It looks like we will have electric boats buzzing around our harbour and waterways next summer as a new tourist attraction. Having power boats that aren't annoyingly and distractingly noisy could be a big plus, in addition to the environmental benefits.
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
It looks like we will have electric boats buzzing around our harbour and waterways next summer as a new tourist attraction. Having power boats that aren't annoyingly and distractingly noisy could be a big plus, in addition to the environmental benefits.
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
That all sounds like great news! My step daughter lives in Ketchikan Alaska and says the float planes are one of the things I would NOT like about her town. I will send her this info. She's the executive director of the chamber of commerce there and friends with the mayor. Maybe they will find this idea compelling enough to put the idea out there.
Kudos, Victoria!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
It looks like we will have electric boats buzzing around our harbour and waterways next summer as a new tourist attraction. Having power boats that aren't annoyingly and distractingly noisy could be a big plus, in addition to the environmental benefits.
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
It looks like we will have electric boats buzzing around our harbour and waterways next summer as a new tourist attraction. Having power boats that aren't annoyingly and distractingly noisy could be a big plus, in addition to the environmental benefits.
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
That all sounds like great news! My step daughter lives in Ketchikan Alaska and says the float planes are one of the things I would NOT like about her town. I will send her this info. She's the executive director of the chamber of commerce there and friends with the mayor. Maybe they will find this idea compelling enough to put the idea out there.
Kudos, Victoria!
She loves the idea and is going to spread the word! Whoo hoo!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
It looks like we will have electric boats buzzing around our harbour and waterways next summer as a new tourist attraction. Having power boats that aren't annoyingly and distractingly noisy could be a big plus, in addition to the environmental benefits.
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
It looks like we will have electric boats buzzing around our harbour and waterways next summer as a new tourist attraction. Having power boats that aren't annoyingly and distractingly noisy could be a big plus, in addition to the environmental benefits.
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
That all sounds like great news! My step daughter lives in Ketchikan Alaska and says the float planes are one of the things I would NOT like about her town. I will send her this info. She's the executive director of the chamber of commerce there and friends with the mayor. Maybe they will find this idea compelling enough to put the idea out there.
Kudos, Victoria!
She loves the idea and is going to spread the word! Whoo hoo!
Maybe I’ll get residuals?
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
It looks like we will have electric boats buzzing around our harbour and waterways next summer as a new tourist attraction. Having power boats that aren't annoyingly and distractingly noisy could be a big plus, in addition to the environmental benefits.
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
It looks like we will have electric boats buzzing around our harbour and waterways next summer as a new tourist attraction. Having power boats that aren't annoyingly and distractingly noisy could be a big plus, in addition to the environmental benefits.
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
That all sounds like great news! My step daughter lives in Ketchikan Alaska and says the float planes are one of the things I would NOT like about her town. I will send her this info. She's the executive director of the chamber of commerce there and friends with the mayor. Maybe they will find this idea compelling enough to put the idea out there.
Kudos, Victoria!
She loves the idea and is going to spread the word! Whoo hoo!
Maybe I’ll get residuals?
LOL, Kudos at the very least!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
I can certainly see the complaint about this simply perpetuating the use of plastics and that ideally we get away from them altogether, but right now our world is awash in non-recyclable plastic, so it seems that finding ways to prevent them from simply being left around to degrade the environment and cause harm to wildlife is preferable.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I can certainly see the complaint about this simply perpetuating the use of plastics and that ideally we get away from them altogether, but right now our world is awash in non-recyclable plastic, so it seems that finding ways to prevent them from simply being left around to degrade the environment and cause harm to wildlife is preferable.
I have looked for and not been able to find the term that means "the ration of energy used to to produce fuel to the energy that fuel contains", but I'm wondering what that ratio is for turning plastic into fuel? This is an important factor that often gets overlooked. According to James Howard Kunstler who spend many years studying this sort of thing, in 1916 that ratio for oil was 28:1. By 2004 it had fallen to 2:1, meaning that much more energy went in to producing oil fuels in 2004 than in 1916. One of the reasons biodiesel has not done well is because the ratio did not add up well for producing that kind of fuel. It's an important concept that often is not factored in when people get excited about alternative fuels.
I still maintain that the solution, in a world of 7.7 people with many areas moving toward being a part of the developed world will have to include fewer people, much less commuting, less leisure travel, and simpler lifestyles that include living lighter on the land.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
The world has to transition away from oil and quickly. We also need to invest in rail and LRT transit systems. Governments need to eliminate road bufdgets and start building rail...make the road so inconvenient people will be forced to transition to more public transit...
The article from Ontario, John O'Bireck, president of energy investment company Sparta Group, says he sees plastic "as a resource, not a scourge."
Plastic is a scourge and literally mans worst invention...cannot take this dude seriously...
If the dude really wanted to help he'd start to transition his fleet to electric if available/when available.
There is an awful lot of plastic in the world already, even if we never produced another plastic item from tomorrow onward. Of course the existing plastic is potentially a resource, which is better than letting it lie as garbage or letting it foul our wildlife. Given that it already exists, this is a separate issue than trying to reduce the manufacture of plastic in the future.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I can certainly see the complaint about this simply perpetuating the use of plastics and that ideally we get away from them altogether, but right now our world is awash in non-recyclable plastic, so it seems that finding ways to prevent them from simply being left around to degrade the environment and cause harm to wildlife is preferable.
I have looked for and not been able to find the term that means "the ration of energy used to to produce fuel to the energy that fuel contains", but I'm wondering what that ratio is for turning plastic into fuel? This is an important factor that often gets overlooked. According to James Howard Kunstler who spend many years studying this sort of thing, in 1916 that ratio for oil was 28:1. By 2004 it had fallen to 2:1, meaning that much more energy went in to producing oil fuels in 2004 than in 1916. One of the reasons biodiesel has not done well is because the ratio did not add up well for producing that kind of fuel. It's an important concept that often is not factored in when people get excited about alternative fuels.
I still maintain that the solution, in a world of 7.7 people with many areas moving toward being a part of the developed world will have to include fewer people, much less commuting, less leisure travel, and simpler lifestyles that include living lighter on the land.
You’re right that the COP and the energy efficiency of the conversion are important factors. However, some times it makes sense to find uses for a commodity that we have an over abundance of, even if it isn’t ideal for the purpose.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I can certainly see the complaint about this simply perpetuating the use of plastics and that ideally we get away from them altogether, but right now our world is awash in non-recyclable plastic, so it seems that finding ways to prevent them from simply being left around to degrade the environment and cause harm to wildlife is preferable.
I have looked for and not been able to find the term that means "the ration of energy used to to produce fuel to the energy that fuel contains", but I'm wondering what that ratio is for turning plastic into fuel? This is an important factor that often gets overlooked. According to James Howard Kunstler who spend many years studying this sort of thing, in 1916 that ratio for oil was 28:1. By 2004 it had fallen to 2:1, meaning that much more energy went in to producing oil fuels in 2004 than in 1916. One of the reasons biodiesel has not done well is because the ratio did not add up well for producing that kind of fuel. It's an important concept that often is not factored in when people get excited about alternative fuels.
I still maintain that the solution, in a world of 7.7 people with many areas moving toward being a part of the developed world will have to include fewer people, much less commuting, less leisure travel, and simpler lifestyles that include living lighter on the land.
The ratio you’re talking about is what I’d call efficiency or yield rate. It’s an extremely important metric that’s all but glossed over when people excitedly talk about their new green vehicle. My hope is that one day people will include the production emissions in their own total carbon cost calculations.
'05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
There is an awful lot of plastic in the world already, even if we never produced another plastic item from tomorrow onward. Of course the existing plastic is potentially a resource, which is better than letting it lie as garbage or letting it foul our wildlife. Given that it already exists, this is a separate issue than trying to reduce the manufacture of plastic in the future.
I agree that using or re-using what's already out there is a good idea. We never buy Zip Lock type baggies and other plastic bags because they are everywhere and they are washable and reusable.
I know this thread isn't about alternatives to plastic but I'll quickly throw out that I would love live long enough to see hemp being used to replace almost everything plastics are used for today.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
I agree...even if plastic production stopped today. How do we even tackle the plastic problem, especially the oceans? I'm just not to keen on turning mans worst invention into carbon ... but that may be the only way to get rid of plastic. Man is a scourge on earth...
I agree...even if plastic production stopped today. How do we even tackle the plastic problem, especially the oceans? I'm just not to keen on turning mans worst invention into carbon ... but that may be the only way to get rid of plastic. Man is a scourge on earth...
I had thought about that too, how turning plastic into fuel means more carbon in the atmosphere. And how clean do plastic fuel burn? What are the by-products? What will it do to the ozone layer? Did the people who came up with this idea take those factors into consideration? Goddamn plastic.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
I agree...even if plastic production stopped today. How do we even tackle the plastic problem, especially the oceans? I'm just not to keen on turning mans worst invention into carbon ... but that may be the only way to get rid of plastic. Man is a scourge on earth...
I had thought about that too, how turning plastic into fuel means more carbon in the atmosphere. And how clean do plastic fuel burn? What are the by-products? What will it do to the ozone layer? Did the people who came up with this idea take those factors into consideration? Goddamn plastic.
Skip the middle material - goddamn humans!
'05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
I agree...even if plastic production stopped today. How do we even tackle the plastic problem, especially the oceans? I'm just not to keen on turning mans worst invention into carbon ... but that may be the only way to get rid of plastic. Man is a scourge on earth...
I had thought about that too, how turning plastic into fuel means more carbon in the atmosphere. And how clean do plastic fuel burn? What are the by-products? What will it do to the ozone layer? Did the people who came up with this idea take those factors into consideration? Goddamn plastic.
Skip the middle material - goddamn humans!
LOL
I keep thinking about that Carlin interview with Charlie Rose someone here posted where George talks about how people are usually OK when you interact with them one at a time but when they get into groups, it all too often goes to worms. I've found that to be true other than a few exceptions like when people are working together to do something useful like being involved in a beach clean up, or having a good time like being together at a really great concert.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
My bro-in-law is also developing a company whereby he is taking plastics and converting them into biofuels. His words, not mine "there are no harmful by-products released into the atmosphere." or some shit like that. He seemed super pumped.
And now.. this:
"With energy and the environment playing an important role in the fall election, Canadians face starkly different policy positions from political parties, together with a bewildering array of information and disinformation. Here is my rather eclectic list of little-known facts, head-scratching paradoxes and utter hypocrisy.
CLIMATE EMERGENCY On June 17, the House of Commons passed a motion declaring a National Climate Emergency.
Firstly, there is no such thing as a “national” climate emergency. Climate change is global, not national, and Canada’s contribution to global CO2 emissions is a minuscule 1.6 per cent. Here are the answers to some questions that will help you assess whether there’s really a “climate emergency.”
Apocalyptic projections of rapid sea level rises are driving municipal and provincial governments on both our east and west coasts to implement “sea level rise plans” that include sterilizing waterfront from development, building sea barriers and even buying out and destroying homes that are deemed vulnerable. So just how fast are sea levels rising? Here again the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides the answer. Despite all the calamitous rhetoric, the NOAA states that sea levels “continue to rise at the rate of about one-eighth of an inch (3.2 mm) per year.” At that rate, a house built 10 feet above sea level today would still be 9 feet 7 inches above sea level 40 years from now.
After hundreds of billions of dollars invested, wind and solar contribute just two per cent of global energy supply
CLIMATE CHANGE HYPOCRISY South Africa, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan and China, all signatories to the Paris climate accord, are building a combined 1,800 new coal-fired power plants. Coal plants emit twice as much CO2 as natural gas plants. Meanwhile, international environmental groups campaign against sending Canadian LNG to those countries. And here at home, the Trudeau Liberals have just introduced a tax specifically designed to discourage the building of new cleaner-burning gas-fired power plants as they continue to pursue the fantasy that wind and solar will keep the lights on. Good luck with that. After hundreds of billions of dollars invested, wind and solar contribute just two per cent of global energy supply. And that’s only when the wind is blowing, and the sun is shining.
Joe Oliver: We should prepare for extreme weather, but tying it to climate change is a mistake Quebec should scrap its cap-and-trade program: It’s inefficient and hurting competitiveness Counterpoint: Why we believe Canada must stop oil expansion, even if world demand is rising CLIMATE CHANGE MONOVISION The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would have us believe that fossil fuel emissions are the sole reason for climate change. But what about urbanization and deforestation? A study by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs states that the urban population rose from 750 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. We don’t need the IPCC’s hugely complex computer models to know that cities are hotter. All we have to do is walk from a paved sun-heated street lined with concrete buildings to a grassy park. Rather than reflecting the sun’s rays back to outer space, all that concrete and pavement absorbs the sun rays, creating a giant heat sink. Likewise, deforestation is turning vast tracts of cool African and South American jungles into heat-absorbing barrens. The U.S. EPA summarizes the combined effect, “Processes such as deforestation and urbanization … contribute to changes in climate.” Trying to deal with any problem without considering all possible causes is both a foolish and dangerous strategy.
FIRST, DO NO HARM The Liberal government’s proposed “national clean fuel standard” requires increased biofuel content in motor fuels. Government mandated biofuel content requirements in North America and the EU have driven the burning of critically important jungle habitat to make way for palm oil plantations. On the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, over 50,000 Orangutans have died because of palm oil deforestation.
WHO BURNS THE STUFF ANYWAY Several municipal Councils, including Toronto and Victoria, are looking to sue fossil-fuel producers for causing climate change, but 70 per cent of emissions come from their own constituents. And imagine their outcry if fuel producers failed to deliver!
B.C. GREEN INCOHERENCE B.C. Premier Horgan, a champion of carbon taxes, called an enquiry to investigate high gasoline prices, but prohibited the enquiry panel from considering the price impact of provincial taxes. He also wants Alberta to build a new refinery to supply his province, but he’s against the pipeline that’s needed to carry it.
SORRY, ONLY FOREIGN TANKERS ALLOWED The Trudeau government implemented a tanker ban prohibiting movement of Canadian oil on the northern B.C. coast. Meanwhile, hundreds of tankers churn through the delicate and much more enclosed St. Lawrence estuaries carrying oil from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia, Iraq, Nigeria, Angola and Algeria. And while ship/whale collisions are virtually unheard-of on BC’s northern coast, those foreign oil tankers move through waters where a critically endangered Northern Right Whale was killed in a ship collision just last month.
THE GREAT ANTI-OIL INDUSTRY WARRIOR IS BACK Gerald Butts, former personal secretary to the prime minister, is back to help the Liberals win re-election. Before joining the Prime Minster’s Office (PMO), Butts was CEO of World Wildlife Canada (WWF), an organization dedicated to “landlocking” the oilsands by stopping new pipelines. In his role as head honcho of the PMO, he was the mastermind behind policies that could cripple our country’s oil industry. Gerald Butts has admitted via his Twitter account to receiving $361,642 from WWF during his first two years at the PMO. He claims it was severance, but how many Canadians have ever received severance for quitting their job?
So there you have it, my list of points to ponder through those long and balmy mid-summer evenings that “we the north” enjoy."
My bro-in-law is also developing a company whereby he is taking plastics and converting them into biofuels. His words, not mine "there are no harmful by-products released into the atmosphere." or some shit like that. He seemed super pumped.
And now.. this:
"With energy and the environment playing an important role in the fall election, Canadians face starkly different policy positions from political parties, together with a bewildering array of information and disinformation. Here is my rather eclectic list of little-known facts, head-scratching paradoxes and utter hypocrisy.
CLIMATE EMERGENCY On June 17, the House of Commons passed a motion declaring a National Climate Emergency.
Firstly, there is no such thing as a “national” climate emergency. Climate change is global, not national, and Canada’s contribution to global CO2 emissions is a minuscule 1.6 per cent. Here are the answers to some questions that will help you assess whether there’s really a “climate emergency.”
Apocalyptic projections of rapid sea level rises are driving municipal and provincial governments on both our east and west coasts to implement “sea level rise plans” that include sterilizing waterfront from development, building sea barriers and even buying out and destroying homes that are deemed vulnerable. So just how fast are sea levels rising? Here again the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides the answer. Despite all the calamitous rhetoric, the NOAA states that sea levels “continue to rise at the rate of about one-eighth of an inch (3.2 mm) per year.” At that rate, a house built 10 feet above sea level today would still be 9 feet 7 inches above sea level 40 years from now.
After hundreds of billions of dollars invested, wind and solar contribute just two per cent of global energy supply
CLIMATE CHANGE HYPOCRISY South Africa, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan and China, all signatories to the Paris climate accord, are building a combined 1,800 new coal-fired power plants. Coal plants emit twice as much CO2 as natural gas plants. Meanwhile, international environmental groups campaign against sending Canadian LNG to those countries. And here at home, the Trudeau Liberals have just introduced a tax specifically designed to discourage the building of new cleaner-burning gas-fired power plants as they continue to pursue the fantasy that wind and solar will keep the lights on. Good luck with that. After hundreds of billions of dollars invested, wind and solar contribute just two per cent of global energy supply. And that’s only when the wind is blowing, and the sun is shining.
Joe Oliver: We should prepare for extreme weather, but tying it to climate change is a mistake Quebec should scrap its cap-and-trade program: It’s inefficient and hurting competitiveness Counterpoint: Why we believe Canada must stop oil expansion, even if world demand is rising CLIMATE CHANGE MONOVISION The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would have us believe that fossil fuel emissions are the sole reason for climate change. But what about urbanization and deforestation? A study by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs states that the urban population rose from 750 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. We don’t need the IPCC’s hugely complex computer models to know that cities are hotter. All we have to do is walk from a paved sun-heated street lined with concrete buildings to a grassy park. Rather than reflecting the sun’s rays back to outer space, all that concrete and pavement absorbs the sun rays, creating a giant heat sink. Likewise, deforestation is turning vast tracts of cool African and South American jungles into heat-absorbing barrens. The U.S. EPA summarizes the combined effect, “Processes such as deforestation and urbanization … contribute to changes in climate.” Trying to deal with any problem without considering all possible causes is both a foolish and dangerous strategy.
FIRST, DO NO HARM The Liberal government’s proposed “national clean fuel standard” requires increased biofuel content in motor fuels. Government mandated biofuel content requirements in North America and the EU have driven the burning of critically important jungle habitat to make way for palm oil plantations. On the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, over 50,000 Orangutans have died because of palm oil deforestation.
WHO BURNS THE STUFF ANYWAY Several municipal Councils, including Toronto and Victoria, are looking to sue fossil-fuel producers for causing climate change, but 70 per cent of emissions come from their own constituents. And imagine their outcry if fuel producers failed to deliver!
B.C. GREEN INCOHERENCE B.C. Premier Horgan, a champion of carbon taxes, called an enquiry to investigate high gasoline prices, but prohibited the enquiry panel from considering the price impact of provincial taxes. He also wants Alberta to build a new refinery to supply his province, but he’s against the pipeline that’s needed to carry it.
SORRY, ONLY FOREIGN TANKERS ALLOWED The Trudeau government implemented a tanker ban prohibiting movement of Canadian oil on the northern B.C. coast. Meanwhile, hundreds of tankers churn through the delicate and much more enclosed St. Lawrence estuaries carrying oil from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia, Iraq, Nigeria, Angola and Algeria. And while ship/whale collisions are virtually unheard-of on BC’s northern coast, those foreign oil tankers move through waters where a critically endangered Northern Right Whale was killed in a ship collision just last month.
THE GREAT ANTI-OIL INDUSTRY WARRIOR IS BACK Gerald Butts, former personal secretary to the prime minister, is back to help the Liberals win re-election. Before joining the Prime Minster’s Office (PMO), Butts was CEO of World Wildlife Canada (WWF), an organization dedicated to “landlocking” the oilsands by stopping new pipelines. In his role as head honcho of the PMO, he was the mastermind behind policies that could cripple our country’s oil industry. Gerald Butts has admitted via his Twitter account to receiving $361,642 from WWF during his first two years at the PMO. He claims it was severance, but how many Canadians have ever received severance for quitting their job?
So there you have it, my list of points to ponder through those long and balmy mid-summer evenings that “we the north” enjoy."
For those of you in the U.S. (or else where, for that matter!) who get it and really care, here's your chance to take action. Join the U.S. Climate Strike, September 20th!
Author and 350.org organizer Bill McKibben says this about the strike:
Last week I ended up in jail for a little while, because I’d sat down
in a Congress member's office to protest the deadly confluence of
climate and immigration policy. You can read about my day in the New
Yorker1 story shared on the bottom of this email, but my
point in sharing it with you is not to say that I acted nobly or that it
was a big deal.
Instead, my point is simply that sometimes you have to act even if you’re not entirely sure what the effect will be.
We’re coming up on the next great moment in the climate movement, the
global all-ages climate strike on Sept. 20. Years of sustained
resistance from Standing Rock to the school strikes and beyond,
particularly from youth of color, have led us to this moment. So let’s
make the most of it.
Whatever you do that day — whether you walk out of work or school,
close down your business, or join a protest, it will help build the
groundswell that is now clearly rising.
When you strike, you’ll be striking for justice above all — it’s one
thing you can do on behalf of those who are incarcerated at the border,
or who are living so close to the margin that taking a day off is not
possible. If you have some flexibility in your life, it’s time
to put it to work. If you don’t, sign up anyway, we’ll find other ways
for you to participate and show your support.
The UN’s best guess is that unchecked climate change could produce a
billion climate refugees this century. Think about that for a moment — a
billion people whose lives would be utterly, permanently, devastatingly
upended. Then think about whether you can take a day to do something
real about it, even without knowing exactly what change it will
produce.
Together we build movements, and when those movements get big enough
they change history. You change history. Thank you for being a big part
of it
Let’s make change,
Bill McKibben
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Here in Nassau County Long Island they are finally stopping the use of plastic bags.
Believe it or not there is not a bunch of blowback so far which I am happy about.
Mention plastic straws though and people lose their minds.
We in our houshold are trying to find somewhere local that can do refills of soap, conditioner and whatnot.
Nothing exists.
We have switched to a shampoo bar to cut down on plastics.
Trying to find alternatives all the time.
Bravo, my friend. Well done!
It would be a business but helpful also If I could start my own shop where people brought in their used bottles and refill them.
It might take a little difficult research but you never know!?!
That would be great!
We had a shop like that here in Placerville and it was great to be able to refill our laundry detergent bottles, etc. Sadly, they couldn't make a go of it. But then, this is a rather conservative (in the worst sense of the word) town. It's slowly getting better but not fast enough.
Can you describe what else they had in there? I'm in a beach town now and that might take off here.
My wife's business partner know the lady who ran the shop. I asked her to get some specific info from her today. I'll check back this evening with what I find. Sound like a great plan, C.!
Just saw this and thought you might be interested, since you were thinking about starting a no-packaging business.
Here is the website for Nada, a no-packaging grocery store in Vancouver, BC. No packaging means that you can choose exactly how much of each item you want - 2 eggs instead of 12, for instance, or one sprig of basil instead of a whole bag. It looks pretty cool; wish I could shop there but there's this little problem of ocean in the way.
Comments
https://www.timescolonist.com/business/electric-ferries-to-give-tourism-a-fresh-jolt-1.23910346
I have also read that Harbour Air, the local float plane airline that flies between Vancouver and Victoria harbours (as well as a few other locations on Vancouver Island), is moving toward replacing their fleet with electric planes. Apparently this will be the first commercial use of electric airplanes in the world. They already have a prototype that has successfully flown and they are entering testing to ensure that it meets all safety requirements for commercial use. That also sounds really cool to me, since the float planes are deafeningly loud, particularly when they take off. Because it's a busy, working harbour, you can't really complain too much about the noise, but it would be so much more peaceful if they had silent electric engines. I'm also imagining how otherworldly it would be to fly in an almost silent plane across the water.
She loves the idea and is going to spread the word! Whoo hoo!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/from-dumpster-to-diesel-1.5242407
I can certainly see the complaint about this simply perpetuating the use of plastics and that ideally we get away from them altogether, but right now our world is awash in non-recyclable plastic, so it seems that finding ways to prevent them from simply being left around to degrade the environment and cause harm to wildlife is preferable.
The article from Ontario, John O'Bireck, president of energy investment company Sparta Group, says he sees plastic "as a resource, not a scourge."
Plastic is a scourge and literally mans worst invention...cannot take this dude seriously...
If the dude really wanted to help he'd start to transition his fleet to electric if available/when available.
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
And now.. this:
"With energy and the environment playing an important role in the fall election, Canadians face starkly different policy positions from political parties, together with a bewildering array of information and disinformation. Here is my rather eclectic list of little-known facts, head-scratching paradoxes and utter hypocrisy.
CLIMATE EMERGENCY
On June 17, the House of Commons passed a motion declaring a National Climate Emergency.
Firstly, there is no such thing as a “national” climate emergency. Climate change is global, not national, and Canada’s contribution to global CO2 emissions is a minuscule 1.6 per cent. Here are the answers to some questions that will help you assess whether there’s really a “climate emergency.”
Apocalyptic projections of rapid sea level rises are driving municipal and provincial governments on both our east and west coasts to implement “sea level rise plans” that include sterilizing waterfront from development, building sea barriers and even buying out and destroying homes that are deemed vulnerable. So just how fast are sea levels rising? Here again the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides the answer. Despite all the calamitous rhetoric, the NOAA states that sea levels “continue to rise at the rate of about one-eighth of an inch (3.2 mm) per year.” At that rate, a house built 10 feet above sea level today would still be 9 feet 7 inches above sea level 40 years from now.
After hundreds of billions of dollars invested, wind and solar contribute just two per cent of global energy supply
CLIMATE CHANGE HYPOCRISY
South Africa, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan and China, all signatories to the Paris climate accord, are building a combined 1,800 new coal-fired power plants. Coal plants emit twice as much CO2 as natural gas plants. Meanwhile, international environmental groups campaign against sending Canadian LNG to those countries. And here at home, the Trudeau Liberals have just introduced a tax specifically designed to discourage the building of new cleaner-burning gas-fired power plants as they continue to pursue the fantasy that wind and solar will keep the lights on. Good luck with that. After hundreds of billions of dollars invested, wind and solar contribute just two per cent of global energy supply. And that’s only when the wind is blowing, and the sun is shining.
Joe Oliver: We should prepare for extreme weather, but tying it to climate change is a mistake
Quebec should scrap its cap-and-trade program: It’s inefficient and hurting competitiveness
Counterpoint: Why we believe Canada must stop oil expansion, even if world demand is rising
CLIMATE CHANGE MONOVISION
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would have us believe that fossil fuel emissions are the sole reason for climate change. But what about urbanization and deforestation? A study by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs states that the urban population rose from 750 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. We don’t need the IPCC’s hugely complex computer models to know that cities are hotter. All we have to do is walk from a paved sun-heated street lined with concrete buildings to a grassy park. Rather than reflecting the sun’s rays back to outer space, all that concrete and pavement absorbs the sun rays, creating a giant heat sink. Likewise, deforestation is turning vast tracts of cool African and South American jungles into heat-absorbing barrens. The U.S. EPA summarizes the combined effect, “Processes such as deforestation and urbanization … contribute to changes in climate.” Trying to deal with any problem without considering all possible causes is both a foolish and dangerous strategy.
FIRST, DO NO HARM
The Liberal government’s proposed “national clean fuel standard” requires increased biofuel content in motor fuels. Government mandated biofuel content requirements in North America and the EU have driven the burning of critically important jungle habitat to make way for palm oil plantations. On the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, over 50,000 Orangutans have died because of palm oil deforestation.
WHO BURNS THE STUFF ANYWAY
Several municipal Councils, including Toronto and Victoria, are looking to sue fossil-fuel producers for causing climate change, but 70 per cent of emissions come from their own constituents. And imagine their outcry if fuel producers failed to deliver!
B.C. GREEN INCOHERENCE
B.C. Premier Horgan, a champion of carbon taxes, called an enquiry to investigate high gasoline prices, but prohibited the enquiry panel from considering the price impact of provincial taxes. He also wants Alberta to build a new refinery to supply his province, but he’s against the pipeline that’s needed to carry it.
SORRY, ONLY FOREIGN TANKERS ALLOWED
The Trudeau government implemented a tanker ban prohibiting movement of Canadian oil on the northern B.C. coast. Meanwhile, hundreds of tankers churn through the delicate and much more enclosed St. Lawrence estuaries carrying oil from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia, Iraq, Nigeria, Angola and Algeria. And while ship/whale collisions are virtually unheard-of on BC’s northern coast, those foreign oil tankers move through waters where a critically endangered Northern Right Whale was killed in a ship collision just last month.
THE GREAT ANTI-OIL INDUSTRY WARRIOR IS BACK
Gerald Butts, former personal secretary to the prime minister, is back to help the Liberals win re-election. Before joining the Prime Minster’s Office (PMO), Butts was CEO of World Wildlife Canada (WWF), an organization dedicated to “landlocking” the oilsands by stopping new pipelines. In his role as head honcho of the PMO, he was the mastermind behind policies that could cripple our country’s oil industry. Gerald Butts has admitted via his Twitter account to receiving $361,642 from WWF during his first two years at the PMO. He claims it was severance, but how many Canadians have ever received severance for quitting their job?
So there you have it, my list of points to ponder through those long and balmy mid-summer evenings that “we the north” enjoy."
https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/gwyn-morgan-here-are-a-few-climate-change-head-scratchers-for-canadian-voters-to-ponder?fbclid=IwAR33rU4Kt_e-JYIz27oQnRYHHz3-lrTKGzqvq55w1Qw4MXuL6GWRHQ0Q9_o
2010 WATCH IT GO TO FIRE!!
The scientists said they were shocked by the sheer number of particles they found: more than 10,000 of them per litre in the Arctic.
It means that even there, people are likely to be breathing in microplastics from the air - though the health implications remain unclear.
The region is often seen as one of the world's last pristine environments.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49295051
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
https://youtu.be/Wi8H-gBDKnQ
Instead, my point is simply that sometimes you have to act even if you’re not entirely sure what the effect will be. We’re coming up on the next great moment in the climate movement, the global all-ages climate strike on Sept. 20. Years of sustained resistance from Standing Rock to the school strikes and beyond, particularly from youth of color, have led us to this moment. So let’s make the most of it.
Whatever you do that day — whether you walk out of work or school, close down your business, or join a protest, it will help build the groundswell that is now clearly rising.
When you strike, you’ll be striking for justice above all — it’s one thing you can do on behalf of those who are incarcerated at the border, or who are living so close to the margin that taking a day off is not possible. If you have some flexibility in your life, it’s time to put it to work. If you don’t, sign up anyway, we’ll find other ways for you to participate and show your support.
The UN’s best guess is that unchecked climate change could produce a billion climate refugees this century. Think about that for a moment — a billion people whose lives would be utterly, permanently, devastatingly upended. Then think about whether you can take a day to do something real about it, even without knowing exactly what change it will produce.
Together we build movements, and when those movements get big enough they change history. You change history. Thank you for being a big part of it
Let’s make change,
Bill McKibbenhttps://www.sciencealert.com/a-massive-raft-of-volcanic-rock-is-floating-towards-australia-and-that-s-good-news/amp
www.headstonesband.com
@tempo_n_groove :
Just saw this and thought you might be interested, since you were thinking about starting a no-packaging business.
Here is the website for Nada, a no-packaging grocery store in Vancouver, BC. No packaging means that you can choose exactly how much of each item you want - 2 eggs instead of 12, for instance, or one sprig of basil instead of a whole bag. It looks pretty cool; wish I could shop there but there's this little problem of ocean in the way.
https://www.nadagrocery.com/