Removing HIV stigma in Manitoba
Researchers in Manitoba are looking to improve treatment and reduce the stigma for those living with HIV.
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CBC
4 minutes ago
- CBC
Trump's NASA cuts will 'compromise human safety,' hundreds of employees say in letter
NASA scientists say pending cuts to the space agency could compromise mission safety and pave the way for another tragedy like the 1986 Challenger disaster. "When you're talking about cuts that appear unstrategic and unthoroughly researched and not motivated by actual improvements in mission safety, then you start to get people worried," Kyle Helson, a research scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland, told As It Happens guest host Megan Williams. Helson is one of 362 current and former NASA employees who have signed an open letter sounding the alarm about "recent policies that have or threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety, weaken national security, and undermine the core NASA mission." In an email to CBC, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens dismissed those concerns. "NASA will never compromise on safety. Any reductions — including our current voluntary reduction — will be designed to protect safety-critical roles," she said. $6B US in proposed cuts U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking a 25 per cent, or roughly $6 billion US ($8.22 billion Cdn), budget cut for NASA as a whole, and 50 per cent cut for the scientific research division. "President Trump has proposed billions of dollars for NASA science, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to communicating our scientific achievements," Stevens said. Helson says that's technically true, but wildly disingenuous. "That's like saying your bicycle is missing one wheel, but don't worry, you've still got another wheel," he said. Trump's cuts have yet to be approved by Congress, which holds NASA's purse strings. But in leaked audio from a NASA town hall meeting last month, several high-ranking officials said they will be moving ahead with them anyway. Zoe Lofgren and Valerie P. Foushee, the top Democrats on a House committee overseeing NASA's budget, have said implementing the cuts prematurely would be "flatly illegal" and "offensive to our constitutional system." The bipartisan committee has called on NASA not to implement the cuts. Fears of reprisal The open letter, called The Voyager Declaration, is addressed to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who Trump appointed interim NASA administrator earlier this month. Duffy's office directed calls for comment to NASA. The declaration specifically cites concerns that, if NASA continues along this path, existing missions will be cancelled, valuable scientific data will be lost, international partners will be abandoned, development programs will be nixed, staffing will be gutted and safety measures will be scaled back. It follows similar open letters by workers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the latter of which suspended 144 employees who signed. NASA workers fear a similar retribution. Roughly half of those who signed the letter did so anonymously, and only four signatories who currently work with NASA are willing to speak out on record, according to Stand Up For Science, the organization that helped organize this letter, and those at NIH and EPA. Helson is one of those four, and says he's only comfortable speaking because his work with NASA is in co-operation with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a position he says gives him more academic freedom than those employed directly by NASA. "A lot of my coworkers who are civil servants are very afraid right now, and so I want to use what I perceive to be my advantages in my position to speak out on their behalf," he said. "People are afraid that they're going to lose their job." NASA did not respond to questions from CBC about whether it would retaliate against the letter's signatories. The letter is framed an act of "Formal Dissent," a reference to a NASA policy that empowers employees to speak up against decisions they believe are "not in the best interest of NASA." According to the New York Times, the policy was put in place after the deadly 1986 Challenger and 2003 Columbia space shuttle disasters, when the concerns of some engineers were brushed aside. The Challenger broke up seconds into its flight on Jan. 28, 1986, killing all seven astronauts on board. The Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, killing its crew of seven. The letter's signatories say they're worried that other policies designed to prevent those kinds of tragedies will be impacted by the cuts. "The culture of organizational silence promoted at NASA over the last six months already represents a dangerous turn away from the lessons learned following the Columbia disaster," the letter reads.
CBC
5 minutes ago
- CBC
What is block-cave mining and why are mines transitioning to it?
Three drillers have been freed from being trapped underground at the Red Chris Mine in northern B.C, a site transitioning from open-pit to block-cave mining. Erik Eberhardt, a professor of geological engineering at UBC, says the transition is in response to higher demand for copper used for batteries and electronics. He tells BC Today host Michelle Eliot block-cave mining is a method that can extend an open-pit mine's life by accessing the copper that's deep underground.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
More people in Sask. turning to air conditioners to avoid wildfire smoke indoors
As Saskatchewan summers become hazier with wildfires burning across the prairies, more people are turning to air conditioning to improve indoor air quality. 'We have been incredibly busy,' said Mike Shaw, the leader of operations at Centennial Plumbing, Heating and Electrical. 'We would love to recruit some more great people as service technicians.' Shaw says Centennial is having trouble keeping up with the number of calls for air conditioner installs this summer, as indoor air quality has become more of a concern, especially since air quality advisories have become common in the summer months. Respirologist Dr. Brianne Philipenko says in addition to avoiding strenuous outdoor activities, people who are sensitive to smoke or those who have underlying heart or lung conditions should keep their windows closed to preserve indoor air quality. 'The big thing we talk about when we're talking about wildfire smoke is PM (particulate matter) 2.5, which is a measurement of a particle that's in the air,' Philipenko said. 'The reason why it's particularly harmful is because it's so small, can settle deep in the lungs and cause inflammation and damage in the lungs because of that.' Shaw says more people are relying on air conditioners to keep air circulating during long stretches when windows remain closed. But air conditioning alone won't be enough to keep your home pollutant free. 'Along with your air conditioner, get a HEPA filter, or some type of carbon activated filter, that can eliminate the odor in your house,' Shaw said. 'Lots of filters will take out particles and large particles especially, but you need the carbon filter part to actually get rid of the odor.' HEPA, or High Efficiency Particulate Air filters are designed to be a more effective filter, with many companies advertising 99.97 per cent removal of airborne particles over 0.3 microns that go beyond what a typical furnace filter is capable of. 'It's a whole home system that as your air conditioning is running. It'll filter the air that comes from all the different areas of your house,' Shaw said. Philipenko says air quality sensors are available for purchase to keep a close eye on indoor air quality. Standalone air purifiers are another option to filter air. Shaw advises to shut down humidifiers, with the damper closed and the valve turned off in the summer months to avoid air conditioners from constantly running. Shaw said people often forget to regularly change out their furnace filter and regularly maintain their air conditioner, which will help reduce pollutants and increase the efficiency of your furnace system.
