Less Meatatarian.

Mark Bittman, seasoned food writer, author of new book “Food Matters”.  Punnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnner !!  He raises some good points on food and sustainability.  He tackles vegetarianism/veganism, climate change, food/cooking, bioethics, more or less everything to do with food, cooking, and agriculture.  A great overview of North American food business as well.  Voila.

I feel alright after seeing this.  I think most of us responsibles should too.  I have (local) eggs for breakfast, only eat meat with dinner, and at least twice a week we do veg dinners.  Not hard at all.

The Death of Environmentalism.

Last night I went to a solid movie/discussion at Laurier where we watched “Everything’s Cool“, a documentary on the politics behind the United States’ reluctance to join a global climate change effort.  Appreciably not-too-preachy, and had some great info on how the climate change message was censored to both the government and the public in the US.

In this film we met two emerging thinkers on the big environmental picture (Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus) who wrote a P.R. dream-sounding essay entitled “The Death of Environmentalism”.  Environmentalists are so easy to offend that they must have known this would be a proverbial “stir stick“.  Instead of scaring their readers to action, their central tenant is to develop international clean energy based economies.  Their positives are job creation, improves national security by getting off our dependence on foreign oil, improves human health, developing ubiquitous/open energy sources, and THEN the talk on polar bears.  Eliminating carbon from energy and transportation would put a massive dent in our effort.  Now just eat vegetarian one or two days a week and you’ll really finish the roundhouse kick.

They criticize the environmental justice community by saying their message has been one-dimensional, way too fear-based/doom and gloom, and have not produced a lot of results over the past 20 years.  So instead of showing polar bears and bored ski groomers, they paint a positive economic, political, and cultural picture around clean energy and push its extreme importance.  Nowish.

I’ve been bigpicturing seriously for the last little while, and my opinions on environmentalism have definitely shifted and continue to do so.  But these guys are speaking a language that makes sense and focuses on the right reasons to act and move forward, with no sense of stagnation or dwelling on the past.  Pretty much down, more fun to come.

Read The Death of Environmentalism here (PDF).

U.S. goes cap-and-trade.

[via Treehugger.com]:

During a conference call earlier today, Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed a timeline for the bold energy and climate bill just introduced to the House of Representatives. The 600 page bill is getting introduced as a discussion draft, and it marks a massive step forward in US energy policy—it includes an aggressive cap and trade system, a nationwide standard for renewable energy, and federal low carbon fuel standard. All of which would be firsts for the US. Sounds ambitious—especially considering that Pelosi wants the bill passed by July.

It’s just too bad that this probably won’t actually do anything if targets aren’t properly set and credits aren’t auctioned off responsibly.  Let’s hope says practical, positivist Mike.

Remotely sensed.

One of the best examples of an alluvial fan I have ever seen, found in southern Iran.  Readers Digest version – mountain streams carrying sediment (often from eroded streambanks) carry various sizes of mineral grains to the mouth of the stream.  Depending on their mass, they get dropped right away (heavier, bigger grains) or carry on in suspension until the smallest/lightest grains settle  (silts,clays).  It’s in these interfaces of large/small grains that allows for lush agriculture. Exhibit B: Vancouver BC.

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The Manicouagan Crater in Quebec.  70km in diameter, it’s one of the largest impact craters still preserved on the surface of the Earth.

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A great example of “rain shadows” in mountain ranges.  Orographic lifting is the fancy term for air masses being physically forced up mountains, cools and water vapour condenses and falls as precipitation.  Go for photosynthesis.

[all photos via NASA Earth Observatory]

Bed in.

40 year anniversary of John and Yoko bedding in at Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel.  A good reminder of how to deliver a political message.  For environmentalists, their crux is often doom and gloom, day before after tomorrow yesterday.   Maybe try the “Death of Environmentalism” route and focus on the positives of green energy rather than the overwhelming problems of fossil fuel consumption.   Or if you’re the eggman, you can just wear golden diapers and be great and wear glasses and be a bastard.

A letter to M.P. Kingston and the Islands.

Dear Hon. Peter Milliken,

I am writing as a former and future member of your constituency, hoping to convey my strong concern and frustration with the CSC’s decision to close the penitentiary farms in and around Kingston.  I am a 26 year old graduate student at the University of Waterloo studying water resource management and agriculture, planning on returning to Kingston soon.  I feel this city is something truly special and I am excited to move back and strongly contribute to the community with my training and be close to family.  I can understand that the sale of this land would be tempting in the midst of our economic difficulties, but I feel the benefits of keeping them far outweigh the benefits of selling.  I’m sure you know the facts, so I won’t discuss them exhaustively but I would like to articulate a few points.

First, I find the rehabilitation of prisoners through the means of agriculture is a special and vital part of our correctional system in Kingston.  It teaches the inmates a strong sense of work ethic, organization, a deep sense of accomplishment, along with a host of skills to bring to the workforce upon leaving.  Many area farmers consistently declare that prisoners and related staff do an exceptional job in Kingston.  What a truly fantastic way to develop food sustainability principles and provide an alternative form of rehabilitation within CSC institutions!  You’ve likely seen this editorial in the Whig Standard, and I wholeheartedly agree with this point of view:

I’ve recently read in the news that my concerns may be rejected by the CSC. In the Kingston This Week, it was reported that only 4% of CSC funds are devoted to education.  This clearly speaks of bigger issues than just the farms, and an interviewee expressed a passionate desire to increase education funding to inmates.  I applaud this possibility, although realistically any form of postive rehabilitation should have already been seriously investigated and implemented.  More funding for education in replacement of agricultural deveIopment may have to be a compromise, but the overall shift to effective rehabilitation should be the driving focus of the CSC, along with how taxpayer funds should be chanelled.  Overall, I feel you and the CSC should give the farms and their contribution to rehabilitation a much closer examination.  We are turning our backs on a holistic and vital component to our local landscape.

Thanks for your time, I plan on contributing further to this decision.

Mike Christie

Going to be an uncle!

I’m going to be an uncle!  Dave bringing the power (family) wheels!  Uncle Mike already sounds like a fun uncle. Aaand +/- the best uncle period.  Happy days.

I Love You, Man.

Not as good side: The trailer had the funniest parts and did not leave any element of surprise for the movie.  Exactly as funny as I thought, and it was funny.  Just thought that other Paul Ruddy films had more zing.

Good side Best Side:  Tevin.  There couldn’t have been a better name for this guy.  Whoever decided on this name deserves their own stimulus package.  Stimulus jokes 4EVR!  You just know Tevin is one of those dudes. You just see the nametag first and you already know what he looks like.  I was the only one in the theatre laughing at the nametag and I Mikecackled.

cap it trade it tax it technologic.

Have you looked into the carbon Cap and Trade vs. Carbon Tax debate?  Pros and cons to both for sure.  c/o Canadian Business Magazine:

I don’t talk about climate change too much.  The woman’s arguments were weaker than the professor’s, but the more you know.

The hip buzz.

Where the Wild Things Are trailer is officially here.  Poster was awesome too. Movie comes out October 16th.

Spike Jonze, Arcade Fire /Karen O/Deerhunter soundtrack, and the remembrance that your imagination was amazing as a child, and is complete shyte now.  That’s why I talk to myself and space out all the time, it’s really just a desperate grasp for my previously awesome imagination.

Goinnnnng.

Just up my alley.  Thanks be to Chris.

Offtime.

You know the quote.  “Activism is my rent for living on the planet” (Alice Walker).  I haven’t done too much volunteering in the past year or two, so it’s something I’m really looking forward to getting back into in Toronto.  Busyness tizzyness.

1. Engineers Wthout Borders – Toronto Professional Chapter – International (human) development.  It’s the “Think Global and Act Local AND Global” attitude that I appreciate so much about the organization.  I’ve already done a lot of fundraising for them back in Waterloo, so I’m looking forward to more funs.

2. Food Not Bombs – often organic and always nutritious AND pacifist AND acting locally.  Signin.  I can do 2 hours a week.  My dear friend Rochelle inspired me.

3. Green Party of Canada – Probably a small contribution, but good to be politically engaged in some way.  I don’t always agree with all of their policies, but the message is important.  Still considering this.

Trying to decide to do more local or global rights issues -  United Way vs. Amnesty/Oxfam.  Simply so many goods.

Memberships will incude Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, Whole Village or Everdale Farms, and the ever dear Bullfrog Power.

Heat + pressure.

Affectionately called “The Wave” on the border of Arizona and Utah.  This is what heat, pressure, and hundreds of thousands of years (perhaps millions) can do to sand dunes.  Or just as easily if your honey shrunk the kids and you fell into a bowl of butterscotch ripple.  I totally forgot about that hot 80s mop dance.

So when you think of geology, don’t think of hard hats and your 3rd base baseball coach with a moustache and a penchant for Coors Light.  It ain’t just rolling around grains of dirt on your fingers like a wet booger.  It’s pretty badass.

Photos by Spencer Weiner and the Los Angeles Times.

Pssstt…. HEY….. CBC…. I would give you (more) money for top-tier journalism and programming.   Put it on my tab.  You won my heart at the age of 20.  Just so you know,  in your bigwig meetings…. mid 20 somethings would pay for it too.  Plus it’ll level the playing field so Global and CTV won’t bitch about not getting as much money as you.  Or maybe Harper will begrudgingly bail you all out.  Who knows, but if it comes down to this, I’d be down with Andrew Coyne’s opinion.

Big breath in.

You’ve seen the video, I just hope it didn’t flip ya.  I think some Canadians need to relax a little bit.  I’d be the first to recognize that the comments shared by Fox News from a newscaster only fit to broadcast at 3:30 in the morning, along with a constantly-stoned-comedian were completely disrespectful.  But it’s Fox News. At 3:30 in the morning.  With halfwit hosts and stoners.  Canadians can do 1+1+1.  Without YouTube, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.  Not to condone the message, but dudes.  Not worth it at all, maybe?  Obvious – no one sensible respects this network anyway.  Reasons 1+1+1!  Stopping the talking.

Let’s just say we can all agree that disrespecting military efforts from the very people that blindly support military efforts is pretty stupid from the get go.  Foreign Affairs Minister Peter McKay called for an apology and Fox responded with a half-response.

When in Rome.