Convergence in life

This is off the regular path for this blog but I was fascinated today by a number of stories in the Globe and Mail online today:

• Conservative Clean Air Act
• Garth Turner
• Green Party
• Pine Beetles
  

All of these topics relate through an underlying environmental theme. In brief, yesterday Garth Turner was suddenly kicked out of the Conservative Party caucus to sit as an independent. Officially from the Conservative party, it was that his blog betrayed the party rules of confidentiallity. However, rumours are afloat that he was incensed at the Conservative's Clean Air Act, which was tabled today, which really doesn't do anything (come on - 50% reduction of today's emissions - so not counting any new emissions that will happen as the country's economy grows - by 2050!!?? I have to wait until my 70's to have existing pollution cleaned up??).

Then, reports started coming out through the Globe and Mail and CBC about the Green Party making approaches to Mr. Turner, which he seemed open to at the time of my writting this. Of course, the Green Party is salvaiting - a sitting member would instantly gain them recognition with Elections Canada for debates in the next Federal election in Canada.

Coincidently to the above news items was an article pointing out that Pine Beetles were infesting trees in Grand Prairie, far more north than scientists thought the bugs would get. They blamed this on the fact that Alberta has not had a very cold winter in years, and figure that this is a result of global warming.

Odd, isn't it that all these environmental issues are cropping up in the mass media - could it be that people are finally waking up to environmental issues? I just think it interesting to see how many stories converge on a basic theme, one that is generally under-reported by the media in Canada and ignored by politicians.

New favourite online word

In a flaming contest on CNET - the "iTroll" - a lesser subspecies of trolls, normally associated with Apple products...