From December 7th to 18th the United Nations Conference on Climate Change will take place in Copenhagen Denmark (aka COP15, the 15th “Conference of the Parties”). At this conference the participating nations will develop a climate agreement to replace the Kyoto agreement once it expires in 2012.

While I fully support the principal behind creating such agreements, I don’t have much faith in their effectiveness. Canada signed the Kyoto protocol and didn’t meet any of it’s targets (so far). And it doesn’t look like Harper has any intention of changing that trend. He recently announced a project to create a massive underground storage facility for CO2 emissions. That’s essentially an underground dump for air pollution. What a wonderful sustainable idea! Don’t worry about any potential leakage up to the surface…

So if our countrys’ leaders are not going to honour such agreements and drastic changes still need to be made, how does it get done? Our local politicians are no better. Light rail is a perfect example in Ottawa. Any of the options that were discussed would take cars off the roads but still nothing gets done. Aren’t we at the point where anything is better than wasting more money?

Part of the problem is the nature of the politics. At the federal level Harper has loyalties to oil companies (i.e the tar sands) so he won’t do anything to reduce their profits, and at the local level every constituent has their say. So the guy in Orleans wants east-west rail, and the guy in Riverside South wants a north-south rail. Everyone gets heard and nothing gets done. Landsdowne park is another example of that – don’t expect anything too soon.

The only way things are gonna change is if we take it upon ourselves. We can no longer count on governments to change policy and do the right thing. The only thing we need are choices. We can take the bus if we don’t want to drive, we can buy energy efficient bulbs instead of incandescent, we will recycle everything that can be recycled, to get clean electricity instead of coal, we can buy local food instead of imported, become vegetarian instead of meataterian (that’s for you Erica). Choices can be made that will make a difference. And where we don’t have the choices, that’s when we need to pressure our politicians.

And as much as the almighty dollar is controlling Harpers moves, it controls ours as well. Some environmentally conscious choices are more expensive than others. But at least we can make our own choice and not have one man decide for all.

I’m probably not the only one who’s noticed, but I don’t remember a single smog advisory yet in 2009. Aren’t things supposed to get worse air quality wise? Before getting carried away on a hunch I went googling to verify my suspiscions. Turns out there’s a website that has historical air quality data:

http://www.airqualityontario.com/reports/historical.cfm

Using this website I compared 2008 & 2009 data in Ottawa for the period of April 1st to July 8th. Turns out my suspiscions were correct. There has been a significant improvement in air quality so far this summer. Below are the results:

Air Quality Index

As many of you likely already know, youtube is great spot to find your favourite sports highlights, music videos, tv blooper reels, and pretty much anything you care to search for. One of my  favourite things to search for are covers of my favourite songs. Now there are a lot of crappy versions out there but I take my hat off to people with the guts to put themselves out there with all the potential scrutiny they will face. And people are not at all shy to say how much you suck when they are doing it anonymously. However, there are great covers out there and below I have listed a few of my personal favourites. Enjoy!

Lovers in Japan – Coldplay

Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

Theme from Super Mario Bros.

Time is a-tickin until noon, so I had better hurry up and get these predictions in. Here are some shots in the dark about where some of the high profile free agents are going to go.

Martin Havlat – He is coming off a surprisingly injury free season. Look for Marty to head to Montreal, where he’ll get back to his press box sitting ways.

Marian Hossa – I think he’ll go to Pittsburgh… lol. He should ultimately take the non negotiable offer from Detroit.

The Sedins – I am getting the feeling they could in end up in TO. Probably the Burke connection. (Scratch that, just read that the nucks resigned them)

Mike Komisarek - Hmmmm, who needs an overrated defenceman, soon to be overpaid…. sounds like a perfect fit for the Rangers!

Dwayne Roloson - This is who Mtl should sign to take some pressure off of Carey Price. He is looking for a reduced role on a different team and his presence could go a long way in preparing CP to be the man in Montreal.

That’s it. It’s 11:53 and there’s no time left. Here’s hoping the Heatley trade goes through today. The last thing the Sens need is poison in a dressing room when things finally started turning around.

Happy Canada Day!

Alberta finance minister Iris Evans has stirred up a bit of controversy with her a speech at the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto a few days ago. She said that in order to properly raise a family one parent needs to stay at home while the other parent earns a living. Alberta Liberal leader David Swann was quick to seize this opportunity and stated that Iris must apologize or be fired!

Are Iris’s comments really that offensive? Isn’t it logical that the more time you spend with your kids, the better the chances of succesfully raising them? Iris didn’t state which parent she believed should stay home so she can’t be called sexist.

And yes, I am sure there are families out there where both parents work full time jobs and they are doing a great job raising their family. But is that the exception, or the rule? Of course you can do it but that don’t mean it’s to be done. You can drive a bus with your feet, that doesn’t make it a good idea (who knows who I’m paraphrasing).

It surely makes sense that if you are home with your children you are better able to impart your values and wisdom upon them. Or you can compete with the values of your babysitter and/or daycare provider.

Why do two parents need to work anyways? If it’s absolutely necessary for financial reasons that’s a different story but if it’s not, then why? Do you both love your jobs that much to sacrifice time with your family? Do you really need that second LCD TV?

I grew up in a generation where most families had one parent staying at home and looking back I definitely see the value of my mom being there all the time. Of course she did go to work as a teacher when times were tight but that wasn’t the norm. She was there to make breakfast, lunch & supper. She kept the house running like clockwork.

Now I don’t want to come of as an Iris supporter because she did go on to say some things about mental illness that showed a rather ignorant side of her. But a stay at home parent just makes sense to me. At least for the first 5 years.

What do you think?

I was getting my morning coffee at Tim’s the other day when the person in front of me ordered theirs with one Sweet N’ Low. The server then proceeded to open a packet of said sugar substitute and dump the enclosed miniscule amount of the product into their coffee. The packet was then disposed of as you would expect. Then I ordered a double double and the sugar came from a large dispenser in two measured portions.

Soooo, why can’t Sweet N’ Low come from the same type of dispenser?

It certainly would save a lot of garbage if you eliminate all of those packets. And they do sell the product in bulk quantities as you can see in the photo.

Sweet N' Low in 8 oz boxes

Are there any risks with a large amount of Sweet N Low together? From a quick trip down wikipedia lane I discovered it’s primary ingredient is saccharin which has a long, controversial, history dating back to 1878.

Though Saccharin was commercialized not long after it’s discovery, it’s use didn’t become widespread until there was a sugar shortage during WWI. In 1977 a study was published that indicated that Saccharin given to rats in large quantities caused a rise in bladder cancer rats.Canada then banned saccharin from soft drinks but you could still use as a table top sweetener.

So it is potentially dangerous, but since it is still out there, lets do away with those wasteful packets. They should probably still keep it behind the counter so people don’t do anything stupid and eat it by the spoonful out of those table top jars.

Not that people ever do anything stupid….

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT

I am not sure how many of you are LOST fans but it has become my favourite show of all time. Yes, even beating out Star Trek – TNG. I have thoroughly enjoyed the current season of LOST and all it’s twists and turns. I realize that some people don’t like the science fiction direction the plot has taken but I think it’s a great way to tell the story and eventually give us all the answers we crave. This past weeks episode was also great and it got me thinking, what is my favourite LOST episode? And beyond that what are my favourite episodes of any show all time. I gave myself one rule: only one episode from each series. Here’s my list:

LOST – “Through the Looking Glass”

 This was the season 3 finale and I don’t think I blinked once. So much happened in this episode. There was a showdown with the Others at the beach, Charlie dies heroically while unjamming communications to and from the island at the looking glass station, the survivors make contact with a freighter and rescue seems imminent. But the key twist in this episode is that the standard flashbacks that have occurred in nearly every episode is now a flash forward and it shows Jack off of the island as a drunken mess beggin Kate to go back to the island. Below is a clip showing an intense confrontation between Jack and Ben, the leader of the others.

Key quote: Not Penny’s Boat

Battlestar Galactica – “Crossroads”

As far as WTF moments go, you can’t beat how this episode ends. As the crew of the Battlestar Galactica are in the middle of a battle with the very human looking robot cylons, 4 crew members are hearing a song coming from within the ship. It is All Along the Watchtower, but not by Dylan or Hendrix. Enchanted by the song all four members are drawn to a single location on the ship where they come to the stark realization that they are in fact, Cylons. I am sure alot more happened in this episode but this moment is all that matters. And to be honest I can’t remember the rest as it pales in comparison. Below is the scene where the four crew members have just found out they are cylons.

Key Quote: There must be some way out of here

Star Trek – The Next Generations – “The Best of Both Worlds”

I remember exactly where I was when I saw this two parter and should I come across it again on SPACE I would definitely watch it again. The Borg were introduced in an earlier episode when Q transported the crew across the galaxy to face them as sort of an ego check. Nothing that the Enterprise crew did had any effect which eventually forced Picard to beg for Q’s help. Well in this episode the Borg have traversed the galaxy the old fashioned way (warp speed) and have come to enslave the human race. Add to that Picard being captured and forced to lead said enslavement. Of course the good guys end up victorious but the ending was done quite intelligently. Below is the clip between the first and second parts where the Enterprise crew is about to use their enhanced deflector dish to blow up the Borg, along with Picard.

Key Quote: Your resistance is hopeless, number one.

The Simpsons – “Who Shot Mr. Burns?”

This is the best simpsons episode for many reasons. The endless amount of one liners, the involvement of nearly all of the characters, and the thick cultural references. The Dallas episode “Who Shot JR.” being the most obvious parallel. But there was also the reference to the Basic Instinct interogation scene, the Fugitive when Homers wagon overturns and Twin Peaks with Lisa’s backwards talking dream. It’s too bad that the Simpsons have gone so far downhill as they used to put out some top notch material. But I guess you can only go to the well so many times. I couldn’t find a good clip on you tube so I have added a few more quotes.

- Hey! This sidewalk’s for regular walking, not fancy walking.

- This suit burns better!

- Have you ever seen the sun set at 3pm?
   Aye, once. When I was sailing ’round the Arctic…
   Shut up, you. Take one last look at the sun, Springfield!

Degrassi – “School’s Out!”

I guess this is technically a made for tv movie but it really is the series finale of Degrassi High. I don’t think there’s one person in canada that doesn’t know what Joey was doing with Tessa all summer long thanks to Snakes outburst. How many people were watching with there parents when snake dropped the f-bomb? There was definitely a much bigger edge to the finale than the rest of the series and it had a much more serious tone. The timing of this series is likely what made me such a fan. We grew up as they grew up, when they graduated I was graduating. I haven’t really watched the new series but I hear it’s getting rave reviews too. I guess lightning can strike twice. Anyhow, here’s that defining moment in Canadian television.

Key Quote: (do I really need to write it?)

Chrysler unveiled it’s new all electric car this week – the Dodge Circuit. The plan is start selling this vehicle in 2010, providing Chrysler is still around at that point. It is a pretty sweet looking ride but it’s obviously not going to save the planet with a price around $100,000. But this announcement has inspired me to do a little digging on the internet to see what other all-electric vehicles are out there. Here’s what I found, starting with the Circuit.

Dodge Circuit

Dodge Circuit

 Starting Price: ~$100,000

Horse Power: 268

0-60: < 5 seconds

Battery Range: 150-200 miles

Recharge time: 8 hrs on 110 volt outlet, 4 hrs on 220 volt outlet

Comments: If I win the lottery this is probably the car I would buy, but other than that it is nice to look at.

Tesla Roadster

Tesla Roadster

Horse Power: 248

0-60: < 3.7 seconds

Battery Range: 244 miles

Recharge time: 3.5 hrs (requires high power connector)

Comments: Another great car for the lottery scenario but a few more style points for the Circuit

Miles Electric – XS500

XS 500

 Starting Price: ~$30,000 – $45,000

Horse Power:NA

0-60: NA

Battery Range: ~100 miles

Recharge time: Undspecified time on 220 volt outlet

Comments: Aimed at the everyday user but so far the details are sketchy (Wikipedia quoted me three different prices on the same page).

Hi Pa Drive – F150

Hi Pa Drive - F150

Starting Price: NA

Horsepower: 600 (150 per wheel)

0-60: NA

Battery Range: 75 – 100 miles

Recharge time: Overnight on an unspecified voltage (assuming 110 volt)

Comments: Technology puts an electric motor on each wheel with loads of torque. Will likely not make it into the market as fully electric but rather as a hybrid at around 100 mpg.

Mission One

Mission One

 Starting Price: $68,995

Horse Power: NA  (torque is 100 lb - ft)

0-60: NA

Battery Range: 150 miles

Recharge time: 2 hours on 220 volt, 8  hours on 110 volt

 Comments: Extreme price tag on this one and not the sexiest bike in the world. Not sure I would get this even if I did win the lottery.

In yesterday’s post I incorrectly stated that the fifth estate is airing a show on March 27th regarding the gas suppliers when in fact Marketplace is airing that show tonight on CBC at 8:30 EST. And it’s on before the Battlestar Finale!

If anyone ever comes to your door and asks you that question, slam the door in their face as you are about to encounter one of the most dishonest, pushy door to door salespeople you’ll ever see. They present themselves as if they are from your current gas provider and they just want to make sure you are receiving the proper rate as part of their savings program and need to see your bill to do so.

What they are actually offering is a fixed rate nearly 25% higher than your variable rate with enbridge.

These people prey on new home owners and have come to my house twice. The first time my sister fell victim to Summitt Energy and the second time Ontario Energy Savings almost got me. And I consider myself one of the most skeptical people around. If anyone approaches me (on the phone or at the door) trying to give me a great deal I instantly distrust them. What differentiates these gas suppliers is that you believe they are from your current providers.

The guy had got me to the point where I had filled out his form completely and was just about to sign at the bottom when I started to question it. I had decided to not give him back the form and he would not leave my front porch. I basically had to slam the door in his face. I guess he was so close he could taste the commission.

Next friday night (Mar 27th) the fifth estate is running a report on this subject and I think any new homeowners should watch. You really don’t know what you’re in for until you see them in action. I had warned a couple of friends to watch out for these scammers and they still managed to talk them into signing.

I would be watching too but as you can see below, I’ll be watching Battlestar Galactica!