Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Al Gore a hypocrite?
According to CNN’s “crazy” Glenn Beck, Al Gore’s CO2 emissions are almost twice as much as the average American. I didn’t get a chance to write down the numbers Beck provided, but it was extremely disheartening to hear that someone who puts so much effort into informing the world that we all need to change our lifestyles has possibly not changed his own. I was unable to find further information to back up Beck’s accusations, but CNN seems like it would be reliable resource. I would be very interested in know exactly what Gore’s “carbon footprint” is… I really hope Beck is as crazy as he seems and Gore is practicing what he’s preaching.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Canada vs USA
How typical! hahaha
"This is based on an actual radio conversation between a U.S. Navyaircraft carrier (U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln) and Canadian authoritiesoff the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. (The radioconversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on10/10/95 authorized by the Freedom of Information Act.)"
"Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision.
Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to theNorth to avoid a collision.
Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15degrees to the South to avoid a collision.
Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again,divert YOUR course.
Canadians: No, I say again, you divert YOUR course.
Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH--I SAY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH--OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.
Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call."
"This is based on an actual radio conversation between a U.S. Navyaircraft carrier (U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln) and Canadian authoritiesoff the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. (The radioconversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on10/10/95 authorized by the Freedom of Information Act.)"
"Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision.
Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to theNorth to avoid a collision.
Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15degrees to the South to avoid a collision.
Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again,divert YOUR course.
Canadians: No, I say again, you divert YOUR course.
Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH--I SAY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH--OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.
Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call."
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Communities, Coasts, and Crises
Managing Together on a Blue Planet
Tony Charles covered a number of topics during his “integrated management” lecture last Thursday night. “Natural Disasters”, the “Oceans State”, “Top 20 Concerns”, and “How to Help” were among some of the subjects discussed. One point Charles made, when discussing, “How to Help”, was that building local management in small fishing communities, like the Yucatan in Mexico, could be a successful technique to help stop over-fishing on a local scale. It was my understanding that he believes starting locally, going from the “bottom up”, is one way to effectively influence a “top down” initiative and eventually have local people sharing resource management responsibilities with the government; something he referred to as “co-management”. This idea sounds very similar to some of the reasons for needing Canada’s Ocean Strategy; “giving Canadians an opportunity to become engaged in decisions affecting Canada’s three oceans”, and also similar to the Little Albrow Lake example we learned about back in January. I believe that the more people involved, the better. Starting from the bottom up is definitely a method worth practicing and publicizing.
Although Tony Charles’ presentation was not one of my favorites to-date, I appreciated the ideas and facts presented.
Tony Charles covered a number of topics during his “integrated management” lecture last Thursday night. “Natural Disasters”, the “Oceans State”, “Top 20 Concerns”, and “How to Help” were among some of the subjects discussed. One point Charles made, when discussing, “How to Help”, was that building local management in small fishing communities, like the Yucatan in Mexico, could be a successful technique to help stop over-fishing on a local scale. It was my understanding that he believes starting locally, going from the “bottom up”, is one way to effectively influence a “top down” initiative and eventually have local people sharing resource management responsibilities with the government; something he referred to as “co-management”. This idea sounds very similar to some of the reasons for needing Canada’s Ocean Strategy; “giving Canadians an opportunity to become engaged in decisions affecting Canada’s three oceans”, and also similar to the Little Albrow Lake example we learned about back in January. I believe that the more people involved, the better. Starting from the bottom up is definitely a method worth practicing and publicizing.
Although Tony Charles’ presentation was not one of my favorites to-date, I appreciated the ideas and facts presented.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Salt Water Marshes
A Place Between the Tides
Harry Thurston was very well spoken and is a beautiful writer; no wonder so many people turned up to hear him read tonight. I have to say, however, that I was not expecting to learn much about salt water marshes at the beginning of the lecture while Thurston read of his childhood memories of growing up on a marsh. By the end of his speech, however, I better understood the importance of these marshes, and not just for their beauty, but for the impact they had on his academic life.
Thurston painted a vivid picture of the marsh he grew up around in Yarmouth, NS (the largest intact salt water marsh in Atlantic Canada). Picture this: sixty thousand birds take flight and move as one; the reflection of a “silver moon” off the marsh water while black ducks swam round; two otters playing on an icy bank; the sound of the willet that made him feel like he was home; how rare it was to see a human amongst this serenity and wildlife
All of the plant and animal life that exists in such habitats is threatened, like the rest of us, by rising sea levels. The marsh itself acts as a “buffer to a battering sea”; it collects runoff, and filters pollution. Thurston portrayed the marsh as “so little but so vital”, explaining that it contributes so much to the world.
There was discussion of the mud flat in Windsor, NS. A man from the Windsor area spoke of a marsh turning to a mud flat after a causeway was built. Now, 15 or 20 years later, a salt marsh has returned. Nature has re-grown itself! On the other hand, Thurston also spoke of an artificial basin created years ago to hull boats between the Bay of Fundy and the Northumberland Straight. Although boats kept getting bigger, the basin was never actually used. Now this basin is a playground to seals and other creatures. How ironic; humans destroy a piece of nature that adapts and finds a way to survive, and we generate something that we are not able to make adapt and it becomes a part of nature.
Harry Thurston was very well spoken and is a beautiful writer; no wonder so many people turned up to hear him read tonight. I have to say, however, that I was not expecting to learn much about salt water marshes at the beginning of the lecture while Thurston read of his childhood memories of growing up on a marsh. By the end of his speech, however, I better understood the importance of these marshes, and not just for their beauty, but for the impact they had on his academic life.
Thurston painted a vivid picture of the marsh he grew up around in Yarmouth, NS (the largest intact salt water marsh in Atlantic Canada). Picture this: sixty thousand birds take flight and move as one; the reflection of a “silver moon” off the marsh water while black ducks swam round; two otters playing on an icy bank; the sound of the willet that made him feel like he was home; how rare it was to see a human amongst this serenity and wildlife
All of the plant and animal life that exists in such habitats is threatened, like the rest of us, by rising sea levels. The marsh itself acts as a “buffer to a battering sea”; it collects runoff, and filters pollution. Thurston portrayed the marsh as “so little but so vital”, explaining that it contributes so much to the world.
There was discussion of the mud flat in Windsor, NS. A man from the Windsor area spoke of a marsh turning to a mud flat after a causeway was built. Now, 15 or 20 years later, a salt marsh has returned. Nature has re-grown itself! On the other hand, Thurston also spoke of an artificial basin created years ago to hull boats between the Bay of Fundy and the Northumberland Straight. Although boats kept getting bigger, the basin was never actually used. Now this basin is a playground to seals and other creatures. How ironic; humans destroy a piece of nature that adapts and finds a way to survive, and we generate something that we are not able to make adapt and it becomes a part of nature.
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