Helpless Deer Trapped ~ Father And Son Totally Brilliant

 

February 18, 2014 Viralnova post: Two Helpless Deer Were Trapped On An Icy Lake.  What A Father And Son Did Next Is Totally Brilliant.

 A guy named James saw a Facebook post about two deer that were stranded on Albert Lea Lake in Minnesota, USA.  It was iced over, so the poor deer couldn’t get their footing and make it to safety.  They were there for as long as three days before James saw this post.

That’s when he and his dad took matters into their own hands.  They got their hovercraft ready and headed to the lake.

A father, son, GoPro camera, hovercraft, and two stranded deer… that’s apparently the recipe for an incredible video. Share this awesome act of kindness with others. And because it included a hovercraft, which is just awesome.

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AFRAID OF YOUR COUCH? YOU SHOULD BE!!!

 

My blogs are usually water related (and some water related are a stretch of the imagination), but I’m taking a detour for this topic because it is of the utmost importance in my opinion.  This new HBO documentary, which aired a while back exposes the existence of deadly chemicals in furniture, and highlights the movement to fix a problem that touches us all.

I certainly hope that this toxic topic will be followed and acted upon in Canada – where our lives and especially our children’s lives are at stake!!!

The short video, “My Toxic Couch” below was uploaded to Youtube by Dr. Sarah Janssen, a senior scientist at the Natioanl Research Council in USA, on Feb 7, 2013 – Toxic flame retardant chemicals are saturated in the foam inside our furniture. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects and are worthless in preventing furniture fires. We need better regulation of these chemicals to address this problem.

The following excerpts are from an article by Gerri Miller, Nov. 21, 2013

The real concern is the troubling amount of chemicals in furniture cushions – which are dangerous for consumers and firefighters.  Are you sitting down? Before you do, think about your couch, because it could be killing you. Since 1975, in an effort to curb the number of lives lost in house fires, all furniture has been required to contain flame retardants. But these toxic substances — among the 84,000 chemicals in our products that are untested and unregulated – are dangerous to human health, causing an increased risk of cancer, mental problems and birth defects. This point is chillingly driven home in the documentary “Toxic Hot Seat,” which will premiere on HBO on Nov. 25. Filmmakers James Redford and Kirby Walker interviewed chemists, journalists, firefighters, politicians, and activists to uncover the truth behind this issue and how chemical companies and their lobbyists have spent millions to cover it up.  Initially, “We really thought it was going to be a story about legislation, how we could follow that and demonstrate whether there was progress and if not, why,” said Redford (the son of actor and environmental activist Robert Redford). “That approach crashed and burned rapidly,” when they discovered three months into the project that the Chicago Tribune was working on a five-part series about the issue called “Playing With Fire,” and the journalists behind it agreed to be part of the documentary. “It required a lot of steps to get permission, but it really changed the complexion of the film.” Walker added that when they’d first heard stories about the chemical company cover-ups involving “front” groups and the tobacco industry, it smacked too much of conspiracy theory to be true. “We thought, ‘it can’t be this bad.’ But the Tribune found that it was indeed that bad, and we did include it. A democracy can’t function if the people who live in it don’t know the truth. Because of investigative journalism, we’re told what is happening and can advocate for ourselves. That really resonated with us.”

This HBO Documentary Film, “Toxic Hot Seat” HD Trailer (HBO Documentary Film, airing November 25th) was published Aug. 22, 2013

Movie comment ~ 

Amazing documentary about the toxic fire retardants found in most upholstery throughout the U.S., based on a well-intentioned by faulty specification mandated by California decades ago and perpetuated by the chemical industry. A “must-see” for architects and interior designers that specify furniture – will change one’s perspective about fire retardants.

 

The film depicts the impact these chemicals have had on firefighters, who have unusually high rates of cancer due to toxic chemical exposure, and via experiments, demonstrates the ineffectiveness of fire retardants.

Dr. Vytenis Babrauskas, who published a study on the subject in 1987, asserted in the Tribune article that the amount of retardants in a typical home’s furniture provides “little to no fire protection.”

 

No wonder a large portion of the film focuses on efforts to change laws. Many states are considering legislation now, and in January, a new regulation will take effect that makes fire retardants no longer mandatory. Manufacturers don’t have to include the chemicals, but still can, so the onus is on the consumer to ask questions and buy accordingly.

 

“We want people to demand change and reform. If enough people see this we can demand change in Washington,” Walker said. Added Redford, “My hope is everybody talks about it, gets on social media. If we speak up we can get these chemicals out of our lives. We can’t get rid of these couches with chemicals in them overnight, but it’s really about thinking ahead for our children. We act with our pocketbooks and it can really make a difference.”

Related link ~ 

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/stories/toxic-couches-flame-retardants-on-the-rise-in-furniture-study-finds

WHAT IS THE WATER TANK PROJECT?

ART ABOVE NYC.
WATER ABOVE ALL.

Water tank wraps for water awareness.
 Coming Spring 2014

The Water Tank Project is the inaugural initiative of Word Above the Street, a non-profit dedicated to fostering environmental awareness and social advocacy through art and technology. In spring 2014, The Water Tank Project will transform the New York City skyline.

Artwork by acclaimed artists and New York City public school students will be wrapped around 100 rooftop water tanks across all five boroughs, celebrating the talents of established and emerging artists, and calling attention to the global water crisis.

Unprecedented in scale, The Water Tank Project is the first public art project to make use of water tanks in this way and will reach millions. For the duration of the project, art above will be complemented by action on the ground through educational programs, public tours, social media activities and a symposium dedicated to inspiring fresh views on global water issues.

Our aim is to produce art as social intervention, to inspire awe and joy, to educate, and to alter attitudes and habits among those who experience The Water Tank Project, ultimately creating meaningful and long-lasting change.

Here’s a link to my blog, “New York City’s Water System – How Bizarre!” of April 3, 2012, which will provide you with a most interesting history of the water tanks in NYC.  This includes a video and also a Prime Time Postscript clip -enjoy!

https://rainsoftottawa.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/new-york-citys-water-system-how-bizarre/?preview=true&preview_id=1422&preview_nonce=2fc7392cf4&post_format=standard

Canada’s Water Utilities in Trouble

The following article, Making Bail – Helping Canada’s water utilities out of a bad spot, by Elizabeth Brubaker is from the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Water Canada magazine.

Canada’s municipal utilities are in trouble, and it seems increasingly unlikely that the provinces will bail them out. Federal aid seems equally unlikely, given the finance minister’s warnings that there will be no major new spending initiatives in the 2010 budget. But our utilities need not despair. Although public money may be scarce, private investment and pricing reforms can provide sustainable solutions to the problems they face. (Important Update Note – 11/19/2013:  “…Where there’s a well, there’s a way  These are just a few illustrations of innovative financial solutions to meeting the need for safe water and sanitation. In 2014 businesses will partner with global non-governmental organizations, assessing water risk, scarcity and opportunity…” – taken from ” The Future of Water Sustainability ” – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-damon/water-sustainability_b_4303872.html )

 Municipal residential drinking water systems face a number of challenges. Ontario’s Chief Drinking Water Inspector John Stager reports that 199 systems exceeded provincial limits for total coliforms or E.coli at least once during the 2007-08 year, and 94 did so on multiple occasions. As well, 83 systems exceeded provincial limits for lead, trihalomethanes, nitrates, or other chemicals at least once, and 67 did so on multiple occasions.
Stager also reports that Ontario Ministry of Environment inspectors found areas of non-compliance at 348 systems during the reporting year. They observed problems with the sizing, installation, and operation of equipment; they detected inadequate sampling and reporting; they identified problems with operations and maintenance manuals; and they found unacceptable flow rates.
For these or other reasons, consumers do not trust the water coming out of their taps. In March 2009, Ipsos Reid probed consumer confidence in the safety and quality of Canada’s drinking water. Just 20 per cent of the Ontarians polled were very confident, while another 57 per cent were somewhat confident. The pollster also asked consumers about the source of the water they typically drink at home, and only 34 per cent of Ontarians replied that they drink water directly from the tap. The majority (63 per cent) filter their water or drink bottled water.
Meeting provincial and consumer water quality expectations is by no means the only challenge for water providers. The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario estimates that the province is losing at least 327 million cubic metres of treated water a year. These losses cost ratepayers an estimated $700 million annually.
  Wastewater systems are also in disrepair. In 2008, 102 sewage facilities violated provincial standards or their certificates of approval. Some of Canada’s biggest cities—Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, London—failed to comply with the rules. And some communities failed again and again. Brockville
had 19 exceedances, Sarnia had 23, and Waterloo had 17. Under the Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent approved by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment last February, poorly performing wastewater utilities will soon face new regulatory requirements.
Fixing these and other problems will cost billions, as will expanding the systems to meet new demand. Even if billions were available in the form of provincial and/or federal grants, municipalities would be wise to forgo them. Grants and other subsidies create perverse incentives. According to the Ontario Water Works Association and the Ontario Municipal Water Association, subsidies are counterproductive, rewarding those who neglect their infrastructure and punishing those who operate effectively.

They also cause delays—municipalities put off making essential improvements, hoping that free money might someday flow in to pay for them. When and if the free money does come, it encourages overbuilding. Grants have resulted in serious overcapacity. In 1996, 44 per cent of the capacity in place was excess to Ontario’s needs. That represented more than $25 billion in premature—in some cases, unnecessary—spending. It also gave many municipalities systems that were needlessly costly to run.
 Grants also allow municipalities to under-price water. Cheap water deprives consumers of the incentives they need to conserve. It encourages waste and requires unnecessary capacity.

Private capital offers municipalities an attractive alternative to grants. Increasingly, investors such as the Canada Pension Plan and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan want to put their money into water utilities, which offer steady, predictable, reliable revenue streams. According to Mira Shenker, editor of ReNew Canada magazine, “This is a sector that’s about to explode onto the marketplace.” Additionally, private dollars free up public funds for other purposes and transfer financial risks. And private money tends to be used efficiently—it comes with its own due diligence, enabling municipalities to get more for less.
Despite considerable theoretical support for private investment, and years of promotion by government agencies and consultants, Canada’s water and wastewater utilities have little experience with private capital. For a better idea of the possible extent of private investment, we can look to England and Wales, which privatized their water and wastewater systems in 1989. Since then, the private owners have invested about £3 billion (over C$5 billion) a year.
Private investment is not a magic wand. The investment will have to be recovered, and water rates across Canada are notoriously low—some of the lowest in the developed world. Low rates starve municipalities of capital and operating funds. Ontario alone has an unpaid bill of $11 billion in upkeep and repairs. In 2003, water revenues met just 64 per cent of the costs of providing services.
For these reasons, at least seven provincial bodies have advocated pricing reforms since the early 1990s. The Water Strategy Expert Panel concluded that “consumers should pay the full cost of the services they consume,” and the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario advocates full-cost recovery because it will enable systems to achieve financial sustainability and self-sufficiency, and it will encourage water conservation.
Businesspeople are also supporting pricing reforms. Last year, the CD Howe Institute released a commentary by economist Steven Renzetti, who recommended universal metering, full cost accounting, and seasonal pricing to reflect marginal costs. Shortly afterwards, Compas polled CEOs and business leaders for their responses to Renzetti’s proposals. It reported that “immense majorities back universal use of water meters, full-cost accounting, and adequate revenue to allow full updating of equipment and processes.”
Environmentalists also support full-cost pricing. In August, a  coalition that included Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, Great Lakes United, and the Canadian Environmental Law Association issued a report urging the province to mandate meters and to encourage volume-based, full-cost pricing. The full-cost analysis, it added, should include source protection and water conservation.
Even consumers support higher prices. Nanos Research polled
Ontarians on the issue last spring, asking them how willing they would be to pay more for water if it improved the supply of clean water for Canadians and the environment. Nearly half (47 per cent) of the respondents were very or somewhat willing to pay more for water. Only 22 per cent were somewhat or very unwilling to pay more.
Despite this extraordinarily broad support, the provinces have waffled on pricing. In Ontario, the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act, 2002, mandating provincially approved cost-recovery plans, has never been proclaimed. The more recent Financial Plans Regulation is but a weak substitute that, according to Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller, “is unlikely to push most municipal systems towards achieving financial sustainability.”
There is reason for optimism. In their recent paper on safeguarding Ontario’s water resources, the Ministers of Environment and Natural Resources noted strong stakeholder support for metering and conservation-based pricing. In listing possible actions for their water strategy, they included requiring municipalities to have a pricing structure that charges all users the full cost of providing water and wastewater services. Full-cost pricing may at last be on its way, setting our water and wastewater utilities on the path to sustainability. 
~ Elizabeth Brubaker is the executive director of Environment Probe.

One alarming example of bacteria levels in water exceeding the recommended level – Hamilton, Ontario
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/alarming-bacteria-levels-in-major-hamilton-creek-1.1141484

Please feel free to call us with any concerns you may have about municipal or well water systems’ that may affect
you and your family’s health and well being:

Eternally Pure Water Systems, Inc.
5450 Canotek Road, Unit 66-67
Ottawa, Ontario
613-742-0058

Related links:

http://www.esemag.com/archive/0903/challenges.html

http://publications.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP/bp333-e.htm

 

 

Diana Nyad ~ “Never, ever give up!” ~ Remarkable!

Diana Nyad is an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and world record long-distance swimmer.  Nyad gained national attention in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan (28 mi or 45 km) and in 1979 when she swam from North Bimini, The Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Florida (102 mi (164 km)).  In 2013, on her fifth attempt and at age 64, she became the first person confirmed to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage, swimming from Havana to Key West (110 mi or 180 km).  

In the pitch-black night, stung by jellyfish, choking on salt water, singing to herself, hallucinating … Diana Nyad just kept on swimming. And that’s how she finally achieved her lifetime goal as an athlete: an extreme 100-mile swim from Cuba to Florida – at age 64.

Diana refers to her experience as “awe inspiring” ~ Diana’s talk is inspiring – what a truly remarkable woman!

This amazing motivational video is sure to inspire everyone! 

With a brand new year just beginning perhaps these quotes from Diana will have you reaching for your star:

“You can chase your dreams at any age – you’re never too old!”

“When you achieve your dreams, it’s not so much what you get, as who you have become in achieving them.”

Canadian Tire Truck Made From Ice Travels 2.5 MILES!!!

When I first looked at the above photo I thought that someone had sprayed water on this truck in extremely frigid weather so that it froze on contact ~ imagine my amazement to find out the following… be sure to watch the video and the behind the scene documentary – really interesting!

This article is from viralnova.com’s Jan.2, 2014 ~ 
“If I Saw This Truck Going Down The Road, I’d Do A Double Take… Because It’s Simply Unbelievable.”

Canadian Tire built a truck made of 11 000 pounds of ice to prove how reliable the MotoMaster Eliminator Ultra Automotive Battery with AGM Technology is in the middle of winter. The MotoMaster Eliminator Ultra Battery with AGM was frozen to – 40 degrees celsius before being used to start the Ice Truck. The Canadian Tire Ice Truck not only started with the frozen battery but drove Paul and his son to Hockey Practice.

A Canadian ice sculpture company called Iceculture took on an incredible challenge recently. The result is pretty much unbelievable.

Canadian Tire, a battery company, wanted to showcase just how well their batteries hold up in the cold. The best way to do that? Build an 11,000+ pound, fully functional and driveable ice truck.

Every part of the truck that is not absolutely necessary for driving is made of ice.

It was built in extremely freezing temperatures.

There’s 11,000 pounds of ice. The total weight is more than 15,000 pounds.

The incredible “sculpture” was built on a 2005 Chevy Silverado frame.

And the best part? They drove it.

They drove it over 2.5 miles in total and submitted the feat to Guinness Book of World Records.

As stated, the truck was created to demonstrate how well Canadian Tire’s batteries hold up in the blistering cold Canadian winters.

The result was much more impressive than that.

Even the windshield is made of ice. Phenomenal work.

I guess the only depressing part to this is that they left it to melt after accomplishing what they wanted – that took 40 hours. I think, if I was capable of sculpting something like this, I would sadly watch it, drowning in my own sorrow… and cold water.

Youtube video published on Dec. 23, 2013 – ‘Hockey Practice – The Canadian Tire Ice Truck Commercial’

Behind the Scenes Documentary of the Canadian Tire Ice Truck (Winter 2013) ~ 

Learn More About the Ice Truck http://www.canadiantire.ca/icetruck

http://www.viralnova.com/ice-truck/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=aweber

P.E.I.’S NEW WATER AUDIT PROGRAM

Switching to low-flow shower heads can cut water-use by half and save thousands of dollars from a hotel’s water bill. It’s just one of the suggestions the City of Charlottetown floated to hotels in a recent water audit. Laura Chapin explains in this CBC audio, ‘Conservation, policies and PEI’s water-use laws’, May 16, 2013 ~
http://www.cbc.ca/islandmorning/episodes/2013/05/16/conservation-policies-and-peis-water-use-laws/

The following article, Be My Guest ‘Hotels participate in a new water audit program in Prince Edward Island.’ by Clark Kingsbury appears in the May/June issue of WaterCanada magazine.

Charlottetown’s Water and Sewer Utility Department has launched an innovative project aiming to improve water efficiency in the city’s hotels. The Hotel Audit project offers to identify easy, cost-effective way for hotels to reduce water waste by both guests and staff. The project will be executed in partnership with Holland College’s Energy Systems Engineering Technology program. Three hotels are currently involved.

“This pilot supports the tourism industry while also reducing the amount of water used in our city during the busy summer months,” says Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee. “Involving Holland College in the process allows us access to the expertise of its energy systems engineering technology program managers and provides students with an excellent educational opportunity.” The project requires students to perform the audits with water and sewer utility staff members.

Despite public concern about the amount of water consumed by cruise ships docking in Charlottetown’s harbour, the city’s hotels actually consume more water than the Harbour Authority uses in an entire year.

“It seems lately that the focus has moved from conservation to trying to assign blame to a particular industry for high water usage, but the reality is that it’s not one industry or sector that is to blame,” says the water and sewer utility’s chair, Edward Rice. “Conserving water and finding ways to keep water use down during the summer months is the collective responsibility of all businesses, sectors, and industries, as well as governments and residents.”

The audit includes testing of all water use in the participating facilities, and provides recommendations with payback periods based on anticipated savings on water and energy bills.