petition

http://causes.ca/signatures/petition?cause_id=2

letter to GG

Excellency,
I have been shocked again and again at the belligerence, divisiveness, and contempt for Canadians that Mr. Harper has shown, all the while marketing himself as an "ordinary" Canadian and "protector" of democracy. I hoped the recent election would bring about a more humble, cooperative nature, and initially that is what he portrayed. Unfortunately, that was probably only a ploy to buy time and public opinion while preparing a budget update that clearly goes against core values of this country: respect, fairness, equal opportunity for personal growth, and entraide. His party's actions time and again indicate to me that they wish to diminish all Canadians to "ordinary" status, such that they can be easily manipulated (need to look no further than the conflicting attacks in English and French) and poorly paid, with limited ability to defend let alone promote themselves (example: the contempt for galas). I do not believe that the Conservative Party of Canada is taking this country down a good path.

Given the Parliament we have elected, I believe the Liberal-NDP Coalition is the most effective means of achieving a government that is fair and representative of the values Canada enjoys at home and has promoted abroad. I cannot say whether proroguing the current session will be beneficial or not (likely best merely to cool tempers and let coole heads prevail), but I do humbly request that you grant the Liberal-NDP Coalition the opportunity to form a government, with all the authority of your position and a reassuring speech that we must remember what we stand for together, not only with our traditions, but with our vision.

Sincerely,

ah - the joys of an unregulated market!!

from http://russiatoday.com/features/news/30486:

Large-scale construction work is in full swing near the burial sites of anthrax-infected animals, which were disposed of a century ago.

"This cemetery dates from 1882. Fifteen years ago the construction of summer houses started near it, expanding the village. Although the safety zone is one kilometre away from the cemetery, every house drills a well," Sharapov said.

The diseased animals were usually burnt and buried two metres deep. But the spores of anthrax can live in the soil for decades. If mixed with dust they can be inhaled by humans and animals. But the fact doesn't seem to bother Russia's rich, who are ready to pay up to $US 300,000 an acre at what has become Moscow's Riviera.

Tver's veterinary authority says it didn't give its approval for building projects in the area.

Amazing how some people demand freedom then get carried away with greed. It's too bad others have to suffer for it though.

water electricity carbon money spirituality and lies

Some reading about recent ban on bottled water (london ON) prompted further surfing on the topic.
Was shocked to learn that, based on calculations at Queens U, the electrical requirements alone (for each refrigerated vending machine and the associated cooling load on the HVAC system) cost the university $1178 every year (at 9.5c/kWh). The total electricity consumption (for 150 machines) in 2002 was calculated to be 1.86 GWh.

In comparison, Thunder Bay Generating Station (coal-fuelled) produces typically 1,500 GWh annually. Merely 0.12% of one power station - but that's just one vending machine contract with one institution. How much carbon emission does that represent, over and above the emissions related to the bottle-making, bottling, packaging, distribution, retail storage and consumer transportation of bottled water (assuming the extraction and filtering costs of bottled and municipal waters cancel each other out)?

On top of that, the total electrical load for the vending machines at Queens amounted to 2.3% of their annual electricity spending. That's a 2.3% tax the student population and government subsidies have to pay for the convenience of those rich (or stupid) enough to pay $2 a 500mL bottle for something that costs 50c per 1000L.

The bottled water fad also hurts tap water by taking away public support to improve and protect it, will disproportionately hurt those who can't afford to buy their water privately. Clean water is essential to life - cleanses the spirit and the temple - it should be a right, not a simple commodity!

All this because big marketers created a need (based on a 1960's study that said you need 1mL of water for every calorie of food you eat - but they omitted the inconvenient next sentence that most of that was already present in the food that carries those calories).

Not to mention, of course, the environmental costs of recycling (energy and effort consumed in the collection, sorting, melting and re-processing) these bottles that good people send back for recycling, and the pollution caused by the whopping 40% of bottles that aren't.

References:
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/files/utility%20calculator,%202.pdf
http://www.opg.com/power/fossil/thunderbay.asp
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=b4392be6e338-4206-8817-592210089ea2&

scientific literacy

“At some point,” he said, “the public at large has to step up to the plate in terms of scientific and policy literacy, in terms of commitment to education and strong and effective political leadership, and in terms of their own general self-improvement.”

Boy, we are not out of the hurt locker yet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/science/earth/29clim.html