Crazy Nature

No, you are not tripping out, or dreaming. This is a pink dolphin.

This bottle-nose dolphin is albino. And she's the only one in the world.
Her pink colouring has created such a craze at Lake Calcasieu (Louisiana), where she resides, that environmentalists are calling to leave the poor thing alone.

A bit amused over this...

Power To Palin

Obama's officially in office. George is thankfully back in Texas. Michelle looked beautiful in Wu. And, Sarah Palin pushed for renewable energy? Say what! The governor who famously coined "drill, baby, drill," announced yesterday that by 2025 the state of Alaska will attempt to obtain half its electricity from renewable sources. While the report is more of a guideline then a plan of action, Palin is garnering applause from environmentalists across the country. Alaska has the potential for tidal, wave, geothermal and wind energy so the shift to renewable sources is more then attainable. But leaving Palin in charge? I won’t even go there.

In other Obama news. Ilham Anas, a newspaper photographer from Jakarta, looks freakishly similar to the new President...

....he also look's pretty stoked about it.

(photo cred. the globe and mail)

Eco-friendly oil?

The production of oil is heavily criticized by environmentalists world wide. The list of damages the process creates is lengthy and environmentally devastating, but I wont get into those right now. Interestingly enough though, it seems the increase in attention on sustainable practices and green conscious standards has led Alberta’s Syncrude oil to spend $25 million on a campaign that attempts to promote the greener side of the Alberta tar sands. However, when a flock of Maillard Ducks landed on one of the companies tailing ponds this past Monday the outcome was anything but eco-friendly…The Globe and Mail has the story.

Today!

At 8 o'clock, where ever you are in the world, turn off your lights for one hour, and do your part to help bring awarness to the growing concerns of climate change. Bust out the flashlights, enojy a candle lit dinner, go for a walk outside, do anything. As long as you make sure you've turned off every light in the house, why not enjoy the darkness for what its worth!

Green Thoughts

Daily I peruse various online newspapers from across the continent, as a student of Journalism I feel a certain responsibility to do so. I start with the Globe, move onto the more local Toronto Star or Vancouver Sun depending on the news, and finish up with the NY Times and the Christian Science Monitor. I do not read each paper in length, and regularly skip whole sections, but without fail I make a note to look at my favourite areas, one unsurprisingly being the environment.

While each paper tackles the topic of the environment differently –albeit some much better then others— I have come across a lot of really cool information, websites and case studies from my daily searching’s, and I want to pass along some of them. They all deserve the attention of an independent post, but crunch time has fallen upon me and school has become a literal vortex for the hours in my day.

1) Earth Friendly Schools -- schools across Canada and specifically the United States, are taking action against the growing concern of climate change by instituting sustainable building's and greener policies. A really good example is Sidwell Friends Middle School in Washington, D.C. While Hillcrest, my old middle school, did have a fish pond I'm pretty sure it could take some notes from Sidwell to reduce its own environmental impact.

2) Conscious Companies -- a website has been developed under the umbrella of Stonyfield Farm INC, that helps consumers like you and me make climate conscious choices when shopping. The idea behind this non-profit is that the power to affect climate change globally lies within major corporations, and subsequently consumers. Climatecounts.org has come up with a point system that ranks various companies on their current level of environmental action. Those which are working towards reducing their climate footprints receive better scores then others who are still failing to jump on the eco-wagon. Scope out companies like CBS, Apple, Motorola and Nike, you may be surprised to find out exactly just who is making a positive difference.

3) Worlds Greenest Museum -- San Francisco, long an environmental haven, and currently ranked 2nd to Portland as America's greenest city, now has another green title to add to its belt –world’s greenest museum. The California Academy of Sciences could possibly the coolest building on earth. [Insert eco-crazy bias here]. Seriously speaking though, the building will house everything from a natural-history museum, to a rainforest with free-flying birds, to an aquarium filled with saltwater pumped in from the Pacific Ocean, all under a green roof that spans 2.5 acres and blends into the local park surrounding it. Dubbed the “Living Museum” this Californian wonder is filled with multiple sustainable features and popsci.com has a photo album for an inside look at a few of them. If your ever in San-Fran, nature lover or not, stop on by I can guarentee you will be impressed.

*note: all bold faced words are links --this is not a note to suggest incomptence, meerly a helpful hint as it took me far to long when reading blogs to notice this.

Learn To Hunt
...in elementary school

Law makers in West Virginia recently gave approval to a bill allowing state funded hunting education classes in all schools –Great. Hunting in the United States has lost its popularity as of late, with participation numbers falling from 19.1 million in 1975 to 12.5 million in 2006. And some states are not pleased. Many like, Utah, South Carolina and Nebraska have lowered the minimum age required for hunting. And some have completely eliminated it altogether. Wonderful. Because all we need are eight-year-olds wielding rifles.

The state sponsored hunting education classes will be available for every school that has at least 20 students showing interest. Classes will promote hunting to its participants by suggesting it as an alternate form of exercise and an excellent source for gun safety education. The main driving force behind it though is "preserving culture," a gun lobbyist’s favourite saying.

The argument in support of these new classes is lame. Hunting as being safer then biking and swimming...A needed activity to control the deer population...A way to exercise and enjoy nature simultaneously. I’m not buying it.

Perhaps my common sense is skewed, but please tell me exactly how entering a wooded area in camouflage, with known big game and animals wondering about, and an un-known number of six to ten-year-olds carrying guns is safe? Safer then jumping into your local pool, playing Marco Polo and swimming lengths, under the supervision of at least two trained lifeguards. They must do it differently in West Virginia.

Also, a hunter who claims that what they are doing is an incredibly useful controlling aide for the environment is ignorant. Perhaps if they had not over-hunted the various predators within the region the impending deer population would not have reached such soaring heights. The predator prey relationship in an ecological system relies on natural predators, not just conservatives with rifles.
As for hunting as a form of simultaneous exercise and nature appreciation...HA! If you want to appreciate the beauty of nature while exercising go for a run, or a hike, or a leisurely stroll amidst the forest. Don't stake out atop a platform and kill the very wildlife you’re attempting to admire.
I appreciate the notion of hunting as a pastime for many people living in the United States and Canada. While I do not support or condone it, I'm not naive enough to believe it will cease to exist altogether. However, I do not support the idea of promoting guns within the classroom. Accessibility to firearms is not something to play around with and having them in schools, even for educational purposes, is a grave risk. It only takes one careless mistake around guns before the inevitable will happen and is the classroom really an appropriate arena to house this threat?