Isn't It a Shame?

I'm pleased. I was just having dinner at the chinese place in the plaza near school...they had October's copy of "Explore: Canada's Outdoor Magazine" (don't worry, I hadn't heard of it either).

I was reading an article about Canada's glaciers...(i.e. in the Rockies). They are melting at an astronomical rate...some of them have lost 25% of their volume in the last 8 years alone...and the scientists the article interviewed mostly all predicted that the glaciers will effectively be gone within the next 50 years and for sure 100% completely gone within the next 100, all due to global warming. Essentially the temperature difference(estimated at 1.4 degrees warmer than 1980) is enough that they melt more in the summer than they regain in snowfall in the winter, and that they melt basically 24 hours a day during the summer, rather than just during the day time. Long story short, if you want to see the glaciers, you'd better think about doing it soon.

This whole thing comes on the heels of the Liberals releasing their watered down version of Canada's Kyoto plan. From the summaries I've read it basically sounds like hogwash handwaving with no actual involved at all. A huge chunk of the "Reduction" in emissions will just come in the form of credits: i.e. there won't actually be a reduction in emissions, those that are emitting will just have to pay to do so. It truly infuriates me that the government isn't willing to take a hard stand on such an important issue, simply because big business doesn't want to have to cut back, and frankly because for now atleast the average person couldn't care less about pollution. The problem is, by the time the average person notices enough of a difference to care, it'll be well too late.

With the potential for another election as soon as June, it'll be interesting to see what happens. Ultimately, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Conservatives win...but I can't see them being any better. If I remember from the last election, their Kyoto plans were next to non-existant, and just as hand wavy....frankly, even the NDP and the Green Party plans, while better, still seemed hazy. Why? Because its an absolutely HUGE problem with no easy answer...the only thing *I* know is that the answer ISN'T to just ignore the problem and hope it goes away.

ANYWAYS, sorry for the tirade...what I was GOING to say is that I'm pleased as punch. The magazine also had a great article about adventure trips every canadian should take.

i)Hiking the West Coast Trail (I think this is basically the Juan DeFuca trail on vancouver island)

ii)Biking the Cabot Trail (cape breton...I hope to do atleast a big chunk of this this summer...its about 300km)

iii)Climbing Mount Assiniboine(near the border between BC and Alberta...12,000 ft climb).

iv)Paddling the South Nahanni River...this is something I've *ALWAYS* wanted to do...its a huge river that basically follows the border b/w the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, from the very north down to the BC/Alberta norther borders. 5,000 foot canyon walls(as deep as the Grand Canyon), 500km long, a 400 ft waterfall(TWICE as high as niagara falls) and the to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site...when Pierre Trudeau paddled it he insisted on making the area surrounding it a National Park...there's gotta be a reason. Mind you, the only way you can get there is by float plane.

v)Hiking the Bruce Trail (from Tobemory/Owen Sound down around hamilton to the Us border b/w lake ontario and lake erie. 800km long. Essentially follows the Niagara Escarpment.

I think the conclusion is I need to make it filthy rich very early in my life so I can basically do these kinds of trips full time. And I also need to do this all before I have kids....because I suspect that these are NOT easy trips for the mostpart. And really, this is the kind of thing that I just live for...it beats a beach in cuba by orders of magnitude for me.

*AND* the ultimate conclusion? HOT DAMN! I'm SO excited about my bike trip this summer!!!
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I also can't help but post about bathroom scribblings.

i) "I want a blowjob from a girl NOW". --> vandalized to read "I want a blowjob from a GOAT now". .

ii) "Gay Sex: Call Me. I just came out of the closet. 732-7865".

iii) : "Waterloo Degrees". (not sure who wrote this, maybe someone from Laurier? Anyways..) and someone writes "Your gay.". ....doesn't say much for Waterloo!

# posted by Greg @ 3:21 PM