World at odds over arms 1n space

» SFU professor comments on US's hesitation to sign binding agreement on space weaponry

Katherine Gillard
The Peak (Simon Fraser University)

Wer in space are almost
globally understood
to be dangerous. They could,
for instance, damage the
International Space Station
or another structure if they
fell into orbit with them.
However, the United States
has refused to sign a binding deal
that would prevent them from
ever sending weapons into space.
Russia, China, Canada, and
several other countries have
agreed to proposals for a treaty
prohibiting any country from
putting weapons in space, but the
United States has refused to join.
SFU adjunct professor
of International Studies and
fellow in International Security
Paul Meyer weighed in on the
conversation taking a critical
view of US policies: “In the
Obama Administration’s June
2010 National Space Policy, it has
said it would consider any arms
control proposals ‘if they are
equitable, effectively verifiable,

“The US has, however, not
proposed any such measures of
its own and has criticized those

: put forward by Russia and China.” :

He added: “The US has

: expressed a preference for

: political arrangements, such as
: confidence-building measures

: (CBMs), but has not been active
: on behalf of these either. The

: impression is left that the US

: does not want to accept any

: new constraint on its freedom

: of action in outer space.”

Some people are concerned,

: because while countries rely on
: space technology for scientific
: research, communication,

: and space technology, it is

: possible that a failure to

: prevent space weaponry could

: have serious consequences.

Meyer says that space

: warfare not only poses a threat

: to spatial structures, but

: could also result in a massive

: amount of debris that would

: be obtrusive to prime satellite

: orbits. According to data from the
: Union of Concerned Scientists,

: there are approximately 1,300

: operational satellites in orbit,

: including 120 American satellites

: used for military operations.
and enhance the national security :
of the United States and its allies’ : US is] the leading spacefaring

: nation, US opposition to a space

: weapons ban would make it

He commented: “As [the

ce

“There is always the risk

: that as long as the door to

? weaponization of space is not

: firmly closed, some irresponsible
: actor will introduce weapons

: into this fragile operating

: environment to the detriment of
: all users of space,” Meyer added.

Poe

4
ie

: difficult to achieve such a treaty.
: Understandably, other space

: powers would not want to accept
: constraints on their conduct that
: would not also bind the US.

The United States has

supported the EU Code of

: Conduct for Outer Space

: Activities, a set of political

: measures that has run into

: Opposition since being proposed
: seven years ago. Meyer says

: that this is mainly from BRICS
: (Brazil, Russia, India, China,

: and South Africa) arguing that
: this type of code should be

: negotiated under UN auspices
: with a clear mandate.

 
 

Image via of Wikimedia Commons

“With the EU’s Code

proposal stalled, and continued

: US opposition to international

: legal instruments for prohibiting
: Space weapons, the prospects

: for obtaining new agreed

: measures of restraint are

: dim,” Meyer concluded.

Advocates are hopeful that

: when the UN meets on October

: 22, the debate over space arms

: will be considered to be the most
: prevalent issue of the year.

 

Road pricing: The answer to congestion?

» Province and municipalities discuss bringing road pricing to Metro Vancouver

Mercedes Deutscher
News Editor
& news@theotherpress.ca

EK: since the transit
plebiscite, where 62 per cent
of Lower Mainland residents
voted against a tax that would
have funded transportation
infrastructure and projects, both
the provincial and municipal
governments have been working
toward other methods of
developing the much needed
infrastructure for the growing
Metro Vancouver population.
An idea being currently
discussed is the concept of
road pricing. Road pricing is
the practice of placing tolls on
busy roads during peak hours.
Installing such an infrastructure
can have many results, one of
which would be reducing traffic
during usual times of congestion,
as drivers would be more likely
to drive on busy routes during
peak hours. Another benefit
comes from those who do choose
to utilize the busier roads;
charging a fee to drive on these
roads will create an income that
could go towards improving
transportation infrastructure.
Other cities around the

: world have already adopted

: road pricing with some success,
: which brought the idea to those
: in power in Metro Vancouver.

: The topic of road pricing was

: discussed in a forum at the SFU
: Surrey campus on November 5,
: during which the forum dove

: deeper into the concept of road
: pricing, discussing multiple

: ideas on how to enforce it. One
: idea in question was the idea of
: installing High Occupancy Toll
: (HOT) lanes, alongside regular
: lanes. HOT lanes would allow

: a driver faster access through
a busier road, but for a price.

“What they found there is

: that it reduces traffic congestion.
: The HOT lanes travel quickly,

: but the non-HOT lanes—let’s

: call them the cold lanes—they

: travel faster too,” said Chris

: Ragan, chair of the Canadian

: Ecofiscal Commission, to Global.

According to road-pricing

: experts, the key to successful

: instalment requires a public

: contentment on how the funds
: raised will be used. However,

: itis a difficult call. Eight years

: ago, New York City attempted

: to install road pricing, with no
: success. The reason behind the
: failure of road pricing in New

: York City ultimately fell on the
: local transit authorities, whom
: New Yorkers did not trust with
: the funding. Similarly, a large

: reason behind the failure of

: the transit plebiscite earlier

: this year was due to a lack of

: public trust in TransLink.

 
 

Still, with a dwindling

: number of options available

: for funding Metro Vancouver’s

: transportation infrastructure,

: some hypothesize that residents
> won't get much of a choice

: in regards to road pricing.

: Deron Lovaas, who works

Image via Fletcher6 on wikimedia

: with the National Resources

: Defence Council as a senior

: policy advisor, told Global:

: “Based on projections for cities,
: including Vancouver, eventually
: I think everyone’s going to

: have to adopt this policy”