Monday, November 12, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007
Toronto Airports
[quote="rob in angus"] Another airport in Toronto area is somewhat needed.Are there any neutral studies showing this? The GTAA master proposal is based on forecasted passenger levels from 1999. Given that's pre-9.11, I imagine things have changed (see here).
[quote]would reduce congestion around Pearson. Congestion means increased CO2 emmisions1) Presumably opening a new airport would shift the traffic volume to the new airport.from idling traffic[/quote]
2) people should turn their engines off instead of idling - as the City bylaw requests
3) Congestion around YYZ is not driven by the airport's presence. YYZ is immediately adjacent to the 401/427/27/409/Eglinton interchange as well just west of the 401/400/Black Creek Drive interchange. That particular section of the 401 is among the highest volume arteries in the world, averaging average annual daily traffic of 607,800 cars. Pointing to the airport as the sole cause, or establishing a new airport won't help. Reducing congestion driven by visits to YYZ requires a mass transit link to the airport. One effort to do just that was Blue 22 (about which see here and here, but but it appeared to be killed by the McGuinty's pre-election MoveOntario 2020 announcement. If you're interested in reading about efforts to incorporate mass transit access to YYZ, try Steve Munro's website, especially this post.
[quote]If not Pickering then where? Is there a better spot to build?[/quote]How about improving trains? That might move a high % of the short-haul flights to a different mode of transport, which concomitant environmental benefits. One of the most striking parts of Monbiot's book Heat was on the impact of flying. His blog has some analysis on it here, here and the UK government's Royal Commission here. Short recap for the 99% of people who don't wish to read all of that - aviation is a remarkably awful contributor to global warming, not just from the physics of flying (burning a lot of extremely high octane gas to keep aloft) but also from impact of contrails, etc.
Anyway, I would be extremely curious to find out what % of YYZ and YTZ's flights are w/in the Windsor/Quebec City corridor. I would prefer to use better (read: faster & more reliable) train service as in France to visit my Montreal/Ottawa-based clients - especially b/c it cuts out the commute, boarding & security hassles on both ends.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
When Will the West Run Out of Water
Fascinating article.
Actually, there's a series of Canadian implications that aren't spelled out here (well, duh, it's the NYT, why would they...)
1) Water diversion. The "Great Lakes" looks like a huge pool of fresh water. But it's not actually self-replenishing, meaning that it's not actuall a renewable resource, meaning that any sensible public policy action is to ban water exports. Chicago has already messed with Lake Michigan. the St. Clair river drain hole (explained here) . Water levels are shrinking across the Great Lakes - adding exports will mess with the ecosystems (and boating, cottaging, fishing, the St Mary's River, the Soo Locks, etc.). Martin Mittelstaedt of The Globe had a great series on this... In fact, I'll steal a graphic from it below.
Actually, the CBC has a solid page on this as well.
And here.
2) Western Canada itself. Professor Schindler has written in the past of consequences to the West of the shrinking glaciers. As they continue to retreat, the western rivers become shallower - meaning warmer and lower in volume - and less reliable for drinking water, irrigation, or other industrial uses. This leads into the kinds of issues being confronted by the US states profiled in the NYT article above. In fact, the simple way of putting it is here. More here
2a) Energy patch vs. water. Some of the issue in the oilsands are spelled out in a report by U of A and U of T which can be found here.
Actually, there's a series of Canadian implications that aren't spelled out here (well, duh, it's the NYT, why would they...)
1) Water diversion. The "Great Lakes" looks like a huge pool of fresh water. But it's not actually self-replenishing, meaning that it's not actuall a renewable resource, meaning that any sensible public policy action is to ban water exports. Chicago has already messed with Lake Michigan. the St. Clair river drain hole (explained here) . Water levels are shrinking across the Great Lakes - adding exports will mess with the ecosystems (and boating, cottaging, fishing, the St Mary's River, the Soo Locks, etc.). Martin Mittelstaedt of The Globe had a great series on this... In fact, I'll steal a graphic from it below.
Actually, the CBC has a solid page on this as well.
And here.
2) Western Canada itself. Professor Schindler has written in the past of consequences to the West of the shrinking glaciers. As they continue to retreat, the western rivers become shallower - meaning warmer and lower in volume - and less reliable for drinking water, irrigation, or other industrial uses. This leads into the kinds of issues being confronted by the US states profiled in the NYT article above. In fact, the simple way of putting it is here. More here
2a) Energy patch vs. water. Some of the issue in the oilsands are spelled out in a report by U of A and U of T which can be found here.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Local Farmer's Markets
Basically available every day now.
Thursdays
DUFFERIN GROVE ORGANIC FARMERS' MARKET, 875 Dufferin, south of Bloor, 416-392-0913 Toronto's largest organic market is open from 3 to 7 pm year round in the park.
METRO HALL FARMERS' MARKET, 55 John, at Wellington, 416-338-0338 8 am to 2:30 pm through October 25.
Fridays
BIRCHCLIFF VILLAGE FARMERS' MARKET, 1512 Kingston Road, at Manderlay, 416-686-6528 Next to St. Nicholas Church, from 2 to 7 pm till October 19.
HIGH PARK FARMERS' MARKET, beside Grenadier Restaurant, south of Bloor, 416-882-5140 Noon to 7 pm, plus Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 6 pm, till November 25.
Saturdays
BRICK WORKS FARMERS' MARKET, 550 Bayview, south of Pottery, 416-596-1495 In the Don Valley eco centre 8 am to 1 pm till December 1.
FARMERS' ORGANIC MARKET, St. George the Martyr Church, John and Stephanie, 647-226-2418 Toronto's oldest organic gathering takes place from 9 am to 3 pm in south Grange Park year round.
ST. LAWRENCE FARMERS' MARKET, 92 Jarvis, at Front East, 416-392-7219 In the North Market from 5 am to 5 pm year round.
VILLAGE MARKET, 9100 Bathurst, at Rutherford, 905-707-5771 Suburban organics at the Toronto Waldorf School from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm year round.
WITHROW PARK FARMERS' MARKET, 725 Logan, at McConnell 9 am to 1 pm till October 27.
WYCHWOOD BARNS FARMERS' MARKET, Church of St. Michael and All Angels, 611 St. Clair West, at Wychwood, 416-653-8546 2 to 5 pm till October 27.
Sundays
LIBERTY VILLAGE FARMERS' MARKET, 34 Hannah, at East Liberty In the parking lot from 9 am to 2 pm till October 28.
Mondays
SUNSHINE GARDEN ORGANIC MARKET, CAMH Grounds, 1001 Queen West, at Ossington, 416-363-6441 10 to 11:30 am Mondays and Thursdays through October 18 .
Tuesdays
RIVERDALE FARM FARMERS' MARKET , Riverdale Park West, Winchester at Sumach, 416-961-8787 3 to 7 pm till November 27.
TRINITY BELLWOODS FARMERS' MARKET, Dundas at Crawford, 416-350-9694 3 to 7 pm till October 30.
Wednesdays
TORONTO CITY HALL FARMERS' MARKET, Nathan Phillips Square, Bay at Queen, 416-338-0338 Same vendors as Metro Hall's, through October 17, 10 am to 2:30 pm.
COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA)
PLAN B ORGANIC FARM, 905-659-2572, www.planborganicfarms.ca Drop points throughout Toronto; winter and summer shares.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
10 things I learned during this election • Spacing Votes • blogging Ontario’s 2007 provincial election
From John Lorinc on the Election
Modelling MMP in Prior Elections
Sure there's a Big Assumption inherent here, but it's interesting...
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Tories Against MMP
Which makes sense. The most plausible future for the Ontario Tories under a Proportional Representation system would be permanent leader of the opposition, while the Liberals make concessions to either the NDP or Green or other minority/fringe parties (an as-of-yet non-existent Northern Ontario Party comes to mind as a strong possibility) to stay in power more or less consistently, until the inevitable scandal.
So, if you're a Tory, then for purely partisan reasons, I can't think of any reason to endorse any sort of PR system - even the mixed version proposed here.
So, if you're a Tory, then for purely partisan reasons, I can't think of any reason to endorse any sort of PR system - even the mixed version proposed here.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
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