‘Canada roughly 33 or 34 per cent above Kyoto target’
Almost four years after the governing Conservatives introduced their first environmental plan to fight climate change, there has been little progress because the federal government has failed to introduce its regulatory framework, says Canada’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Scott Vaughan. “This office has said in the past that the federal government is […]
Canada could be a leader in digital economy, says Goodyear
Canada can and should be a leader in the digital economy, says Gary Goodyear, minister of state for Science and Technology, but it will only happen with governments, academia and business working together. The government has already publicly announced the need for a nationwide strategy for the digital economy, said Mr. Goodyear (Cambridge, Ont.), also […]
A sorry state of affairs: Canada gets failing grade in science and innovation
Let’s get down to brass tacks; Canada has no science policy. It is drifting and its competitors are overtaking it. What it has is a minister of state who says exactly the same thing every time he is questioned on the subject: “Canada is making record investments in science and technology.” This is not only […]
Research and innovation: vital to Canada’s new economy
There is a growing worldwide consensus that countries which invest strategically and competitively in education, research and innovation will emerge from the global recession in a better position to lead on economic and social development. World-class research at Canadian universities and research institutes and the talent we foster, are the lifeblood of global knowledge societies. […]
A stronger knowledge union: renewing the Canada-U.S. science and technology partnership
MONTREAL—As the federal government moves to integrate, and otherwise harmonize economic, security and environment approaches to those of the U.S., an opportunity is perhaps emerging to consider strengthening the Canada-U.S. innovation space. After all, it is arguably the world’s most extensive knowledge relationship where more than one-third of the world’s R&D is conducted, and where […]
Canada consistently fails grade as innovation nation
Canada has consistently received a failing grade as an innovation nation, but it can do better by making the research and development environment more conducive to commercialization, and continuing to fund science and technology, say experts. In its report “How Canada Performs,” released on Feb. 2, the Conference Board of Canada gave Canada a “D” […]
Social scientists, humanists helping Canada harness the power of technology
The great Canadian thinker, Marshall McLuhan, would have enjoyed the recent cover of The Economist that portrayed Steve Jobs as Moses coming down from Mount Sinai to deliver his new iPad to the world. McLuhan’s famous insight that ‘the medium is the message’ resonates more than ever as new digital technologies extend our ideas and […]
Clean technologies can give Canada competitive edge in global marketplace
Canada is fortunate to have extensive natural resources which underpin our economy. Whether it be energy, agriculture or forestry, we owe it to ourselves to maximize the value of these natural resources by increasing their utilization as well as efficiency of production. In an increasingly competitive world, with economies that have lower wage and cost […]
Bring health care into the 21st century
Information technologies have revolutionized virtually every aspect of our lives, from banking and business to travel and leisure. But they’ve been notably absent from the management of patient information in Canada’s health system. Such information continues to be captured primarily on paper, a system that’s been around since Hippocrates, a system with considerable limitations that […]
Why research matters
TORONTO—I will declare my bias at the start. I work in a research hospital and have done so for most of the 35 years I have conducted medical research. I am surrounded by passionate people who care about the immediacy of their mission. Real life health problems, medical mysteries—some without any known solutions—present themselves day […]
