Carbon can postpone ice age

It turns out that if global warming were real, and if it were caused by humans it wouldn't be a bad thing after all.

ScienceDaily (Feb. 19, 2009) — By controlling emissions of fossil fuels we may be able to greatly delay the start of the next ice age, new research from the Niels Bohr Institute at University of Copenhagen concludes.
From an Earth history perspective, we are living in cold times. The greatest climate challenge mankind has faced has been surviving ice ages that have dominated climate during the past million years. Therefore it is not surprising that back in the relatively cold 1970's prominent scientists like Soviet Union climatologist Mikhail Budyko greeted man-made global warming from CO2 emissions as a way to keep us out of future ice ages. And there are still those around who feel that continued high fossil fuel emissions are good for this reason. But is the extreme global warming that would result from this a reasonable, and indeed necessary, price to pay to keep ice ages at bay?

In a new paper, Professor Gary Shaffer of the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, and also leader of the research team at the Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS), outlines a way to keep the Earth out of both Hot- and Icehouses for a half a million years into the future.

Building up ice sheets

Ice ages start when conditions at high northern latitudes allow winter snowfall to persist over the summer for enough years to accumulate and build ice sheets. Such conditions depend mainly on summer solar radiation there and atmospheric CO2 concentration. This radiation is modulated on time scales of 20.000, 40.000 and 100.000 years by changes in the Earth's orbit and orientation. Critical summer solar radiation for initiating ice sheet growth can be significantly lower for higher atmospheric CO2 with its greenhouse warming effect.

Professor Shaffer made long projections over the next 500,000 years with the DCESS Earth System Model to calculate the evolution of atmospheric CO2 for different fossil fuel emission strategies. He also used results of a coupled climate-ice sheet model for the dependency on atmospheric CO2 of critical summer solar radiation at high northern latitudes for an ice age onset.

The results show global warming of almost 5 degrees Celsius above present for a "business as usual" scenario whereby all 5000 billion tons of fossil fuel carbon in accessible reserves are burned within the next few centuries. In this scenario the onset of next ice age was postponed to about 170,000 years from now.

Carbon can postpone ice age

However, for a management scenario whereby fossil fuel use was reduced globally by 20% in 2020 and 60% in 2050 (compared to 1990 levels), maximum global warming was less than one degree Celsius above present. Similar reductions in fossil fuel use have been proposed by various countries like Germany and Great Britain.

In this scenario, combustion pulses of large remaining fossil fuel reserves were then tailored to raise atmospheric CO2 content high and long enough to parry forcing of ice age onsets by summer radiation minima as long as possible. In this way our present equable interglacial climate was extended for about 500,000 years, three times as long as in the "business as usual" case.

Valuable climate regulation

"It appears to be well established that the strong ice ages the Earth has experienced over the past million years were ushered in by declining levels of atmospheric CO2. Our present atmospheric CO2 level of about 385 parts per million is already higher than before the transition to these ice ages" Professor Shaffer notes and adds that "The Earth's orbit is nearly circular at present meaning that the present minimum in summer radiation at high northern latitudes is not very deep. We have already increased atmospheric CO2 enough to keep us out of the next ice age for at least the next 55,000 years for this orbital setup".

He concludes that "Fossil fuel reserves may be too valuable for regulating climate far into the future to allow the reserves to be consumed within the next few centuries. The price of extreme global warming to avoid ice ages is a high and indeed unnecessary price to pay."

Eye Halve a Spell Checker: Sauce Unknown

Eye halve a spelling checker

I have a spelling checker.
It came with my pea sea.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when I rime.

Each frays come posed up on my screen
eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

Bee fore a veiling checker's Hour
spelling mite decline,
And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.

Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flair,
Their are no fault's with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a ware.

Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped word's fare as hear.

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaw's are knot aloud.

Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays,
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting too pleas.

-- Sauce Unknown

Privacy Expectations in the Global Village.

Privacy Expectations in the Global Village.

-or-

If you need to look over your shoulder before you do something, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it.

 

 

Global village is a term most closely associated with Marshall McLuhan, brought closer to the mainstream  in his books The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man (1962) and Understanding Media (1964). McLuhan describes how the globe has been contracted into a village by electric technology and the instantaneous movement of information from every quarter to every point at the same time.

 

Looking back to the turn of the twentieth century, most of the world’s population lived in definably smaller communities than we do now. Essentially we lived in local villages.  Our media has always been a reflection of our situation, back in the day and even to this day, village media has reported on the events that are available to them…that is their function. In a local village this leads to headlines such as, “Well, Well, Look Who Got Himself a Toro” and, “High School Valedictorian Ready to Leave”. If you have ever lived in a smaller community you are already aware of what I am talking about…you really can’t keep a secret from your community. Even if the local paper didn’t report it, your neighbors would gossip about it. It didn’t matter if they got the info first hand by observation of a public space, second hand by listening in on an old “party-line” telephone or simply by repeating other gossip.

 

It has taken almost fifty years but we seem to have finally grown out of the local into the global village. We have decided to share with the world, be it of our own accord on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace or by exhibition of public spaces on Google Streetview, our activities.

 

If I share my activities or perform them in public, do I really have an expectation of privacy?

 

I think not.

 

Maybe I need to colour my decisions with the thought that if I need to look over my shoulder before I do something, maybe I shouldn’t be doing it at all.

 

 

 

 

Bad comedians have hungry children.

 

Bad comedians have hungry children.

 

Forget public apologies, Greg Gutfeld and friends should keep in mind that many of the people that may influence their careers are Canadian.

 

We have been planning the Canadian takeover of Hollywood since we first sent the advance recon squad of Mary Pickford, Raymond Burr and Lorne Greene to assay the situation.

With the coup almost complete, the crew of Redeye should watch what they say on the air…they may have to interview with a Canadian for their next job.

To each their own just rewards.

 

Here are just some of the members of the Canadian Official Force for Entertainment Excellence (COFFEE), we expect the force's number may Double/Double soon.

 

Alex Trebek

 Brendan Fraser

 Caroline Rhea

Catherine O`Hara

 Dan Akroyd

 Dave Thomas

Donald Sutherland

Elisha Cuthbert

 Eugene Levy

 Evangeline Lilly

 Glenn Ford

 Howie Mandel

 Jim Carrey

 John Candy

 Keanu Reeves

 Kim Cattrall

 Leslie Nielsen

Lorne Michaels

 Martin Short

 Matthew Perry

 Michael J. Fox

 Mike Myers

 Neve Campbell

 Pamela Anderson

 Paul Shaffer

 Rachel McAdams

 Rick Moranis

 Ryan Reynolds 

Sarah Chalke 

Scott Speedman

 The Kids in the Hall

 William Shatner

 

A Canadian Haiku

Narrow Minded

Canuck View

Yankee Friends

Bad Comics Get

Just Rewards

Shuttin' Detroit Down

Good Job John...

Shuttin' Detroit Down
Songwriters: Anderson, J D; Rich, John;
From the Album; "Son of A Preacher Man"












My daddy taught me
In this county everyone's the same
You work hard for your dollar
And you never pass the blame
When it don't go your way

Now I see all these big shots
Whining on my evening news
About how their losing billions
And it's up to me and you
To come running to the rescue

Well pardon me if I don't she'd a tear
Cuz they're selling make believe
And we don't buy that here

Because in the real world they're
Shutting Detroit down
While the boss man takes his
Bonus pay and jets on outta town

DC's paying out the banker
As the farmers auction ground
And while their living up on Wall Street
In that New York City town
Here in the real world they're
Shutting Detroit down
Here in the real world they're
Shutting Detroit down

Well that old mans been working
Hard in that plant most all his life
And now his pension plans
Been cut in half and
He can't afford to dye
And it's a crying shame
Cuz he aint the one to blame
When I look down and see his
Callused hands Well let me tell you friend
It gets me fighting mad

Because in the real world they're
Shutting Detroit down
While the boss man takes his
Bonus pay and jets on outta town

DC's paying out the banker
As the farmers auction ground
And while their living up on Wall Street
In that New York City town
Here in the real world they're
Shutting Detroit down
Here in the real world they're
Shutting Detroit down

I'll take the cheque, mate

Where do the bailouts stop? What size does an organization have to be before our government deems it essential that it be “saved”?

I’ve been wondering for the past few weeks how the situation would be unfolding if our “bailout” and “stimulus” money had been divided up and distributed to the public so they could invest in the organizations and instruments that they would like to remain in our milieu.

Today I came across this piece in The Toronto Sun, it certainly reflects a feeling a lot of us share….enjoy.


I'll take the cheque, mate
Hear me now government, these are my demands, and -- like the car companies -- I want cash

By Lorrie Goldstein, Toronto Sun
Last Updated: 15th March 2009, 4:00am

Inspired by Chrysler LLC President Thomas LaSorda's remarks to a parliamentary committee last week, asking taxpayers for billions of dollars in loans to help save his near-bankrupt company, or it may cease Canadian operations, I have decided to follow his example:

Dear: Prime Minister

Stephen Harper,

Ontario Premier

Dalton McGuinty,

Toronto Mayor

David Miller

From: Lorrie Goldstein

Gentlemen:

It costs me too !@@$%%# much to live in this @$$^%% country, this @$$%^$ province and this $%^$^k city!!!!!

Lorrie Goldstein LEG cannot afford to write columns in a jurisdiction that is uncompetitive relative to other column-writing jurisdictions.

Indeed, if the financial needs of Lorrie Goldstein LEG are not met, I will be forced to pull up stakes and move to another country.

In order to survive, Lorrie Goldstein LEG (by the way, my middle name is "Edward," hence Lorrie Goldstein "LEG," like Chrysler LLC whatever the @#@@#%%$ the LLC stands for) needs three things.

First, a loan from the taxpayers of Canada and Ontario. A BIG one. Pronto.

Second, I paid too much in the past year to have my washing machine fixed, my roof reshingled and my toilet repaired.

I need all these workers to reduce their labour costs charged to Lorrie Goldstein LEG from $75 an hour to $55 an hour, pronto, and if they don't, I'm pulling up stakes and moving out of Canada.

So, why am I complaining to you that my labour costs are too high, you ask?

Isn't it my fault if my labour costs are too high -- after all I'm in charge of Lorrie Goldstein LEG and I agreed to pay them, right?

Indeed, how can it possibly be the fault of the taxpayers of Canada, from whom I am seeking a BIG, BIG, loan, that my labour costs are too high, I can just hear you saying?

Well, I haven't figured that out yet, either.

But I will and trust me when I do, you're going to regret it if you don't do exactly what I say.

Now, I know you may think this sounds like a threat, but it's not.

The bottom line is I needed to be very, very clear, because ambiguity doesn't help the process.

So, where was I?

Oh, yeah ... I almost forgot.

And the third thing I need is for Revenue Canada to stop bugging me about paying my taxes.

I'll decide what taxes Lorrie Goldstein LEG owes, thank you very much, and when I do, you'll get your #$^%* money ... Eventually.

What do you think I'm going to do if I don't get my way, shut down my operations in Canada and move them to another country?

Do you think I'm saying Lorrie Goldstein LEG is on the verge of bankruptcy if I don't get a BIG, BIG, BIG loan from the taxpayers of Canada?

Do you think I'm saying that ... that ... oh ... wait a minute.

That is what I'm saying, isn't it?

OK, never mind that.

In closing, I want to emphasize that it is vital that Lorrie Goldstein LEG gets a BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG loan from the taxpayers of Canada, so that Lorrie Goldstein LEG can survive and continue to pay taxes (well, OK, maybe not all the taxes) and contribute to the Canadian economy.

After all, doesn't that make a lot more sense than just leaving those taxes in the pockets of taxpayers in the first place, so they can survive and contribute to the Canadian economy?

Well, doesn't it?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go see my bank manager about taking out a second mortgage on my house.

And, trust me, I'm going to make three things very clear to him up front, first ... oh ... wait, you've already heard all this, haven't you?

OK, fine then. Just let me know when the cheque is in the mail.

Sincerely,

Lorrie Goldstein

President

Lorrie Goldstein LEG

Multiple births should not be confused with entertainment.

Following the birth of the McCaughey septuplets (1) in 1997, the three surviving Dionne Quintuplets (2) wrote a letter to Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey, cautioning them that "multiple births should not be confused with entertainment, nor should they be an opportunity to sell products".

Although it's probably too little, too late, it would be nice if Nadya Suleman, Radar Online and the unending throng of reporters and paparazzi would take their words to heart:
Dear Bobbi and Kenny,
If we emerge momentarily from the privacy we have sought all our adult lives, it is only to send a message to the McCaughey family. We three would like you to know we feel a natural affinity and tenderness for your children. We hope your children receive more respect than we did. Their fate should be no different from that of other children. Multiple births should not be confused with entertainment, nor should they be an opportunity to sell products.
Our lives have been ruined by the exploitation we suffered at the hands of the government of Ontario, our place of birth. We were displayed as a curiosity three times a day for millions of tourists. To this day we receive letters from all over the world. To all those who have expressed their support in light of the abuse we have endured, we say thank you. And to those who would seek to exploit the growing fame of these children, we say beware.
We sincerely hope a lesson will be learned from examining how our lives were forever altered by our childhood experience. If this letter changes the course of events for these newborns, then perhaps our lives will have served a higher purpose.
Sincerely, Annette, Cecile and Yvonne Dionne
As published in Time Magazine, 12/01/1997

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCaughey_septuplets
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionne_quintuplets

Maybe you can save the world with a bicycle.

Bless me "dirty oil", for I have sinned. It has been thirteen hundred and thirty kilometers since my last fill up. Even worse, considering that ninety percent of my car trips last winter were less than five kilometers and I usually warm my car up for ten to fifteen minutes before driving, I would have bought at least twice as much gas as I needed to drive that same distance. Sorry I haven't been around much lately.

It’s three hours into first day of spring and today I am giving myself one gold star. I made it through one complete Saskatchewan winter without a car. When I started, that wasn’t my goal but that’s what happened and now that it’s under my belt I’m proud to say, I’m proud of my accomplishment. My original goal last spring was to use my bicycle for any solo trip under five kilometers. It took just two weeks to get into the routine of cycling to work every day, so I grabbed some pannier bags from my local cycle shop to increase the bike’s utility (66 Liters of groceries is quite a shopping trip!). By the latter part of summer, commuting and recreation combined, I was regularly riding twenty five to forty km a day and even managed to do a self supported camping trip to Rowan’s Ravine. When summer turned to fall I just kept riding, enjoying with gusto the change of season with its cornucopia of sensory delights. Then came the first snowfall, the temperature was still mild, just like the day before the crisp white blanket laid itself down. By that time I was a cyclist, through and through, and literally could not wait to be the first one that morning to lay tracks in the freshly fallen snow.
Then using common sense riding habits, tips and tricks gleaned from other cyclists regarding dress and riding technique the winter has passed without discomfort or hazard to my (or, for that matter, anyone else’s) safety.

Right off the bat these are, not the top, but the first ten things I didn’t miss this winter due to cycling. There are too many more to list here, but here’s the first ten;

• Warming up my car
• Scraping my windshield
• Waiting in rush hour traffic
• Tow trucks
• Going to the gym
• Parking
• Insurance
• Buying fuel
• Sitting on my arse
• Dead batteries

Then there is the math. This winter in addition to cycling I rode the bus ($30) and took a few cab rides ($100). This is in contrast to fuel ($239), insurance ($500) and vehicle maintenance ($70)….a net savings to me of $679.00 in my jeans. Ahh...do it yourself tax relief!

Then I went to the Canadian Government’s website (http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/prog/2/UTEC-CETU/Calculator.aspx) to do the environmental math and this is what I found:

In five months of winter cycling I saved, over last year:
340,400 liters of carbon dioxide
23,280 liters of carbon monoxide
1,111 liters of nitrous oxide
totaling 364,791 liters of greenhouse gasses
That’s approximately enough greenhouse gasses to completely fill a 1600 sq ft home.


Annual Greenhouse Gas Emission (kg CO2e)
Vehicle Upstream Vehicle Operation Total
-163.58 -508.7 -674
Annual Criteria Air Contaminant Emissions (kg)

CO NOx
-29.12099167 -1.364176667

Vehicle Class Travel Units
Light-duty passenger vehicle -1330 veh-km
Light-duty commercial vehicle 40 veh-km
Medium-duty commercial vehicle 0 veh-km
Heavy-duty commercial vehicle 0 veh-km
Bus 100 veh-km
Trolley 0 veh-km
Light rail 0 pass-km
Subway/Metro 0 pass-km
Heavy rail 0 pass-km
http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/prog/2/UTEC-CETU/Calculator.aspx

If only one percent of the City of Regina were impact only the small amount I did this winter, our city alone could reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by enough to fill a 3.2 million square foot strip mall.

I don't expect anyone who reads this to take up cycling through an entire Saskatchewan winter, but I hope it's an example of how a small action by each of us can make a large impact when combined. It’s springtime now and it wouldn't hurt to think back to days when your bike let you fly past stopped traffic and brought true independence to your life and wonder, "What's stopping me now?"

Maybe you can save the world with a bicycle.

FREIKER PROGRAM COUNTS 100,000th TRIP

I came across this press release today...what a great idea! www.freiker.org


Kids Walking and Biking to School Have Prevented 150,000 Tons of CO2 Emissions

For Immediate Release

March 9, 2009 - Boulder, Colorado

Children participating in the Freiker program just passed a major milestone – 100,000 kid-powered round trips to school since the beginning of the Freiker program. Freiker, a non-profit organization based in Boulder, Colorado, uses of advanced technology and thoughtful incentives to teach kids that walking and biking to school is fun, healthy and good for the environment.

Ten schools in four states are currently running the program, and the 100,000 trips made by the children at those schools have covered more than 150,000 miles (which is six times around the world). By choosing active transportation, these children have burned more than 3.5 million calories, have saved the nation nearly 8,000 gallons of gas have and prevented more than 150,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

The Freiker employees were gathered to watch the real-time counter on the website tick past this milestone. “We are so proud of the ongoing commitment these children have made to adopt healthy habits and to reduce their environmental impact,” said Tim Carlin, Freiker’s Executive Director. “Who would have thought that, in five short years, one parent’s quest to encourage his own kids to ride their bikes to school would have developed into a national movement?”

Freiker has received accolades from kids, parents and school administrators for the way it makes walking and biking to school both safe and rewarding. “Freiker gives me exercise to keep me strong and healthy, and it has helped me become better at soccer, running, basketball, monkey bars and P.E.,” says Brynn Beaton, a Freiker participant and 2nd grader. The principal of Eagle Crest Elementary in Longmont Colorado, added, “I would definitely say that Freiker has motivated our students to walk, ride, or skate to school no matter the weather. It has also made it a habit of mind that will last well beyond Freiker.”

About Freiker:

Freiker, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, encourages the use of active transportation (walking and bike riding) for kids traveling between home and school. Freiker uses innovative technology to register students’ walking and biking trips to school and records these results in real-time on its website, where kids and parents can easily monitor their personal contribution to reducing pollution, energy consumption, and traffic congestion. For additional information, visit Freiker at www.freiker.org.

Change is Usually Uncomfortable

Wal Mart employs over 1.5 million associates, would we entertain a bailout if they were to ask someday? (1)



Let’s stop for a moment and think what would happen if we did not bail out AIG, The Big Three, Wal-Mart, or the porn industry.

Certainly, a radical and uncomfortable change would occur, something different than yesterday and something different than what is happening now.



The fact remains that the sun will rise and commerce will continue every day, that is the way of capitalism and human history. Things have tended to improve in the long term with each change.



Are we bailing out these companies because we are afraid of change?

Uniforms

When the drinking and driving laws were tightened up in Saskatchewan in 1996 a couple of the highlights were that the blood alcohol content (BAC) for 24-hour roadside suspensions was reduced to .04 from the previous level of .06 and education and addictions screening requirements were introduced for drivers who exceed .04.

The Criminal Code (federal law) BAC for all drivers remained at .08.
This is the level at which drivers can be fined, convicted and/or charged under the Criminal Code.

On two occasions following that change, I huffed and puffed and blew just over .04. Because the two occasions fell within a three year window, my license was suspended until I attended an addictions screening and education weekend.

I was angry. I wasn’t a drunk driver or a danger to others. I was just a 30 some year old guy who got stopped and blew .04 after having one drink over ninety minutes previous to the stop.

Looking back now, I see the wisdom of the program. I didn't lose my license but I saw things, heard things and spoke to people that blew my mind opening my eyes to the true dangers of drinking and driving and have not driven after having a drink since. I don’t compliment the Government very often, but sincere thanks from me to Mr. Serby and friends on that one.

That’s not my point today though. My point today is equitable and uniform enforcement. I have a friend, a very pretty-25 year old lady. In the last four years, she has been pulled over at least three times, not in stop checks, but for erratic driving behavior. In all three instances she has been over .04, in fact once, the only recollection of the entire evening was the encounter with the police. The other common thread between the stops was she was (proudly)able to talk her way out of all of them with nothing but a stern warning by the officer.

Last night it happened again. Don’t get me wrong…I’m glad that she did not lose her license, I’m glad she didn’t lose her car, I’m glad she was able to drop her son off at the sitter on time this morning and above all I’m glad that she and everyone she crossed paths with is alive today.

What I would like to know is how she is able to do it. Police officers wear a uniform, indicating that their behavior might be the same…uniform. Most parents are familiar with the concept of “uniform” or “hot stove” discipline. If you touch a hot stove you will be burned every time, regardless of who you are…why does the same not apply to drinking and driving? Police should have no “wiggle room” in this situation; it is the exclusive domain of the court to sort out the legal details and decide if a conviction is warranted.

Where would the responsibility lay if she would have been involved in an accident after her encounter with John Law? Would the officer be liable for allowing her to drive while impaired?

I know a lot of cops. Good cops. Cops doing their job…all of their job. Every day of the week. It only takes a few stories like this to sully the reputation of the professionals. Recent news events relating to taser use, police testimony and handling of evidence certainly underscore my point.

I’m not angry that I got stopped and charged, it was my decision to let it happen. I am disappointed that the ability to get a “free pass” even exists, I am disappointed that the officer deprived her of the opportunity to learn what I did during my addictions screening and education weekend and I can’t help entertaining the thought that due to police behavior that is clearly not “uniform” that my pretty, blonde, 25 year old girlfriend may have a better shot at talking her way out of a ticket than I do.

What's the Difference?

Life in prison is the maximum penalty for impaired driving causing death (1). (Prior to June 2000, it was 14 years.)

Can someone please explain the difference between killing someone while driving after drinking and getting drunk and leaving your daughters to freeze to death in their diapers? (2)




(1) http://www.safety-council.org/info/traffic/impaired/reality.htm

(2) http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Christopher+Pauchay+sentenced+three+years+penitentiary/1361893/story.html

Bikes Belong

Bikes Belong

"I not allowed to drink and drive, You won’t let me use my cell while I’m driving. Can’t smoke in my car when my seventeen year old is with me,  I have to move over when passing a stopped police car and slow down while passing a construction zone or a tow truck, I can't race, the roads are getting crowded, what the frak is that cyclist doing out here?"

A cyclist? In Winter??? On this road? Is he crazy?

If you bicycle in the winter, you hear that a lot. Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid of being killed? Aren't you cold?

I ride a bicycle often in the winter. I've heard those questions, and it’s easier to answer "Yes" to all three. But lately, I've noticed a small revolt against winter cycling, and I’m thinking that winter cyclists need to speak out.

The first hint of this was in a University of Waterloo Daily Bulletin of Dec. 7. A presenter was quoted as telling some international students, "Don't bike in the snow and ice -- it's stupid and not safe."

Then I heard Murray Wood’s comment on NewsTalk 980 today encouraging the outlawing of winter cycling while he was ranting about gas prices.

After learning that winter cycling is prohibited, at various Canadian Forces Bases, I began to ponder this. Ironic really, knowing that Ottawa is pushing "active transportation" as a part of its health and climate agendas. One base website even promotes a bicycle spinning class. But don't bring your bike.

It’s time for this cyclist to speak out.

Winter cycling is legal. Bicycles, cars, motorcycles and buggies are all entitled to use the road year-round, except where local bylaws prohibit.

If studded tires were legal for motorcyclists, you might see them tackle icy roads, but few want to face winter temperatures at highway speed wind chills. Winter bicyclists, active like cross country skiers, dress in layers. You might start out cool, but after some vigorous pedaling, you warm up and find you aren’t concerned about the cold…plus bicycle studs are legal.

Winter cycling can be safe. Follow traffic laws and put lights on your bike, Wear a high visibility vest or jacket. Use side streets to avoid major traffic, on the occasional day when the streets are not packed or cleared and are deeply rutted, try the sidewalk. Switch to knobby tires or studs. Keep your bike lubricated and use your head, courteously signal your intentions to other drivers, ride a straight line and behave predictably. The Prime Directive for all drivers, both two and four wheeled, is “don’t be a dufus”.

Share the road, bikes and cars both belong. It’s no more trouble to pass a bicycle in the winter than it is to pass a snowplow or other slow moving vehicle.

Next time you pass a cyclist, look for a bag of groceries, a school knapsack or a work lunch box. Some people ride to reduce their ecological footprint. Others do it for health reasons. Some do just for the fun of it. And some ride because a blizzard has forced all cars off the roads, frozen them so solid they won’t start, they don’t like to scrape windows or they want to ride because they like the sound of their studs tearing at ice or hard-pack snow, or they want to ride because the March thaw has made it barely warm enough to wear their shorts.

Yeah, those ones are crazy

 

 

 

 

 

Designer Babies

I have to admit, I like my game console. Last year, our home entertainment desires led to game sales even outstripping movie sales (2).

For my part, one of the primary reasons is the writing and the depth of the content of many of the games on offer today. A current favorite of mine is Grand Theft Auto 4, largely for that reason alone. Sure, stealing cars, blowing things up and layin’ a beatdown can be a lot of fun…but my hat goes off to the writers of the radio and television commercials that punctuate the game’s atmosphere. Satirical to the max but especially funny because they are nearly true.

 

This morning’s television news feedbag presented me the sound bite “…6 months away from offering designer babies to parents…”.

 

Whoa…is this Eugenics Incorporated they are talking about? Time for due diligence (1), and I see it’s true…we’re on the verge. Life imitates art once again.

 

Eugenics Inc is a fictional company featured in a series of ads in the, lest we need to remind ourselves, fictional world of Grand Theft Auto. Founded by a disgruntled reproductive doctor, Eugenics Inc and its subsidiary, BabiesOvernight.com, offer relief to parents who are troubled by pesky natural selection.

 

My first instinct today was to rant about my beliefs about reproductive technologies…but I’m curious about what the common wisdom would settle upon if the marketplace were to decide the boundaries of the uses of this burgeoning new technological ability.

 

Would you order a designer baby?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) http://www.watoday.com.au/world/la-delivers-first-designerbaby-clinic-20090303-8mp3.html

(2) http://www.gamespot.com/news/6203677.html

 

 

Doug Schmidt

Cabtec Manufacturing

306-721-5545

doug.schmidt@cabtecmfg.com