
Sometimes it feels like Toronto is in a parallel universe. These are examples.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
What's blue and empty in York Region?

Sunday, August 19, 2007
Escape from Toronto (in a storm)

As Toronto tries to push a vision of a car-less city, it becomes scarier and scarier to visualize what will happen if disaster is imminent here. The streetcars will of course be of little value in getting people out of the city. They will in fact block streets where they are abandoned. The entire fleet of 1,500 TTC busses carrying 50 people each will barely be able to evacuate TTC and city employees, never mind the other 2 million of us. And during Katrina, we saw busses heading out of the city, but heard that drivers, understandably, refused to return.
Wonder what our Plan B is?
Labels:
climate,
Environment,
Toronto,
transit
The windmill re-turns.
Never let it be said that only bad news reaches this blog. I spend an enjoyable day sailing west of the Island on Friday, and witnessed a miraculous sight. The windmill was turning. And turning. One almost wants to break out in song. Instead, we have a movie.
Labels:
Energy,
Environment,
Toronto,
Waterfront,
windpower
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
TTC Streetcar Named King Running (on) Empty

The answer to Toronto's budget crisis is illustrated with photographic clarity.
The online Post article may be gone by the time you read this and does not show the photo.
Labels:
Energy,
Environment,
Toronto
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
What the H E Double Hockeysticks

Maybe the next time Mr Gore comes to Canada we can show him what a hockey stick is really used for.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
CNE Windmill stops traffic
While driving across the bottom of the city this morning, I ran into more traffic than usual. No, not another truck rollover. The CNE windmill was actually turning, a sight so incredulous that people just had to slow down to look. Of course, with a temperature of only 23 degrees Celsius, its wind power was no longer useful to offset imports of power from the US to keep all of those enemies of the kilowatt, the air-conditioner, humming. Its highly subsidized output ( according to the Windshare website, they are getting $0.11 per kilowatt, while Toronto Hydro is selling it to consumers at about $0.05 ) will just keep a few more empty streetcars on the road, or the billboards along the Gardiner lit up. And generate some cash flow for the investors.
It will probably run until it gets cold enough for people to turn on their baseboard heaters and radiant floors. At which point it will again be a monument to the flakiness of relying on the wind in this part of the world. If it actually does turn tomorrow, I will get a few time lapse photos to document this event for posterity.
It will probably run until it gets cold enough for people to turn on their baseboard heaters and radiant floors. At which point it will again be a monument to the flakiness of relying on the wind in this part of the world. If it actually does turn tomorrow, I will get a few time lapse photos to document this event for posterity.
Labels:
climate,
Energy,
Environment,
Toronto,
Waterfront,
windpower
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Lights Out - Anybody Home?

I assume that this is part of some misguided energy saving experiment by the building manager. The level of illumination was probably way less than Toronto building standards allow, and certainly less than required for a pleasant stay. But, I guess seeing your food is a frivolous waste of energy in Dwight Duncan's 2007. Little did they know in Calgary when they said "Freeze in the dark, Eastern bastards" in Trudeau's days.
Wonder what the tourists will say when they hear about this?
Friday, August 3, 2007
Another stack at PEC

Wind Powered Honda

Labels:
Energy,
Environment,
Toronto,
windpower
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