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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 1, 2006 - 9 -- Continued from page 4 urban run-off. These factors have been shown to have broad consequences on everything from proper development of children to intergenerational health. Even medications like birth control pills - found in concentrations of only 0.337 parts per trillion - have been shown to affect fish. A multitude of other chemicals, like flame retardants, likewise pose dangers and while strides have been made to stop using compounds like PCBs, Bielak said we're making the same mistakes with other compounds -- the negative effects from which are being felt far up north. "These are long-chain molecules that never break down in the environment," he added. Then there are invasive alien species, like zebra mussels transplanted to North America in the ballast water of ocean going ships that clog water intake pipes and cause other problems and have cost Canada $3 billion so far to combat. Global warming is yet another threat, which in Canada might manifest itself in a variety of changes to its climate: rising sea levels on both coasts, melting perma frost, dropping reservoir levels, drought, the need for more irrigation, loss of gla cial melt and much more. Even today, said Bielak, Alberta experiences winter forest fires. Elsewhere in the world, the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is drying up at an alarming rate due to what Bielak calls an "ill-advised" water diversion scheme. After heavy metals and other pollu tants are exposed to the air, dust storms disperse them and impact human health. The Ogallala Aquifer-- which sprawls beneath parts of eight states from South Dakota to Texas and is the largest fresh water aquifer in the world -- is also in serious decline. Essential to the High Plains economy and way of life, continued desiccation could spell disaster. 'What happens when it runs dry?" asked Bielak. As mentioned earlier, Bielak ended his talk with some positive news, namely that the Great Lakes are in better shape today than they were 50 years ago. Fish stocks are back and scientists are finding fewer birth defects in birds. As a NATO scholar, Bielak earned his Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo. In the course of his career he has held the posts of Executive Director (Canada) of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Director of Fisheries Management for the Province of New Brunswick and Research Maftager with both Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada. He was appointed in 2002*as the first Director of the Science Liaison Branch at Canada' s largest freshwater research facil ity, Environment Canada' s National Water Research Institute in Burlington. Bielak resides with his wife and two daughters in Waterdown where he is active on community advisory councils, the Rotary Club and the Waterdown South Residents'Association. T h e s e g e n e r o u s c o m p a n i e s h e l p e d U n ite d W a y ra is e $3.85 million! $150,000 + Ford Motor Com pany of Canada, Ltd, $25,000 - $60,000 Altana Pharma Inc., BD, Mattamy Homes Ltd., UPS SCS Inc. $10,000-$24,999 AMEC , ARKEMA, Brendan Moore Enterprise Sales Tax Solutions, BUNGE The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, GoodrichLanding Gear Division, JohnsonDiversey, MOEN Inc., OMRON Dualtec Automotive Electronics Inc., Procor Limited, Zenon Environmental Inc. $5,000 - $9,999 Budds Automotive Group, Dana Thermal Products Long Manufacturing-Kerr Street, First Canadian Title, Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream, Levitt-Safety Limited, Mancdr Industries, Sanford Top 10 corporate supporters for 2005 Altana Pharma Inc., BD, BUNGE, The Dominion-of Canada General Insurance Company, Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd., Mattamy Homes Ltd., MOEN Inc., OMRON Dualtec Automotive Electronics Inc., UPS-SCS Inc., Zenon Environmental Inc. uv.'oufcvfite. U nited W ay of Oakville THANK YOU, Oakville Together, w e raised $3.85 m illion in support of our com m unity. We will pick you up at hom e, the office or at the GO-Train. P ick it up... Drop it off... all at your convenience! . . ,, CALL U S T O M A K E A R R A N G E M E N T S * S A V E T A u to S e rv ic e OIL, LUBE & FILTER Up to 5 litre s of Form ula 1 conventional o il, new M otom aster oil filte r and chassis lubrica tio n 2-week offer M ost vehicles 98-7139 · · · · Rotate all 4 tires Top up selected flu id levels Battery health test W ritten 20-point C.A.R.E. Report . . Sale ends March 10, 2006. Fees for used automatic product disposal may apply. See in store for details. OAKTOWN SHOPPING PLAZA 550 Kerr Street · 8 4 4 -0 2 0 2 S T O R EH O U R S : M o n . -F ri. 7 :0 0 a m -9 :0 0 p m· S a t. 7 :3 0 a m -6 :0 0 p m· S u n .9 :0 0 a m -5 :0 0 p m DUNDAS & TRAFALGAR ROAD 400 Dundas Street East · 257-TIRE S T O R EH O U R S : M o n .-F ri. 7 :3 0 a m -9 :0 0 p m· S a t. 7 :3 0 a m -6 :0 0 p m· S u n ,9 :0 0 a m -5 :0 0 p m *Some R estrictions may apply.