We did not see much of the Vancouver Winter Olympics as we were in Brazil . . . though it was a delight to watch some events on Brazilian TV, which was uninterrupted by commercials! Whatever you may think of the Olympics, the athletic feats are impressive, the stories behind some of the Olympians are [...]
Wow. Two weeks ago I posted a short film I did with Patrick Benson on LA’s tenuous relationship with water. And as I often do weekly, I posted the link to most of the LinkedIn groups to which I belong. From a bird’s eye view, the results were interesting: I think few actually watched the [...]
I have mentioned several times the potential for dimethyl ether (DME) as a viable fuel source. The race for harvesting DME is between East Asia, Sweden, and now Canada. Another company, Calgary-based GV Energy, has plans on opening a DME plant in Terrace, British Columbia.
Like many forestry towns in the Pacific Northwest, Terrace has been [...]
This site is a huge fan of dimethyl ether, or DME, and with all the fuss over solar, wind, and even algae, DME is one option often overlooked. It’s clean burning and has applications from cooking fuel to running buses and trucks. Renewable energy advocates often overlook DME, a by-product of natural gas production, coal extraction, and biomass [...]
Mention British Columbia, and you might think of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler. There’s so much more to BC: including more movies that used to be filmed in Hollywood, Okanagan Valley wines, salmon and timber, and yes, Sarah Palin, that long border it shares with Alaska. But BC is also becoming a [...]
I’ve been to most large North American cities, and I have to say Ottawa has one of the more impressive recycling programs. The city of Ottawa is hard on its citizens: according to its data, Ottawa residents are in the middle of the pack, behind Halifax and Edmonton but ahead of Calgary and Montreal. Here’s [...]
One highlight of Ottawa lies outside of the city limits. Cross the Ottawa River into Quebec, and less than 10 miles from the city’s center is Gatineau Park, which shocks you with its beauty, tranquility, and recreation opportunities. Hiking through Gatineau Park on Sunday, I had no idea we were close to a city of [...]
There are two things you should try in Canada that are hard to find south of the border. First, peameal bacon, which is a lean cut of pork, similar to uncured ham, and great on a sandwich or with eggs. Next, there’s poutine, the most pleasurable guilt: French fries with cheese curds and gravy. You’ll [...]
As Ottawa’s population grows, districts once in decline are making a huge comeback. Wellington Village, on Ottawa’s west end, was considered gritty and lacked shops and services earlier this decade. Now, this neighborhood, where I’ve been staying the past week, is thriving. Shops and restaurants have moved in, homeowners have purchased homes and beautifully refurbished [...]
Many cities are begging for stimulus funds for transportation projects, which, I’m afraid, could end up with buses and trains going nowhere. Ottawa serves as a model of what works when investing in transportation projects. For a city of 1,000,000, Canada’s capital has a transportation system that is relatively cost effective and convenient. (more…)
We are very removed from our food sources. Few of us have visited a farm. We almost believe that apples really do come from those perfectly contoured plastic packages, and that uniform slabs of steak in a store’s meat section is just the way meat develops. But imagine if you had a farm in [...]
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