A beautiful view from the top of the mountain
Just arrived in Banff for a conference and wanted to share the beautiful view from my hotel room. Sickening, isn't it? Love the feeling of anticipation driving in from Calgary, watching the Rockies grow on the horizon. Suddenly part of winding roads with giant snow covered peaks on all sides.
The view from here. Banff, AB.
Israel, redux
Back from another trip to Israel! While exhausting, this trip provided great fodder for the next issue of ReNew Canada -- forming a story on electric vehicles and peak lithium in my head as I type. Not much for WC, though, since the delegation tour was mainly focused on renewable energy innovation.
Arava Power Company's 4.9 MW solar field is under construction. Israel has committed to make 10 per cent of its energy mix renewable by 2020.
Seemed a shame to waste those carbon emissions to get all the way to Eilat, which sits at the tip of the Red Sea, and not visit any of three countries that border it: Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. But our friendly hosts -- Gil, Zavi and Yuriy from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not forgetting Herman the driver -- put together a fabulous itinerary. On day one, I ran into fellow Canadians (our country sent a huge delegation) at the opening reception. Despite travel-related delirium, we managed to have a few cold drinks and share airport security stories. On day two, the press delegation joined Arava Power Company as it celebrated the launch of its solar field (see above).
Day three brought us to the golden Aora solar tower, which looks like an item straight from space. Later, we saw (and ate) strawberries and beautiful heirloom tomatoes grown in desert greenhouses, learning about Israel's collaboration with students from other countries to teach them about sustainable agriculture (a tad contradictory considering the water-needy strawberries). The next day, we took turns driving lithium-powered electric vehicles around a concourse at Better Place in Tel Aviv.
Somewhere in there, we found time to take a dip in the Dead Sea. Watch me float!
Reading a Russian newspaper while bobbing in the Dead Sea. Worldly, intellectual, buoyant. (Thanks to Rodrigo for the photo.)
Montreal scrum + EC front page
Photo: Environment Canada © 2010.
Yours truly tries desperately to ask louder questions than seasoned journos last week in Montreal. Check out that hunk of a cassette recorder! When compared with the mainstream press, it becomes painfully clear that trade pub editors lack scrum experience -- I'll try to hone my battering environment ministers skills, I promise. Eventually managed to ask Minister Prentice about future plans for the Action Plan on Clean Water, and luckily received my (crummy, rehearsed) answer just before a mini anti-tar sands protest rally broke out and he hopped away up the stairs. Quick, like a bunny.
Photo: NYPA
Lessons from LOE
Photo: NYPA
1. How come I didn't know about eel ladders until this evening? The second in the TRCA's Lake Ontario Evenings series included a discussion on invasive species, and the MNR speaker touched briefly on this system, which allows endangered American eels to migrate from the Sargasso Sea into the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. The passageway, including this shallow metal trough, facilitates the eels' passage over structures such as power dams.
2. Asian carp are scary beasts. They will totally cut you, and if they get into Lake Ontario, we're screwed. Or at least that's what Professor John Casselman told me (though not in so few words). Watch this horror show.