Sour Over Earth Hour

I'm environmentally aware. It's not new to me - in 1987, at university, I was among the founding members of the Green Club on campus. We returned empty beer bottles and kegs to fund our more serious pursuits.

Last year, I posted on calculating your carbon footprint. The Carbon Coach stopped by with some encouraging comments. I celebrated when Australia ratified the Kyoto Accord. I wrote about the soil shortage before I even knew about Brian Fagan's book. At home, we recycle and embrace the green bin program being rolled out in our community. We have low-flow toilets and shower heads and use faucet aerators. We use a rotary blade mower to cut the lawn. We've converted to LED's and CFL's.

We've installed low-E windows and last year we installed both a new hot water heater and a high efficiency furnace. We've had opportunities to repair the central air, but have chosen not to. We get by with fans. You might even say that we practice our own brand of sustainable gardening.

Programmable thermostat?	Check.			Use non-toxic cleaners?	Check.
Reuse bags and boxes for groceries?	Check.			No pesticides?	Check.
Wash clothes in cold water?	Check.			Hang clothes to dry?	Check.
Use the dishwasher on the EnergySave cycle?	Check.			Lights on timers? Power bars?	Check and Check.

All this but I can't get behind Earth Hour.

Organized in Sydney, Australia in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund as a demonstration tool, 2-million people and thousands of businesses turned off their lights and electrical appliances for one hour. Aussies wanted to inspire their government to take climate change seriously. It worked.
This year residential and commercial participants from every continent will turn off their lights and electricity at 8:00 p.m. for one hour.
I understand that it's an event to raise consciousness. I know that it's a symbolic action. I get that people who may not have been so conscientious about reducing their energy use may be inspired to change their behavior.

But

I was at a forum on the environment this week. In front of the meeting place, a dozen drivers waited in cars with the engines idling.
Inside, people were complaining about the inconvenience of being greener. They couldn't be convinced that making small changes, no matter how inconvenient, would be of benefit.

Toronto was the first city in North America to take up the Earth Hour challenge. We've had months to prepare for one hour of darkness. It was quite a different story when the power was taken away abruptly...the reaction to the blackout of 2003 wasn't all positive.

Among the tips to conserve:
- Turn appliances off while not in use
- Unplug items to eliminate stand-by loads
- Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Use less hot water
- Drive less.
- Maintain your vehicle to reduce emissions/improve performance.

These conservation tips should be a part of everyday life by now. The energy crisis in the 1970's introduced these concepts (well, compact fluorescents weren't available yet). There are news reports and studies almost weekly that reinforce the impact of consumption, emissions and waste on the environment.
In 2008 there's no excuse to NOT be responsible with energy consumption.


Tags: [Earth Hour] [Climate Change] [Global Warming]
[WWF] [Earth Hour in Toronto]
[Energy Conservation] [Brian Fagan]
Ontario Ministry of Energy Conservation Tips

Helicopter Parent Pushes Flight Envelope

Mind If We Play Through?
Robert Kadera didn't want his son to miss a vital tennis lesson. Junior Varsity tryouts were just 2 days away. To show well at tryouts, Isaac needed to refresh his court skills, but father and son were running late on Saturday.

Rather than make the 45-minute drive to the club and risk missing the match and lesson, Kadera, a licensed pilot with 40 years experience, flew his son there in his twin-prop. The flight took less than 15 minutes.
He landed on the seventh fairway at Marriott Lincolnshire Golf Course, which is across the road from the tennis club.   (Read the article...)

Son Isaac never made it to his match, and without his friend's cell number, was unable to tell him why. At school Monday, friends treated the tale of a plane landing on a golf course and subsequent police action as an outlandish excuse, he said.
"I left my friend hanging," Isaac said. "He still doesn't believe me when I told him why."

The investigation is continuing. Both Kaderas could face trespass charges. The Federal Aviation Administration is also involved. The F.A.A. could assess regulation violations and revoke Kadera Sr.'s aviator license.

No word on how the JV Tennis tryouts went.

Ironic Flight Trivia: The International Aviation Voice Radio word for the letter G is golf.

Tags: [Robert Kadera]  [Isaac Kadera]
[Marriott at Lincolnshire Golf Course]
[F.A.A.]

Dr. Dolittle Meets Dr. Marvin Monroe

Zoo and wildlife medicine specialist Romain Pizzi finds that pets are increasingly being prescribed anti-depressants because they cannot discuss problems in their lives with others.    (Read the article...)

Mr Pizzi said the severity of some pet’s depression may put its life at risk. Parrots are especially vulnerable. They are known to engage in self-mutilating behavior, like plucking out feathers, when their depression is left untreated.

I can see that. The bird's confined to a cage and surely suffers by hearing the refrain 'Brawwwwk! Polly want a cracker?' a thousand times each day. I'm sure the bird wants to roll his eyes each time his owner performs the imitation, which inevitably ends with the caretaker chuckling at his own ingenuity.

"Last year, Eli Lilly released a chewable anti-depressant for dogs onto the US market. The manufacturers even gave the “Reconcile” drug a beef flavour."
As investigators probe deeper into animal health issues (especially animal mental health), it can't be long before veterinary neuropsychiatrists will provide the answer to that age-old riddle: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Tags:[Romain Pizzi] [Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons] [Pet Depression] [Dr. Dolittle]   [Sigmund Freud] [Dr. Marvin Monroe]   [The Simpsons]

WTF - World Takes Flak - For Obesity

Professor Philip James, chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, a London-based think tank, called for a revolution in urban planning to encourage people to use cars less and public transport more.

At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science , Professor James presented at the Town Hall Understanding Obesity workshop. He said that it is "naive to expect people to lose weight by making better choices about diet and exercise when their surroundings encourage inactivity.

Professor James blamed the world in which we live for the behavior-based obesity epidemic. (read more...). To recap his presentation: Urban developers created an obesogenic environment by planning public spaces around the car. Business improvements that have increased desk work and reduced physical labor, and product engineering improvements in everyday items, including electric toothbrushes and can openers reinforce a more sedentary lifestyle.

'Blaming individuals for their personal vulnerability to weight gain is no longer acceptable in a world where the majority is already overweight and obesity is rising everywhere,' said Professor James...The environment in which we live is the overwhelming factor amplifying the epidemic.

If you're not at your ideal weight, don't worry...it's not your fault! The remote control is to blame!
What a relief! For a moment, I was worried that individuals would be assessed some degree of accountability.


The AAAS symposium wraps up today.

Tags:
[Obesity]  [Philip James]
[American Assoc. for Advancement of Science]
[Oscar Wilde]

High School Crush: Corridor Chaos

Twenty-five students were injured in a pile-up in a school corridor triggered when a freshman stopped to fix her shoe.
Paramedics were called to the school to treat pupils for crush injuries, including ankle sprains, bruising and sore heads.
All the students were sent home following the incident, several were taken to hospital and five were kept off school the following day.    Read more...

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents commented, "the consequences of such an event as this arising can be disproportionate to what started it." I suppose it won't be long before we see zero-tolerance to shoe fixing added to the school's behavior code.

I think we can all see this lackademic institution's position on the learning curb.

When life gives you lemmings...
Lemming Aid (Winner: Best Short Film, Cannes, 1994).

Tags:[Denny School, Scotland]  [Crush Injuries]  [Accident Prevention]
[Cannes Film Festival, 1994]  [Lemming Aid]  [Grant Lahood]

Drug Recall Information Needs A Fix

Quite by accident, I discovered a drug recall that affects me. The recall on Fentanyl was announced earlier this week. On Monday, I received a 5-week supply of the medication that is part of the recall. My existing supply is included in the recalled lot too.

The recall was widely reported throughout the U.S. news services, but there was no information for patients in Canada. The notice from J & J / Novartis clearly stated that supply in Canada and The United States was affected.

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Canada, distributors of Duragesic in Canada, doesn't provide information of the recall on their website.
Health Canada maintains a comprehensive list of warnings and recalls...but nothing about defective Fentanyl patches.

Today, eCanadaNow is at least offering an item announcing the recall.

From the recall notice:
The Duragesic Pain Patch has been recalled by Johnson & Johnson because defects in the manufacture of the patch could lead to accidental overdoses. Johnson & Johnson is recalling about 32 million of the fentanyl-containing Duragesic Pain Patches, and the company estimates that about two million could be defective.
Fentanyl is considered a Class II substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning it is associated with a high potential for abuse and a risk for fatal overdose. Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic, approximately eight times stronger than morphine.
The recalled patches, manufactured by Alza Corp. and sold by PriCara and Sandoz Inc. in the U.S. and Canada, are strength of 25mcg/hr and have expiration dates on or before December 2009. Patches with 12.5, 50, 75 and 100 mcg/hr strengths aren't affected.
Patients can call 1-800-567-3331 for more information.

I'm not sure why they'd want patients to call. Because it's a regulated drug, a pharmacist has to arrange replacement supply.

Janssen's Medical Information Department advised my pharmacist that information about the recall will be provided to medical professionals, including pharmacists, over the next 7 days.

I already educated myself on proper precautions in case I have any defective product. I know that Owen will take care of this for me, but with just one dose in the cupboard and a long-weekend coming up, I'm mildly concerned.


Tags: [Fentanyl Recall]  [Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Canada]
[Duragesic]  [Drug Recalls]

Mac's Opinion Linkfest

Science Explains a City's Sport Discord

Through our children's sports teams we have oft had the displeasure of playing against a particular city's teams. Whether it was in boys' hockey, girls' hockey, volleyball, soccer or football; in exhibition, regular season, tournament or playoff action; from Peewee through Bantam to Midget; I have consistently witnessed cheap hits, a higher incidence of fighting and overall poor sportsmanship by players and even some bench staff of teams from this particular city.

After an especially dangerous season, some boys' hockey coaches refused any more exhibition games against teams from this city. Last month, Jessica's hockey team played against a team from this city. There were ejections, suspensions and a ton of penalty minutes. On the drive home, we discussed several possible theories for the agitated intensity displayed despite the high talent of the players.

Thanks to results of a study released by European researchers, we finally have our answer:
Air Traffic Noise Increases Blood Pressure.

It's not the water. It's not a volunteer recruitment program that only accepts coaches willing to standardize dirty play. It's the planes!

It's not just a source of irritation, it's bad for residents' health, said epidemiologist Lars Jarup, leader of the study at Imperial College London.

Brampton is just 4 km from Pearson International Airport, Canada's busiest airport.

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority's noise contour map clearly includes Brampton within its noise operating area (click map to view map of noise estimate).

Explaining it doesn't justify it.

In the name of fair play, send 440,000 pairs of earplugs to City Hall for immediate distribution...before Jess's team draws them in the first round of the playoffs!

Tags: [Air Traffic Noise]  [Blood Pressure]
[Pearson International Airport]  [Brampton]
[Lars Jarup]  [Imperial College London]

Post Viral Snow Fatigue

I didn't see a doctor this Monday. That's almost a reason to celebrate. I'm still toxic with infections, but have these these new symptoms: muscle aches, cold in the extremities and an ache between my shoulder blades that radiates into my neck from scrunching my shoulders to my ears in the wind.

I have Post Viral Snow Fatigue. I definitely have it - the infections coupled with a dread of fluffy white stuff that's been falling from the sky.

Except the stuff that's been falling hasn't been fluffy; it's been heavy snow. One shovelful weighs 7 lbs.

The report is that more than 60 cm of snow fell. Forecasts call for another 20 cm overnight tonight.

One snow day during the exam-week; two more snow days last week and some are betting on sleeping in tomorrow, too.

Last week, Matt and I pushed 3 cars out of the snow in less than 1 hour...one guy twice! "It's surely a sign to stay home," Matt told him. Between rescues, Matt and I were each carting snow across the road to the ravine, because there's just no other place on our side of the street to put it. Jessica, home on the snow day, was clearing the other neighbor's driveway - rent for the shovel I borrowed - but was oddly absent when the cars were stuck.

We live on a bus route, so our street is among the first to be plowed. It's plowed twice as often as the side streets. It's good that we can drive on our street...that is, after we clear the drifts left behind by the plow...which are left twice as often as anyone who lives on the sidestreet. The mess left by the plow is even heavier than the regular stuff, thanks to having been packed down by the traffic, including the buses.

On the roads, I'm tired of driving behind the person who is obviously not comfortable driving in the conditions. On the highway, drivers of those oversized SUV's racing past on the shoulder are sometimes too confident in their driving ability.

Thirty-eight days until spring. I'm taking two more aspirin...I'll call you in the morning.

Tags:  [Weather]  [Snow Fatigue]
[Driving in Poor Weather Conditions]