More Pipelines?

Alberta politician Rob Anders background

Rob Anders is a former Canadian federal politician who represented Calgary West in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2015, first as a Reform Party MP and later as a Conservative. He’s known both for his long tenure and for a series of controversies during and after his parliamentary career.^[1][2][3][4]

Basic biographical background

• Full name: Robert J. Anders
• Born: April 1, 1972, in Winnipeg, Manitoba^[2][1]
• Education: Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Calgary (1990–1994)^[5][2]
• Pre‑parliament work: Director of Canadians Against Forced Unionism, a project of the National Citizens Coalition; involved with conservative lobby groups and think tanks such as the Canada Family Action Coalition, Focus on the Family, and organizations opposing Chinese policies on Tibet and Falun Gong.^[6][2][5]

Parliamentary career

• First elected: 1997, at age 25, as the Reform Party MP for Calgary West.^[2][6]
• Party affiliations over time:
• Reform Party (1997–2000)
• Canadian Alliance (2000–2003)
• Conservative Party of Canada (2003–2015; founding member when Reform/Alliance merged into the new Conservative Party)^[1][2]
• Riding: Calgary West (later redistributed; he sought nomination in Calgary Signal Hill and Bow River but was unsuccessful).^[3][4][2]
• Committee work: Served on several committees, including Veterans Affairs and Scrutiny of Regulations; removed from the Veterans Affairs committee in 2012 after controversy over his conduct and comments.^[4][7][3]
• Electoral performance: Typically won with strong majorities; in 2011 he captured about 62% of the vote in Calgary West.^[8][9]

Controversies while in office

Anders drew repeated media attention for statements and actions that many found provocative or inappropriate:

• Nelson Mandela comments (2001): He was the sole MP to vote against granting Nelson Mandela honorary Canadian citizenship, calling Mandela a “communist” and a “terrorist.”^[4][2]
• Mailouts and use of public funds (2005): Sent pamphlets to residents in Richmond, B.C., outside his riding, including a survey question on same‑sex marriage in a mailout otherwise focused on crime and drugs.^[4]
• Conduct in committee: Removed from the Veterans Affairs committee in 2012, in part due to accusations that he fell asleep during meetings and made inflammatory remarks.^[3][4]

Post‑parliamentary activity and legal issues

After losing the 2014 Conservative nomination in Calgary Signal Hill to Ron Liepert, Anders made several unsuccessful bids to return to elected office, including a Conservative nomination in Bow River and a Wildrose leadership attempt.^[2][3][4]

• Provincial politics:
• Became involved with the Wildrose Alliance/Wildrose Party in Alberta.^[2]
• Since 2022, has served on the Board of Governors of the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.^[2]
• In 2023, was involved in creating a new party, the Solidarity Movement of Alberta.^[2]
• Advocacy and roles:
• Listed as president of the Firearms Institute, a gun‑rights advocacy organization.^[10]
• Continues to be associated with conservative and libertarian causes and lobby groups.^[5][2]
• Tax evasion charges (2022):
• Faced five charges of tax evasion relating to 2012–2018, with allegations he failed to report over $750,000 in net income and claimed improper refunds/credits.^[4]
• In June 2022, the Crown stayed all charges; no conviction was recorded.^[4]

If you’d like, I can pull a timeline of his key votes, committee roles, or specific controversial statements with sources.

⁂

• https://www.lipad.ca/members/record/9c14772f-bd8b-4bd3-9854-f7cdeefd507a/1/   
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Anders             
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/rob-anders-farewell-thanks-gun-clubs-homeschooled-kids-grandmother-1.3182095     
• https://globalnews.ca/news/8899208/calgary-mp-rob-anders-tax-evasion-trial/         
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-anders-8b617328   
• https://www.profileswest.ca/index.php/profiles/16-running-alone  
• https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/rob-anders(1313)/roles 
• https://openparliament.ca/politicians/rob-anders/?page=6 
• https://openparliament.ca/politicians/rob-anders/?page=51 
• https://www.firearmsinstitute.ca/about 

Lake Powell and Lake Mead levels now

As of late September 2026, both Lake Powell and Lake Mead are at or near historic lows, with Lake Mead just setting a new all‑time record low and Lake Powell hovering just above its own record low set earlier this summer. ^[1][2][3]

Current lake levels (late September 2026)

Lake Mead (Hoover Dam, AZ/NV)

• Elevation: ~1,037.8–1,037.9 ft above sea level (MSL) as of Sept 29–30, 2026. ^[1][3]
• Status: This is below the previous record low of 1,040.58 ft (July 2022) and represents the lowest level since the reservoir began filling in the 1930s. ^[4][5][6]
• Full pool: 1,229 ft → currently about 191 ft below full pool. ^[1][3]

Lake Powell (Glen Canyon Dam, AZ/UT)

• Elevation: ~3,517.2–3,517.7 ft MSL as of Sept 27–28, 2026. ^[2][7][8]
• Status: Slightly above its all‑time low of ~3,517.0–3,517.2 ft reached in mid‑August 2026, but still at a record‑low range for the reservoir. ^[9][10][11]
• Full pool: 3,700 ft → currently about 182–183 ft below full pool, at roughly 21–22% of capacity. ^[2][8][12]
• Hydropower margin: Still about 27–28 ft above “minimum power pool” (3,490 ft), so Glen Canyon Dam can still generate power, though the buffer is narrow. ^[9][2][12]

Context: why they’re so low

• Both reservoirs are fed by the Colorado River, which has been stressed by long‑term drought, high temperatures, low snowpack, and heavy water use. ^[4][5][6]
• In 2026, snow drought and warm temperatures in the Colorado Basin further reduced inflows, pushing both lakes to multi‑decade lows. ^[9]
• Combined storage in Lake Mead and Lake Powell is at its lowest since the late 1950s, raising concerns about hydropower reliability and water allocations for millions of people in the Southwest. ^[4][5][6]

If you’d like, I can pull the very latest hourly gauge readings from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation dashboards or show a simple table of how these levels compare to key thresholds (dead pool, minimum power pool, full pool).

⁂

• https://mead.uslakes.info/Level/   
• https://lakepowell.water-data.com/    
• https://lakeinsights.com/lakes/mead/water-levels   
• https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-08-08/lake-mead-reports-lowest-water-level-ever-recorded   
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/09/lake-mead-record-low-water-level-colorado-river   
• https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/climate/lake-mead-record-low-water-level-colorado-river   
• https://powell.uslakes.info/Level/ 
• https://lakeinsights.com/lakes/powell/water-levels  
• https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels/   
• https://earthsky.org/earth/lake-powell-is-shrinking-dead-pool-2026/ 
• https://lakepowell.water-data.com/?bcsi-ac-4d57fec82d0c41f9=271918E500000005je/xzXnYTggfJmMql9lCqb7rzUXaAAAABQAAABnyywCAcAAAAAAAAAyIAQA= 
• https://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/  
• https://eros.usgs.gov/earthshots/lake-mead 
• https://www.newsweek.com/lake-mead-water-projected-hit-lowest-point-record-2087164 
• https://time.com/article/2026/08/10/lake-mead-low-water-level/ 

Carcinogenic Car Tires?

Is there evidence to suggest that growing vegetables in old car tires filled with soil will contaminate them with carcinogenic substances?

Yes—but the evidence supports a plausible, probably low but uncertain risk, not a demonstrated finding that vegetables grown in intact old tires are necessarily contaminated with carcinogens.

What tires can contain

Tires contain complex mixtures of rubber, carbon black, oils, antioxidants, vulcanizing chemicals, metals, and other additives. Chemicals of concern include:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are carcinogenic.
• Zinc and smaller amounts of metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, and copper.
• Rubber additives such as benzothiazoles, 6PPD-related compounds, and vulcanization accelerators.

The EPA has found PAHs and metals in tire-derived rubber, although its exposure studies—primarily involving tire crumb used in athletic fields—found that only small fractions of many metals were bioaccessible under simulated exposure conditions. Those findings do not directly establish the safety of tire planters for food crops.^[1][2][3]

What is known about plant uptake

There is direct experimental evidence that some tire-derived chemicals can enter edible plants. In a hydroponic lettuce experiment, compounds associated with tire wear—including benzothiazole, diphenylguanidine, HMMM, 6PPD, and 6PPD-quinone—were taken up and transported into leaves. The study used controlled solutions containing tire-derived compounds rather than whole tires in ordinary garden soil, so it demonstrates biological possibility rather than proving that a typical tire garden produces harmful food.^[4][5]

A major limitation is that there appear to be few—or no well-controlled field studies measuring carcinogens in vegetables grown in intact tire planters over multiple seasons. McGill’s review reached the same basic conclusion: meaningful leaching is plausible, but the amount entering soil and vegetables from an intact tire is not well established. PAHs tend to be poorly water-soluble, whereas some metals and other additives may be more mobile.^[6]

Why intact tires differ from tire mulch

An intact sidewall or tread has relatively little surface area in contact with soil, and many chemicals remain bound in the rubber. That likely makes it less concerning than:

• Shredded or crumb rubber mixed into soil.
• Tires that are cut, abraded, or crumbling.
• Tire rubber exposed to acidic conditions.
• Burning tires or using tire ash.
• Long-term use in hot, sunny, wet conditions.

However, “less concerning” is not the same as “free of risk.” Aging, weathering, repeated wetting, and physical degradation can increase release of metals and organic additives. The strongest recent plant-uptake evidence concerns tire particles and leachates, not intact tires, so applying it quantitatively to a tire planter would be uncertain.^[7][8][4]

Practical recommendation

For vegetables intended for regular consumption, I would avoid using old tires as the actual soil container, especially for:

• Root crops such as carrots, potatoes, beets, and radishes.
• Leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, and kale.
• Long-lived crops or perennial herbs.
• Tires that are cracked, deteriorating, oily, or heavily weathered.

The safer approach is to use untreated wood, masonry, galvanized metal designed for garden use, food-grade containers, or grow bags. If you want the tire appearance, put a separate food-safe growing container inside the tire so the soil does not contact the rubber.

If tires are used despite the uncertainty, reduce exposure by using intact tires only, keeping edible plant material away from the tire wall, avoiding root crops and leafy greens, using clean tested soil, and washing produce thoroughly. A plastic liner may reduce direct contact, but it introduces its own material and aging questions rather than eliminating uncertainty.

Bottom line

There is evidence that tire-derived chemicals—including some potentially carcinogenic PAHs and other toxic compounds—can leach under some conditions and that certain tire-derived chemicals can be taken up by lettuce. There is not yet strong evidence showing that ordinary vegetables grown in intact old tires routinely contain carcinogenic substances at dangerous concentrations. Given that safer containers are readily available, tires are best reserved for ornamental plants—or used only as an outer decorative shell around a separate food-safe planter.^[1][4][6]

⁂

• https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/public-webinar-part-1-tire-crumb-rubber-characterization  
• https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/federal-research-recycled-tire-crumb-used-playing-fields-and-playgrounds 
• https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P100QM90.TXT 
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9835885/   
• https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c05660 
• https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health/are-vegetables-grown-tire-gardens-safe-eat  
• https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.2c05660 
• https://downloads.regulations.gov/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0403-0056/content.pdf 
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10221668/ 
• https://louisville.edu/cepm/pdf-files/newpg28 
• https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=784173 
• https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=305496 
• https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5433 
• https://swyg.nmsu.edu/2015/050215.html 
• https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/b1d9d1eb-afcb-4729-ae31-950e13872d1d 
• https://gardeningbeyond.com/how-to-make-a-tire-garden/ 
• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111353 
• https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/39a9a5a2-47a2-4870-9beb-350ff6e7fbfa 
• https://gardeningbeyond.com/how-to-make-tire-garden/ 
• https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/sites/static/files/2019-12/documents/setac2019_tire_crumb_poster_final.pdf 
• https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/tire-crumb-questions-and-answers 
• https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/chemical-research/tire-crumb-questions-and-answers_.html 
• https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-08/documents/tc_public_webinar_-_august_6_2019.pdf 
• https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P100X5RO.TXT 
• https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/epa-atsdr-tire-crumb-study-response-to-external-peer-review-comments.pdf 
• https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/sites/static/files/2019-08/documents/synthetic_turf_field_recycled_tire_crumb_rubber_research_under_the_federal_research_action_plan_final_report_part_1_volume_1.pdf 
• https://www.uml.edu/docs/Tire-crumb-2017_tcm18-385461.pdf 
• http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2017/images/01/25/epa.on.chemicals.in.turf.also.found.in.soil.pdf 
• https://downloads.regulations.gov/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0403-0110/attachment_8.pdf 

Goji Berry Question

Editor:

Picking Goji berries on bushes right next to a major local traffic route, I have noticed an abundance of berries from bushes right next to the road, in comparison to bushes set back from the same road on the same property under the care of the same gardener. Could increased carbon dioxide in the air have something to do with it?

Yes, but probably not mainly because of carbon dioxide. Roadside plants can sometimes benefit from warmer microclimates, extra nitrogen deposition, altered water availability, and reduced competition—while traffic pollution can also harm them. The unusually heavy fruiting is more likely a combination of these factors than a simple “more CO₂ makes more berries” effect.

Carbon dioxide: possible, but weak explanation

Vehicle exhaust can create short-lived CO₂ increases very close to a busy road, especially during calm conditions. Because goji is a C3 plant, elevated CO₂ can initially increase photosynthesis and biomass production. Controlled studies on goji found that CO₂ enrichment affected photosynthesis and fruit development, and could increase plant or fruit biomass under some conditions. However, the experimental enrichment was around 700 ppm for long periods, whereas outdoor roadside CO₂ increases are usually intermittent and rapidly dispersed. Long-term elevated CO₂ also caused reductions in goji fruit sugars and some secondary metabolites.^[1][2][3]

So, CO₂ could contribute locally, but it would be difficult for ordinary traffic-related CO₂ alone to explain a dramatic difference in berry abundance.

More plausible roadside effects

Several other differences may be important:

• Nitrogen deposition: Vehicle exhaust contains nitrogen oxides, and roadsides can receive additional nitrogen through dry deposition. Nitrogen can stimulate leafy growth and, if the plant is not excessively stressed, potentially support more flowering and fruit production. Road-related effects on plant nitrogen and growth are commonly strongest within roughly 50–100 metres, though they can extend farther.^[4][5]
• Heat and earlier development: Pavement and traffic create a warmer microclimate. In Edmonton, a roadside shrub may warm earlier in spring and remain warmer into autumn, potentially extending the growing season and improving fruit ripening.
• Light exposure: The roadside bushes may simply receive more direct sunlight or less shading from other plants, fences, buildings, or trees.
• Water conditions: Roadside grading, compacted soil, snowmelt, runoff, irrigation patterns, and reduced competition from surrounding vegetation can all alter water supply. Goji can fruit heavily when it receives adequate moisture without excessive shading.
• Pruning and browsing: Even subtle differences in pruning, winter damage, rabbit browsing, or shoot age can strongly affect goji fruiting. Goji often fruits on current-season growth, so a plant producing more vigorous new shoots may carry many more berries.
• Pollination and flowering conditions: Wind exposure, insect activity, and the timing of flowering may differ between the exposed roadside and the more sheltered part of the property.

Pollution may also be misleading

Traffic exposure is not uniformly beneficial. Ozone, nitrogen oxides, fine particles, road dust, salt, and hydrocarbons can damage leaves, alter stomatal function, reduce photosynthesis, or affect plant water relations. Roadside vegetation studies report both stimulated growth in some species and physiological damage in others.^[5][6][4]

A roadside plant can therefore look vigorous and fruit heavily while still accumulating contaminants on its leaves and fruit. I would wash the berries thoroughly and avoid consuming berries from a location with visible dust, heavy winter-salt accumulation, or direct splash from the roadway. For berries intended for regular consumption, the set-back bushes are the safer choice unless the roadside plants have been tested.

How to test the explanation

You could distinguish CO₂ from the other factors with a simple comparison:

• Select several roadside and set-back bushes of similar age and size.
• Record direct sunlight, soil moisture, irrigation, pruning history, shoot length, flowers, and berries per metre of branch.
• Measure berry count and total berry mass separately; abundant small berries may indicate a different response than fewer large berries.
• Compare leaves for dust, salt injury, chlorosis, and pest damage.
• Take soil samples from both zones and compare nitrate, electrical conductivity, pH, organic matter, and available phosphorus.
• If possible, place a few comparable potted goji plants in roadside and set-back positions while giving them identical soil and water.

If the roadside potted plants also outperform the sheltered ones, the microclimate or air exposure is probably involved. If the effect disappears when soil, water, and sunlight are equalized, the cause is more likely soil fertility, drainage, heat, or competition than CO₂.

Bottom line: traffic-related CO₂ may play a minor supporting role, but increased nitrogen deposition, warmth, sunlight, water conditions, and reduced competition are more plausible explanations for the heavier goji crop.

⁂

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7991576/ 
• https://academic.oup.com/treephys/article/39/6/1032/5368476?searchresult=1 
• https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/321 
• https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/5064684469223424  
• https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/135001  
• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-020-0115-3 
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02757540.2020.1791102 
• https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5621/1/HonourN005621PP.pdf 
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.802936/full 
• https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a5c7/0a639e344e9ccf181bad68d7f7cc7858022d.pdf 
• https://files.sdiarticle5.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Revised-ms_AJEE_138150_v1.pdf 
• https://www.witpress.com/Secure/elibrary/papers/UT03/UT03032FU.pdf 
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6060415/ 
• https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/mcpherson/psw_2013_mcpherson006_baldauf.pdf 
• https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/382651/1/StreetscapingManuscript_EnvPolFullPaper_Submitted.pdf