Exact numbers aren’t in yet, but Super Bowl XLIV reportedly brought in close to 100 million American viewers last night. Worldwide that numbers is obviously even bigger. With so many eyeballs tuned in, many companies love to use the high ratings as an opportunity to promote their green message to the world – which GE and Audi did. Audi’s commercial for the ‘green police’ has the environmental world all abuzz this morning as it’s not quite clear if they were using the spot as greenwashing or just to poke fun at the eco-nuts out there. If you haven’t seen the commercial click here. Although I assume it was meant as a tongue-and-cheek spot, many are claiming this is not too far off from what the future holds with the McGuinty government – and to a larger scale, the Obama governments ‘green dream’ agenda.

Far fetched? Maybe. We’ll see.

With all these companies spending millions of dollars for a 30 sec chance to promote their green message, I started to wonder, in general, how green is the Super Bowl? Overpriced green ads aside, what is the environmental impact of such a massive event? Does the NFL take any steps towards sustainability or countering the effects this event has on the earth and the cities who host it?

Let’s take a quick look at some of the figures.

As far as the stadium and those in attendance for the big day….there are 20,000 parking spaces available e.g. a potential for 20,000 vehicles. The EPA estimates there is about 19.4 pounds of CO2 emitted for every gallon of gasoline burned. Even if each car only drove 20 miles to get there, that would still be over 7 million pounds or over 3500 tons of CO2 emissions. (NOTE: That doesn’t factor in trucks used to bring in food, supplies or any other CO2 emissions generated during game day preparations.)

(Via Biofriendly Blog)

Well, luckily the NFL has been proactive and created the NFL Environmental Program. The NFL EP is a series of local initiatives designed to address environmental impacts associated with the production of Super Bowl XLIV. Its projects are designed, wherever possible, to leave a tangible benefit to the local host community. All projects are developed in partnership with the local South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee and with a number of national, regional and local organizations using local resources.

So do they promote alternative transportation to help lower emissions during the event?

According to John Groh, Program Director for the NFL’s Environment Program, they DO NOT promote alternative transportation…they provide it.

The African Rhino

It’s interesting how many comic book and cartoon character are based on creatures and animals that, at current rates, won’t be around much longer.

When I’m not blogging about the environment by day and fighting crime by night, I’ll admit it, I like to indulge in the geekier things in life. Primarily comic books. I’ve been collecting comics and action figures (insert Comic Book Guy from the Simpson’s line) since I was 22.

The other day I was sifting through some old comics I had and started glancing at all the odd second-rate characters and villains who had weird names and persona’s based on animals or creatures. Then it struck me that many of these characters were named after creatures that are on the top endangered species list. So I did a bit of research and came up with the following ten comic book characters who are based on animals or creatures that, according to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and other sources, if current trends continue, they run the risk of becoming extinct.

(The Rhino – Marvel Universe)

Rhinos once roamed throughout Eurasia and Africa, and where depicted in cave paintings by early Europeans. Within historical times, rhinos were very widespread in the African savannas and the tropical forests of Asia.

Today however, there are very few rhinos who survive without the help of national parks and reserves. There are five species of rhino, three species are found in Asia and two still remain in Africa.

Javan, Sumatran and Indian rhinos are all found in Asia. Both Javan and Sumatran rhinos are listed on The World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered and the Indian rhino as endangered.

There is some good news though, there are success stories and some populations are increasing: the souther white rhino and the Indian rhino are thriving in well-protected sanctuaries and their numbers are growing. The white rhino species was once thought to be extinct but are now being classified as Near Threatened. The black rhino is slowing increasing in numbers over the past ten years, but total numbers are nowhere close to what they used to be fifty years ago.

The rate of their decline is truly astounding: in the decade of the 1970s alone, half the world’s rhino population disappeared. Today, less than 15 per cent of the 1970 population remains, an estimated 10,000 to 11,000 worldwide.

Causes of Endangerment:

Now this is a smart-bomb I can get behind.

If you’ve already looked into DIY solar panels or anything else encompassing the DIY green network there may be an organic gardening project you overlooked.

Let me introduce you to the Kabloom Seed bom. The Seed bomb is a crafted and molded organic grenade made from recycled paper, egg boxes, shredded office paper and filled with seeds. Created by an innovative entrepreneurial Scottish guerrilla gardener named Darren Wilson.

Seed bombing (“Seed Grenades”, or “Green Grenades”) are used when trying to introduce vegetation to arid soils or otherwise inhospitable terrains. Traditional seed bombs are compressed clods of soil containing live vegetation that can be thrown or dropped onto terrain in need of a pick-me-up. The term “seed grenade” first emerged when it was used by Liz Christy in 1973 when she started the “Green Guerillas” – an organization that uses a mix of education, organization, and advocacy to help people cultivate community gardens, sustain grassroots groups, and address issues critical to the future of their gardens.

Seed bombing, also known as “Seed Grenades” is a technique of introducing vegetation to arid soils or otherwise inhospitable terrains. A seed bomb is a compressed clod of soil containing live vegetation that may be thrown or dropped onto a terrain to be modified. The term “seed grenade” was first used by Liz Christy in 1973 when she started the “Green Guerillas”. The first seed grenades were made from condoms filled with local wildflower seeds, water and fertilizer. The seed grenades were tossed over fences onto empty lots in New York City in order to make the neighborhoods look better. It was the start of the Guerrilla Gardening movement.

So if you’ve got some challenging locations that are in need of gardening seed bombs may be the answer you’ve been looking for. Plus chucking a grenade full of seed sure beats hours bent over with a trowel.

The Kabloom seed bom is ready to explode with life and colour by using vegetation that grows easily under the toughest conditions. The only downside is that this particular seed bomb requires large amounts of rain.

Mention the name Adam Giambrone to any Torontonian and it will most likely elicite any one of the follower words or phrases: “Too young”, “inexperienced”, “more like Jabroni”, “he can’t run the TTC and he wants to run this city [Toronto]?”.

Giambrone is often questioned and regarded for his age although he does boast an impressive resume of accomplishments – he was elected to council when he was just 26; he’s a former president of the federal New Democratic Party; he’s the chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC); he speaks several languages; and he’s toured the world as an archaeologist.

Well, as impressive as that rap sheet is, after today you can probably add a number of words to that question which include: douchebag, joke, embarrassment, and…seriously?

Adam Giambrone just released a tongue-and-cheek youtube video on Friday in which the politician declares “I’m ready.”

Here’s a quick summery from the Toronto Star:

Giambrone shows himself working out to prove that he has the “years of physical and mental training that it takes to run the city.”Jumping jacks, push-ups, jogging – Giambrone does it all.

At one point, the off-screen announcer says, “A successful candidate must have a memorable prop they can be associated with.”

Giambrone holds a broom over his head, but tosses it away, seemingly dismissing the symbol of current mayor David Miller’s desire to clean up City Hall in his successful run for mayor in 2003.

He also tries out various slogans, such as “It’s Transit City, stupid” – a play on the “It’s the economy, stupid” mantra of presidential candidate Bill Clinton in 1992.

- Toronto Star

Back in September there was rumor of a big deal on the horizon between Premier Dalton McGuinty and multinational conglomerate Samsung; a deal that would appear to increase the degree of protectionism seeping into Ontario electricity policy and not to mention severally undermine the OPA and the Ontario Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program. That deal was finally inked last week.

The deal had a familiar shape. One partner was a successful international consortium with deep pockets and manufacturing expertise, the other a backward jurisdiction so hungry for jobs that it had to pay the big company what amounts to a bribe to do the deal. The whole thing was arranged directly with the jurisdiction’s leader without the bother of competition. It’s the kind of deal one might expect in the Third World, except that it was Ontario on the Third World side of the equation.

- The Ottawa Citizen

Samsung will invest $7 billion in Ontario supposedly creating 16,000 jobs over the next 6 years, of which around 4,000 will be permanent. It’s being labeled as the biggest bet on green energy ever in North America. That means four new factories and some 1,440 manufacturing jobs. The South Koreans hope to generate 2,500 megawatts of wind and solar power and provide clean electricity to 580,000 households. Keep in mind that 2,500 is capacity – what solar and wind COULD provide – if the wind blows and sun shines 100% of the time 24/7. That 2,500 is not output.

Sounds great right? Well before we start patting our progressive green energy covered backs. Let’s look at a few things first.

The deal will cost every electricity consumer in the province an extra $1.60 a year on their bill for 25 years (contract length).

In addition many in the energy industry are opposing the deal because they’re arguing that Samsung is getting a ’sweetheart deal’ from McGunity. And rightly so. In addition the $7 billion investment by Samsung, they were essentially lured (bribed) into the province with financial incentives above and beyond the generous guaranteed revenue stream our government pays green-energy companies.

Samsung will receive $437-million in incentive payments over the 25-year life of the deal if it fulfills its obligation to create 16,000 jobs. This will be done, in part, by having Samsung woo green energy companies to the province. This is the incentive that will add the $1.60 to consumers’ electricity bills.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said the deal contains no job guarantees, so all Ontarians have to go on is Mr. McGuinty’s word.

“Ontario families have no reason to trust Dalton McGuinty’s latest job promise surrounding his sweetheart Samsung deal.”- The Globe & Mail

Back in early December WAG blog did a post entitled: Climate of Hypocrisy. A very interesting and stimulating diatribe of sorts on the deniers of climate change. I’ll quote the opening to the post…

Deniers of climate change like to castigate Al Gore and others for the supposed hypocrisy of preaching the benefits of CO2 reductions while flying on jets, living in big houses, etc.  I won’t defend the big house (although Gore did respond to accusations by installing renewable energy onsite), but there’s no problem with jetting around to climate conferences, because those trips result in net CO2 reductions.

But those are technicalities.  The real problem with gloating over climate activists’ small specks of hypocrisy is that it ignores the hypocritical planks inherent in the philosophical underpinnings of opposition to CO2 reductions.  Here are some ways in which deniers are hypocritical (feel free to add suggestions in the comments):

The original list was comprised of 10-15 points by the author and has since grown with additions from readers and the comment section to 50.
I’ll give you a brief section but encourage everyone to take a look at the full list as many of the points are spot on and really make you think about the claims brought forth by those in the antis.

1. They profess that markets can solve all problems while simultaneously preaching that businesses will never be able to adapt to higher energy prices.

2. They argue that siting problems (e.g. urban heat island) render temperature data useless, while simultaneously arguing that adjusting for those problems constitutes scientific fraud/ fudging the data.

3. They say they support free markets, but oppose cap-and-trade (the free market solution to climate change).

4. They advocate skepticism and oppose proclamations that “the science is certain,” while simultaneously claiming certainty that all climate science is one big hoax.

And not in the, oh man, Louis CK is hilarious – he’s killing me, sorta way. Cities all over North America have installed new energy-efficient traffic lights but have discovered a troubling realization and down side to going green: The bulbs don’t burn hot enough to melt snow during winter storms causing leaving them obstructed – a problem that has already caused dozens of accidents and is responsible for at least one death.

“I’ve never had to put up with this in the past,” said Duane Kassens, a driver from West Bend who got into a fender-bender recently because he couldn’t see the lights. “The police officer told me the new lights weren’t melting the snow. How is that safe?”

Numerous cities and communities have switched to LED bulbs because they use 90% less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs. LED’s also have a much longer lifespan and require less frequent changing as well as save money. Although as cases like the one above clearly show, the bulbs great advantage is subsequently appearing to be their greatest downfall: not wasting energy by producing heat.

Several possible solutions are currently being tested to solve the problem, which include installing weather shields, adding heating elements like those used in airport lights, as well as coating the lights with water-repellent substances.

Short of some kind of technological fix, “as far as I’m aware, all that can be done is to have crews clean off the snow by hand,” said Green Bay, Wis., police Lt. Jim Runge. “It’s a bit labor-intensive.”

With you average major city having roughly anywhere from 10,000 – 15,000 traffic lights, “labor-intensive” may be an understatement.

Back in April, a 34-year-old Lisa Richter from Illinois was killed when she had a green light and began making a left hand turn. A driver coming from the opposite direction couldn’t see the red stop light because it was obscured by snow and ended up crashing into Richter, killer her.

“Would the accident have occurred if the lights had been clear? I would be willing to bet not,” Oswego police Detective Rob Sherwood said.

In an economy where local businesses big and small are struggling to keep the doors open, there is one piece of property that could serve as a boon for easy income: rooftop space.

Since the Ontario Green Energy Act’s Feed-in Tariff program was initiated in September, the Ontario Power Authority has begun paying generous payments for available rooftop solar power. Toronto’s commercial roof acreage has become the hot spot for a renewable energy gold rush by solar developers who are now able to earn steady incomes by farming solar power to local utilities for 20 year contracts.

Solar developers are racing for the chance to rent parts of Toronto’s commercial buildings, which previously held no real value but has become prime real estate.

So how valuable is this real estate?

Rooftop rentals have the potential to earn building owners as much as $12,000 a year.

The OPA will pay anywhere from 53 cents and 71 cents per kilowatt-hour for solar electricity and with guarantees of a speedy expedited connection the the grid, developers can rest easy about the assurance of a quick start on their return on investment.

And it’s not just the developers who will benefit. Building owners stand to gain as well. On a 20 year contract, with all installations and maintenance done by the developers, building owners can earn either a percentage of the monthly payments from the utility or the developers can simply pay rent.

For example, a 250-kilowatt system that would take up 40,000 square feet on the roof would mean the building owner would earn about $1,000 a month in rent.  At the end of the 20 year contract with the utility, the solar developer transfers the system to the building owner who then can benefit from the electricity for what could potentially be at least another 20 years, at slightly less efficiency.

I found this on Fail Blog and couldn’t resist reposting it here on Enviralment. The picture is from an Eco trivia board game and as you can see it asks the question which is greener: being obese and out of shape or slim and healthy? Naturally you would think the latter but according to the games logic and rationale the correct answer is: being obese – Although obese people do consume more energy than slim people, they will not live as long, therefore they will consume less of the earth’s resources.

Technically that is correct although if you’re looking for ways to start living a greener lifestyle I don’t recommend you make a run for the golden arches every day of the week. After all, despite this board games claim, a recent survey of 2000 people by Slimming World showed that overweight people lose out in the workplace because employers assume they are or will be lazy.

It appears that New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham is prepared to lay the east coast smack down and has delivered an ultimatum to the federal government – cover the cost overruns on the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant. If this isn’t done than his government is threatening to sue the pants off Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.

Should Graham choose to pull the trigger on such a case, the timing couldn’t be worse for the federal government as they are currently looking to sell off assets of AECL and the last thing they need at a time like this is a lengthy court challenge brought forward from the province of New Brunswick.

The overhaul of Atlantic Canada’s only nuclear plant is being done by AECL and was projected at $1.4 billion with a completion date of last September and is now running 18 months behind schedule. Due to the reactor being, it is costing the province close to $1 Million per day to buy replacement power, with an estimation cost of about $400 million if the project remains a year-and-a-half behind schedule.

Point Lepreau provides New Brunswick with a third its power needs and the refurbishment is intended to increase the lifespan of the power station another 25 years.

This is the first refurbishment of a Candu-6 reactor and AECL is hoping to use this as an opportunity to showcase for the refurbishment of similar reactors around the world. And after the way this one has gone I don’t expect the phone to be ringing off the hook with requests.

Graham is essentially arguing that New Brunswickers shouldn’t be forced to pay for AECL to get up to speed on the learning curve, especially when they’re going to do it bigger and better in Romania, China and Argentina – countries whom all currently house Candu reactors.

At a time when AECL and the federal government is looking to shop CANDU technology to the rest of the world, set-backs and continued revised completion dates are a smear on an already tainted resume.

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