mat, without uch an
undertaking, Canada' ArC[ic and
Antarctic research program will be unable
ta. u tain the 1 n 'tem1, high,quality
l'
ence CUITent problems demand.
ln the pring of 1995, the Commi ion
relea ed a paper idenrifying prioritie for the
developmenr of a national policy for polar ci­
ence and technology. Toward a Poliey for
Canadian Polar Science and Technology wa
developed with input from polar researcher ,
ab riginal oroanization, and governmenr
agencies across the country.
In the mon th ta come, the
Commission will be pre ing governmenr
departmenrs and agencie ta set ut clearly a
federal po ition n lar sei n e and establish
an inrerdepartmenral council for the co­
ordination of polar science activities acro s
federal Jeparrmenr and agencie. The
Commi 'ion could erve as a con ultative
body ta the council.
Copie of TaUlard a Polie y for
Canadian Polar Science and Teehn%gy are
available from Commi ion office in Ottawa,
Yellowknife, and Kuujjuaq.
"From St. John's, :'\lewfoundland
to the shores of British Columbia,
this country is a fl'rtile ground for
innlwatiw idl'as and products."
That's the cherry conclusion
of the report of the :\ational
Ad\'isory Board on Science and
Technology (:\ABST), released this
past June. Unfortunately, the report
largely o\'er!ooks that part of the
country from An'iat to Arctic Bay,
Watson Lake to Paulatuk, or just
ahout an\' other expanse north
of 60°.
Polar Commission Chair,man
\\'hit
Fraser
was
harsh'"
critical of the report, Heulth~',
Wealth~' and \\'i.~e: A Fralllett'ork for
an lnte~rated Federal Science and
TechnoloJr.' Strate~', saYing it "irtu,
ally ignored the unique socio
,economic situation of Canada's
Arctic population.
"How a national hody such as
~ABST could miss a third of the
country is heyond comprehension,"
he said. "It's ail fine and good to
point out thl' link hetwel'n science
and teclmology and social weil,
heing...hut thl' kinds of generalities
contained in the report simply don't
apply in most regions in the :\orth."
Mr. Fraser noted that the
Commission's paper, Totl'Urd a
Polic~' for Canadian Polar Science
and Tefhnolo~', submitted to the
federal gowrnment in June, high,
lights the sperial needs of northern,
ers and the import.mce of bringing
both Western srience and indigenous
knowledge to bear on rescarch
questions.
The Board of Direcrars of the Commi ion has
endorsed plan ra ho t a national conferen e
on polar conraminanrs in the fall of 1996.
Alth ugh detail- are still being finali:ed, the
conference will be held in northem Canada
and will feature leading experts on conrami­
nants a weil a policy makers and represenra­
tives of aboriginal communities.
The conference will bring to ether
much of the material on conraminanrs devel­
oped under the Arctic Environmenral
Strategy (AES), and a l'ries of regional work­
shop co,sponsored by the Deparrment of
Indian Affairs and orrhem Developmenr
and northern aboriginal organizations.
For further informarion, plea c
contact the Commi ion's Ottawa office at
61 -943- 605.
DehCho
Community Tour '95
The CP 's Board of Direetor and raft' mem­
ber' will vi it the 0 h Cho region in
Septembcr 1995 ~ ra stnuegy e ion and con­
sultations with community repre enratives.
Among the communities included in the itin­
erary are Hay River, Fort Smith, Fort
Re 'olution, Fort Providence, Trout Lake,
Wrigley, Fort Simp on, and Fort Liard.
Organization currently heduled ta meet
with m mbers of the Commi ion include the
Dene Culrural In tiUlte, Hay River Town
Council, Aurora College, and sraff of the
outh lave Re-earch Centre
The tour will allow the Commi 'ion to
talk dircctly with community leaders and local
repre enratives, diseu . regional concems, and
idenrify mean by which science can be a s­
itive force in the life of northem eommunities.
lndividuals inrere ted in meeting with
the
ommission 'hould contact the
Commi 'sion's Yellowknife office at
403-920-7401.
lVlERIDIAN
Commission
Highlights Northern
Concerns in Review
of Environmental
Legislation
Canada' ability ra ensure the health of i
northem population mu t he ba ed on
sound scientific knowledge of the environment, say a CPC brief prepared for the
Hou e of Commons tanding Committee
n Environment and uAcainable
Development.
The Commis ion appeared before the
Committee last May in Iqaluit, one of several
northern stop on a cro s-country tour by MP
reviewing the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act.
In presenting the Commi 'ion' views,
members Whit Fraser and Eva Arreak reminded
MPs of northem re iden .' dependence on
country foods.
"TIlis i' a part of the country where,
every day, people are faced with a deci ion on
their plate because most northem people
depend on the land an] the animal for their
cl i1y food," Mr. Fraser told the committee.
"TIlat i a fact of Iife in the ortho
"1 cann t help wondering how membe
would respond, and how the country woulcl
re pond, if, on a regular ba i , the same orders
were i 'ued acr Canada on Briti hColumbia
fmit, on Alberta heef, on II' tern grain, on
Ontario poultry, on Quebec dairy products, on
P.E.I. potat ,on Maritimes 10 ter, or on
Newfoundland turbot. 1can imagine what the
national outcry woulcl be."
TIle Commi ion called for a number of
change to the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act (CEPA), including:
• more explicit recognition of the importance
of scientific r rch into taxic subsranc
and their environmental impacts;
• more extensive gathering of relevant data
on toxic ubstanc and better means of
public acc ;
• expan ion of the ational Poilutant
Release Inventory tO include ubsrances of
particular concem to the polar regionsi and
• tabli hment of an e1ectronic, public regi try f ail information conrained in the
Invenrory.
ln its June 1995 report tO Parliamenr, hs
i publ. ha! four ùmes a year
by the Canadian Polar Commi "ion.
Material conlllined in MERlDIAN
may be used wirh appropriate amibution.
Editor: Alan Saunders
i tant Editoc Elame Anderson
Design and ProducLÎon: onext Multimedia
Prinred !fi Canada.
Copyright © 1995 Canadian Polar Commissi n
Canadian Polar Commi ion
Suhe 1710, Comtitution uaTe,
360 Albert Street
Ottawa, Omano KIR 7X7
Tel. (613) 943·8605
Fax (613) 943·8607
e·mail: mail@polarcom.gc.ca
About Our Hea1lh. Towards Pollution PrevenriOll,
the Committee recognized the seriollS environmental problem facing northem regions and
peoples. A chapter dedicated to northem concern echoes many of the i ues raised by the
Polar Commi ion in concluding:
"Although the accumulation of toxic
substances poses a threat ta human health
everywhere, it i of particular concem in the
orth, both because of the re ion's fragiliry and
its roi a global "ink for pollutan '. TIlis gives
the federal govemmenr pecial r nsibilities
towards ail northemers. Nowhere is the need for
the application f the precautionary principle,
the pollution-prevention principle and concerted international action more evidenr than in
the Arctic."
TIle Committee called on the federal
govemment to reaffirm its commitmenr ro pollution prevenri n in the orth and to '\vork
with territorial govemments, aboriainal groups
and the Canadian Polar Commi ion to
impr ve the communication of ienrific information ta northern resident ."
Internet: hltp: \ \www.polarcom.gc.ca
Regional Offices
Canadian Polar Commi ion
~ 10 749th Slreet
Yellowknife, .W.T. XIA 3T5
Tel. (403) 920-7401
Fax (403) 73·3654
Canadian Polar Commis ion
P.O. Bo. 1031
KuuÎJuaq, QuÇbet JOM 1CO
Tel. (819) 964-6 44
Fax ( 19) 964-2462
BOARD
OF
DIRECTOR
Whit Fraser
JoAnnc Deneron
EVll Arreak
JonOl1lm
Michael Kusugak
John lager
Marc-Adélanl Tremblay
Chai~rson
Vice-Chair
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Please add my name ra the regular mailing li t
for MERlDlAN.
CXlMPANY
mEFr
OTY".,.'
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