(Rimbey, AB) There will be a public presentation on Alberta’s Transmission Line Policies at the Innisfail Legion Hall in Innisfail AB on Tuesday April 6th at 2:00 PM. The leader of the Lavesta Area Group, Joe Anglin will be the featured speaker. The public is welcome to attend.
Joe Anglin is a staunch advocate for Democratic Rights and Property Owner Rights. Anglin will be speaking about recently passed legislation that reduces the democratic process. He will answer questions from the public concerning legislation that denies citizens an opportunity to present evidence at a hearing concerning matters of health, fair compensation, and property taken or damaged. Anglin will be presenting relevant facts concerning recently created rules and regulations important to rural and urban property owners affected by industrial development. There will be ample time allotted for the public to participate.
This government’s Minister of Transportation, Luke Ouellette, has called Joe Anglin a dangerous person, and has insinuated that someone should take care of him. Other backbenchers in the governing party have made similar statements.
When asked about Ouellette’s comments Anglin says, “It is not the messenger that is dangerous, it is the facts I present to the public. Comments like this, from a minister, indicate this government fears an informed public – that is what is dangerous to their hold on power.” Anglin extends an invitation to Ouellette to come out and attend any of the public meetings and debate him on the facts.
For more information Contact
Joe Anglin
(403) 843-3279
(403) 963-0521 cell
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wind Energy's Ghosts
Bankrupt Europe has a lesson for Congress about wind power
by Andrew Walden
Wiwo...wiwo...wiwo.
The sound floats on the winds of Ka Lae, this southernmost tip of Hawaii's Big Island, where Polynesian colonists first landed some 1,500 years ago. Some say that Ka Lae is haunted -- and it is. But it's haunted not by Hawaii's legendary night marchers. The mysterious sounds are "Na leo o Kamaoa"-- the disembodied voices of 37 skeletal wind turbines abandoned to rust on the hundred-acre site of the former Kamaoa Wind Farm. Read the full article here
Monday, March 29, 2010
Pen Meets Paper Mar.29'10
Opinion by Helge Nome
I am one of those people who claim that Big Energy is running Alberta for its own benefit, at the expense of Albertans. In other words, the tail is wagging the dog. When it is all over, we Albertans will be left to clean up the mess at our own expense.
Bold claim. How about some data to back it up?
In this area, at least, our government has kindly been doing its job and collected information setting out prevalent trends. (Source: Alberta Government, State of Environment) Tar Sands: 93,000+ hectares approved for development as at 2006. 41,000+ hectares being mined. 6,000+ hectares claimed to be reclaimed. Zero hectares certified as reclaimed.
Oil and gas well statistics reveal a similar sad tale: At the end of 1963 some 21,000 wells were abandoned for whatever reason by their owners and roughly the same number were certified as reclaimed by the Alberta Government. At the end of 2008, some 135,000 wells were abandoned and around 90,000 were certified as reclaimed. That is a deficit of some 45,000 wells and chances are that the last known corporate owners of a number of these no longer exist.
There are also about 500,000 kilometers, that’s right, half a million kilometers, of oil and gas pipelines in Alberta that belong to somebody other than you and I. Guess who will become the certified owners when their current owners loose interest and jump into the corporate waste paper basket?
That’s another troubling trend in contemporary society: A corporation is given the same legal privileges as an individual, but what happens when a corporation “dies” (goes belly up)? The individual shareholders are shielded for liabilities incurred if it is a “Limited” company. So who picks up the tab for environmental damage caused by its operation?
The Sydney tar ponds stabilization project in Nova Scotia tells the story: The taxpayer is on the hook.
A couple of years ago the Mackenzie BC pulp mill ended up in the lap of the BC government when the last known owner’s track reportedly went cold somewhere in the Caribbean. The workers kept the mill from freezing up over the winter with the help of the BC taxpayer who will likely foot the bill for mothballing it down the road.
That’s the problem when your elected representatives are effectively selected by big business. That’s the state of Alberta today and I invite anybody to challenge that statement.
I am one of those people who claim that Big Energy is running Alberta for its own benefit, at the expense of Albertans. In other words, the tail is wagging the dog. When it is all over, we Albertans will be left to clean up the mess at our own expense.
Bold claim. How about some data to back it up?
In this area, at least, our government has kindly been doing its job and collected information setting out prevalent trends. (Source: Alberta Government, State of Environment) Tar Sands: 93,000+ hectares approved for development as at 2006. 41,000+ hectares being mined. 6,000+ hectares claimed to be reclaimed. Zero hectares certified as reclaimed.
Oil and gas well statistics reveal a similar sad tale: At the end of 1963 some 21,000 wells were abandoned for whatever reason by their owners and roughly the same number were certified as reclaimed by the Alberta Government. At the end of 2008, some 135,000 wells were abandoned and around 90,000 were certified as reclaimed. That is a deficit of some 45,000 wells and chances are that the last known corporate owners of a number of these no longer exist.
There are also about 500,000 kilometers, that’s right, half a million kilometers, of oil and gas pipelines in Alberta that belong to somebody other than you and I. Guess who will become the certified owners when their current owners loose interest and jump into the corporate waste paper basket?
That’s another troubling trend in contemporary society: A corporation is given the same legal privileges as an individual, but what happens when a corporation “dies” (goes belly up)? The individual shareholders are shielded for liabilities incurred if it is a “Limited” company. So who picks up the tab for environmental damage caused by its operation?
The Sydney tar ponds stabilization project in Nova Scotia tells the story: The taxpayer is on the hook.
A couple of years ago the Mackenzie BC pulp mill ended up in the lap of the BC government when the last known owner’s track reportedly went cold somewhere in the Caribbean. The workers kept the mill from freezing up over the winter with the help of the BC taxpayer who will likely foot the bill for mothballing it down the road.
That’s the problem when your elected representatives are effectively selected by big business. That’s the state of Alberta today and I invite anybody to challenge that statement.
THE VALUE OF LIFE
by Joe Anglin
Oscar Wilde once said, “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing”. These words may never be more accurate or prophetic if one employs them to describe the Alberta Government’s on-going efforts to deregulate and commoditize water. This is why we should be questioning the common-sense, or lack thereof, of privatizing water before blindly racing to create a market for all of Alberta’s water. Albertans understand the value of water more than most, because we live in an arid province. In southern Alberta alone last year, 10 counties declared a state of emergency due to drought. Read more here
Oscar Wilde once said, “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing”. These words may never be more accurate or prophetic if one employs them to describe the Alberta Government’s on-going efforts to deregulate and commoditize water. This is why we should be questioning the common-sense, or lack thereof, of privatizing water before blindly racing to create a market for all of Alberta’s water. Albertans understand the value of water more than most, because we live in an arid province. In southern Alberta alone last year, 10 counties declared a state of emergency due to drought. Read more here
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Cinderella comes to Caroline
Children and parents got a taste of opera on Friday, March 19, when the Calgary Opera presented a mobile opera production of "Cinderella" in the Caroline School gym. There was even live music provided by the company's music director. In the photo, Cinderella and her prince are heading into a bright future, watched by an admiring young audience. A rare exposure of a unique art form in a small rural community.
Beach party in Caroline
The Caroline Skating Club presented its "Beach Party" in the Kurt Browning arena on Sunday, March 31, where the skaters showed their skills to an appreciative audience of family, friends and figure skating enthusiasts. It was all about summer, sand and sun in anticipation of warmer days ahead.For more photos click here
Antics of Aten
No less than three prominences erupted over a nine-hour period (Mar. 13-14, 2010) as the STEREO (Behind) spacecraft captured the action in an extreme UV wavelength of light. Prominences, which are cooler clouds of gas tethered to the Sun by magnetic forces, often become unstable and break away out into space. But, it is rare to see three of them erupt in such a short span of time. Prominences are most easily spotted in this wavelength of light (304 Angstroms). STEREO takes an image every 10 minutes with each of its two spacecraft, so we do have good coverage of prominence activity. Looking ahead to next month, though, the Solar Dynamics Observatory will be taking an image every 10 seconds in this wavelength, providing us with exquisite details and very smooth motion.
Check out some action here
Friday, March 26, 2010
Solar Dynamics Observatory update
SDO Day 44: EVE Door Opening
Fri, 26 Mar
EVE team members at Goddard getting ready to open the EVE doors.
Go EVE, let the Sun shine in!
SDO Day 44: Spacecraft Jitter Tests
Fri, 26 Mar
Thursday was spent testing the "jitter" of the observatory. Why do we care? SDO needs to keep its imaging telescopes pointed at the Sun with a steady hand. Our pixels image an area of the Sun that is about 0.5" across. While that's a patch the size of New Mexico on the Sun, it easier to think of it in terms of a quarter. Check log of events so far here
Truth Has Fallen and Has Taken Liberty With It Good-bye
By Paul Craig Roberts
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. George Orwell
There was a time when the pen was mightier than the sword. That was a time when people believed in truth and regarded truth as an independent power and not as an auxiliary for government, class, race, ideological, personal, or financial interest.
Today Americans are ruled by propaganda. Americans have little regard for truth, little access to it, and little ability to recognize it.
Read this powerful article by someone who knows what he is talking about.
An Avalanche of Dark Asteroids
March 26, 2010: Imagine you're a Brontosaurus with your face in a prehistoric tree top, munching on fresh leaves. Your relatives have ruled planet Earth for more than 150 million years. Huge and strong, you feel invincible.
You're not. Find out more here
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tough Times in Tourism
Dan Sumner
Economist, ATB Financial
March 25, 2010
The effects of the high Canadian dollar in Alberta are often spoken of in terms of their impacts on exporters and profits for energy, agriculture and forestry companies. But there is another sector whose fortunes are heavily impacted by the loonie – tourism.
In 2009 the average monthly number of Americans coming to Alberta fell by just over 3% to 53,089 people; for other international visitors the annual decline was 14% to 25,417 people.
The number of Americans coming to Alberta has been on a downward trend since 2004 as the rising value of the loonie has sapped American demand for vacations in Alberta. However, up until 2009, higher numbers of international tourists had been somewhat offsetting the decline in Americans.
The high value of the loonie can have a bit of a double impact on Alberta’s tourism industry – not only do fewer people come to Alberta for vacations but more Canadians opt to vacation internationally as their purchasing power has improved abroad.
The global recession has clearly had some additional impacts on travel as people from all over the world
opted to hold off on discretionary spending like vacations. Although the global economy is recovering, the value of the loonie is widely expected to remain elevated for some time. Considering this, Alberta’s tourism operators are going to have to work hard to market themselves to attract visitors.
Economist, ATB Financial
March 25, 2010
The effects of the high Canadian dollar in Alberta are often spoken of in terms of their impacts on exporters and profits for energy, agriculture and forestry companies. But there is another sector whose fortunes are heavily impacted by the loonie – tourism.
In 2009 the average monthly number of Americans coming to Alberta fell by just over 3% to 53,089 people; for other international visitors the annual decline was 14% to 25,417 people.
The number of Americans coming to Alberta has been on a downward trend since 2004 as the rising value of the loonie has sapped American demand for vacations in Alberta. However, up until 2009, higher numbers of international tourists had been somewhat offsetting the decline in Americans.
The high value of the loonie can have a bit of a double impact on Alberta’s tourism industry – not only do fewer people come to Alberta for vacations but more Canadians opt to vacation internationally as their purchasing power has improved abroad.
The global recession has clearly had some additional impacts on travel as people from all over the world
opted to hold off on discretionary spending like vacations. Although the global economy is recovering, the value of the loonie is widely expected to remain elevated for some time. Considering this, Alberta’s tourism operators are going to have to work hard to market themselves to attract visitors.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Pen Meets Paper Mar.22'10
Opinion by Helge Nome
The Canadian Parliament is currently heading for an internal showdown. Relations between the governing conservatives and the various opposition parties have been on a downhill trend for a number of years now and the latest bone of contention is the alleged cover up of reports from Afghanistan on the torture of prisoners handed over to Afghan authorities by Canadian troops on the ground there. These reports were made by top level Canadian diplomats working in that country and allegedly ignored or dismissed by bureaucrats and government ministers in Ottawa.
Parliamentarians have asked that these reports be made available to them for perusal and the government has responded with concerns over sensitive information regarding security issues. A predictable response if you don’t want to release information.
All this in the wake of the Prime Minister pro-rouging (suspending) parliament over the winter “to get more time to work on the budget”.
Some people argue that the Prime Minister of Canada is effectively a dictator, along with the non-elected people in his office. There is a lot of substance to this claim, validated by an article on the front page of The Globe and Mail on January 23 this year. Titled “Canada’s man in Tehran was a CIA spy” it goes on: “Breaking a 30 year silence, the diplomat praised for sheltering Americans during the Iranian Revolution tells the Globe he was made ‘de facto CIA station chief’ in a secret deal between U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Prime Minister Joe Clark.”
What makes this a particularly troubling incident is that the diplomat in question, Ken Taylor, was the Canadian Ambassador to Iran at the time, not just some embassy employee operating on the sly.
Think about it: Our official Canadian representative to a foreign nation is hired to be the local head of the primary spy agency of another nation with the approval of our Prime Minister of the day! In our national anthem we sing about “the true north strong and free”. It would appear that this freedom is claimed by our Prime Minister, at the expense of the rest of us.
The Canadian Parliament is currently heading for an internal showdown. Relations between the governing conservatives and the various opposition parties have been on a downhill trend for a number of years now and the latest bone of contention is the alleged cover up of reports from Afghanistan on the torture of prisoners handed over to Afghan authorities by Canadian troops on the ground there. These reports were made by top level Canadian diplomats working in that country and allegedly ignored or dismissed by bureaucrats and government ministers in Ottawa.
Parliamentarians have asked that these reports be made available to them for perusal and the government has responded with concerns over sensitive information regarding security issues. A predictable response if you don’t want to release information.
All this in the wake of the Prime Minister pro-rouging (suspending) parliament over the winter “to get more time to work on the budget”.
Some people argue that the Prime Minister of Canada is effectively a dictator, along with the non-elected people in his office. There is a lot of substance to this claim, validated by an article on the front page of The Globe and Mail on January 23 this year. Titled “Canada’s man in Tehran was a CIA spy” it goes on: “Breaking a 30 year silence, the diplomat praised for sheltering Americans during the Iranian Revolution tells the Globe he was made ‘de facto CIA station chief’ in a secret deal between U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Prime Minister Joe Clark.”
What makes this a particularly troubling incident is that the diplomat in question, Ken Taylor, was the Canadian Ambassador to Iran at the time, not just some embassy employee operating on the sly.
Think about it: Our official Canadian representative to a foreign nation is hired to be the local head of the primary spy agency of another nation with the approval of our Prime Minister of the day! In our national anthem we sing about “the true north strong and free”. It would appear that this freedom is claimed by our Prime Minister, at the expense of the rest of us.
Stephen Fearing and Andy White in concert in Red Deer
The Elks' Hall in Red Deer was the venue for a concert with Irish roots on Friday, March 19. Stephen Fearing and Andy White, with roots in Canada as well as Australia and most certainly Ireland, gave the audience an afterglow of St. Patrick's Day with the enthusiasm of the Irish. Both men are seasoned singer/songwritersand engaged an appreciative group of music buffs form the whole evening. The pair will perform at the Ironwood Stage in Calgary on Tuesday, March 23 with details available here Also, check out Andy White's website
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The crowing "Cock of the North"
Bearberry Hall had its fill of "chickens" on Saturday, March 13, when the Calgary based Celtic band "Cock of the North" raised the roof in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. The somewhat aged chickens forgot their senior status that night, with the help of two young dancers, Arina and Emma, who wandered in amongst the tables where spiked Irish coffee was enjoyed. The Cock of the North is one of the main bands entertaining at the Water Valley Celtic Festival on June 26 this year. Water Valley is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, less than an hour's drive from Calgary.
Check out their website here
Check out their website here
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Equinox Sky Show
March 19, 2010: When the sun sets on Saturday, March 20th, a special kind of night will fall across the Earth. It's an equal night.
Or as an astronomer would say, "it's an equinox." It's the date when the sun crosses the celestial equator heading north. Spring begins in one hemisphere, autumn in the other. The day and night are of approximately equal length.
To celebrate the occasion, Nature is providing a sky show.
It begins as soon as the sky grows dark. The Moon materializes first, a fat crescent hanging about a third of the way up the western sky. Wait until the twilight blue fades completely black and you will see that the Moon is not alone. The Pleiades are there as well. The Moon and the Pleiades are having a close encounter of rare beauty.
Read more here
Or as an astronomer would say, "it's an equinox." It's the date when the sun crosses the celestial equator heading north. Spring begins in one hemisphere, autumn in the other. The day and night are of approximately equal length.
To celebrate the occasion, Nature is providing a sky show.
It begins as soon as the sky grows dark. The Moon materializes first, a fat crescent hanging about a third of the way up the western sky. Wait until the twilight blue fades completely black and you will see that the Moon is not alone. The Pleiades are there as well. The Moon and the Pleiades are having a close encounter of rare beauty.
Read more here
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Diminishing democratic and property rights
(Rimbey, AB) The leader of the Lavesta Area Group, Joe Anglin, will be speaking to a local landowner’s group at Ace's Cafe, located at 341 Ninth St E, Brooks, Alberta on Friday March 19th 2010 at 1:00 PM.
Anglin will also be speaking to larger public audience at the Innisfail Legion in Innisfail AB on Tuesday April 6th at 2:00 PM. The public is welcome.
Joe Anglin is a staunch advocate for Democratic Rights and Property owner Rights. Anglin will be speaking about recently passed legislation that reduces the democratic process, and he will discuss legislation that is designed to deny a property owner fair compensation for property taken or damaged. Anglin will be presenting facts about the laws and regulations important to rural and urban property owners affected by industrial development. There will be ample time allotted for the public to ask questions.
This government’s Minister of Transportation, Luke Ouellette, has called Joe Anglin a dangerous person, and has insinuated that someone should take care of him. Other backbenchers in the governing party have made similar statements.
When asked about Ouellette’s comments Anglin says, “It is not the messenger that is dangerous, it is the facts I present to the public. Comments like this indicate this government fears an informed public – that is what is dangerous to their power.” Anglin extends an invitation to Ouellette to come out and attend any of the public meetings and debate him on the facts.
For more information Contact
Joe Anglin
(403) 843-3279
(403) 963-0521 cell
Leader, Lavesta Area Group
Anglin will also be speaking to larger public audience at the Innisfail Legion in Innisfail AB on Tuesday April 6th at 2:00 PM. The public is welcome.
Joe Anglin is a staunch advocate for Democratic Rights and Property owner Rights. Anglin will be speaking about recently passed legislation that reduces the democratic process, and he will discuss legislation that is designed to deny a property owner fair compensation for property taken or damaged. Anglin will be presenting facts about the laws and regulations important to rural and urban property owners affected by industrial development. There will be ample time allotted for the public to ask questions.
This government’s Minister of Transportation, Luke Ouellette, has called Joe Anglin a dangerous person, and has insinuated that someone should take care of him. Other backbenchers in the governing party have made similar statements.
When asked about Ouellette’s comments Anglin says, “It is not the messenger that is dangerous, it is the facts I present to the public. Comments like this indicate this government fears an informed public – that is what is dangerous to their power.” Anglin extends an invitation to Ouellette to come out and attend any of the public meetings and debate him on the facts.
For more information Contact
Joe Anglin
(403) 843-3279
(403) 963-0521 cell
Leader, Lavesta Area Group
The Multiplying Mystery of Moonwater
March 18, 2010: Moonwater. Look it up. You won't find it. It's not in the dictionary.
That's because we thought, until recently, that the Moon was just about the driest place in the solar system. Then reports of moonwater started "pouring" in – starting with estimates of scant amounts on the lunar surface, then gallons in a single crater, and now 600 million metric tons distributed among 40 craters near the lunar north pole.
"We thought we understood the Moon, but we don't," says Paul Spudis of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. "It's clear now that water exists up there in a variety of concentrations and geologic settings. And who'd have thought that today we'd be pondering the Moon's hydrosphere?"
Read more here
That's because we thought, until recently, that the Moon was just about the driest place in the solar system. Then reports of moonwater started "pouring" in – starting with estimates of scant amounts on the lunar surface, then gallons in a single crater, and now 600 million metric tons distributed among 40 craters near the lunar north pole.
"We thought we understood the Moon, but we don't," says Paul Spudis of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. "It's clear now that water exists up there in a variety of concentrations and geologic settings. And who'd have thought that today we'd be pondering the Moon's hydrosphere?"
Read more here
Solar Dynamics Observatory update
SDO is designed to help us understand the Sun's influence on Earth and Near-Earth space by studying the solar atmosphere on small scales of space and time and in many wavelengths simultaneously.
After a series of engine burns SDO has reached geosynchronous orbit. Data will be available after a series of activities that include powering up the Ka-band transmitter, opening the instrument doors, and configuring the instruments to start science observations. This will happen approximately in mid-May, and the SDO team is looking forward to the new data.
Keep an eye on this new bird here
After a series of engine burns SDO has reached geosynchronous orbit. Data will be available after a series of activities that include powering up the Ka-band transmitter, opening the instrument doors, and configuring the instruments to start science observations. This will happen approximately in mid-May, and the SDO team is looking forward to the new data.
Keep an eye on this new bird here
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Suicidal comet
The SOHO spacecraft captured a very bright, sungrazing comet as it rocketed towards the Sun (Mar. 12, 2010) and was vaporized. This comet is arguably the brightest comet that SOHO has observed since Comet McNaught in early 2007. The comet is believed to belong to the Kreutz family of comets that broke up from a much larger comet many hundreds of years ago. They are known to orbit close to the Sun. A coronal mass ejection (CME) burst away from the Sun during the bright comet’s approach.
Check it out here
Check it out here
Monday, March 15, 2010
Pen Meets Paper Mar.15'10
Opinion by Helge Nome
“Out of sight, out of mind”. That is a well known expression and the truth of it can come back to bite us at the most inopportune times.
This is what we are now finding out about our potable water supply system across the land. 50 year old asbestos cement pipes are slowly crumbling and falling apart under our feet, releasing their deadly asbestos fibers into the water supply of countless millions of people.
Here in Alberta, there is another pipeline system we should also be concerned about.
It is being used to convey oil and gas in their many forms from producing wells to processing and storage facilities across the land, as well as to consumers all over North America and beyond. And that pipeline system is in the same age bracket as the water system.
The question presents itself: Who is going to take on the responsibility of cleaning up this web of piping and its associated environmental pollutants when the energy companies pack up their bags and move on, or go out of business. Are there adequate deposits on hand to clean up the mess if they come to the end of their corporate lives?
We know from experience that all mining ventures have a limited lifetime.
Will foreign based companies feel obliged to act as good corporate citizens on someone else’s soil, far away from domestic public opinion? Or will they simply do what we have done to the “third” world in our ventures there?
Now that we are in the process of becoming a third world country ourselves, with our former colonials coming in to help themselves, it might be payback time? The slag heaps will be donated back to us, free of charge?
We used Chinese indentured laborers to do the most dangerous work in building our great railways. Now the Chinese are buying tar sands holdings in north eastern Alberta to feed their energy hungry industries. The money is coming from them to us, not the other way around, as in the past.
And experience tells us that whoever controls the money also controls the people.
That is pretty obvious from the decision announced by Alberta’s Premier Ed Stelmach recently, to forego some $800 million in oil and gas royalties in an attempt to stay in political office. You see, the energy lobby has been pouring cash into the coffers of the upstart Wild Rose Alliance Party in Alberta in order for them to act as a whipping boy of the hapless Premier and his team. It worked and he begged for mercy by giving them the $800 million in royalty returns on top of $2 billion handed over for carbon dioxide capture to clean up the industry image of generating greenhouse gases. With that kind of government in place, who is going to clean up the mess in the end?
Somehow, I don’t think it will be the Chinese.
“Out of sight, out of mind”. That is a well known expression and the truth of it can come back to bite us at the most inopportune times.
This is what we are now finding out about our potable water supply system across the land. 50 year old asbestos cement pipes are slowly crumbling and falling apart under our feet, releasing their deadly asbestos fibers into the water supply of countless millions of people.
Here in Alberta, there is another pipeline system we should also be concerned about.
It is being used to convey oil and gas in their many forms from producing wells to processing and storage facilities across the land, as well as to consumers all over North America and beyond. And that pipeline system is in the same age bracket as the water system.
The question presents itself: Who is going to take on the responsibility of cleaning up this web of piping and its associated environmental pollutants when the energy companies pack up their bags and move on, or go out of business. Are there adequate deposits on hand to clean up the mess if they come to the end of their corporate lives?
We know from experience that all mining ventures have a limited lifetime.
Will foreign based companies feel obliged to act as good corporate citizens on someone else’s soil, far away from domestic public opinion? Or will they simply do what we have done to the “third” world in our ventures there?
Now that we are in the process of becoming a third world country ourselves, with our former colonials coming in to help themselves, it might be payback time? The slag heaps will be donated back to us, free of charge?
We used Chinese indentured laborers to do the most dangerous work in building our great railways. Now the Chinese are buying tar sands holdings in north eastern Alberta to feed their energy hungry industries. The money is coming from them to us, not the other way around, as in the past.
And experience tells us that whoever controls the money also controls the people.
That is pretty obvious from the decision announced by Alberta’s Premier Ed Stelmach recently, to forego some $800 million in oil and gas royalties in an attempt to stay in political office. You see, the energy lobby has been pouring cash into the coffers of the upstart Wild Rose Alliance Party in Alberta in order for them to act as a whipping boy of the hapless Premier and his team. It worked and he begged for mercy by giving them the $800 million in royalty returns on top of $2 billion handed over for carbon dioxide capture to clean up the industry image of generating greenhouse gases. With that kind of government in place, who is going to clean up the mess in the end?
Somehow, I don’t think it will be the Chinese.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Climate change, from a New Zealand perspective
by John Rawson
It is a pity so much debate has centered on whether or not the climate is changing. Of course it is. Climatic fluctuations are a regular phenomenon. Whether or not humanity is making it worse is an open question, not answered by present propaganda.
This just covers up the fact that the proposed remedies have very little to do with pollution and very much to do with smart people making a “fast buck” at our expense. Led by a former U. S. vice-presidential candidate who could never have got so far without getting huge sums of dollars for his campaigns from the organizations that have caused the present financial upset.
And why do we hear all the bad things that could happen; none of the good?
The Murray River red gum in Australia needs light flooding to start new seedlings. It occurs practically continent-wide, but only in isolated little strips along rivers. Obviously, in the preceding warmer period, the Australian climate was much wetter. It could not have spread so widely otherwise. Could the present trend bring into production millions of hectares of now near-desert in that country?
Our podocarps, particularly matai and rimu, are unable to regenerate to any extent south of the Waikato, following a cooling period about a thousand years ago. They are slow-growing and long-lived, probably itself a means of dealing with climate changes over long periods. Unless the climate warms, the remaining magnificent forests in the Central North Island and South Westland are doomed to eventual extinction. They may be replaced by low scrub, or with sub-antarctic beech if the introduced pests are controlled enough to let that happen .
How much warming is needed to let the South Island tussock grass set seed in the higher levels of its distribution, with huge benefits to the fragile rock soils of the Canterbury foothills?
What other benefits could warming bring, world-wide?
As a scientist, I resent the discipline being brought into disrepute by irresponsible biased use of its methods.
John G. Rawson
It is a pity so much debate has centered on whether or not the climate is changing. Of course it is. Climatic fluctuations are a regular phenomenon. Whether or not humanity is making it worse is an open question, not answered by present propaganda.
This just covers up the fact that the proposed remedies have very little to do with pollution and very much to do with smart people making a “fast buck” at our expense. Led by a former U. S. vice-presidential candidate who could never have got so far without getting huge sums of dollars for his campaigns from the organizations that have caused the present financial upset.
And why do we hear all the bad things that could happen; none of the good?
The Murray River red gum in Australia needs light flooding to start new seedlings. It occurs practically continent-wide, but only in isolated little strips along rivers. Obviously, in the preceding warmer period, the Australian climate was much wetter. It could not have spread so widely otherwise. Could the present trend bring into production millions of hectares of now near-desert in that country?
Our podocarps, particularly matai and rimu, are unable to regenerate to any extent south of the Waikato, following a cooling period about a thousand years ago. They are slow-growing and long-lived, probably itself a means of dealing with climate changes over long periods. Unless the climate warms, the remaining magnificent forests in the Central North Island and South Westland are doomed to eventual extinction. They may be replaced by low scrub, or with sub-antarctic beech if the introduced pests are controlled enough to let that happen .
How much warming is needed to let the South Island tussock grass set seed in the higher levels of its distribution, with huge benefits to the fragile rock soils of the Canterbury foothills?
What other benefits could warming bring, world-wide?
As a scientist, I resent the discipline being brought into disrepute by irresponsible biased use of its methods.
John G. Rawson
March flooding in Western Queensland, Australia
When Nature does its thing, we can only try to hang on.
Photos and story here
Photos and story here
Teen talent show at the Church of the Nazarene
Cheyanne Larson on bass guitar. Young people ran the show at the Friday, March 5 youth talent event. Family and friends thoroughly enjoyed the many performances by musicians and dancers.For its size, the Caroline community has a lot to offer in artistic talents.
Neva Rowell
Friday, March 12, 2010
Solar 'Current of Fire' Speeds Up 03.12.2010
March 12, 2010: What in the world is the sun up to now?
In today's issue of Science, NASA solar physicist David Hathaway reports that the top of the sun's Great Conveyor Belt has been running at record-high speeds for the past five years.
"I believe this could explain the unusually deep solar minimum we've been experiencing," says Hathaway. "The high speed of the conveyor belt challenges existing models of the solar cycle and it has forced us back to the drawing board for new ideas."
The Great Conveyor Belt is a massive circulating current of fire (hot plasma) within the sun. It has two branches, north and south, each taking about 40 years to complete one circuit. Researchers believe the turning of the belt controls the sunspot cycle.
For full article, click here
In today's issue of Science, NASA solar physicist David Hathaway reports that the top of the sun's Great Conveyor Belt has been running at record-high speeds for the past five years.
"I believe this could explain the unusually deep solar minimum we've been experiencing," says Hathaway. "The high speed of the conveyor belt challenges existing models of the solar cycle and it has forced us back to the drawing board for new ideas."
The Great Conveyor Belt is a massive circulating current of fire (hot plasma) within the sun. It has two branches, north and south, each taking about 40 years to complete one circuit. Researchers believe the turning of the belt controls the sunspot cycle.
For full article, click here
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Solar Wind and the Earth's Protective Magnetic Shield
Illustration of solar wind heading into space and impacting Earth's protective magnetic shield, its magnetosphere. The particles are seen heading out in all directions, but with some of them hitting our magnetosphere. Earth's magnetic field lines are shown in concentric purple ovals, pushed on by pressure from the Sun and elongated on the side facing sway from the Sun. If the solar wind is particularly strong or if a solar storm impacts us, their energy can be transferred down to Earth via our magnetic field lines and cause power, communication, and navigation problems. Compliments of NASA
Monday, March 8, 2010
Pen Meets Paper Mar.8'10
Opinion by Helge Nome
There was a referendum in Iceland on Saturday, March 6, where voters were asked whether they were prepared to pay back money owing to depositors in three failed commercial banks in Iceland. Actually, the depositors, most of whom are English and Dutch people in their own countries, have already been paid back by their respective governments and now the dispute is between the governments of England and Holland on one side and Iceland on the other.
At the core of this dispute is the demand by the British and Dutch governments for the repayment of funds that they forwarded to their own nationals in the wake of the Icelandic banks in question closing their doors. And the only source of possible repayment is the Icelandic tax payer who is understandably very upset because the banks were privately owned and engaged in highly leveraged high risk lending practices. They were reportedly helped along in this by the failed Lehman Bros. bank in New York.
The Iceland government had already cut a deal for repaying this money, using the taxpayer’s pocket, when the island nation’s President, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, unexpectedly refused to sign it, triggering the referendum.
Of the 62.7% of eligible voters that turned out 93.2% said no to repaying Britain and Holland. 1.8% said yes. The rest of the votes were invalid. Icelanders understandably feel that they are not responsible for decisions made by private bank owners, who by now have likely set up shop in the Bahamas, protected by their hijacked money and old friends.
The big sledge hammer over the Government of Iceland’s head, is a promised loan from the International Monetary Fund to tide Iceland over its present financial problems into a more prosperous future. This loan is currently being withheld.
Time will tell where this process is heading. The interesting thing here is that the old viking spirit is still alive in Iceland, in contrast to the United States, where senators, congressmen and a puppet president were easily bullied into taking over privately created debts during their financial crisis. The big banks walked all over them.
The process we have watched in the US and the unfolding drama in Iceland has one central theme:
Privatizing profits and socializing debt. Elevating the few to positions of power and privilege at the expense of the many, by way of financial manipulations. The Icelanders have shown us that you don’t just have to lie down and take it. The bullies are relatively few in number and are only able to make you cower if you choose that path as the “easy” (read: hard) way out.
There was a referendum in Iceland on Saturday, March 6, where voters were asked whether they were prepared to pay back money owing to depositors in three failed commercial banks in Iceland. Actually, the depositors, most of whom are English and Dutch people in their own countries, have already been paid back by their respective governments and now the dispute is between the governments of England and Holland on one side and Iceland on the other.
At the core of this dispute is the demand by the British and Dutch governments for the repayment of funds that they forwarded to their own nationals in the wake of the Icelandic banks in question closing their doors. And the only source of possible repayment is the Icelandic tax payer who is understandably very upset because the banks were privately owned and engaged in highly leveraged high risk lending practices. They were reportedly helped along in this by the failed Lehman Bros. bank in New York.
The Iceland government had already cut a deal for repaying this money, using the taxpayer’s pocket, when the island nation’s President, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, unexpectedly refused to sign it, triggering the referendum.
Of the 62.7% of eligible voters that turned out 93.2% said no to repaying Britain and Holland. 1.8% said yes. The rest of the votes were invalid. Icelanders understandably feel that they are not responsible for decisions made by private bank owners, who by now have likely set up shop in the Bahamas, protected by their hijacked money and old friends.
The big sledge hammer over the Government of Iceland’s head, is a promised loan from the International Monetary Fund to tide Iceland over its present financial problems into a more prosperous future. This loan is currently being withheld.
Time will tell where this process is heading. The interesting thing here is that the old viking spirit is still alive in Iceland, in contrast to the United States, where senators, congressmen and a puppet president were easily bullied into taking over privately created debts during their financial crisis. The big banks walked all over them.
The process we have watched in the US and the unfolding drama in Iceland has one central theme:
Privatizing profits and socializing debt. Elevating the few to positions of power and privilege at the expense of the many, by way of financial manipulations. The Icelanders have shown us that you don’t just have to lie down and take it. The bullies are relatively few in number and are only able to make you cower if you choose that path as the “easy” (read: hard) way out.
Pretty girls and fast readers
Erin Willsie and Jenna Pengelly were recognized for their skill and dedication in the Accelerated Reader Program at Caroline School. They received these T shirts at the Elementary Assembly on Thursday, February 25.
Outstanding students of the month
These elementary students in Caroline School proudly displayed their certificates of recognition at the Elementary Assembly on February 25: Brody McTaggart, Tanner Ogilvie, Katelyn Willsie, Wyatt McDonald, Anika Ahlstrom, Nicholas Schmaltzbauer, Dana Roper, Beau Alstott, Cody Graham, Sheldon Schnell.
Grade 5 musical performance
Mrs. Verquin's Grade 5 class performed at the elementary assembly with the song "Snowflakes"
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Lonesome River Band in Red Deer
Bluegrass music filled Festival Hall in Red Deer on Sunday, February 28, coming from the instruments of some very talented and seasoned professionals on the bluegrass circuit. The Lonesome River Band, under the guidance of Sammy Shelor entertained a group of mostly older patrons who have an enduring love of bluegrass music, a sound that comes from the heart of the people. The function was organized by Central Alberta's Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society, and those enthusiastic Americans have their website here
Monday, March 1, 2010
Pen Meets Paper Mar.1'10
Opinion by Helge Nome
Is there a terrorist lurking under Main Street in every older urban community in North America? More savage and ruthless than Osama Bin Laden and one million times more effective?
This possibility came to mind when I examined a slide presentation made in the little Village of Caroline by a group of community planners last week. One of the slides shows the aging water mains system in the village and identifies the water main running under Main Street as a priority item for replacement. Some notes along the left margin of the slide, with red bullets beside them are rather significant: “ Water Mains, 45+ years old, Primarily Asbestos Cement Pipe”. This is the very pipe that burst, making water bubble up in the middle of Main Stream in Caroline, not so long ago.
What else has it done over a service life of some 50 years? It has delivered water containing tiny strands of asbestos fiber to every household in the village. Just as some 400,000 kilometers of similar pipe has done across North America.
This is of course not the first time this issue has been raised in public. Some alarm bells went off when Barbara Robson, a reporter at the Winnipeg Free Press, wrote an investigative report in 1987. I have published this report on http://albertawestsecondpage.blogspot.com. Since then, a number of investigations have been made by many agencies with the expected variability in outcomes for such a contentious issue. A comprehensive contemporary source of information is www.asbestos.com.
No one has managed to demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that the various kinds of cancers are linked to specific single causes in the environment. This difficulty in pinpointing specific causes speaks to the probability of ubiquitous underlying conditions that have emerged in modern society, one of which could be our water distribution system. There is a lot of evidence linking cancers to a host of known carcinogens, including asbestos, which is a naturally occurring mineral that does not readily break down in the environment.
The troubling part about the crumbling asbestos cement pipes under our feet is that the fibers coming loose as the cement deteriorates, carried by water under pressure flowing through the pipes, can readily find their way into our stomachs and beyond via both drinking water and food. Clothes washed in this water will also rub against our skin, enabling the sharp tiny asbestos fibers to find their way into our bodies. While asbestos is a naturally occurring compound in the environment, its use in our water system greatly increases out exposure to this known carcinogen. This is not rocket science. It is just bad news. Remember the Romans and their drinking vessels made from lead?
Is Osama Bin Laden just a scarecrow, put out there to divert our attention from the real issues?
Is there a terrorist lurking under Main Street in every older urban community in North America? More savage and ruthless than Osama Bin Laden and one million times more effective?
This possibility came to mind when I examined a slide presentation made in the little Village of Caroline by a group of community planners last week. One of the slides shows the aging water mains system in the village and identifies the water main running under Main Street as a priority item for replacement. Some notes along the left margin of the slide, with red bullets beside them are rather significant: “ Water Mains, 45+ years old, Primarily Asbestos Cement Pipe”. This is the very pipe that burst, making water bubble up in the middle of Main Stream in Caroline, not so long ago.
What else has it done over a service life of some 50 years? It has delivered water containing tiny strands of asbestos fiber to every household in the village. Just as some 400,000 kilometers of similar pipe has done across North America.
This is of course not the first time this issue has been raised in public. Some alarm bells went off when Barbara Robson, a reporter at the Winnipeg Free Press, wrote an investigative report in 1987. I have published this report on http://albertawestsecondpage.blogspot.com. Since then, a number of investigations have been made by many agencies with the expected variability in outcomes for such a contentious issue. A comprehensive contemporary source of information is www.asbestos.com.
No one has managed to demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that the various kinds of cancers are linked to specific single causes in the environment. This difficulty in pinpointing specific causes speaks to the probability of ubiquitous underlying conditions that have emerged in modern society, one of which could be our water distribution system. There is a lot of evidence linking cancers to a host of known carcinogens, including asbestos, which is a naturally occurring mineral that does not readily break down in the environment.
The troubling part about the crumbling asbestos cement pipes under our feet is that the fibers coming loose as the cement deteriorates, carried by water under pressure flowing through the pipes, can readily find their way into our stomachs and beyond via both drinking water and food. Clothes washed in this water will also rub against our skin, enabling the sharp tiny asbestos fibers to find their way into our bodies. While asbestos is a naturally occurring compound in the environment, its use in our water system greatly increases out exposure to this known carcinogen. This is not rocket science. It is just bad news. Remember the Romans and their drinking vessels made from lead?
Is Osama Bin Laden just a scarecrow, put out there to divert our attention from the real issues?
Shrove Tuesday pancake supper
A well supported Lion's Club fundraiser at the Caroline Lions' Den on Tuesday, February 16
The Limbo Rock
You had to be pretty limber to get to this stage in the competition at the Danish Mardi-Gras.
Scaring the cat in the barrel
Danish Mardi-Gras at the Spruce View Hall on Saturday, February 20. A dedicated group of locals got together, dressed up, to chase the bad spirits out of Spruce View. The idea behind this exercise is to scare a make-believe cat in the barrel to the point that he heads for the bush after escaping from the barrel, with a tail of mean and malevolent spirits behind him. In fact, the barrel was more like a Mexican "piniata", filled with candies and other goodies.
Caroline Men's Bonspiel
Dan Burger was the Skip of the winning team in the bonspiel,held in the Caroline curling arena on the weekend of February 20/21
Men's Bonspiel A Event result
Winners, standing: Frank Spruyt(Lead), Rick Kwantes,(2nd), Gord Koples(3rd), Dan Burger(Skip) Runners up: Michael Fenwick, Brian Lowes, Bert Lowe, Marty Reed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)