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Harper on the Titanic

Titanic trioPrime Minister Stephen Harper was prominently featured, along with George Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda, in this global warming newspaper ad that appeared in Asahi Shimbun. The ad, featured on a page in Japan’s second largest newspaper discussing the Bali Climate Change Summit, shows the trio above a picture of the Titanic. The ad reads, “No targets, no icebergs, just global disaster coming soon, world don’t give in”.

The ad was sponsored by avaaz.org

In the wake of the ad and other pressure, much of it from the grassroots, Japan has reversed its original no targets position. Now the Japanese have announced a climate emissions target of 2020. This is a huge step, but obviously it is going to require positive action by the U.S. and their pawn Harper to continue to keep things moving forward.

Posted 31 January 2008 † Jeff § Politics § Environment ‡ Comments (0)

Stop junk mail and help fight global warming at the same time

The production of junk mail is without a doubt one of the most annoying contributors to the climate crisis, because it is completely wasteful, and because it is, well, junk.

At my house we receive around 20 pieces of junk mail a week, which probably isn’t bad compared to some locations. It may be worse in the U.S. When I lived there, we would get upwards of 50 pieces of junkmail every week — usually in the form of credit card or home equity applications.

Multiply those numbers for a single household by millions, and you get some idea of the volume of this stuff, most of which ends up in a trash can or hopefully a recycle bin. That is a lot of paper, which means a lot of trees, water, and energy were used to produce it. Add to that the amount of energy used to ultimately get it to your mailbox, and suddenly there is a significant carbon footprint.

Junk mail is certainly one reason (one of many) that we in North America are such prolific producers of greenhouse gases. How much junk mail do you think the average fisherman in Bangladesh receives each week?

So how do we stop it? There are a number of services out there you can sign up for that claim they will reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, but unfortunately most of them are limited to the U.S.

Unfortunately, there are surprisingly few options in Canada at this point:

Fee based opt-out service: For $36 CDN per year, Green Dimes will significantly reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, including selectively allowing certain mail (like catalogues that you may still want) to arrive. They will also plant a tree monthly in an area of the world that really needs it (for example, Haiti, which has a severe deforestation problem).

Free opt-out service: The Canadian Marketing Association offers a free Do Not Contact service to enable consumers to keep their names off CMA membership mailing lists. The service also includes a Do Not Call and Do Not Fax service.

Other approaches: If there are individual companies that you deal with on a regular basis that are sending you junk mail, contact them directly through their website or on the phone. Let them know that as a customer you are not happy with this waste, and if they can’t be more environmentally responsible, you will take your business elsewhere.

The Clean Calgary Association points out that if you are an Air Miles member, it could be the source of a lot of junk mail. You can opt out of this at the Air Miles Privacy page. The CCA also recommends putting a ‘No Junk Mail’ sign on the inside of of your mail box.

This person near Toronto has tried a number of different techniques, all free, with mixed results. Some of his ideas (such as sending junk mail back to the sender, or putting it back into the mail) don’t really help the issue, since it still costs energy to ship the junk mail to where ever it ends up going when he re-sends it.

Posted 29 May 2007 † Jeff § Environment ‡ Comments (2)

Warmer springs causing changes in UK

Warmer springs in the UK are causing species to appear earlier, and is also causing mismatches in the timing of species dependent on one another.

The Woodland Trust, which has run the Springwatch survey for three years, also expressed concern that rising temperatures are causing increased competition between species, and life cycle problems.

The survey found that some species, such as the Red-tailed bumblebee and 7-spot ladybird, were seen two weeks earlier this year than last year, and that the Peacock butterfly was first seen a month earlier than normal.

The Springwatch report says the earlier arrivals correlate with the fact that the mean temperature for the spring in the UK this year has been three degrees above the 30-year average.

Nick Collison of the Woodland Trust said they “are concerned because the change seems to be so rapid.”

“And we know there is a mismatch of timing, so, for example, when insects would pollinate flowers, the flowers are coming out earlier than the insects are available, and we know this is happening.”

He said it is clear that wildlife is under pressure.

We can read about the changes happening in places like the UK, and we can see changes in our own part of the world. This is real. This is happening.

Posted 25 May 2007 † Jeff § Environment § Science ‡ Comments (0)

Climate science from climate scientists

realclimate.org is a tremendous resource for those seeking to learn more about the real nuts and bolts of climate change. The site describes itself as

a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science.

Perhaps one of the best entries on this site is the one posted yesterday, which is a one stop link for people wishing to get up to speed on the issue of climate change. This is an excellent resource for people at all levels of knowledge on the climate change crisis.

Thanks to the folks over at Celsias for the heads up.

Posted 24 May 2007 † Jeff § Environment § Science ‡ Comments (0)

Are plants and animals already adapting to global warming?

Scientists are finding that plants and animals are evolving faster, more than twice as fast in tropical zones, as the planet warms up.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, there could be a “bumper crop” of new species coming, as plants and animals expand their ranges and adapt to differing conditions.

Swordfish traditionally seen in the Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean have been spotted off the coast of Norway; shallow-water squid that normally call California waters home have been found as far north as Alaska. As these and other species commandeer space and resources, they bring with them their arsenal of DNA, so that their descendants will be even better biologically suited for warmer conditions.

The climate changes will be bad news for some species and a boon for others, although as the article points out, if temperatures climb too high it will start to kill even the flora and fauna that has best adapted to it.

Thanks to kottke.org for the original link.

Posted 15 May 2007 † Jeff § Environment § Science ‡ Comments (0)

Toronto company making zero-emissions car

1912-waverly-electric-car.pngAlthough it may be a while before electric vehicles begin to make a serious dent in the sales of conventional combustion-driven vehicles, environmental concerns mean there are more options becoming available than ever before (and we don’t mean the Waverley Electric either).

One of the latest examples is the ZENN (Zero Emission, No Noise), produced by the ZENN Motor Company of Toronto. The ZENN is a completely electric vehicle that has a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph), and a range of 56 km (35 miles). The two-seater, which retails starting at $12,500, can be charged simply by plugging it into a standard home 110-volt power outlet.

Because the top speed of the ZENN is only 40 km/h, it is officially classified as a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) and thus requires special licensing and registration. In Canada there are federal regulations, and provincially BC has passed LSV legislation.

For the right type of driving scenario, this could be the perfect vehicle. The fact that the car retails for as low as $12,500 makes it very affordable, especially relative to the cost of hybrids (The Toyota Camry Hybrid, for example, retails new for ~$30,000).

Cars like the ZENN, and the high-end Tesla, are literally on the bleeding edge of electric vehicles. As battery technology improves, and as manufacturers find new ways to incorporate the latest weight and energy savings technologies into these vehicles, there will be more of them.

Perhaps the most important observation that can be made is that ZENN Motors is an example of a Canadian company that is literally embracing the problem of climate change. They are demonstrating that we can not only solve the climate problem, but we can also make a profit while doing so.

The Chinese have already recognized this and are not only exporting electric vehicles to North America, but plan to build and export a lot more. 

This is precisely the type of development direction that the Harper government should be encouraging and touting, rather than the negative economic spin they are currently trying to attach to the cost of controlling climate change.

Posted 15 May 2007 † Jeff § Environment § Tech ‡ Comments (0)

Bush official tried to block, reduce endangered species protections

Is it possible that the Bush administration contains the largest group of self-serving liars ever to be trusted with running the United States? It certainly appears that way.

The latest news out of Washington? Bush-appointed Interior Department officials have repeatedly manipulated science in order to serve corporate interests, by suppressing protections for endangered species.

An Interior Department inspector general’s report found that Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie MacDonald — who recently resigned — had leaked confidential information on threatened and endangered species decisions to industry and private property groups. Reportedly, MacDonald had either ignored scientific findings on those species, or pressured scientists to back off from their findings.

Overall, President Bush’s appointees have added far fewer species to the protected list than did the administrations of either Bill Clinton or George H.W. Bush, according to the advocacy group Center for Biological Diversity. As of now, the administration has listed 56 species under the Endangered Species Act, for a rate of about 10 a year. Under Clinton, officials listed 512 species, or 64 a year, and under George H.W. Bush, the department listed 234, or 59 a year.

It seems pretty clear that MacDonald was put into place to obstruct the addition of species to the list. Lynn Scarlett, who was appointed to take over after MacDonald left, defended her predecessor, saying she “strived to do what she thought was her duty.”

“Give me a break,” (Congressman George) Miller said. “If you believe that then we are in very serous trouble here and the underpinnings of the integrity of this department are in very serious trouble.”

MacDonald’s actions have created “a serious, serious ethical and legal problem for the department,” Miller said.

Federal judges have already rejected decisions influenced by MacDonald, including a move to downgrade protections for the endangered Santa Barbara and Sonoma salamanders.

Critics argue the administration appears to have not just tolerated, but has encouraged MacDonald’s actions as part of a larger effort to ignore the requirements of the Endangered Species Act.

Amazing, but (sadly) not really surprising. It seems that anywhere the Bush administration can aid their corporate friends, they do it, even at the expense of endangered species that could disappear forever!

This current administration is just plain evil. Integrity seems to be non-existent at the highest levels. This country, this superpower, has the ability to do much good in the world, and in some arenas, they actually do. But unfortunately, there seems to be a much greater emphasis on manipulating anything that can be, in order to help enrich a select group of corporations and individuals.

This trashing of the environment affects us in Canada too, as every species that becomes endangered or extinct weakens the structure of life on this planet. As with any structure, if you make it weak enough, it will collapse.

It is important to let the Harper government know how you feel about environmental issues. Tell your Member of Parliament what you think. Ask questions.

The Harper government likes to align itself with what the Bush administration does. Don’t let that include the environment. The planet can’t afford it.

Just because our neighbor to the south decides to do something stupid, it doesn’t mean we should, too.

Posted 11 May 2007 † Jeff § Politics § Environment ‡ Comments (2)

(Re)Building an organic lawn

007.JPGWhen it comes to my lawn, I used to use whatever the latest and greatest chemicals were to keep it looking “green and healthy”. The only problem with this approach is that the lawn looks green, but the chemicals are bad for the health of the soil, water, and most other life that comes into contact with them.

Last year, I stopped using chemicals on my lawn altogether. In fact, as an experiment, I didn’t really do anything with my lawn. I stopped watering it for the summer, so I could see how well it stood up to traffic in its ‘dormant’ state.

As it turns out, it didn’t stand up very well. I have patches in my back yard that never recovered and are now just bare soil, so I am trying to overseed these areas. After experimenting with a couple of small patches, I am now using a combination of compost and peat moss with an overseed grass seed mixed in. As you can see in the photo, I am doing one large area at a time. The fence is to keep the dog and kids out of the overseeded area.

The rest of the lawn isn’t in horrible shape, but still needs some help. The presence of moss indicated a low pH, since moss enjoys acidic conditions for growth. The grass wasn’t growing particularly well either, while clover was thriving, indicating a low nitrogen condition.

To correct these conditions, I first applied some lime to sweeten the soil (I did this back in March), and then a few weeks ago I applied an organic fertilizer. According to the horticulturalist at Cannor Nursery, this will not only help the grass, but will also fix the soil from the damage caused by chemical fertilizers.

It will also help the clover. A true healthy lawn (with healthy soil and organisms under it) should actually contain plants that are commonly considered weeds, such as clover. Some clover here and there, or an occasional dandelion is not a bad thing.

I will post updates on this as things green up.

Posted 08 May 2007 † Jeff § Environment § Gardening ‡ Comments (0)

South Pacific bottom trawling banned

A major announcement this week out of Chile, where a conference of South Pacific nations has agreed to ban the practice of bottom trawling, effective September 30.

Bottom trawling is a practice where huge nets are dragged across the bottom of the ocean floor, catching large schools of fish that live near the ocean floor, and in the process destroying coral and other ecosystems at the bottom of the ocean.

Back in November, scientists warned that the world’s wild fish stocks will be virtually non-existent in 50 years, if fishing continues at its current pace.

Thus, this weeks announcement is a major step forward in reversing this alarming trend. The area encompassing this new agreement constitutes one-quarter of the world’s oceans.

“This is the most significant meeting of fishing nations since the UN General Assembly resolution and it has done what the resolution required,” said Matthew Gianni of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. “It can be done, it has been done, and it’s time for all countries to do the same in all other ocean regions.”

Posted 05 May 2007 † Jeff § Environment ‡ Comments (0)

Heritage Minister Bev Oda is in the pocket of entertainment big business

Surprise, surprise, another crooked politician.

This time its Federal Heritage Minister Bev Oda, who is also Canada’s copyright minister. Oda, it turns out, has been taking money from the very entertainment companies she is supposed to be keeping an eye on.

Oda financed her campaign with giant, unseemly donations from the entertainment and pharmaceutical companies — many of them US-based — and was then embarrassed when it was revealed that she planned a $250/plate fundraiser, while in office, just two weeks before a major review of Canada’s broadcasters.

How about that. Oda apparently agreed to return the cheques, but it turns out she lied and kept the money. Contributors included a who’s who list of Canadian media big shots, including Rogers Radio CEO Gary Miles, Standard Radio CEO Gary Slaight, CHUM CEO Jay Switzer, and TVO CEO Lisa De Wilde.

Oda is planning to introduce a Canadian version of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which will certainly be of tremendous benefit to those in Canadian entertainment big business — including those contributors just mentioned.

Just a slight conflict of interest…

This isn’t the first time Oda has run afoul of public criticism for questionable financial dealings. Oda also tried to bill taxpayers almost $5,500 for limousines to cart her and her entourage to the Juno Awards last year. After being exposed in the media, Oda quietly paid back about half of that amount.

Oda’s own website states she wants to “restore accountability in our federal government”, which based on her actions must mean she either wants to restore accountability to the rest of the federal government, or it just means she will be accountable only for as long as anyone is watching her.

Posted 04 May 2007 † Jeff § Politics ‡ Comments (0)