Since wildfires razed the Canadian town of Fort McMurray last week, the link between climate change and such fires has been much discussed. Verbal fisticuffs erupted across social media and in the comment sections of most online articles on either side of this debate.
"The best thing for being sad, replied Merlyn, "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may see the world around devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then--to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.
Resistance is Futile, A very interesting analysis by Don Pittis, about the argument “if climate optimism won’t save us, goes the argument, we might as well keep profiting from carbon".
Norway is leading the way with new climate innovations, by investing a billion dollars to get people moving. Bicycle highways are a major component of the country’s plan to connect suburban areas to city centers, by providing a viable alternative to a car-centric commute.
A large part of the transition away from fossil fuel dependency is the development of viable alternatives, not only for energy production, but also for everyday materials that have widespread uses. One may not expect an automobile manufacturer to be one of the major players in this move forward, but Ford motor company, in a combined effort with food giant Heinz, are doing just that.
The idea that suburban sprawl is a major contributing factor to the size of our carbon footprints (and climate change overall) is new: these images are a fascinating look into just how much municipal planning visions and implementations differ between North American and European cities.
This haunting melody is the result of Bartholomaus Traubeck’s technology which reads the rings of a tree as a record, and interprets them as music. These tracks represent different varieties of trees, and the results are pretty incredible. The complexity of nature, and its patterns to which we are largely unconscious, are revealed by this unique integration of nature, technology and the arts. A reflexive moment before starting my work day.
This is the first time I have 'heard' a minister publicly commit to a carbon neutral economy. The Ministers of Energy for Ontario and Quebec just announced bold new steps for energy. The Quebec Minister during the announcement stated, "“There is genuinely, on our part, the intention to really make a transition to a carbon free economy and it is a good thing to see that we are being supported by the federal government,” Arcand said.