Project Green, Kyoto and the LFE's - part 1

A few weeks ago I received, from the Federal Government, the book entitled Moving Forward on Climate Change. The book, which appears to be part of Project Green, is an outline of the plan for honouring our Kyoto commitment. Of course it reads like any other government book, dry, confusing and vague. There are many points that make me shake my head in disbelief. So far the best “review” I have seen of this book can be found at the David Suzuki Foundation web site, Canada's climate change plan lacks teeth. So far I have only read about half of the book. The more I read the more questions I have. I have also begun to wonder about what I believe to be a few weak points in the plan. The original quota for LFE's in 2002 was set at 55Mt. Now less than three years later it has been reduced to 45 Mt. Why has this happened? According to the guide, p. 15, “The 45 Mt target is based on a BAU baseline to which methodological improvements have been made to the electricity component.” Huh? What the heck is a methodological improvement? The spin continues, “This 45 Mt target is equivalent to a 39 Mt target using the baseline from the 2002 Plan.” What the….? Wait a minute, in 2002 the target was set at 55 Mt. Now it seems that the Feds have gone back in time to adjust that target down by 16 Mt. So, the first reduction was by 18%, on paper, 55 Mt to 45 Mt. Now we are looking at a 29% reduction in the target from the revised baseline of 2002, 55 Mt to 39 Mt. Are they trying to make us think that they have actually increased the target from an equivalent 39 Mt to an actual 45 Mt. In effect an increase of 15%. I certainly hope not. And then there is the automotive industry, the One Tonne Challenge and the credit system. But these are topics I will rant about another day

Lake Erie Perch and missed adventure.

Yesterday we traveled to Port Dover in search of adventure and a meal of Perch. Our first stop was at Knechtels. Located near the beach, on Walker Street, Knechtels is a great place for a perch meal. It is always packed and yesterday was no exception. After we gorged ourselves on perch we headed towards the lighthouse. The lake was calm, the sky grey and there was a small cool breeze in the air. But there was no adventure. We walked along Harbour Street. In the water, a few Mallard ducks with three of their young were splashing about, and although they where cute, they where not adventuresome. We turned on to Main Street and headed back to Walker Street, still no sign of adventure. We were about to return to my car and leave when my spouse suggested that we get an ice cream. Finally we had a chance for adventure, or misadventure. Two medium soft cones later we had decided that we had come to the end of our stay in Port Dover. There was no adventure to be found here today.

The trip home was uneventful and quiet.

More of the Vickers Vimy

Vickers Vimy Replica at the Toronto Aerospace Museum, May 26th, 2005. The evening of the 25th I, along with my co-workers, watched the Vimy arrive. It flew almost over top of us before making a low pass over the runway. If you are interested in following the Vimys journey, point your browser to: www.vimy.org

Shedding my wrist chronometer

Recently I stopped wearing my wrist watch. I received a cell phone as a gift a few months ago and promptly began entering names, phone numbers and even taking notes with it. Then I realized that I had made my watch obsolete. So I freed my wrist of it's burden. I still ocassionally look at my wrist, but I'm working on breaking that habit. Along with this change I have also decided to worry a little less about what time it is, ie. more freedom. Unfortunetly in the process of dumping my watch, I have attached a new electronic slave maker to my waist. Now I'm at it's beck and call. When it makes a sound I instantly answer. Oh.. please excuse me my master is calling.

Memories of the West, Part 2.

Living Skies Country, along the Trans-Canada, west of Medicine Hat, Alberta, July 2004.

Memories of the West, Part 1.

Me at the Spiral Tunnels in the Kicking Horse Pass, B.C., July 2004

Vickers Vimy replica and myself.

First day out of the gates.

Well I have finally done it. I've heard about blogs for quite some time now and always thought it might be interesting to start one some day. If all goes as planned I should be posting a variety of topics from explorations of nature to adventures in bird watching and the occasional side trip to see an aircraft or two. Stay tuned.