November 25, 2017: The Cult of Presentism

This week, I’ve been reflecting on another of the ironies of the current moment. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what the future could look like, if we organize now for other types of social life in…

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November 24, 2017: Wind “Power” & Other Technologies

If I understood correctly, it seems that wind won’t play as major a role in Alberta’s energy future as it might elsewhere. Apparently, unless your trees are growing crooked from the consistent winds in your area, wind is probably not…

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November 23, 2017: Future of Energy in Alberta

Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Biofuels: These are most likely the future of energy in Alberta. It is where most of the institutions seem to be investing in research and development. Elsewhere they will invest in water — which isn’t appropriate to…

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November 22, 2017: Tech for Whom?

So much amazing tech already exists out there. Energy transition is possible. But tech cannot save us if we don’t implement it. Who has energy has power. Who owns the tech? Who can afford to purchase the tech and or…

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November 21, 2017: Refining Perspectives

Refining: oh so many things My commute to work, each morning and evening, takes me past Refinery Row. In the winter months, the cold air makes visible the heat and material waste expelled into the atmosphere during the process of…

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November 20, 2017: Reporting (for) Action

Today, the radio and news reports are full of incongruities. In the headlines are the following stories: Edward Stuzik’s new book Firestorm: How Wildfire will Shape our Future apparently does link the Fort McMurray fires of 2016 to climate change and…

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November 19, 2017: Keystone Pipeline

I come out of a flu-induced hiatus from regular news only to discover that TransCanada’s existing Keystone pipeline in South Dakota is leaking into a farmer’s field. This is all happening simultaneous to the decision about whether the Keystone XL…

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November 18, 2017: Luxury

A blazing fire. Steaming chicken soup, hot off the range. Energy intensive luxuries, for a weary body suffering feverish chills. (Image: Fireplace)

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November 17, 2017: Dreaming Crises

In a feverish sleep, I dreamt that I kept trying to tell people something and no words would come out. I kept mouthing the words, where there was no sound. This inability to talk was also linked to some form…

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November 16, 2017: The Drive-Thru & Auto-Mobility

Yesterday’s write-up had me thinking more today about the origins of the drive-thru. The first one, according to Money magazine, was a hamburger joint called “Ten things you didn’t know about the fast food drive-thru” Red’s Giant Hamburger, in 1947….

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November 15, 2017: Drive-Thru Culture

A friend worked until quite late into the evening at our house, with the kids and dog running in every direction, interrupting us, as we determinedly knocked things off our to-do list. Then, I looked up the local bus schedule…

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November 14, 2017: Warnings

15,000+ scientists from 184 countries (and counting) have issued a warning to the world population. This is the second time the scientific community has issued such a warning. The first, according to a CBC report, was in 1992. That was…

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