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10 Comments
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Re: Very cool on mercury concerns re: compact fluorescent bulbs
2008-07-02 19:10:13 UTC
Sure why not? But that doesn't answer my question about whether or not the precautionary principle should be applied to CFLs.
Francois -
Re: Very cool on mercury concerns re: compact fluorescent bulbs
2008-06-30 19:35:08 UTC
Playing devil's advocate here but why not invoke the precautionary principle in this case? I used to work in the pulp and paper sector and we used to be taken to task over extremely low pollutant levels all the time. The rationale then was that, even with the amounts being so low, you never knew what the effects might be. If I remember well, dioxin levels coming out of most mills were down to something like 1 molecule per Olympic size pool of water and we were being told that that was still too much and that we should get it down to totally undetectable levels. So why does this rationale not apply here? Pretty sure that if pulp mills had the risk of releasing mercury in microgram amounts, they would be taken to task from a precautionary POV. Also, there apparently is a study that states that CFLs should only be used in summer as the fact that they do not give off much heat (unlike incandescents) forces furnaces to work more in winter, basically negating the CFL's energy saving. Haven't seen the study myself however.
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Re: Riding Lawn Mowers
2008-06-14 09:48:27 UTC
Neat approach...will definitely try that on my property. Thanks!
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Re: RX drugs in water supples
2008-06-11 07:08:49 UTC
Hi!
This isn't social marketing but one of the (if not the) largest pharmacy chains in Quebec takes back old prescription drugs from consumers to get them disposed of properly. http://www.jeancoutu.com/expiredmedications.aspx?ekmensel=15074e5e_36_0_12170_10
Franois
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Re: Lawn Mowers, Cabbages and Kings
2008-06-10 13:19:15 UTC
I guess my question would be: What do you make mandatory? How do you evaluate what needs to be mandatory? The politician who has to make that decision faces the same problem you outlined when you said that: In order to become a Movement to be Reckoned With, the Do-Something camp has got to find a way of speaking to everyone, particularly those who don't want to listen, and that is practically impossible for individual citizens. Citizens who won't listen to you are even less likely to listen to a politician who they likely trust even less. The decision-maker can certainly decide to enforce bans but, whether we like it or not, he/she will need to balance that decision with the imperative to be re-elected. I have difficulty believing that forcing a significant lifestyle-cramping ban on people who don't truly understand the need for it would be seen as a winner from a political POV. Not defending that way of thinking; just pointing it out.
Francois -
Re: Riding Lawn Mowers
2008-06-10 06:31:42 UTC
I guess I could set up a willow row but I would have to remove the shrubs already planted to do that. The first set of shrubs I planted are pretty much all fairly fast growing native shrubs. Many of them with wildlife interest. We might dig up a fair bit of lawn again this Fall to set up a second large border in the front. We're also thinking of a large garden to replace the smaller one we currently have. I just finished a hummingbird garden in the back. The lawn is slowly but surely being removed...just not all in the same year.
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Re: Riding Lawn Mowers
2008-06-07 19:58:50 UTC
If you want to create REAL urgency, go through the pocketbook. Look at cars. How many years have people in North America been told that small cars are the way to go environmentally. Yet SUVs were all the rage. Then the price of gas goes WAY up and, bam, suddenly people "develop" (;-D) an eco-conscience. This is actually great for politicians because they didn't really have to force people to buy the small cars through regulations. They can blame the big bad oil sector/speculators/developing countries/lack of refineries for rising prices and just watch the people adjust their purchases to join the rapidly expanding small car market. Then they can gloat about just how eco-conscious and sharp their electoral base is. Force people to pay a significant premium for their trash bags and see how much less trash they'll put out. Suddenly, recycling and composting are all the rage. I think people need to see their loss clearly and significantly to act quickly and decisively. Which makes a nice segue into the other thread about "carrot vs stick". I'd like to think that humans are inherently eco-conscious but I have my doubts :-O.
F. -
Re: Riding Lawn Mowers
2008-06-06 11:44:02 UTC
Hi!
Could do that but most of the shrubs I am planting will also serve as a dirt barrier. We have a lot of dust coming from the dirt road and I would like to prevent that as soon as I can so I need to plant larger shrubs. On the fringe of the forest we are transplanting little shrubs and trees that are in bad positions in the forest. We also have to remember that some species actually like the forest to mixed grass interface. We have an awful lot of activity in that ecotone. Although I haven't seen them for a while, I even had hares coming to munch on my clovers and we see deer from time to time eating in the fringe. We have frogs, birds, salamanders, etc... But again, for most people I talk to, growing shrubs from seeds is probably beyond their level of interest and dedication. I am having difficulty convincing people to grow morning glory from seeds, a species that grows especially quickly. People want things VERY quickly (I'm sure that's not a revelation for anybody here). People also generally have a lot of preconceived ideas about just how much they suck at tending plants. When shrubs cost $100 each, maybe then people will attempt to grow them from seed ;-O.
Cheers!
Franois -
Re: Riding Lawn Mowers
2008-06-05 19:32:55 UTC
Hi all!
I agree that land ownership brings some responsibilities with it. I am one such land owner just north-west of Ottawa. We're actually pretty much surrounded by forests and wetlands but our property sits on an area where there were very few trees. The previous owners planted a mix of grass and clovers (already way better than grass alone) and we're in the process of replanting some areas with native and/or habitat friendly shrubs and perennials. The problem is that, with the price of shrubs, planting an area this size will cost big bucks and take time. We're willing to do it, but gradually. So in the meantime, we are left with growing lawn which I need to cut and yes, I use a horrible riding mower. I could use a push mower but a) not sure how it would perform on very weedy - or shall I say biologically diverse - lawn (which we have) and b) it would take a ridiculous amount of time to do, time which I can spend with my family. And yes I do realize that I could let the whole thing go but I would rather not do that until we know where shrubs and perennials will go. And even then, the kids will want a good area to play on. Once we are done, the size of the lawn will be significantly smaller. My point is that we're doing the best we can. I help out at a local garden centre and I spend a lot of time talking to people about naturalizing/replacing lawns and adding native plants and I can tell you that most people I speak with aren't anywhere near the stage where telling them to buy a goat will convince them. A lot of the people I speak with are more than willing to learn but it will need to be in a stepwise fashion. -
Re: push mowers vs. ride on mowers
2008-04-28 12:50:29 UTC
Hi!
I may be wrong but I thought two-stroke motors for lawnmowers were slowly being fazed out in Canada. Even using a fast growing tree species like birch, you would still be looking at decades to get what I think you are looking for. If your short-term goal is to lose the mowing, then I would suggest either using mulch, or pebbles/rocks with some sort of barrier underneath (geotextile, newspaper, etc) to prevent grass regrowth. Then choose where you want to plant various species, remove the mulch there and plant. You won't be able to get a woodlands type planting right away because there will be more sun reaching the ground than in a more mature forest so typical understorey plants will get too much sun to thrive in your young forest. I guess you'll have to go through natural forest succession on your way to a woodlands. Sorry it'll take this long! I'm slowly doing it on my property and my wife and I figure she'll easily be retired before it's anywhere near where we want it to be.
Franois Blain
Cantley, QC
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