Monday, December 1, 2008 - CBC news

"The Liberals and New Democrats signed an agreement on Monday to form an unprecedented coalition government, with a written pledge of support from the Bloc Québécois, if they are successful in ousting the minority Conservative government in a coming confidence vote."

 "The Liberal leader (Stephane Dion) said the parties reached the accord after watching the "sad spectacle" of other countries' governments acting to counter the "unprecedented" global economic crisis while Harper's Conservatives "sat and did nothing."

"Given the critical situation facing our fellow citizens and the refusal and inability of the Harper government to deal with this critical situation, the opposition parties have decided that it was now time to take action," he said."

"We are ready to form a new government that will address the best interests of the people instead of plunging Canadians into another election."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/01/coalition-talks.html

A revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could potentially provide enough power for the entire world. The new device, called Vivace, is inspired by the way fish swim, and consists of a system of cylinders positioned horizontal to the water flow and attached to springs.

Other existing technologies which use water power, relying on the action of waves, tides or faster currents created by dams, are far more limited in where they can be used, and also cause greater obstructions when they are built in rivers or the sea. Turbines and water mills need an average current of five or six knots to operate efficiently, while most of the earth's currents are slower than three knots. The Vivace can generate energy using currents that are as slow as under 1 knot and do not obstruct views or access on the water's surface since they can be installed on the river or ocean floor.  Scientists also claim that this new technology is more gentle on aquatic life since it is slow moving and mimics the natural vortex patterns created by the movement of swimming fish.  

The makers of Vivace state that these simple devices are made from rugged moving parts which stand up well to the elements and continual usage with minimal maintenace required. An installation of 1 x 1.5 kilometers (less that 1/2 square mile) in a current of 3 knots could generate enough power for 100,000 homes.  

A Prototype, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Office Naval Research, is currently operating in the Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory at the University of Michigan. This device has met and often exceeded expectations; thereby, providing strong evidence to proceed to the next scale, a multi-kilowatt field demonstration.

Read more about it and watch video demonstrations here:

www.vortexhydroenergy.com

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/renewablee...

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&c...

A cold and dismal Sunday afternoon, a touch of flu, sitting in bed using Stumble Upon to surf a bit and there it was, Eleventh Hour, and I stuck with it even though stand-up comedy and music videos was what I was really after. And I am so glad I did. I've been one of those people who grew up ecological, grew up with conservation as more than an issue, but one of those people who has become so cynical and jaundiced that action, beyond certain obvious and simple ones, is no longer high on the agenda. Yes, I emailed everyone when Obama won the election because, even though I am not American and don't ever bother to vote anymore, I could see that as CHANGE with that capital C, not the obvious one of a black president but one who was not part of the system, was not controlled by corporations, big business, the global multi-nationals. Yes, I sold my car and now use public transport. Yes, I am not a shopper (beyond my Macbook and my ipod and my music workstation). Yes, I keep my thermostat really low and use those new-fangled light bulbs. Yes, I hate big business, banks, hedge funds and private equity with a quiet passion. And, yes, I love the beauty of nature and can't take the way we, the human race, are slowly but surely breaking it's ongoing symmetry.

Before seeing this film, the best and most thought provoking visual moment I have had this year was whilst flying out to Gambia. We flew over the western Sahara and for fifty minutes or so I could not spot any sign of human life, no roads, no buildings, nothing. The world as it was and would be if we weren't here. The impression was probably false as, as far as I understand it, that desert has grown south because of human practices. But even so, it was a rare sight, a reminder that most of us these days live in a world totally shaped by mankind, an unwise word as we have been anything but kind to ourselves or our only home.

Nuff said : I hope this film will wake me up to being somewhat more active. And perhaps this site will lead to contacts, information, etc that will guide me into the right and useful sort of actions.

Knowing what's going on, being in the know, having the right attitudes might be good for the soul but will probably do nothing to change the desperate situation. I love my grandkids with a passion but what sort of world am I leaving to them. 

CBC news - Friday, November 28, 2008

The Canadian Coast Guard has confirmed that in a major first, a commercial ship travelled through the Northwest Passage this fall to deliver supplies to communities in western Nunavut.

"We did have a commercial cargo vessel that did the first scheduled run from Montreal, up through the eastern Arctic, through the Northwest Passage to deliver cargo to communities in the west," Brian LeBlanc of the Canadian Coast Guard told CBC News.

"That was the first — that I'm aware of anyway — commercial cargo delivery from the east through the Northwest Passage."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2008/11/28/nwest-vessel.html

This letter answers the main points of the university in order to give the students the necessary tools to get a global vision of social enviroment.

It is important to develop in each of them a reflexive and critical position of the social world with everything that it involves..

For this reason in the culture unit (U.Nº 4) me introduce the film The 11th. Hour.

After seeing it the students guide to join the compromise with the items me have given them.

Items

1-With the concepts of culture we give, tou are able to get the correct definition of the present time accordin the documental film The 11th.Hour you should say

2-Wich are the main points that we need to work on the natural enviroment? Wich abstracles can you see, to carry out theses actions, and in what way we can overcome them?

You should say

3. Say at least, 2 activities that you can perform in this matter.

You should take a compromise to protect you habitat and fullfil it in short-medium term to the future . You shauld say

The positive result in the work done by the students, shows interest in this issue as well as the personal compromise of The Care of our Holy Land.