The Great Backyard Bird Count starts today!
Just a reminder to count yourself in by participating in this year’s event. Don’t worry, if you haven’t had a chance to count today, there are still three more days, as the count goes until Monday, February 15. Incidentally, in some locales, Monday happens to be Family Day. What better way to enjoy the day off than outside listening with the kids for the sounds of avian life?
Chances are you’ll see something feathered, perhaps an American Goldfinch or a Canada Goose, as early tallies already entered put the Canada Goose at most numerous species with over 9000, and the American Goldfinch at 8000.
If you’re in an area that’s just been dumped with snow or is experiencing a ‘deep-freeze’, remember – you don’t have to be outside to count. You can participate by looking out your window!
Last year, 94,000 checklists were submitted. The GBBC needs our participation to make this year’s event the biggest ever. Happy birding.
Love cycling? Turn your daily commute into all the power you need to charge your mobile gadgets. The RollerGen generates 30 watts, stored in a removable Battery BOS which charges two of your favorite USB devices. Riding two miles will provide you with enough juice to charge a cellphone and a 30 minute commute completely charges up the battery.
This is a great device with a lot of potential for those of us who are off-the-grid and have access to a bicycle. The RollerGen mounts to your bike just like any other rack. A thumb control lets you raise and lower a high power dynamo against the tire. All you have to do is lower it when you want to generate electricity.
If the battery is fully charged or you need to do some tricky uphill maneuvers, you can raise the dynamo up again for zero-drag riding. The device also includes an underslung storage bin, which, besides housing the battery, can hold all the other goodies you’ll need for the day.
The Battery BOS itself, named after its shape, a Bar-Of-Soap, is a rechargeable storage unit that consolidates all your plugs into the USB standard. The removable battery also has an energy gauge, mini light, and the potential to replace hundreds of disposable batteries.
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One of the most wild and beautiful locations in North America, and one of the most biologically diverse and important places on earth, just received news that it will be able to stay that way.
BC’s Flathead River Valley is the only large valley of low elevation in Canada that remains unsettled. The untampered, lush floodplain supports a staggering amount of plant and animal life. Now, everything from the dazzling array of fragile wildflowers to mighty carnivores like the grizzlies, can breathe a sigh of relief.
Just days before the start of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the Province of British Columbia announced a ban on all mining, oil and gas development, as well as on coalbed gas extraction, in the Flathead River Valley.
The news was unexpected, but most welcome, to many who have been working to protect the ecologically rich region. However, one further step would be the icing on the cake. “We hope the government continues to listen to British Columbians and soon takes action to protect the Flathead permanently – in the form of a National Park and Wildlife Management Area,” said BC Sierra Club spokesperson, Sarah Cox.
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Four enterprising Harvard University students have come up with a brilliant way of using a soccer ball as an energy source. Grouped together because of their experience in the developing world and with global health, the team of four women designed a product called the “s0ccket” in engineering science class.
While the sOccket is being used for a great game of soccer, it captures the energy from physical impact that’s normally lost to the environment. When the soccer ball is kicked, thrown and bounced, it stores that energy to be used later.
The potential for a device like this is huge. The sOccket is specifically designed for use in resource-poor settings where access to electrical grids is limited. A couple of hours of playtime, for example, could generate enough energy to charge a cellphone.
However, they’re still in the prototype stages. Last summer, the engineers of the innovative ball piloted a youth program in several areas of Durban, South Africa and, more recently, they conducted a study of soccer play in households in Nairobi, Kenya. Once the design is finalized and perfected, they plan to develop a high-end sOccket for purchase in North America and Europe. Let the games begin, generating some fun and energy!
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Oilsands. The very word conjures up images of unparalleled natural destruction and is, unfortunately, synonymous with the word ‘Canada.’
Well aware of the stigma the oilsands brings to the nation’s reputation, Environment Minister Jim Prentice has spoken up and stated the obvious. He warns that Canada is in danger of becoming a “global poster child for environmentally unsound resource development” and says the industry must change its ways. He also warned that the government has the will and power to bring in tighter regulations, adding that, “In our efforts, we will expect and we will secure the co-operation of those private interests which are developing the oilsands.”
It’s an about-face to the stance Prentice took one year ago, in which he defended Canada’s development of the oilsands following a candid and disturbing article published in National Geographic. A year later, the deafening noise from public outcries seems to have reached his ears.
But the same old catch-22 exists. The economy or the environment? The oilsands are seen by industry lobbyists as a key pillar in economic and energy security for Canada. The government appears to agree and said it would support expanding oilsands development, though environmental obligations must be considered.
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In the context of today’s world, ‘consuming’ and ‘balance’ in the same sentence seems to be an oxymoron.
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