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Showing posts from February, 2009

STIMULUS FOLLY

. . . .EDITORIAL OPINION: . . .both in canada and the usa as well as other parts of the world gov'ts are trying to save the economy by injecting cash into the banking sector,thus hoping it would filter on down to the common folks who would then begin buying and buying. . . . .THIS WHOLE IDEA IS BASED ON A FAILED ECONOMIC MODEL BY PEOPLE WHO LOOK TO THE PAST FOR SOLUTIONS . . . . .THE NEW ECONOMY SHOULD BE BASED ON A "BUY NOTHING" MODEL WHICH WILL INSURE THAT WE REGAIN CONTROL OF THE ECONOMY AND NOT THRUST IT INTO THE GREEDY WAITING HANDS OF THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. .. . .ALSO THE SIDE EFFECT OF THIS NEW(NO GROWTH) POLICY WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT . . . . .SOOOO . . .MY ADVICE . ..BUY NOTHING . . .FORGET CONSUMERISM . . . . . . .IT IS AN ABYMISSAL FAILURE . . . . . . .IN SPITE OF THE GOOD INTENTIONS OF THE NEW OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IN THE USA. . . .WITH LIMITED RESOURCES IT IS FOOLISH TO ENCOURAGE MORE CONSUMERISM . . . . .TO BAIL OUT THE ECONOMY .

LANDFILL PROBLEM

. . . . . . . .A RECENT VIDEO OF OVERFLOW LANDFILLS IN MEXICO CITY PRESENTS A REAL CHALLENGE . . . .TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION . . .THE SAME HAS TO BE SAID FOR MOST OF THE BIG CITIES OF THE WORLD.

AUTO INDUSTRY

"The Swedish state is not prepared to own car factories," Enterprise and Energy Minister Maud Olofsson told reporters in Stockholm. "We are not prepared to risk the taxpayers' money ... This is not a game of Monopoly," she said, pointing out that GM had barely made a profit from Saab in the two decades it had controlled the unit. . . . . . . .G.M. ASKING FOR BAILOUT FROM SWEDEN FEB 18-09 . .SOUND FAMILIAR ?

WELCOME MR PRESIDENT

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. . . . .WELCOME TO CANADA . . . .JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN CANADA THAT SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT . . . .THIS PHOTO OF A BRIDGE NEAR OTTAWA ON FEBRUARY 18-2009 WITH A GREENPEACE BANNER DESCRIBES THE MOOD OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT IN CANADA REGARDING TAR SANDS OIL . . .WE HOPE THAT YOUR NEW GOV'T. . .TAKES COURAGEOUS STEPS TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM DESTRUCTIVE INDUSTRIES AND CHART A NEW COURSE IN THE GREEN ECONOMY . . .ENJOY YOUR VISIT . . .MR PRESIDENT.

ELECTRIC CARS ?

Could the national grid cope? If all drivers today switched from conventionally-powered vehicles to electric cars, there is doubt over whether the national grid would be unable to cope. The question of where this additional capacity would come from was not addressed by Mr Brown. The Environmental Transport Association believes that an across-the-board tax on carbon would rapidly foster the conditions in which electric car technology would develop as more sustainable and better value alternative to conventionally-powered vehicles. At present, electric cars do not have the range to make them practical for long journeys. . . . . . . . .THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMENTS AFTER A RECENT G-7 MEETING IN ROME REGARDING THE SUITABALITY OF ELECTRIC CARS. . . .THE SAME QUESTIONS COULD APPLY TO CANADA/USA . . . . .COULD THE ELECTRIC GRID COPE . . . . . . . . .WITH THE INCREASED LOAD OF THOUSANDS OF ELECTRIC CARS ? . . . . . . . . . . . .MORE DIRTY COAL POWER OR EXPENSIVE ,DIRTY AND DANGEROUS N

NUCLEAR SUB CRASH

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The Vanguard — which is capable of carrying up to 16 nuclear-armed Trident missiles — was towed back to a submarine base in Scotland with visible dents and scrapes, the BBC reported. The Le Triomphant suffered damaged to a sonar dome in the front of the submarine but returned under its own power to its base on L'Ile Longue on France's western tip, according to the French military. Neither France nor Britain would confirm the exact date of the collision, but said it took place earlier this month. France issued a brief statement Feb. 6 saying the Le Triomphant had struck "a submerged object" that was probably a shipping container. . . . . . . . . . . . . .THIS COLLISION TOOK PLACE DEEP UNDER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ACCORDING TO NEWS REPORTS . . . . . .FEBRUARY-16-2009 . . . NEWS RELEASE.

COLLISION IN SPACE

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. . . .A communications satellite belong to US company Iridium hit a disused Russian military satellite on Tuesday, Russian officials said. The collision took place 800 kilometers (500 miles) above the Earth, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted the head of the country's space forces as saying. "A collision occurred between an Iridium 33 satellite and a Russian Kosmos 2251 military satellite," Major General Alexander Yakushin said. The Russian satellite was launched in 1993 and ceased to function two years later, he added. . . . . . . . . . . .ALTHOUGH COLLISIONS ARE RARE . . .THEY DO HAPPEN . . .BUT NOT TO THE SAME EXTENT AS THIS . . .EACH SATELLITE WEIGHED ABOUT ONE TONNE. . . .DEBRIS FROM THE CRASH WILL DISSIPATE THROUGH SPACE BEFORE BURNING UP AS IT FALLS TO EARTH.HOPEFULLY NOT DO ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO OTHER SATELLITES.

droughts/forest fires

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. . .having lived in tinder dry forest areas of B.C.,Canada i can understand the situation that concerns australia and the drought stricken region of china. . . . . .but from a global perspective i suspect climate change is upon us and we are not responding to the wake up signals. . . . . .for instance in australia already mis information about the cause of the forest fires are being spread. . . .NO..THEY SAY ITS PROBABLY SOME HOMELESS VAGRANT THAT CAUSED THE FIRES . . .A TYPICAL RED HERRING PROPAGANDA . . . .INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE . . .CLIMATE CHANGE . . .GLOBAL WARMING.

TOYOTA LOSS=5 BILLION($)

. . . . .Japan's Toyota Motor Corp, the world's biggest car manufacturer, has said that it faces an operating loss of almost $5bn for the fiscal year to March. Announcing its latest quarterly results on Friday, Toyota said its expected its full-year loss would be now be three times what it had forecast just six weeks ago. If confirmed the yearly loss would be the biggest faced by the company in its 70-year history.(NEWS ITEM FROM AL JAZEERA) . . . . . . . .THIS NEWS FROM TOYOTA COMBINED WITH NEWS TODAY OF HUGE LOSSES FROM NISSAN MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD CONVINCE A LOT OF PEOPLE NOT TO BAIL OUT THE AUTO INDUSTRY . . . .NISSAN PLANS TO CUT ITS WORK FORCE BY 20,000. . . .IT MAY BE BAD NEWS FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY BUT ITS GOOD NEWS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT SINCE AUTOMOBILES ARE NOT . .ECO.FRIENDLY

CANADA LEFT BEHIND ?

“I love Barack Obama,” he said. “I’d pay money just to shine the brother’s shoes. But I’ll tell you this. Do you hear me? One man is not going to save us. I don’t care who that man is. He’s not going to save us. And, in fact, if you want to be real about this—can y’all take it? I’m going to be real with y’all. Not only is Barack Obama not going to be able to save you—you are going to have to save Barack Obama.” . . . . . . . . .IN THE SUNDAY FEB 8-09 EDITION OF NEW YORKER MAGAZINE .THESE ARE TRUE WORDS OF WISDOM COMING FROM VAN JONES . .I ONLY HOPE SOME OF HIS ELOQUENCE AND NEW DAY THINKING DRIFTS ACROSS THE BORDER INTO CANADA. . . .HE IS ADVOCATING A NEW GREEN JOBS POLICY IN THE U.S.A.

ANTARCTIC MELTDOWN

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A REPORT OUT OF CTV TODAY ON A SCIENTIFIC FINDING . . . . . SOON TO BE PUBLISHED IN SEVERAL SCIENCE JOURNALS INDICATES . . . . . . . .THAT THE CURRENT MELTING OF THE ANTARCTIC ICE SHELF . . . . . . . IF AND WHEN COMPLETED WOULD BE ENOUGH TO ALTER THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF PLANET EARTH . . . . .AND IN SO DOING WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO A RISE OF SEA LEVELS AROUND THE WORLD INCLUDING NORTH AMERICA AND INDIA . . . .THE REPORT WAS PREPARED AFTER ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH BY TWO SCIENTISTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO..(FEB 5-2009)

transportation part 5

Finally, suggesting our car-based system is "convenient" is like calculating only the time savings from speeding through red lights. Yes, cars are "convenient" — even make us "independent" — but are we including time sacrificed working for our cars, cost of accidents, depletion of finite resources, foreign oil dependence (most of eastern Canada's supply comes from abroad), diversion of public funds, high fatality rates for school children, smog and global warming? Supporters of the status quo suggest public transit needs too much in public subsidies. Nice try. Private car-makers have received immeasurably greater subsidies through public investment for road infrastructure and maintenance necessary to accommodate their delicate products (even a small snow storm causes turmoil, and requires tens of thousands of tonnes of toxic salt). Other burdens like poisoned air and global warming are simply socialized, or exported. Road tolls and carbon taxes would b

transportation part 4

If you really have your heart set on a zero-emission vehicle, put on a helmet and ride a bicycle. Zero emission cars will soon become a reality, but only in TV commercials. Hydrogen and electric cars, for instance, still need an energy source (dirty coal for the foreseeable future) to produce their power. Second, when it comes to jobs, Ontario's auto industry has followed a path of declining numbers for years, with car-makers sending jobs south even while making billions of profits. Helping Chrysler and GM produce cars won't produce buyers — a useful consideration, except for make-work projects. Moving towards better mass transit, on the other hand, can bring hundreds of thousands of new jobs developing and building streetcars, buses and trains; building the necessary mass transit infrastructure; and operating transit vehicles and systems. Indeed, according to the Sierra Club, investment in public transportation creates 19 percent more jobs than investment in roads and bridges.