OPINIONS On the Digital Front JEREMY JOHNSON COLUMNIST I, like many Canadians, get a lot of informa- tion on ‘TV news broadcasts. I am aware that we are dependent on various news sta- tions like PGTV, BBC, CBC, and even CTV. I have noticed that, yes, there is a lot of controversy surround- ing green house gasses. I remember one politician ‘suggesting that the ‘Clean Air Act is really a sign of them being’‘in bed’ with industry that contributes a lot of green house gasses. If you follow my news stories, you'll probably have noted that I have a slant towards Copyright and technology related issues. So I’ve noticed something that is missing from the air waves — not just a little facts or tidbits of information, but an entire controversial issue entirely, That issue is Ministry of Heritage getting a lobbyist to set up a fund raiser right before a re- lated policy reform is being brought up. Tm also quite sure this issue will never be seen on the airwaves at all either even though it's quite important, why? Be- cause the people that are bribing Bev Oda is'non other than the broadcast- ers themselves. Theres an MP known as Charlie Angus who is from the NDP. You can find all this information and even the audio of his arguments in par- liament at his website here: http://www. charlieangus.net/ So what happened? From what I could find, Bev Oda, the Minister of Canadian heritage noted that key poli- cies for broadcasters was happening, at the time, two weeks away, So what she did was get a friend to set up a fundrais- er and invite the broadcasters to make cash donations, allegedly, in exchange for political influence. She was bearing ‘in mind that this is perfectly OK under current laws since the Government Ac- countability act is nowhere near being passed still, The ‘Act wouldn't allow this type of behaviour, Charlie Angus caught e Controversial Government Issue You Didn't See on T wind of this and said in parliament,“Mr. Speaker, next week, the heritage min- ister is holding a major fundraiser and, for the price of a ticket, one gets access not just to the heritage minister but to the industry minister. The woman who is flogging the tickets for the minister just happens to be Charlotte Bell who is head of regulatory affairs for CanWest. [...]The broadcast review happens in two weeks. The cash grab happens next week.” Right after the session, Bev Oda cancelled the fundraiser citing that she didn't know the person she had organis- ing it’ was a lobbyist. The next day, Charlie says, “Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the heritage minister was caught passing the hat with industry insiders and lobbyists. As soon as we shone the light on it, they scrambled to cancel the event so we would not find out who was at the trough. [...]I have [...] a three point plan to maintain the ethical sobri- ety of the heritage minister: first, reveal the list of those she is putting the tap for money on so we know which lob- OVER THE EDGE NEWSPAPER. NOVEMBER 22, 2006 byists are rewriting government policy on copyright and deregulation; second, institute a remedial plan so she can learn how to listen to the groups and artists that she is supposed to be representing; and third, ask the House of Commons carpentry staff to head over to the herit- age minister's office and paint over the big for sale sign on her door.’ Predictably, this. doesn't even show up on TV. Instead, we are seeing (at least on CTV) issues surrounding the US bi-election. I think it’s a shame that the very people responsible for bringing us information on what is going on in Can-~ ada are the people pushing a corruption issue under the rug. More disturbing is that they are the very people influencing the government with money. I don't claim on knowing the specific issues they were targeting, but I get the feeling it has yet to have a chance to be brought up so far. The issue was well covered by Michael Geist who can be found here: www.michaelgeist.ca Putting the Environment Back in Environmental Law BY ANNA GRADOWSKA STAFF WRITER Over this term, through the Environmental Law course at UNBC, one thing has become astoundingly clear to me about this field: the environment has very little fundamental protection. In the stringy web of : different statues, the basic idea of protecting the environment seems to slip through the holes. I believe the fundamental flaw in the process has to do with how we perceive the environment through law..In many of the older laws, including the constitution, the word environment isn't even included. In legal disputes. over environmental issues, one thing is missing. Where are the rights of the nonhuman world? Currently the environment is only an issue when it affects human use or health, There is no protection for the environment that is based on its inherent right to not be destroyed. When a river is polluted, who speaks for the ecosystems affected by this action? Laws affecting these kinds of problems only analyze its detriment to human usets. It is very rare that a representative can make a case for the protection of an ecological element without the support of its direct value to humans. Fisheries are protected only to the extent that they affect us; a forest is protected for its lumber or recreational value to the economy. Where do the rights of a species or an ecosystem override our desire to plunder and develop. I believe this problem stems from the lack of environmental representation in the constitution. The constitution does not even use the word environment once, which excludes it from the powerful protects that the constitution offers. Law exists in a hierarchy, and when the protection of the environment encroaches on the rights of humans, the environment plays a loosirig game. Without being elevated to the ultimate protects of the constitution, human interest will always defeat the safety of the land. For all those questioning the possibility of protecting the rights of a nonhuman entity, you only need to look into corporation right to find an example of this kind of protection, Corporations are identified as individuals according to law, which grants them all the rights an individual human has. This occurs despite the fact that corporations as a _ whole are most definitely not any kind of real tangible entity that deserves protection in the same way living organisms do. Corporations can take private citizens and governments to court and prosecute them for violations of their rights, using representatives to speak for them. The fact that we can divulge these precious rights to groups as vague and unimportant as large businesses, but not to the most basic and valuable part of our existence is baffling and illogical. Without fundamental and powerful protections for the environment, we leave the land and organisms around us vulnerable to complete destruction. The question “if a tree falls in the woods, and no one is thete to hear it, does it name a sound?” begs an answer: of course it does! Just because humans may not be there to be inconvenienced, that does not mean that animal /ecosystem does not deserve protection and consideration under the laws of Canada. First-time author wears heart on sleeve Dr. Delicious delights BY MAYA BERINZON THE FULCRUM (UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA) OTTAWA (CUP) -- Opening with the dull. murmur of a molecular-biol- ogy exam, “Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures” encompasses the gagging feeling that students succumb to as they face their fate at the hands of a final exam- ination. The book is Vincent Lams literary debut (and the 2006 winner of the Giller Prize), but it is not evident in the least. The stories of med-school students are gripping from beginning to end. ‘They are filled with troubled characters, rivet- ing tragedies, and intense love affairs. The characters remain the same throughout the book, but.there is no - central plot. Lam takes us into the world of medicine through the eyes of several different characters, ‘The plot follows them as they move from their final undergraduate exams to the completion of medical school. His greatest strength is writing from the perspective of a second-generation Canadian, Ming. She puts med school ahead of relationships and is constantly monitored by her family for anything they can disapprove of. Lam's writing is extremely evocative. The description of dissecting a cadaver for the first time is especially chilling: he describes the characters cutting through layers of gauze, skin, and tissue. An entire chapter revolves around the dis- section table, where the scalpel passes between the hands of three students as they move from the heart through to the penis (which, it seems, no man ever wants to dissect). The book is uncomfortably accurate at displaying intense awkwardness. The tension between characters builds as they fall in love but don’t have the social faculties to express it physically, In a world where everything is meant to follow a scientific process and stay sterile, there is an enormous amount of ~ upheaval and messiness. The hidden se- crets beneath cold exteriors are shed like snake skins and examined in a beautiful, honest, thought-provoking way. Lam excels at expressing painful, poignant truths. This is a must-read for anyone in, or thinking about going to, med school. It gives a frank and knowing appraisal of what it means to be a doctor. “Bloodlet- ting” allows us to peer down at phys- icians, whose abilities are so- precious to us, and lets us see how they became what they are, and what they do behind closed doors for seven years at school, Lam is an emergency physiciari and knows the topics personally, but there are no ER melodramas and no sunset- filled days, Instead, the experiences seem shockingly real, lacking flowery frills or cushioning. The book addresses matters of the. heart both emotional and phys- ical, and is well written and candid. AMBER RICHARDS STAFE WRITER This Christmas will be different, In- stead of running down the stairs like a 5 year old yelling “PRESENTS! CHRISTMAS! PRESENTS", J am going to think about what the holi- days teally mean. 1 mean there isn't just Christmas. T bet you are thinking, oh God, where the hell is she going with this?’ Well my point is that there isn't only Christmas where most of us celebrate the birth of Christ. There is Hanukah where they celebrate light for 8 days. They also get a present for each of the 8 days, for which there is a candle thar burns. There is also Kwanzaa, where they celebrate the first harvest. Think abour others this holiday sea- son. You should think about others and share the pift of being with a family — to- getherness and peace. 5 Best Gifts for the Year 1, Wii — the newest and best gaming system out there. 2. Jewellery — you can never go wrong with it; especially with the ladies 3. Christmas PJs — for those who still wear pjs to bed, you cant go wrong with having Winnie the Pooh dressed as Santa on them. 4. Ipod/MP3 pare: = one word “music. 5. Christmas Oranges ~ I think I might be the only one here who can honestly say that I enjoy getting my Christmas — in my is evety year. 5 Worst Gifts for the ‘Year 2 — ~ 139 woe — 2 ne = Clothes that are away i Fe 4. Movies — Yes, I knew thovies are great, granted, but they are not grear when you get the same movie twice in one year on the same a 5. Gif Cards — or pa Ve hae Top 10 Christmas songs ~ 1. Jingle Bells 2, Santa Baby 3. Jingle Cats 4. Deck the Halls 5. Let it Snow 6. Winter Wonderland 7.LetitSnow 8.12 Days of Christmas 9. Jingle Bell Rock 10, We Wish You a Merry Christmas See page 20 for the Top 10 Christmas movies.