#cdnsci #unmuzzled
Reading: BREAKING: Federal government unmuzzles scientists https://t.co/cTmVgsBjRV via @NatObserver
— Jonathan Eisen (@phylogenomics) November 7, 2015
Canadian politics are probably of little interest to the rest of the world, and the recent switch in ruling party most likely went unnoticed by anyone not holding a maple leaf close to their hearts. However, for Canadian science, the recent events are a big deal.
Feeling giddy…. like waiting to open the presents! #unmuzzled https://t.co/dxdc34XbZg — Shoshanah Jacobs (@shoshanahjacobs) November 7, 2015
For the first time in almost ten years, federal scientists found they could speak once again about the work they were doing on the public dime. For the first time following a virtual communications blackout ordered by the former government in 2006, the people doing the research could tell the public about their work without having to resort to a merry-go-round of emails seeking permission. Scientists with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (also known as DFO) were the first to be #unmuzzled, followed shortly by those in Environment Canada.
Unmuzzled federal biologist Facebook post goes viral https://t.co/06nHGrUekz pic.twitter.com/6GkH8Hgjb5
— CBC News (@CBCNews) November 9, 2015
Journalists can now contact scientists for a story or comment … and speak to them, without missing the deadline, buried under 110 emails on rock snot, for example. It’s a great time for #cdnsci indeed. For more on this story, check out our round up of links below. Then for some insight into just how big a deal this is, read along with some of the responses on social media.
Wow, #cdnsci #unmuzzled!? Get your tape recorders, mics, phones, or other recording devices ready! @E4Dca https://t.co/7tOGBCI8vN — Nikolaus Gantner (@NikolausGantner) November 6, 2015
Thanks everyone for the best wishes! Looking forward to restoring science to its rightful place in government! #cdnsci #cdnpoli
— Kirsty Duncan (@KirstyDuncanMP) November 5, 2015
If you’re in Vancouver and want to celebrate, check out Guzzling for Unmuzzling, a celebration being held on November 30, 2015.
Resources
- Some history: Kathryn O’Hara, former president of CSWA, gives a breakdown on what the muzzling has meant to #cdnsci
- A 2014 letter from scientists around the world calling for an end to the muzzling of Canadian scientists
- A handy FAQ from the CBC
- A report by a Canadian researcher on evidence of muzzling
- How the news broke: reports from The Tyee and the National Observer
Trudeau considers re-muzzling scientists after 3 hour conversation about rare seaweed https://t.co/bYigYxKIad #unmuzzled #cdnpoli #science — The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton) November 9, 2015
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