LISTEN TO YOUR (PENGUIN) HEART ~ HOW PRECIOUS!!!

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART ~ Mike Rowland, Film by Ruedi & Priska Abbühl Uploaded on Jan 29, 2011

Credit for this beautiful Emperor Penguin film goes to Ruedi & Priska Abbühl… And the Music … All glory goes to composer Mike Rowland from the album “My Elfin Friends,” who is currently compiling a book about the power of healing through music…I have the impression that to penguins, man is a different kind of penguin, unpredictable, occasionally violent, but tolerable company when he sits still and admires Nature and leaves it as he found it. ~Aetopus/AC

WHERE PENGUINS LIVE: Penguins do not live in the Arctic. They live on the shores of Antarctica and they also live in the south of Australia, New Zealand, America & Africa. The most northerly place that penguins live is on the Galapagos Islands which is near Ecuador in South America. Even though there is ice in Canada and the Arctic, penguins don’t live there or in the northern half of the world.

No other animal other than penguins can draw attention to the environmental damaged caused by oil and gas drilling (fracking and mountaintop removal), my reason for ending this video with the message “NO TO ARCTIC DRILLING!” ~Aetopus/AC
Please see my previous blog, “Fracking Hell ~ A Catastrophe!”                    

Here is a great YouTube video, “Birth and March of Emperor Penguins“, from Nature’s Great Events – In the coldest part of the planet, Emperor Penguins breed and give birth to their young, only to begin a great march toward the coast.

Links:
- PlanetSave: http://www.planetsave.com/
GreenpeaceUSA: http://www.youtube.com/greenpeaceusa

- Mike Rowland website: http://www.mikerowland.co.uk/
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mik…
Ambient Classical Mike and Jana Rowland: http://www.ambientclassical.com/

FRACKING HELL ~ A CATASTROPHE!

WHAT IS FRACKING?
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method of forcing natural gas or oil from rock layer deep below the earth’s surface.

 HOW FRACKING WORKS:
1) A pressurized mixture of sand, water and chemicals is injected into a horizontally drilled well.
2) The mix cracks the shale and fills the cracks with sandy grit allowing natural gas to flow up the well.
3) The recovered water is stored in lined pits or taken to a treatment plant. 

“Hydraulic Fracturing: How it works”, YouTube video uploaded  by Imperial Oil , Sept. 19, 2012 ~

“Animation of Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking)”, a YouTube video was published on Apr 26, 2012 ~

ALASKA FRACKING:… Alaska is a major component in fracking and it is big in the future. Alaska has around 2 billion barrels ofoil and 80 trillion cubic feet of gas. This is enough to fill the Alaska pipeline for 12 decades. The wells of Alaska are located in two areas. The biggest spot for the fracking to occur is the North Slope, where most of the wells are… The other area of fracking takes place in the Kenai Peninsula on the South coast of Alaska… Not only can gas and oil be extracted from fracking, but so can 500 million barrels of recoverable natural gas. This recoverable natural gas comes from the North area. Alaska fracking is a good way to extract oil because it can cover many wells at one time, making the process less expensive… because the fracking takes place in the north part of Alaska, there is no human harm done because it does not take place in developed areas, where many people normally live. Fracking in Alaska takes place in the undeveloped areas.

FRACKING  IS CONTROVERSIAL AND HARMFUL:
Around 25% of the oil extraction in Alaska uses fracking… Alaska fracking can be harmful to the environment as well as the animals because it puts chemicals in water that harms these two. This is why Alaska fracking has been a controversial topic for many years. Because of this, there have been hearings for new laws and regulations for this type of oil extraction in Alaska. These types of laws and regulations, if passed, would be very strict. Some of the regulations could involve oil extraction companies giving more information about the chemicals used that could potentially harm any areas containing water. The contamination of water can cause a lot of problems in the future for Alaska.

EARTHQUAKES, CHEMICAL SPILLS,

TOXIC DRINKING WATER

AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE

DUMPING,

AND THE LIST GOES ON……!!!

A MUST SEE ~ The following YouTube video, “Fracking Hell: The Untold Story”, uploaded on Jan 11, 2011 by LinkTV.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_fracking

MOTHERS DAY ~ A TRIBUTE TO MOTHERS EVERYWHERE

I thought it would be interesting to check into the history of Mothers Day and also thought it would be nice to create a YouTube video with inspirational quotes on motherhood. I’d appreciate you watching it on YouTube and ‘liking it’. I dedicated my Mothers Day tribute to my amazing daughter who is the fabulous Mom of my 5 year old grandson and is my inspiration, ”my hero” and “the wind beneath my wings” ~ I hope you enjoy it and you are welcome to share with all the Moms near (or far) and dear to you.

EARLIEST HISTORY OF MOTHERS DAY:
The earliest history of Mothers Day dates back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology. Ancient Romans, too, celebrated a spring festival, called Hilaria dedicated to Cybele, a mother goddess. It may be noted that ceremonies in honour of Cybele began some 250 years before Christ was born. The celebration made on the Ides of March by making offerings in the temple of Cybele lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades. The celebrations were notorious enough that followers of Cybele were banished from Rome.

History of Mother’s Day in England:
The more recent history of Mothers Day dates back to 1600s in England. Here a Mothering Sunday was celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter) to honor mothers… Custom of celebrating Mothering Sunday died out almost completely by the 19th century. However, the day came to be celebrated again after World War II, when American servicemen brought the custom and commercial enterprises used it as an occasion for sales.

Mother’s Day in the United States:
The idea of official celebration of Mothers day in US was first suggested by Julia Ward Howe in 1872. An activist, writer and poet Julia shot to fame with her famous Civil War song, “Battle Hymn of the Republic“. Julia Ward Howe suggested that June 2 be annually celebrated as Mothers Day and should be dedicated to peace.
Anna Jarvis is recognised as the Founder of Mothers Day in US. Though Anna Jarvis never married and never had kids, she is also known as the Mother of Mothers Day, an apt title for the lady who worked hard to bestow honor on all mothers… The hard work paid off. By 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day in Canada:
In North American country of Canada, Mothers Day is the most popular festival after Christmas and Valentines Day. Just as in USA, Mothers Day in Canada is celebrated in the second Sunday in the month of May. People pay tribute to their mothers on the day and thank them for their constant support and love.  Here in Ottawa we have the Tulip Festival which coincides with Mother’s Day.

http://www.conservapedia.com/Mother’s_Day

WATER QUIZ ~ HOW SAVY ARE YOU?

WATER QUIZ #1
HOW MUCH WATER DO WE USE?
Calculated in Litres
ACTIVITY                   (A)                (B)                (C)
Cooking                        38                 42                 46
Drinking                       4                   6                    2
Bathroom faucets       18-68           8-57              29-80
Taking a shower          33-201        66-237          57-227
Taking a Bath               51-60          72-91             95-114
Toilet Flush                  11-26           41-56             30-45
Leaking Toilet              23-227        12-216           32-225                
Washing Car                 90-203        76-189          65-178   
Washing Clothes          114               85                  133   
Washing Dishes            33-203        57-227          71-241 
Watering Lawn 1          7-372           21- 386         14-379

 

WATER QUIZ #2
HOW MUCH WATER DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE ONE SERVING OF:
ACTIVITY                   (A)                (B)                (C)
French Fries                37                 15                 23
Tomatoes                     19                  8                  11
Apples                           61                  30                45
Cantaloupe                   170               193              140               
Oranges                         65                 83                46
Watermelon                 379              190               274
Lettuce                          23                 16                 37
Bread                             41                  57                 25
Rice                                175               136               120
Margarine                     348               221               290
Milk                                230              275               246
Chicken                         1475             1600            1544
Eggs (2)                          515               475              431
Cola Soft Drink             17                 43                 38

Now lets see just how savy you are regarding water usage ~ ball park figures are fine

QUIZ # 1
ANSWERS: A,C,B,C,C,A,A,B,A,B,C
QUIZ # 2
ANSWERS: C,C,A,B,B,A,A,B,B,A,C,C,A,C

Water usage is not something we think about on a daily basis, however after seeing the astonishing figures, it only makes sense to be much more conscious about conserving water – we can make a difference!

… and yes, I know I assisted you with your answers in providing the colour coding – really felt I needed it myself!

CIELAP REPORT ~ “EMERGING CONTAMINANTS”

WHAT MUST WE DO
TO PRESERVE

OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE???

The following excerpts are taken from a report, “There is No Away: Emerging Contaminants Detected in Water” which was published in the March/April, 2006 edition of Canadian Water Treatment magazine.

A report from the Canadian Institute For Environmental Law and Policy (CIELAP) released during National Pharmacists Awareness Week emphasizes the need for the Canadian government and industry to invest mores resources to research the effects of “emerging contaminants: in Canada’s waterways”.  The report makes 11 recommendations about ways to reduce the amount of, and their effects on, one of Canada‘s most valuable resources.

Anne Mitchell, executive director of CIELAP, said the release of the report was planned to coincide with the industry’s national convention because there are a number of issues related to increasing environmental contamination by pharmaceuticals and personal care products.  She was also careful to commend pharmacist for their efforts in keeping unused and wasted drugs out of the water.

The report, There is No Away: Emerging Contaminants Detected in Water, was written by Susan Holtz, a policy consultant to CIELAP who  writes on issues related to sustainable development, water and energy.  CIELAP is a not-for-profit research and educational institute dedicated to environmental law, policy analysis and reform.

In writing her  report, Holtz examined the issued of “emerging contaminants” – a term that originated in a U.S. Geological Survey report.  It refers to the  presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (collectively know as PPCPs) and endocrine-disrupting substances (EDSl) in the Canadian water system.  Holtz warns that the contaminants entering surface, ground and drinking water can have serious environmental and health consequences.  One of the biggest concerns is the issue of resistance to antibiotics and hormonal imbalances due to higher concentrations of EDS.  Of major concern, she says, if the increased use of antibiotics for both the human and animal population.  In Canada, there were 326.2 million prescriptions filled from July 2001 to August 2002.

In farming, Holtz notes that antibiotics are no longer being used singularly to treat sick animals; they’re also being used in the form of hormones, growth promoters and for illness prevention.  In her research, she determined the increased use of drugs in veterinary medicine, farming practices and aquaculture has decreased the effectiveness of the use of antibiotics.  The use of hormones in both animals and humans has had a negative effect on reproduction, causing the feminization of fish, wiping out an entire talhead minnow population in Ontario.  EDSs have also contributed to deformities in fish, birds and wildlife…Building on study results conducted in the U.S. and Europe, Holtz says it’s time for Canada to get more involved in the issue of contaminants in water.  She says the Canadian government and Canadian organizations don’t have enough information “even to develop a strategy that can effectively” determine the effects of contaminants in water… 
Here are a few YouTube videos relevant to this article:
~ Pharmaceuticals ~

~ Disposing of your Medications ~

~ Pharmaceutical Products In Our Water PSA ~

In addition to research, Holtz said a focus on human behaviour and providing more information to the public in order to encourage better choices are also important elements of social change.

PHENOMENAL ~ WORLD’S HIGHEST TIDES ~ CANADA

The Bay of Fundy tides are so dramatic that they are considered the highest tides in the world – a phenomenon that occurs nowhere else on the planet.  200 billion tons of water flow every single day!!!

“Bay of Fundy | Tides | New Brunswick, Canada“, uploaded Jun 4, 2009.  Come to the Bay of Fundy and watch the highest tides in the world and then, six hours later at low tide, you can walk on the ocean floor.  In July 2009, the Bay of Fundy was named as a finalist for the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest that ended in November 2011.  It was not chosen as a wonder.  The highest water level ever recorded in the Bay of Fundy system occurred at the head of the Minas Basin on the night of October 4–5, 1869 during a tropical cyclone named the “Saxby Gale”.  The water level of 21.6 meters (70.9 feet) resulted from the combination of high winds, abnormally low atmospheric pressure, and a spring tide.

From wikipedia.org:  The Bay of Fundy… is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine.  Some sources believe the name “Fundy” is a corruption of the French word “Fendu”, meaning “split”, while others believe it comes from the Portuguese fondo, meaning “funnel”.      The bay was also named Baie Française (French Bay) by explorer/cartographer Samuel de Champlain during a 1604 expedition led by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts which resulted in a failed settlement attempt on St. Croix Island.

Bay of Fundy: Canada’s New7Wonders of Nature Finalist, uploaded on Aug 6, 2010

The Bay of Fundy, rivaled by Ungava Bay in northern Quebec, King Sound in Western Australia, Gulf of Khambhat in India, and the Severn Estuary in the UK, it has one of the highest vertical tidal ranges in the world.  The Guinness Book of World Records (1975) declared that Burntcoat Head, Nova Scotia has the highest tides in the world:“The Natural World, Greatest Tides:  The greatest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundy…. Burntcoat Head in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, has the greatest mean spring range with 14.5 metres (47.5 feet) and an extreme range of 16.3 metres (53.5 feet).”

In the following YouTube video you’ll see both high and low tides featured as the camera captures the panoramic expanse – ‘An afternoon over the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada. Featuring Cape Split, lighthouses, and the highest tides in the world, published on Aug 17, 2012.’

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Fundy

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO – WATER INSTITUTE’S EXTERNAL PARTNERS PROGRAM

University of Waterloo - The Water Institute
Through collaboration among individuals engaged in water science, technology, management and governance, the Water Institute is an interdisciplinary hub that facilitates innovative research, education and training.  The Institute’s activities focus on the sustainable use and management of water resources to support healthy and prosperous communities and ecosystems at the national and international scale.  Throughout its history, the University of Waterloo has demonstrated a significant and consistent commitment to education and research on water-related topics and has garnered international acclaim for its innovative solutions to society’s water problems.

Launch of the The Water Institute’s External Partners Program

With over 125 faculty members and 400 graduate students, distributed over all six faculties, the University of Waterloo has one of the largest and most diverse water research programs in Canada.  Established in 2009 the Water Institute supports and encourages greater interdisciplinarity among our programs.  An important element in the strategy to achieve our goals is to encourage much closer association between the University and external organizations, including the private sector, government, civil society and other research facilities.

Please join us for this year’s Water Institute’s Research Symposium to be held May 2, 2013 at the University of Waterloo. The 2013 symposium will showcase the breadth of Waterloo’s water research and provide an opportunity for organizations to interact with researchers and students.

Website: water.uwaterloo.ca

YOU CAN’T EAT THAT BOTTLE!!!

Nature Works LLC, a solely-independent division of Cargill, is the first company in the world to produce packaging that is 100 per cent compostable.

  Made entirely from field corn, NatureWorks PLA is a food packaging resin that uses an annually renewable resource that doesn’t compromise the earth’s’ ability to meet the needs of tomorrow.”

It’s like using food to carry your food – or your water – as is the case with BIOTA Spring Water. YouTube video: HowStuffWorks Show: Episode 1: Corn Plastic, This clip from the HowStuffWorks show on the Discovery Channel discusses the use of corn to make plastic. Plastic made from corn is biodegradable, carbon-neutral and edible. Could corn plastic revolutionize the plastics industry?

The items shown in the collage below are just a very few of the many products that are made from this corn resin - amazing! YouTube video: Corn to Plastics, – Corn is showing up in places you would have never expected. A company in Columbus is making plastic film from corn. Our Ohio visits Plastic Suppliers to learn more about this new technology.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J7eIebTYbM?rel=0&w=420&h=315]

The technological process of producing the plastic is essentially the same as producing petroleum-based plastic.  “Instead of oil-based carbon, we start with a sugar-based carbon from corn,” said Tucker.  The technology is especially important to the bottled water industry in the shadow of a recent study by William Shotyk of Heidelberg University in Germany, whose research on bottled mineral water shows that the plastic containers release a deadly toxin called antimony into the water the longer it is stored.

   “The NatureWorks bottle is what is referred to as a ‘barefoot resin,’” said Tucker.  “There’s nothing to leach and the bottle doesn’t change the makeup of the water.”  But just because the bottle is made from food doesn’t mean you can eat it.  BIOTA cautions on its website, under frequently asked questions, that because the bottle is a plastic product, it’s not recommended that the containers be consumed.

BIOTA spring water bottle, uploaded on Jul 6, 2007 – the environmentally friendly packaging.

Here’s an interesting footnote to wrap up this blog: However the usage of PLA corn bottle involves some drawbacks also. It is obvious that the production of PLA corn bottle or any other bio plastic would necessarily involve devoting vast acres of land for producing crops used in the manufacture of plastic products rather than food. It cannot be overlooked that plants also use energy in the form of fuel, water and other resources. Besides, transportation also adds up to a lot of fuel consumption. Being disposable they add to the waste generated and cannot take the place of reusable products which are more environmentally friendly. http://www.innovateus.net/content/what-pla-corn-bottle

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: “The technology is especially important to the bottled water industry in the shadow of a recent study by William Shotyk of Heidelberg University in Germany, whose research on bottled mineral water shows that the plastic containers release a deadly toxin called antimony into the water the longer it is stored.” This is another very important reason for everyone to realize the dangers of bottled water – not only to our health, but to our precious environment. It would be a very wise investment for you to consider a Reverse Osmosis water treatment system, such as the Rainsoft Reverse Osmosis system offered by us.

Eternally Pure Water Systems, Inc.
5450 Canotek Road, Unit 66-67
Ottawa, ON K1J 9G5
Telephone: 613-742-0058
Mon. – Fri. 9:00 – 5:30

GUESS WHAT I’M HAVING

FOR DINNER TONIGHT?  

 

YUMMY!

EARTH DAY 2013 ~ OTTAWA, CANADA

The first Canadian Earth Day was held on Thursday, September 11, 1980, and was organized by Paul D. Tinari, then a graduate student in Engineering Physics/Solar Engineering at Queen’s University. Flora MacDonald, then MP for Kingston and the Islands and Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs, officially opened Earth Day Week on September 6, 1980 with a ceremonial tree planting and encouraged MPs and MPPs across the country to declare a cross-Canada annual Earth Day. The principal activities taking place on the first Earth Day included educational lectures given by experts in various environmental fields, garbage and litter pick-up by students along city roads and highways as well as tree plantings to replace the trees killed by Dutch Elm Disease.

 Earth Day Canada (EDC) is a national environmental charity founded in 1990 that provides Canadians with practical knowledge, tools, and simple easy-to-accomplish actions to support a healthier environment through EDC’s year-round and award-winning programs. 

 

EcoKids supports teachers and students, grades K-8, with free educational resources, curriculum-linked lesson plans including ESL and FSL, and homework help and games for students. EcoMentors offers youth the training and resources they need to facilitate local environmental education workshops with their peers and other young Canadians…

Toyota Earth Day Scholarship Program recognizes tomorrow’s environmental leaders providing twenty $5 000 scholarships to graduating high school students going on to post-secondary education in the discipline of their choice. The Hometown Heroes Award Program recognizes environmental leaders at the community level with an individual and a group award (each with a cash-prize of $10 000), and business leaders with a small business award. Earth Day Canada’s Community Environment Fund funds sustainable community projects in Ontario providing grants of up to $20 000 to schools and not-for-profit organizations.

The Diversity Engagement and Inclusion Initiative helps the environmental sector to better communicate with, engage and activate Canada’s diverse social and cultural communities. The Employee Engagement program works with employers to achieve business and sustainability goals through inclusion of best practices.

Here’s a wonderful video, ” A Photographic Tribute to The Ocean” from OneEarthOneOcean that I just came across ~ This Earth Day, One World One Ocean is giving the ocean the attention it deserves with a special video collection of ocean photographs from our online community. Here is the ocean through their eyes.

Let’s take up the challenge
to do our part as keepers of Mother Earth
- the need is great!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day#Earth_Day_Canada

FINDING JOY! ~ FRIDAY INSPIRATION

Simple secrets to a happy life . . . What a special treat to find another truly inspiring video from Simple Truths – “Finding Joy ~ Simple Secrets To A Happy Life” ~ sublime!!!  Naturally I want to share it with all of you.

When life brings complications, it helps to remember that happiness is simple. With its beautiful pictures, uplifting quotations, and inspiring tone, ‘Finding Joy: Simple Secrets to a Happy Life’ will put a smile on your face when you need it most. So, today, take three short minutes to watch this movie. Your heart will thank you for it.  Music – “Capture The Moment” by David London, uploaded on Jan 5, 2009 by Hafiz.

A difficult choice to make, but the following are a few of my favorites:

Nothing happens …but first a dream.

~ Carl Sandburg

The heart that gives, gathers.

 
 

~ Marianne Moore

Change your thoughts and change your world.
 
 

~ Norman Vincent Peale

The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it and the faith to believe it’s possible.

~ Rick Devos

Sometimes in the winds of change we find our true direction.
 
 

~ Author unknown

Joy is the light that fills you with Hope, Faith and Love.
 
 

~ Author unknown

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
 
 

David Viscott

Link to Simple Truths site where you’ll find an impressive selection of inspiring books.  Many of these books also have an accompanying video which you can preview.  Simple Truths offers frequent book sales.  This may be the next one I order for gift-giving.

http://www.simpletruths.com/canada/

Once again I hope that you enjoyed the video and will find joyful inspiration in many of the quotes, and of course share with others.   Have a great weekend everyone.