My health 102 professor, Sandra Bullock (yes, that is her name and no, it's not the actress) gave our class an assignment last week that I enjoyed. She decided to veer from her set curriculum and get us students to explore into Canadian politics. It was pretty awesome, because I feel like she is trying to make a difference. Since the class was pretty much all first years, they are mostly likely to be just turning 18 and it would be the first time they can vote! So it was great of her to try to get students to explore, get involved and vote.
We were divided into last names and I became part of the Green Party. Our assignment was to look into their platform and find out their stand on issues such as economics, environment, education, health etc etc etc. And as I was reading the lengthy, yet interesting document set by the Green Party, I had to stop myself from raising my eyebrows and utter "Wtf?"
Quotes from the Green Party's Vision document: http://greenparty.ca/files/attachments/Vision.Green_.2010.E.pdf
"The use of medical isotopes in the diagnosis of cancer helps patients receive the treatment they need more quickly than with the use of other diagnostic tools. Medical isotopes are also used, to a lesser degree, to treat cancer. Canada has, in the past, been responsible for producing 1/3rd of the world's medical isotopes, using the research reactor at Chalk River. The Chalk River nuclear reactor now is 52 years old and has been shut down on numerous occasions since 2007, due to leaks of radioactive water. Currently, it is not operating (wrong, it is in operation: http://www.nrucanada.ca/en/home/default.aspx), and no commitment has been made as to when, if ever, it will resume production. The Green Party remains opposed to the use of nuclear reactors; however we also recognize the benefits that medical isotopes provide to cancer patients.
When it was operating, the Chalk River facility used highly-enriched weapons-grade uranium to generate medical isotopes (wrong. AfECL switched to low-enriched uranium in early 1990s. LEU is not weapons grade, it is only reactor grade). For years, Canada has imported approximately 20 kg of bomb-grade uranium from the U.S. annually, to make isotopes; 97% of it remains unused. These leftovers, which are now in quantities large enough to create several Hiroshima-sized bombs, are stored at commercial sites (oh gosh...). The risk of terrorist activity in order to obtain this radioactive material for the proliferation of nuclear weapons is significant.
International research has demonstrated that isotopes can be produced without a nuclear reactor/reaction. Both particle accelerators and cyclotrons successfully produce medical isotopes; however further assessment is required in order to determine their economic feasibility. Greens will support funding research into these revolutionary alternative technologies (why do we need a revolutionary alternate technology, when the one we have is fine? We don't have the money to do this), the primary goal of which will be to ensure that Canadians have access to a safe and effective source of medical isotopes."
There are many things wrong with this. Firstly, there is false information and the Greens should really get their facts straight before making a statement about it. Secondly, funding going towards particle accelerators and cyclotrons to see if they can produce isotopes...really? We already have a great system in place to produce isotopes. Yes, it has been shut down many times and it needs to be strengthened to ensure consistency, but that doesn't mean we should just shut it down. And just because there may be a "risk of terrorist activity" to obtain the HEU, that doesn't mean we should run scared and stop this technology. Yes, research is great, because it should be focussed on developing the current technology we have, instead of going on a wild tangent and starting a new project all over again. And like the statement said, there is no indicate of it's economic feasibility. I would say that is not economical to do this and that the Green Party are slight crazy in this aspect.
Anyways, there were a few other things in their 'Vision' document that was just far-fetched. A lot of what they say sound great and dandy and all, but if they actually tried to do everything, there will be no money left. They are promising too much. However, like my prof said, they seem to be setting a bar, and making sure that the other parties are focusing on a variety of issues too.
I'm also trying to find out a bit more about the other parties (although the NDP site doesn't really give much information).
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