A Place Between the Tides

This evening I intended Harry Thurston's talk on salt water marshes. Although I expected a "management approach" to maintaining salt water marshes, I learned of Harry's passion towards the natural beauty of this physical feature. I learned that marshes have great productivity. Salt water marshes act as buffers to the sea, absorb runoff, and filter pollution. Small marshes, like "Old Marsh" are a small fragment of habitat, but have a large influence on the ecosystem. Although salt marshes are cyclical in nature, many marshes are being destroyed due to human infrastructure, such as subdivisions, roads, and dams, as well as accelerated loss resulting from sea level rise.

"Nature is the mind precipitated."

Hybrid Cars

Although this article is not directly about the oceans, I was happy to see it on the Sympatico/MSN website when I opened my internet browser. Much change is occurring in the vehicle manufacturing industry out of not only necessity for our environment, but also a general trend moving towards this new development. Not only does this article make the general public around the world aware of hybrid vehicles, it also sets the record straight to those people who choose to ignore the facts. Now there is no excuse not to buy a hybrid!!!


Exploding the myths about hybrid cars
Insuring your hybrid

Insuring a hybrid vehicle is no different than insuring a conventional car. There are no special steps or considerations and it doesn't cost extra. The premiums you pay will reflect the class of car, your driving record, how much you use your car, where you live, and how much coverage you want.
Today’s hybrid cars combine an electric motor with an internal gasoline combustion engine to produce a vehicle that gets awesome mileage.
But the misconceptions about hybrids are preventing some buyers from even considering a test drive. Here are five of the most common myths about these vehicles:

Myth #1: There isn’t much to choose from
“There are five different models of hybrids available today”, says Brad Berman, editor of www.hybridcars.com and a hybrid driver himself. They are:
Ford Escape Hybrid, the first SUV hybrid;
Honda Accord Hybrid, a family sedan;
Honda Civic Hybrid, a compact;
Honda Insight, a two-door coupe;
Toyota Prius, a mid-size sedan.
And soon there may be more. “There is a growing trend with car manufacturers”, notes Berman, “to add hybrid versions of their existing cars. For example, DaimlerChrysler and GM have announced plans to join the hybrid-car market”. Even luxury car manufacturers are jumping on the hybrid-wagon: the Lexus RX400h, billed as the world's first luxury hybrid SUV, is slated to be available this year.
Smart tip: “You may have to wait for the model of your choice”, cautions Berman, “since today supply simply doesn't meet demand”. He does stress, though, that a hybrid is well worth the wait.

Myth #2: You’ll save a bundle
“Hybrids are the most fuel-efficient cars in the world”, explains Berman. Depending on what, where and how much you drive, you may save anywhere from $200 to $1,000 a year on gas.
Smart tip: To compare the gas mileage of your conventional car with a hybrid model, use the gas mileage impact calculator at www.hybridcars.com/calculator.
The flip side, unfortunately, is that they cost more up-front. Whether the long-term fuel savings outweigh the higher sticker price will depend on a number of factors, including where you live, what you buy, and how much you drive.
But Berman advises to see beyond the cost savings at the pumps. “Since hybrids use less gas, dependency on foreign oil is reduced”, he explains. “This means that drivers will be less vulnerable to price shocks at the pumps”. The other reason, of course, is for the environmental benefits. “Simply put, less gas equals less pollution”, he says.

Myth #3: They’re expensive to maintain
“There’s no reason for maintenance to cost more for a hybrid than a regular car”, Berman declares. “One of the most popular misconceptions is that a hybrid’s rechargeable battery could wear out and be expensive to replace. But hybrid battery packs are designed to last for the lifetime of the car, and are covered by warranty for eight to 10 years”.
And you don't need to plug in your car every night to recharge the battery. “Energy is recovered during braking”, he explains.
Smart tip: For regular maintenance, take your hybrid to your dealer to get the best service. As hybrids become more and more popular, more independent mechanics will be able to provide expert care.

Myth #4: Hybrids are good for fair-weather driving only
Not so, says Berman. “Based on my own experiences, everything I’ve read and the experts I’ve consulted, there is no difference between driving a hybrid and a conventional car in bad winter weather or during scorching summer heat”.

Take a look at a manufacturer’s specifications if extreme cold or heat is a concern to you. Berman uses Honda as an example of what you can expect: “Honda specs indicate that their hybrids run just fine at temperatures as low as -30°C [-22°F] and as high as 60°C [140°F]”.
Smart tip: To provide maximum fuel efficiency, most hybrids come with low-resistance tires. As with any car, you may want to invest in snow tires.

Myth #5: Hybrids aren’t as safe as conventional cars
The misconception that hybrids aren’t as safe as conventional cars is because of their size. “People feel safer in larger cars”, says Berman. “But statistics don’t back up that claim”.
Today’s hybrids rank high in safety ratings for their weight class.
Smart tip: To check on the safety rating of most makes and models, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Website.

Prehistoric Shark Found!

Tonight on the 11:00 PM CTV news, the anchor briefly touched on a news story about the discovery of a prehistoric shark off of the coast of Japan, near Tokyo. The shark was discovered near the surface, which is unusual for this species, as it a deep ocean creature which is usually found at 600 m deep. The shark was captured, but died shortly after as it was unable to survive outside of its deep ocean habitat. It is extremely unusual for the creature to be seen alive, especially in the shallows where it was spotted by a Japanese fisherman. They shark measured 1.6 m long, weighing 7.5 kg, with six gills and 300 bizarre forked teeth. Fossil records can be found of the animal dating as far back as 80 million years ago

MUST SEE FOOTAGE!!!

Here is a link to rare footage of the rare prehistoric shark!!!
http://mfile2.akamai.com/22743/wmv/carlton1.download.akamai.com/12621/news/302537a63b9327534489d012fc0dc861.asx

Bottom Trawling

Canada’s ocean territory covers a vast six million square kilometer area – that’s 40 per cent of our country’s surface area. Right now, deep-sea bottom trawling is threatening our Oceans and Canada is in a position to do something about it. On David Suzuki's website there is a link to a petition against bottom trawling in an attempt to change
There are currently 5396 signatures. Click on this link http://www.petitiononline.com/dragging/petition.html to do your part and speak out against bottom trawling.
This is a great link which gives alot of information on bottom trawling; http://www.savethehighseas.org/display.cfm?ID=150

Westport Innovations

This summer I worked for a company located in Vancouver, British Columbia which develops natural gas and hydrogen fuelled engines. Westport is a joint venture with Cummins, (Cummins is known for their diesel engines). Westport states on their website: The world faces major challenges in the 21st century that are significantly impacted by transportation growth: "oil supply security and the peak in global oil production, rising air pollution levels in the world's rapidly growing cities, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change and global warming. Vehicle growth and oil demand in China alone are expected to increase by more than 300% over the next 25 years" ( http://www.westport.com/the_big_picture/index.php). High transportation growth markets like China, India, and Brazil are driving the future energy picture for transportation. All three have been moving towards increased natural gas utilisation. Ultimately, Westport Innovations believes that the global deployment of natural gas vehicles with Westport technologies can be significant factors in:

• reducing dependence on oil, allowing many countries to use abundant, indigenous natural gas,
  
• mitigating the effects of air pollution in cities, and
  
• providing the bridge towards hydrogen-based transportation.

Westport engine technologies combine the power, fuel-efficiency, and performance of diesel engines with the low emissions and operating cost benefits achieved by replacing diesel fuel with natural gas.

Natural gas is a fuel that is extracted from our earth which does present dangers. However, as an alternative to petroleum it is definitely something that should be considered.

Over Christmas break while I was home, I noticed that Translink had purchased a new fleet of buses for the lower mainland district. I was disappointed to note that these buses were not lower emissions buses and were in fact run on diesel. A ground breaking company such as Westport Innovations not to mention Ballard (battery operated) are located in Vancouver. It is stunning that these would be overlooked. China who is leading in reducing emissions is currently implementing these buses throughout their major cities.

EAC-David Suzuki Talk

I recieved an e-mail from the Ecology Action Centre informing me of a talk at Dalhousie on February 2, 2007. I thought I would post the details in case anyone is interested!!!

The Ecology Action Centre and the Dalhousie Integrated Sustainability Initiative are proud to host David Suzuki

for the "If you were Prime Minister Tour" February 2, 2007, 9:00am to 11:00am MacInnes Room,

Student Union Building, 6136 University Avenue Halifax, Nova Scotia

Tickets are $15.00 (students / unwaged) / $20.00 regular Tickets may be purchased at the following locations as of 12 noon on January 18th,:

Attic Owl Bookshop, 200 Portland Street,

Dartmouth Ecology Action Centre, 2705 Fern Lane,

Halifax JustUs! Café, 1678 Barrington Street.,

Halifax Mountain Equipment Coop, 1550 Granville Street,

Halifax Outside the Lines, 6297 Quinpool Road,

Halifax P'lovers Environmental Store, Park Lane Mall,5657 Spring Garden Rd,

Halifax The Trident Cafe and Booksellers, 1256 Hollis Street,

Halifax St. Mary's University Student Union Building, Information Desk

For more information, please contact the Ecology Action Centre

p. 902-429-2202, e. info@ecologyaction.ca w. http://www.ecologyaction.ca/

The Giant Squid

I was interested in learning more about the giant squid. In an online article on the BBC News Website, it was stated that there is a squid that has been discovered which are considered "Colossal squids." The name colossal was chosen as it colossal conveys both the size and the aggressiveness of the animal. They have been caught in Antarctic waters, the first example of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni was retrieved virtually intact from the surface of the ocean in a bottom trawler. The fact that this specie was caught in a bottom trawler reitterates the fact that bottom trawlers are destroying ocean ecosystems by scooping up species which are not intended or needed to be caught.
The Colosssal squid has one of the largest beaks known of any squid and also has unique swivelling hooks on the clubs at the ends of its tentacles. This combination allows it to attack fish as large as the Patagonian toothfish and probably to also attempt to maul sperm whales.

Harbour cleanup delayed 3 months

Harbour cleanup delayed 3 months

Penalties could save city $3m

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter

Halifax Harbour’s sewage cleanup project is backed up by three months but the delay could save city hall $3 million, says the project director.
"From HRM’s point of view, this is a positive financial story," Brad Anguish told councillors Tuesday night at the regular weekly meeting.
"Albeit, nobody is happy that we’re not receiving the environmental benefits when we thought we would."
The $333-million Harbour Solutions project includes a $133-million contract to D&D Water Solutions Ltd. for the design, construction and commissioning of three sewage treatment plants in Halifax, Dartmouth and Herring Cove.
Mr. Anguish told council Tuesday night that the contractor, jointly owned by Dexter Construction Co. Ltd. and Degremont Ltee., has pushed the system startup to September 2008.
"But our water quality objectives are still on track for 2008," he said.
The delay is attributed to difficulties procuring equipment, design co-ordination and code interpretation with subcontractors and the availability of short-notice labour to make up the schedule, Mr. Anguish said.
"You can throw all kinds of money at this problem but the reality is, the labour isn’t always there when you want it anymore."
The confined space within the Halifax treatment plant also limits the work, he said.
Taxpayers won’t get dinged for the delay, he said.
In fact, everything is on budget and it could get cheaper.
"While it’s a penalty to the contractor, it’s a potential savings to HRM," Mr. Anguish said.
That’s because of a clause in the original contract that guarantees a maximum price and deletes the inflation adjustment for the developer if it goes over the project completion date.
"Given the very high inflation that’s happened in the construction index over the past three years, this is quite a substantial penalty," he said.
Rough calculations mean that D&D Water Solutions could lose as much as $2.5 million to $3 million, he said.
"So there is a significant financial incentive to continue to perform and meet schedule whenever possible."
As a result, he said, D&D could still finish on time.
"While it can get later, it can also get sooner," he said.
Mayor Peter Kelly, who named the cleanup of Halifax Harbour among his key issues in the last mayoral campaign in 2004, said the delay is not unusual.
"In a project of this scope with a time frame of almost five years, a delay of three months is not at all uncommon," he said Tuesday night.
"In this case, it demonstrates our contractor’s diligence in ensuring that every element of this massive project is completed to HRM’s very stringent specifications, as well as those of the federal and provincial governments."
The Harbour Solutions project is designed to stop the flow of more than 180 million litres of untreated waste water into Halifax Harbour every day.
( apugsley@herald.ca)

I had not realized that Mayor Peter Kelly had made it one of his key issues to resolve in his last mayoral campaign in 2004. I was happy to read that because the cleanup is much needed. It is important that environmental issues are being looked at as valuable and imperative to fix and maintain a better quality of our water.

Monday, January 8, 2007

Being from Vancouver, British Columbia, I grew up with a passion for water sports and the Pacific Ocean. The name Pacific is derived from the latin name Mare Pacificum, meaning "peaceful sea." I had never quite understood this until I came to the east coast, where I quickly learned of the drastic difference in the waves and current. The Atlantic Ocean is much rougher than the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Ocean has a history of important migration routes, such as those of the Austronesians (specifically the Polynesians) from the Asian edge of the ocean to Tahiti, then to Hawaii, New Zealand, and much later to Easter Island. Spanish explorer, Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1513) discovered the Pacific ocean in the early 16th century when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama, followed by many other explorers who sailed to places such as the Philippines, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Important trade routes were later established.

The history of Vancouver is based around explorers who traveled by ships. For example, The coastline of Point Grey was first explored in 1791 by José María Narváez of Span, followed by George Vancouver, who also explored the harbour of Burrard Inlet in 1792. George Vancouver named various places British titles, despite the presence of Aboriginal peoples.

Due to Vancouver's location on the Pacific Rim and the western terminus of Canada's transcontinental highway and rail routes, Vancouver is one of Canada's largest industrial centres. The Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest and most diversified, participating in more than $43 billion in trade with more than 90 countries annually. These activities generate $4 billion in gross domestic product and $8.9 billion in economic output. Vancouver is becoming increasingly more populated and is surrounded by coastline and its scenic location.

Greater population and higher density brings the concern of pollution to our community, including our very important oceans, which feed the economy through the Port of Vancouver and the vast diminishing fisheries. On a global scale, the effects of global warming is causing dramatic weather events, which have become very apparent this year. For example, extremely intense windstorms, occurring at hurricane strength, heavy snowfall and extreme high temperatures in the summer and much colder than usual temperatures in the winter. Oceans regulate temperature and weather, especially in maritime regions.