Close race in Ontarios Conservative Carleton-Mississippi Mills

Locally, there is some fooferaw around the provincial Conservative nomination run in Carleton-Mississippi Mills riding. This is nearby-by, my Federal and Provincial riding is  Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington.

UPDATE: Jack MacLaren won the nomination. 
Candidate who toppled Norm Sterling is a ‘bully,’ PC riding president says.

Sterling won the 2007 election with an 8,350-vote margin over his Liberal opponent. MacLaren’s Landowners endorsed the Green candidate in that race.
The race itself was interesting...


Sterling candidacy given boost by Harris

Jack MacLaren & Norm Sterling

Veteran Ontario Conservative MPP Norm Sterling has gained a celebrity endorsement in...written to party faithful supporting Sterling, who served as a cabinet minister and...Norm's experience and dedication." Sterling, a 34-year legislator, is facing...

Dear old former Conservative leader Mike Harris has written to party faithful, recommending Norm Sterling to the nomination. 

Not to be outdone, MacLaren's homies did the same!

 MacLaren's web page says they are in a dead heat (1200 - 1200!)

He tweets:

jackmaclaren1 Jack MacLaren 

Two Days Away From a Day of Change: There are only a couple of days left before the big day, and our meeting at ... http://bit.ly/eVG0tr

Sterling, is facing a nomination challenge from a former leader of a libertarian rural rights group, Jack MacLaren.

MacLaren is being supported by our Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington very right wing MPP Randy Hillier (AKA "Nanny Randy" "The Nanny State and You" - Randy Hillier speaks at Queen's!), as well as his buddy MP Scott Reid. Reid wrote a letter to a national newspaper following accusations that Hillier and Reid have a 'very narrow and right wing agenda.' (How'd they vote?) Ya think?

Maclaren, "Small government, lower taxes, fewer regulations."

Both want to embed property rights in the Charter:

Constitutional First for Ontario: Scott Reid and Randy Hillier Seek to Amend Charter of Rights and Freedoms

concrete, bricks dumped

 THis is the place where landowners decry MNR laws, complain about the government that they want to back off. The signage is almost frightening. I have written previously about how Muskoka's Georgian Bay was decimated by loggers who clear cut, destroyed fishing and spawning habitat. Canada has a long history of exploiting the land. Rather than fewer oversights, land protection laws, we need more to watch what is going on now. 

You only have to read the terrible stories of hunters violating the migratory birds act in this part of Ontario. 

Ghosts from the Day - Part 2

Jan 10, 2010

A royal commission in 1898 found that Georgian Bay fishermen were using undersized nets, and exceeding the number of permitted nets. They estimated that more than 2000 nest were strung in the Bay. This combined with effluent pollution by lumber barons created ghost towns...

I firmly believe we need laws to protect the land. Financial penalties, some complain, are ravaging some landowners, and they may or may not be justified, but clear cutting, pollution, and other environmental issues must take precedence over the right of a landowner to do anything s/he want to the land.

Hillier writes:

The Rural Economy, Caught in the Line of Fire

The hypocrisy is clear; unnecessary legislation intended to protect society and the environment remove good stewards from the land, and shatters the cornerstones of democracy. Freedom and democracy, once cultivated in the countryside, are being culled from society in the nets of red tape; and independence, prosperity, and self-reliance suffocate as the rural economy and lifestyle becomes extinct for the “public good.”

Hillier also proposes that the government supports for-profit long-term care centres:

Long term care facilities need government support to meet new requirements

It is fearful for me, since this group of men oppose controls of land, land use, how and where producers sell goods, yet these policies protect us. Not only this, but it is in our taxes that we find the resources to ensure that food has high standards, that services are available to us, our garbage collected, water use controlled, land use is protected.

As well as Reid and Hillier oppose same-sex marriage. Hillier's post says, 

Dangerous Precedent Set with Same-Sex Marriage RulingThe separation of church and state is crucial, to my mind. I fear what Harper's rise to power has done to this country. Harper, a former Alliance mover and shaker from out west, has brought his policies to Ontario. They are gaining momentum, as they would wish to return to an old-style Canada of a previous era. In the past people in same sex marriages must move to the cities for the respect, and anonymity, a big city accords them. Issues such as homelessness, poverty, are growing as society changes. Small town Ontario is becoming an increasingly difficult place to live as modern life bears down on us. With transportation becoming easier, many citiots can make visits here, as well. Hunting violations are scary. The speed of traffic, wild animals dying and bleeding on the road, as monuments to humanity's intrusion into nature break one's heart. Sterling's spat with Hillier reignites A fight within Ontario Conservative party ranks flared up again this week after an e-mail revealed links between a renegade candidate and a sitting MPP. Environment Canada Reports Violations Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Fined $60,000 for Violation of Fisheries Act NORTH BAY, Ont. -- March 2, 2011 -- Ontario Northland Transportation Commission pleaded guilty yesterday to one charge of depositing a deleterious substance into fish‑bearing waters in contravention of the Fisheries Act. Stratford Area Man Convicted of Killing Swan and Destroying Eggs STRATFORD, Ont. -- January 11, 2011 -- Luke Van Nes of Perth South, Ontario, was sentenced on January 10, 2011, in the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford, to a fine of $1,000 to be made payable to the Environmental Damages Fund. U.S. Hunter Charged With Violations While Hunting Waterfowl EDMONTON, Alb. -- January 31, 2011 -- On January 27, 2011, Environment Canada laid 10 charges against Jeffrey Foiles, of Pleasant Hill, Illinois, under the Migratory Birds Convention Act,1994, and two charges under the Criminal Code.

Plastic, garbage, pollution

2210: The Collapse is a National Geographic show. Quite startling as they posit what will happen to, for example, L.A., when they run out of potable water. There are lessons here.

We've been watching a show about the end of the world. I remember teaching Ancient Civilizations to my gr. 5's. It was very interesting. Drought, running out of trees (the Mayas), escalating warfare; there are many reasons for the collapse of these ancient  civilizations.

The Maya cut down the forest to produce plaster to decorate temples. Flash flooding, which meant soil erosion and drastic conditions led to disease and malnutrition. With an expanding population and diminishing resources, fighting began.
Warfare a symptom, not a cause of deprivation, they tell us.

But garbage concerns me. Taking a walk up towards Ian Millar's place, I spotted 16 deer feeding on recently exposed grass. I also spotted much garbage, including beer cans, bottles, plastics, on the side of the road.

Oprah's green episode for Earth Day (2009) started with sad footage and a description of a giant island of trash -- "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch". Horrible what we are doing.


What I found interesting was thinking about what they will conclude about us when archeologists uncover the crap we leave around.

What do our toys say about us?

Giant neighbourhoods, like this one in BBQhaven, with swimming pools holding enough water for a family in an undeveloped country for a year.

Then there are the toys we make out of plastic.

These I came across these plastic toys in a catalogue.

I couldn't stop laughing. I cannot imagine who might be the target audience for this one!

I have hopes that the next generation will make a difference.

Racing Granddads

Racing Grannies

Fighting granddads

I spotted this video on Kay's blog. It interests me, as my kids run their car on cooking oil. A converted Jetta, it also runs on diesel when necessary.
These are things that are possible.

Why not release balloons?

This is why... The animals can eat them, and it kills them. Many like to promote a cause, but please think about the world around you.

These landed in our meadow, and got tangled in the trees. It took me forever to get them down. I was afraid our deer or turkeys would get them.

They get caught up on personal property, and they are garbage.
I would ask that you refrain from releasing balloons. It's just plain wrong to do this to the environment. These were attached to our trees and I tried to get them and deflate them, but they drifted off.
This is not right.
Do not release them. Do not release mylar balloons. Do not group them in clusters.

Time for a complete ban on mass balloon releases? - Wildlife Extra

Apr 3, 2009 – All balloons sold near to a balloon release should be weighted so that they fall to the ground near-by.

Balloons take 4 years to decompose. 

They contain chemicals that can poison.

Turtles eat them and the latex will block their digestive tract.

Ribbons become tangled around beaks and legs.

Balloon HQ Presents: Balloon Releases and the Environment

REFERENCES

1. Discussion with David Tucek, Meteorologist, National Weather Service, Louisville, Ky. July, 1989.
2. Standard Atmosphere Table, Mechanics of Fluids, Irving Shames, McGraw-Hill, 1962.
3. General Meteorology, Horace Robert Byers, Sc. D., McGraw-Hill, 1959.
4. Rubber Technology and Manufacture, C. M. Blow, Institution of the Rubber Industry, London, England, 1971.
5. The Language of Rubber, E. L DuPont de Nemours & Co. Elastomers Chemicals Dept., Wilmington, Delaware, 1957.
6. Pilot Experiments Concerning Balloon Ingestion by Sea Turtles; Peter Lutz; University of Miami; Miami, Florida.
7. Physical Climatology - Second Edition; by Helmut Landsberg; Grey Publishing Co., Inc; Penn 1962 (Table 40, p. 127)

International Year of Biodiversity 2010

United Nations General Assembly declared, in 2007, that 2010 be the International Year of Biodiversity. This is important locally, as well as globally.

As we track the Journey North  of migrating species (great tracking maps on this site), I am fascinated with the distance the birds and butterflies travel. This is my favourite shot of the caterpillar and the the butterfly that had a brief meeting.

I was watching our wee chickadees building a home —out my living room window, and thinking about them as they tried to build their new sanctuary. They gave up on this spot, began digging a hole lower down on the branch. Oliver was keenly interested.

"I respect the secrets and magic of nature. That’s why it makes me so angry when I see these things that are happening in the world."

~Michael Jackson, This Is It  (1958 – 2009)

For whatever his faults he had a deep appreciation and understanding of nature. This photo, welcoming back our Canada geese to Dark Bay Road. (And, yes, I waved to them in passing!)

"I really find that nature is trying so hard to compensate for man’s mismanagement of the planet. Because the planet is sick. Like a fever. If we don’t fix it now it, it’s at the point of no return. It’s our last chance to fix this problem that we have…where it’s like a runaway train. This is it."

Why is Biodiversity important?

• A larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops
• Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms, including our children's children
• Healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

According to the United Nation's 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, two-thirds of the direct benefits people obtain from biodiversity are currently being degraded or used unsustainably.

Ecosystem services include:

• providing materials such as food, fuels and fibres;
• regulating climate, disease outbreaks, wastes and pollination;
• supporting processes such as nutrient cycling and water purification; and,
• providing opportunities for aesthetic, recreational and spiritual use.

Biodiversity loss affects many services that are essential to the functioning of our society and economy. For example, declines in the populations of bees, butterflies and other pollinators because of habitat destruction, pesticide use and invasive species cost farmers millions of dollars each year in reduced crop yields

Biologists know what is causing this environmental crisis — human impacts from development, deforestation, pollution and climate change are destroying the homes and habitat of wildlife around the world.

Our planet is undergoing a biodiversity crisis

Globally, at least 16,000 species are threatened with extinction, including 12% of birds, 23% of mammals and 32% of amphibians.

In terms of our food sources:

• the familiar Jersey cow accounts for 75 percent of the world's milks supply
• one third of global pork supplies comes from a few breeds
• at least 60 breeds of cattle, goats, horses, pigs, and poultry have been lost since 2002
• 190 of the more than 7,600 breeds listed in FAO's Global Databank for Farm Animal Genetic Resources have become extinct in just the past 15 years.

The joy I found in sharing nature with our 2-year-old granddaughter inspired me. I fear for those who pollute air, land and water in Muskoka. We must teach tourists and residents to do what they can.  If you can do more:

Some Muskoka-based activities

• Become an Important Bird Area (IBA) Caretaker and help us conserve our birds and their habitats
• Become a Species Watchdog (Please contact Nature Canada for more information)
• Put up bird, bat and butterfly feeders or nest boxes
• Join the Muskoka naturalist club
• Volunteer with the Muskoka wildlife rehabilitation centre
• Read about Muskoka Lakes environmental by-laws:
• [ Fires: By-law 2009-45 | Protecting Trees: By-law 2008-55  |  Noise Pollution: By-law 2005-83 | Land Use Official Plan: By-law 87-87 ] 
• Plant trees, celebrate nature in a (on-line?) photo album, buy local, organic food, visit local Muskoka markets— buying in-season produce. 

See also:
Countdown 2010, an initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, to help mobilize action to ensure that all governments and members of civil society, halt biodiversity loss in 2010.

Snowmobile pollution

I first came across this concept when I happened to read Selling Muskoka by the Gallon, by Michael Enright. (As accessed 8/5/2006). Mr. Enright (not the The Sunday Edition host) wrote that a PWC, a 2-stroke engine, for every day spent on the lake (100L of fuel), dumps 30 L of gasoline in the lake through inefficient burning of fuel. He has gone on to write another piece about snowmobile pollution: The Well Groomed Trail. Curious, my research took me to Haliburton County Collection Highland Cooperative research paper list, which cites a number of research papers. Predicting the effects of snowmobiles [PDF] is another frightening study.

Aside from the pollution, due to noise and chemical environmental affects, subnivean mammals are also impacted. These are small mammals such as rodents, shrews, squirrels and voles that inhabit the sub layer of snow during cold months through underground tunneling and nesting. An ecosystem is a fragile thing. As humans encroach on habitat, we loose the diversity that makes Muskoka special.

After contact with a new author, regarding Carol 'A Woman's Way, I became curious about snowmobile pollution. I know that PWCs are terrible noise and gas polluters, I wasn't sure about snowmobiles. I know that the smell of gas, after they fly by, is horrible.  In one hour, a typical snowmobile emits as much hydrocarbon as a 2001 model auto emits in about two years (24,300 miles) of driving. 
 
Amongst my research findings...

• Two-stroke engines used in snowmobiles are sometimes the same engines used in personal water craft (PWC) like jet skis. 
• PWCs have modified air and exhaust systems to adapt for water use. 
• PWC seldom operate at temperatures below freezing (0° C) where snowmobiles typically operate at colder temperatures when all engines want to run rich.
• Colder temperatures favor the production of carbon monoxide and warmer temperatures favor the production of unburned hydrocarbons (HC).
• Two-stroke PWC engines dump 25 - 40% of uncombusted fuel in the lake, the air, or on the land
• Snowmobiles emit a number of pollutants, including aldehydes, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, nitrogen oxides, fluoranthene, pyrene, and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
  
• The best estimates available comparing snowmobile emissions to average automobile emissions conclude that a traditional snowmobile produces 10 to 70 times more CO and between 45 and 89 times more unburned HC than an average car (National Park Service, 2001 report on Impacts of Snowmobiles in National Parks.)
• Snowmobiling has been shown to have various impacts on water quality 
• Snowmobiling has an impact on aquatic ecosystems
• Pollution from two-stroke snowmobile engines affects small lakes more than large.
• Scientists studied crayfish finding that down stream had injested PCBs, DDT, DDE, PAHs
  
• Snowmobile trails on farm land similarly leave emissions behind
• Snowmobiles travelling over land transmit heat 5x's that of covered land.
• Frost penetration allows pollutants to sink as much as 60 cm exploiting frost depths
  
• A Quebec (1987) study found winter cereal crops affected by snowmobile pollution
  
• When unburned fuel from snowmobiles accumulates in the snow, it is released into the ecosystem, primarily during spring thaw. 
• Lubricating oil goes straight through an engine without being burned, expelled as part of exhuast.

As with Kyoto, and the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 200, progress is slow and negligible. 
There is so much to do in Muskoka, aside from polluting.


Ethical Issues_with Snowmobiles [PDF]

The pollution from snowmobiles mostly consists of aromatic hydrocarbons, which are a class of chemicals that result from incomplete burning of oil, gas, wood, tobacco, garbage and other organic sources. PAHs are also emitted by inefficient wood furnaces, fireplaces, and leaf burning. The chemicals are of concern because they can affect health. The pollutants are linked to heart disease, breathing issues, and cancer.

The Pollution Prevention Information Center, Clean Snowmobiles: Background and Overview,
writes: On November 8, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated regulations limiting air emissions from snowmobiles. These regulations required a 30% reduction in emissions beginning in 2006, with more stringent standards (requiring 50% reductions) effective in 2010 and 2012. The standards were challenged in court by both the snowmobile manufacturers and environmental groups and were vacated in part and remanded to EPA in part by the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, June 1, 2004. EPA has not promulgated any standards for snowmobile noise.

Not all pollute as much as the old two-stroke engines, but old machines, like old cars, will likely be running a long time in this economic climate.

Area snowmobilers urged to be patient until more snow arrives ...

Anyone wanting to hit the trails and be green this year can climb aboard a more environmentally- conscious sled. The new Skidoo 600 H. O (high output) E-Tec is quieter and cleaner than your average snowmobile and "virtually smoke-free," according to Sean Ward, of St. Onge Recreation in Barrie.
The 120-horsepower sled uses the same technology that has been designed for boats requiring low emissions. "It's definitely better for the environment and it burns less fuel, so it's easier on the wallet," he said."We start it up in the showroom. We'd never do that with any other two-stroke."

  
In other international research: Pollution on Svalbard 
 And that slippery slope: do not take into account all machines, like Kyoto, you can buy your way out of caps through trade offs.

• The reduction is a fleet average for each manufacturer depending on the number and type of engines used each year. 
• The regulations have allowances for minor producers and special use (racing) snowmobiles. 
• These cleaner, quieter snowmobiles have reduced audible noise by about half, reduced CO and HC by more than 80 percent, as measured using the EPA 5-mode emissions test protocol. 
  

If only the noise would stop!



 Further reading... 

1. ET 10/02: Pollution reductions from off-road vehicles ... The final standards snowmobiles are particularly troubling because they fail  
   
2. Animated Engines, Two Stroke Animated illustration and description of the two stroke engine 
3. The Story of Smog Get rid of your gas-powered devices: Lawn mowers, chain saws and pretty much anything that runs on a two-stroke engine ...

Soaring

I used to dream I could fly
If I could I would
I'd wait for the sun to rise
Sail above sparling water
Still ponds and shadowed forests
Tolkein trees would wave at me in delight

Flying high with the birds
Rich sounds rise from their throats
Sirens who would herald me
Those who soar in circles
Seen keening by the shore
Similarly seeking sources of solace
Would sail away on the wind

I, too, seek comfort

...In the sparling waters
...In the deep richness of the land
...In the enduring beauty of nature
...In the perfume of pine and cedar
...The green of the moss that beckons bare toes

I would if I could
Fly high above the trees
The emerald teal of the mallard
The fauna sing in chorus
Spring peepers laud the journey
Wind rustles the tall grass as I pass

Fly away from the noise of
Man's inhumanity to Mother Nature
Soar, rise, fear no more
Smoke rises from afar
Sludge fills her waters
Plastic her lakeshores
We can give back her due
Honour and laud her
Stop the destruction of her lakes and trees
Respect her wisdom
She cries as winds rise

*Sculpture from the Lynn Norris studio - but her husband carved it!

This work is © Jennifer Jilks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information on pollution, visit

bonfires and leaf burning

It is that season again. Leaf burning is an iffy proposition at best. In the fall in Muskoka our leaves are very wet and do not burn well; we just had rain a few days ago. Many Muskokans put their leaves into a metal drum and go to it. My neighbours have started already, the photo at the top was last year's efforts - biggie. We have strict by-laws that govern burning outdoors. One couple faced a $600 fine! Bracebridge has a by-law control officer on duty until 4:30 p.m., here is their list of by-laws.

When there is a Fire Ban in effect (full explanation here!), as there is right now, no burning, fireworks, etc. is allowed at all. When the Fire Ban is no longer in effect, then burning is allowed 2 hours before sunset through to 2 hours after sunrise. (Apr 1 - Oct 31... No Daytime Burning)

If folks burn wet leaves outdoors you can see by the smoke that they release pollutants: carcinogenic hydrocarbons ,that go into the atmosphere. This kind of pollution affects those who breathing problems: asthma, seniors, smokers and those with chronic lung disease. Many people in Muskoka burn wet leaves, or use wood furnaces, and the smoke drifts across the highway as you pass. It smells like something familiar, but as we learn more about the environment, we understand how harmful these practices can be.

It is difficult to speak to aging neighbours who have burned leaves since before I was born! Between the fireworks, and the other environmental invasions it is hard to make a dent. do not know how to influence them, as they pooh-pooh what is sommon knowledge amongst me, my generation and my children's generation.

As we dump our waste into the earth's atmosphere, we are putting carbon oxides from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, e.g., transportation, industry and home heating, into the air we breathe. Coal and oil fuel sources reacts with gases in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric acid (acid rain).

• Carbon monoxide - reduces the blood’s ability to supply oxygen to body tissues. Even small amounts can stress your heart and reduce your ability to exercise.
• Oxides of nitrogen – can lower a child’s resistance to lung infections.
• Hydrocarbons – can injure the lungs and make breathing difficult.

There are primary pollutants from natural events such as fires and volcanic eruptions, and secondary pollutants formed by the interaction of natural and human-made chemicals. We can control that latter and stop burning leaves, for example.

Connecticut's Dep't of Environmental Protection advises against wood furnaces (see photo of this small outdoor structure - they smell is horrible). This furnace burns wood to run a household. It takes large logs and you can tell be the smell and the amount of white smoke, that they are not functioning as efficiently as other devices.
For those who burn wood to save on other fuel costs, Canadian insurance companies require that stoves meet CSA requirements and have it assessed. The B.C. government provides some cautions against particulates that pollute:

WAYS YOU CAN REDUCE WOOD SMOKE
and SAVE MONEY ON YOUR WOOD FUEL

1. Select a stove that's certified clean-burning and tested to CSA BB415.1-00 or EPA 1990 standards.

2. Make sure it's the proper size for its location and use. Bigger is not always better.

3. Make sure it's properly installed and inspected.

4. Avoid smouldering fires by using proper burning techniques.

5. Use only dry, seasoned, firewood split to the right size for your stove.

6. Reduce your need for wood fuel by making your house
more energy-efficient (caulk windows and doors, etc.).

We had our old stove taken away, since the chimney and stove pipes were beyond current by-laws, could be recycled, and it was an old, inefficient stove. It was sad, but we installed an electric stove to keep people warm in our cooler shoulder seasons. Our current wood stove, the cat loves it, we carefully stoke and we put in a hot, efficient fire. Of course, you can see that our kindling and wood pile is too close to the stove and we move these during fire season. Usually we burn wood once the deep cold sets in. We have passive solar heat in our front windows. On those cool mornings the sun heats us up enough to take away the chill. Our new, efficient propane furnace heats the main floor only on those colder days. The heat rises and we have no need to heat the second floor. Once we hit the double-digit numbers we can crank up the stove in the morning and let it die once we get enough heat. Damping down a fire is not good as it causes smoke and pollution.

If you burn damp wood, which is much of the wood outdoors at cottages, you are dumping hydrocarbons into the air. This site illustrates current levels of ozone pollution in North America.

Health Canada says,
Internally generated airborne pollutants fall into one of three categories:

• those formed in combustion processes for heating and cooking;
• those derived from construction materials and furnishings;
• those related to human activity or presence.

Idle Free Zones

To sit and idle in a parking spot has been traditional in Muskoka. There is much discussion, some laws, and little enforcement. I plan on printing these free images from Natural Resources Canada.

Bracebridge is an idle-free zone. Print a flyer and pop it under a windshield wiper! You can make a difference!

I am finding some stores posting these in their front windows, and I hope it has an effect.

But until we all participate, and educate those who are ignorant of environmental issues, we will continue to breathe these poisons. In Muskoka we must drive many kms to work, errands, to access health resources, but we can do our part.

This man sat in his white convertible car in a parking lot and as I walked by I could feel cool air coming from the vehicle. Such citiots need to understand the fragile nature of Muskoka's ecosystem.