attached link to Greenist vehicle rankings - as well - a link to the biggest gas guzzlers.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6969339/
thanks to MSNBC.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Biogas
the following is from a note I wrote, submitted to the Peterborough Examiner.
I had the great fortune of attending one of those special and almost secret conferences hosted by a working group of academics at Trent University. The Saturday Sept. 16 conference – “Farming for the Future” was attended by academics, scientists, farmers and business people from all parts of Canada, Europe and South America. I had a tremendous jump in my knowledge and awareness about Biogas, from knowing next-to-nothing to seeing the vast untapped potential of using organic waste products and green biomass to create electricity. One fact take-away for me was if all the animal manure in Ontario was fed into anaerobic digesters to create biogas to power mini-turbines to generate electricity, we would create the equivalent power capacity of one-third of a nuclear plant. This doesn’t include the far greater resources of organic waste that currently goes directly to landfills, or gets processed in sewage treatment plants. Farmers can also produce and harvest green crops that are grown specifically to feed Biogas digesters or fermentation units. Our farmers especially the ones with livestock, have the potential to earn much needed second incomes as electrical power producers, using biogas to produce electricity in peak hour time periods. What lacks is education, training, start-up infrastructure, and financing for same. Rather than pumping billions into building new deadly toxic waste generating nuclear power plants, we have the potential to invest this money into our municipal and rural communities to create alternative energy sources. It is not surprising that Canada is lagging far behind what is being done in most of Europe in this area. It was, however, surprising to see conference attendees coming from Europe to learn more about emerging technologies some of which were presented by a small group of experts, residents of the Peterborough region, who are researchers at Trent University. Our local University has some amazing academics, researchers and research activities. The world knows about it more than our local residents.
I had the great fortune of attending one of those special and almost secret conferences hosted by a working group of academics at Trent University. The Saturday Sept. 16 conference – “Farming for the Future” was attended by academics, scientists, farmers and business people from all parts of Canada, Europe and South America. I had a tremendous jump in my knowledge and awareness about Biogas, from knowing next-to-nothing to seeing the vast untapped potential of using organic waste products and green biomass to create electricity. One fact take-away for me was if all the animal manure in Ontario was fed into anaerobic digesters to create biogas to power mini-turbines to generate electricity, we would create the equivalent power capacity of one-third of a nuclear plant. This doesn’t include the far greater resources of organic waste that currently goes directly to landfills, or gets processed in sewage treatment plants. Farmers can also produce and harvest green crops that are grown specifically to feed Biogas digesters or fermentation units. Our farmers especially the ones with livestock, have the potential to earn much needed second incomes as electrical power producers, using biogas to produce electricity in peak hour time periods. What lacks is education, training, start-up infrastructure, and financing for same. Rather than pumping billions into building new deadly toxic waste generating nuclear power plants, we have the potential to invest this money into our municipal and rural communities to create alternative energy sources. It is not surprising that Canada is lagging far behind what is being done in most of Europe in this area. It was, however, surprising to see conference attendees coming from Europe to learn more about emerging technologies some of which were presented by a small group of experts, residents of the Peterborough region, who are researchers at Trent University. Our local University has some amazing academics, researchers and research activities. The world knows about it more than our local residents.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Canadian poll - Greens at double digit %
I love this article from the Hamilton Spectator
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1157580611458&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1112101662670
a recent poll of Canadian voters - Green Party support has doubled since Elizabeth May has been elected leader. Now 10%. Conservative support has dropped.
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1157580611458&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1112101662670
a recent poll of Canadian voters - Green Party support has doubled since Elizabeth May has been elected leader. Now 10%. Conservative support has dropped.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
The Stephen Hawking Challenge
I often think about the question the brilliant astrophysicist, Stepehen Hawking, submitted to Yahoo Answers this past July.
How can the human race survive the next hundred years?
In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?
I am sure the Yahoo folks were happy to have Dr. Hawking as a celebrity quizzer because this question drew over 25,000 responses on the Yahoo Answers Blog. I like the wording of the question from two perspectives:
1) It gets my mind pondering the multiple issues that are threatening human existence.
- nuclear catastrophe (bombs, or terrorist plots to blow up nuclear reactors)
- pandemic viruses
- environmental collapse ( impacts of climate change - new ice age & massive species extinction, or mass death from toxic water and air....via human DNA disruption, or uncontrollable cancer rates. Combinations of multiple factors that will strip the earth of its protective atmosphere and turn the planet into another Venus.
- global economic depression that will lead to global war
2) Dr. Hawking puts a time frame (100 years) on the time we could have left if we don't reverse the current trends.
Prior to submitting the Yahoo question, Dr. Hawking was at a conference in Hong Kong, where he floated the idea that we should be working on sending people to the Moon and Mars to set up new colonies. Reason - we need to preserve humanity. Life on earth is in peril. Dr. Hawking didn't think humans would be able to survive beyond 100 years.
I think we need to prove Dr. Hawking wrong.
How can the human race survive the next hundred years?
In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?
I am sure the Yahoo folks were happy to have Dr. Hawking as a celebrity quizzer because this question drew over 25,000 responses on the Yahoo Answers Blog. I like the wording of the question from two perspectives:
1) It gets my mind pondering the multiple issues that are threatening human existence.
- nuclear catastrophe (bombs, or terrorist plots to blow up nuclear reactors)
- pandemic viruses
- environmental collapse ( impacts of climate change - new ice age & massive species extinction, or mass death from toxic water and air....via human DNA disruption, or uncontrollable cancer rates. Combinations of multiple factors that will strip the earth of its protective atmosphere and turn the planet into another Venus.
- global economic depression that will lead to global war
2) Dr. Hawking puts a time frame (100 years) on the time we could have left if we don't reverse the current trends.
Prior to submitting the Yahoo question, Dr. Hawking was at a conference in Hong Kong, where he floated the idea that we should be working on sending people to the Moon and Mars to set up new colonies. Reason - we need to preserve humanity. Life on earth is in peril. Dr. Hawking didn't think humans would be able to survive beyond 100 years.
I think we need to prove Dr. Hawking wrong.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Google picks up my Blog
A smile on my face today, searched "Knighter's Knotes" and Google found it on the search listing. Very cool. I have tried the Google search various times with no luck until today. Technocrati picked up my blog after two days with the reference to the Green Party.
I am as far as I know, the only one reading my blog. Another challenge. But it is fun to journal, and I don't mind if the world wants to read my eco-journal.
John
I am as far as I know, the only one reading my blog. Another challenge. But it is fun to journal, and I don't mind if the world wants to read my eco-journal.
John
Our Environment
missed a week of posting. A few notes:
1) I finished reading Varda Burtsyn's book - Water Inc. - B+. At the 65% point the book became very interesting "couldn't put the book down". One of the those fiction novels that rings true on several levels - geography/real places, real life world issues/history ( same model as Dan Brown's DaVinci Code). Only challenge I felt in reading the book was the character development.
2) Watched with interest Elizabeth May's "whistle-stop" tour in Western Canada to Toronto and on to Ottawa.
3) Went to a local presentation to listen to John Seed, Australian eco-activist. Very interesting. Many take-aways for me, the best one for immediate implementation is to stop referring to "the environment", it is "our environment". Our environment is not separate from living life forms, replace 'the" with "our". Unless I can find some magical way of not breathing air, drinking water or eating nutrients. Death at this point is not magical.
1) I finished reading Varda Burtsyn's book - Water Inc. - B+. At the 65% point the book became very interesting "couldn't put the book down". One of the those fiction novels that rings true on several levels - geography/real places, real life world issues/history ( same model as Dan Brown's DaVinci Code). Only challenge I felt in reading the book was the character development.
2) Watched with interest Elizabeth May's "whistle-stop" tour in Western Canada to Toronto and on to Ottawa.
3) Went to a local presentation to listen to John Seed, Australian eco-activist. Very interesting. Many take-aways for me, the best one for immediate implementation is to stop referring to "the environment", it is "our environment". Our environment is not separate from living life forms, replace 'the" with "our". Unless I can find some magical way of not breathing air, drinking water or eating nutrients. Death at this point is not magical.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Earth Charter
One of the resolutions passed at the recent Green Party of Canada (GPC) convention was an endorsement of the Earth Charter. The Charter has meaning for those who value sustainability, peace, social justice, building a better future and maintaining a global perspective - all six billion (plus) of us are in this together.
A good overview on the Charter can be found on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Charter
A good overview on the Charter can be found on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Charter
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday Aug. 28 CHEX TV News
On last night's CHEX TV News, there was a short story on the election of Elizabeth May as leader of the Green Party. The News has a "lets ask the people" feature where a reporter and camera go downtown and ask people questions. The question last night was "Would you consider voting for the Green Party". Four of the five people asked said yes they would consider it. The fifith said they won't vote for any party. One young gentleman said, and I am paraphrasing a little "I definitely won't vote Conservative, nahh not the Liberals either, sure, I would definitely consider voting Green."
Monday, August 28, 2006
The Green Party platform
I agree with pollster Nik Nanos - The Green's need to become much more than a "one issue" party.....although I can also argue the environment is integrated into everything living entities do on our lovely planet - we need clean air to breathe, pure water to drink, non-toxic foods to eat...etc.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=26c851ce-4858-4a6f-98e3-18dfd364ba2e&k=25107
In my mind, the two big issues are:
1) Survival - current world activities (continuous war, threats of nuclear catastrophe) and longer trends (global warming) are definitely not positive.
2) Quality of Life - an economic catastrophe (US Government deficit - hundreds of billions & debt in the trillions) lies ahead of us. The supply and demand of non-renewable resources and energy is costly for business (with the exception of the oil,gas,metals) and consumers. Toxins are pervasive in our air, water, soil - the biggest cause for cancer.
Greens will develop a "down the middle" (not left or right) political platform that will appeal to the majority of Canadians....
o the Green Party is an ideal party for entrepreneurs and small business people.
- a multitude of business opportunities are available in the alternative energies segment.
o the party abhors waste of any kind. (fiscally as well as materially)
o Canadians are thirsting for democratic reform - the voice of the individual citizen is lost - our members of Parliament first look to their Party leaders for direction on what to say about anything, rather than following their own beliefs or the consensus of their constituents.
o the party will take a holistic approach to the big issues impacting all of us - it is impossible to separate the environment from the economy, energy or health.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=26c851ce-4858-4a6f-98e3-18dfd364ba2e&k=25107
In my mind, the two big issues are:
1) Survival - current world activities (continuous war, threats of nuclear catastrophe) and longer trends (global warming) are definitely not positive.
2) Quality of Life - an economic catastrophe (US Government deficit - hundreds of billions & debt in the trillions) lies ahead of us. The supply and demand of non-renewable resources and energy is costly for business (with the exception of the oil,gas,metals) and consumers. Toxins are pervasive in our air, water, soil - the biggest cause for cancer.
Greens will develop a "down the middle" (not left or right) political platform that will appeal to the majority of Canadians....
o the Green Party is an ideal party for entrepreneurs and small business people.
- a multitude of business opportunities are available in the alternative energies segment.
o the party abhors waste of any kind. (fiscally as well as materially)
o Canadians are thirsting for democratic reform - the voice of the individual citizen is lost - our members of Parliament first look to their Party leaders for direction on what to say about anything, rather than following their own beliefs or the consensus of their constituents.
o the party will take a holistic approach to the big issues impacting all of us - it is impossible to separate the environment from the economy, energy or health.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Elizabeth May coming to Peterborough Oct. 12
Prior to the convention I was able to book Elizabeth to come to Peterborough on October 12, 2006 for the Peterborough Electoral District Association Annual Meeting.
We are looking forward to seeing her again, and this will also be a public event. The meeting will be at the Peterborough Public Library.
We are looking forward to seeing her again, and this will also be a public event. The meeting will be at the Peterborough Public Library.
more on Elizabeth
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Elizabeth Wins!!!
Elizabeth May wins the Green Party leadership.
Globe and Mail -
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060826.wmay0greens0826/BNStory/National/home
awesome...
Elizabeth was at her best, in the press interviews after her acceptance speech (watched on CPAC) - she came out "guns a-blazing" - leading off with the recent Green Party Resolution that Canada should give its 6 month notice period to pull out of NAFTA. The deal is structured 1 way anyways - all for US interests (evidence the Softwood lumber situation).
all in all - Elizabeth will garner lots of media coverage, and build interest in the party.
Globe and Mail -
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060826.wmay0greens0826/BNStory/National/home
awesome...
Elizabeth was at her best, in the press interviews after her acceptance speech (watched on CPAC) - she came out "guns a-blazing" - leading off with the recent Green Party Resolution that Canada should give its 6 month notice period to pull out of NAFTA. The deal is structured 1 way anyways - all for US interests (evidence the Softwood lumber situation).
all in all - Elizabeth will garner lots of media coverage, and build interest in the party.
Green Party Leader - Election Day
Watched the Leadership candidate speaches last night on CPAC.
1) Jim Fannon - nice guy, very entertaining speaker.
2) David Chernushenko - very smooth, articulate, but no passion.
3) Elizabeth May - not her best last night, she shines when she is attacking an issue, but last nights speach appeared to be for the people in the room (600 members), a rally to unify. A good effort.
Celeste Mackenzie from the Calgary Sun wrote a good article on the Green Leadership race. 3,000 votes (including Linda's and mine for Elizabeth) have already been mailed in. They expect another 300 will be cast today. Jim Fannon has already predicted Elizabeth has won it in a landslide.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/08/25/1776194-cp.html
Today's Toronto Star article - good overview......Did you know Greens are the second choice for 33% of the people who voted Conservative? Data from a recent poll.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1156542610668&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467
1) Jim Fannon - nice guy, very entertaining speaker.
2) David Chernushenko - very smooth, articulate, but no passion.
3) Elizabeth May - not her best last night, she shines when she is attacking an issue, but last nights speach appeared to be for the people in the room (600 members), a rally to unify. A good effort.
Celeste Mackenzie from the Calgary Sun wrote a good article on the Green Leadership race. 3,000 votes (including Linda's and mine for Elizabeth) have already been mailed in. They expect another 300 will be cast today. Jim Fannon has already predicted Elizabeth has won it in a landslide.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/08/25/1776194-cp.html
Today's Toronto Star article - good overview......Did you know Greens are the second choice for 33% of the people who voted Conservative? Data from a recent poll.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1156542610668&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467
Friday, August 25, 2006
Ron Dembo - Zerofootprint Inc.
What a great story in the August 21, 2006 issue of the Toronto Star!
The story was about Ron Dembo who used to own a company called Algorithmics Inc. - a specialist in risk management software. He sold the company for roughly $175 million (US). Some people would retire to a life of luxury, but not Mr. Dembo. He is devoting the next stage of his personal/business life to Environmentalism and "Green Business" ventures. His new company is Zerofootprint Inc.
If you are interested in business and/or environmentalism like I am, you can spend a great deal of time browsing the Zerofootprint web-site.
http://zerofootprint.net/
Ron has his own Blog - also some very interesting posts.
http://zerofootprint.net/green_stories/green_stories_item.asp?type_=53&ID=5101
Good stuff!!!
The story was about Ron Dembo who used to own a company called Algorithmics Inc. - a specialist in risk management software. He sold the company for roughly $175 million (US). Some people would retire to a life of luxury, but not Mr. Dembo. He is devoting the next stage of his personal/business life to Environmentalism and "Green Business" ventures. His new company is Zerofootprint Inc.
If you are interested in business and/or environmentalism like I am, you can spend a great deal of time browsing the Zerofootprint web-site.
http://zerofootprint.net/
Ron has his own Blog - also some very interesting posts.
http://zerofootprint.net/green_stories/green_stories_item.asp?type_=53&ID=5101
Good stuff!!!
Water Inc. & Green Party of Canada
My current night-time reading is a book by now local Peterborough author, Varda Burtsyn...the book is Water Inc. http://www.vardaburstyn.com - early stages - up to Chapter 8 but now getting intrigued with the characters. The book is "semi-fictional", I can actually visualize events happening in real life the way they are being told in the book. Scary to think what will happen in the USA when big parts of the country run out of water. (impacts of climate change- severe drought in the US Southwest). Even scarier as to what will happen in Canada, when the militaristic giant to our south demands to be given our water.
Watched CPAC http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&template_id=46&lang=e last night (Thursday) - the Jim Harris tribute at the Green Party of Canada Convention in Ottawa. The Green Party is the only political party in Canada with "grassroots" democracy in action. The Green Party leader has to be a facilitator, organizer, and "cheerleader". The party members establish Policy. The other Canadian political parties work "top-down", especially the Conservatives - the Harper Inner Circle makes all the decisions for the party.
I am a big fan of Elizabeth May. I voted for her to be Green Party leader.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_May_(environmentalist)
http://www.elizabethmay.ca/
Elizabeth will attract media attention to the party and its objectives, new members will join, and the Party will become a legitimate voting choice for Canadians.
Watched CPAC http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&template_id=46&lang=e last night (Thursday) - the Jim Harris tribute at the Green Party of Canada Convention in Ottawa. The Green Party is the only political party in Canada with "grassroots" democracy in action. The Green Party leader has to be a facilitator, organizer, and "cheerleader". The party members establish Policy. The other Canadian political parties work "top-down", especially the Conservatives - the Harper Inner Circle makes all the decisions for the party.
I am a big fan of Elizabeth May. I voted for her to be Green Party leader.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_May_(environmentalist)
http://www.elizabethmay.ca/
Elizabeth will attract media attention to the party and its objectives, new members will join, and the Party will become a legitimate voting choice for Canadians.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
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