Earth

How Your Startup Company Will Benefit From Energy Consultant

Leave a comment

If you’re just starting your own company, then it’s understandable that you’ll be very busy at first. After all, you have so much to do to nurture and grow your business. But sooner or later (preferably sooner), your startup needs to take advantage of the services of a top-notch energy consultant.

Here are some compelling reasons why you should use an energy consultant right away.

size doesnt matter Shakespeare quote1. Size doesn’t matter. Maybe you think your company has to grow bigger first before you can enjoy the benefits of energy consulting. But that’s not entirely true. Even a small company can enjoy huge advantages when an energy consultant is on board.

2. Unbiased advice. Since an energy consultant isn’t really part of your company, you can get independent advice. You won’t have to worry about getting recommendations and findings from your employees or departments which may or may not be biased.

3. Energy usage patterns. Every company has its own patterns of energy usage. Some days and time frames will see a very heavy use of energy, while during other times there may not be a lot of energy use at all. Your energy consultant can then identify these times as part of their examination, and that can eventually help your company become more energy-efficient.

For example, it may be possible to arrange the heavy use of electricity during the time of day when the cost of electricity is at its lowest.

4. Alternative energy sources. Your energy consultant will have the necessary knowledge and experience regarding other ways of powering your business. Your company can get a comprehensive analysis regarding your possible use of these energy sources.

The report may examine several alternative sources of energy regarding their suitability for your business, and these may be solar energy or wind turbine power. The energy consultant may find out exactly how much it will cost your business to buy and install these systems. They may also determine how long it will take to complete the installation, and how easy it is to operate these systems. At the same time, the consultant can also find out exactly how much money you can cut from your current energy bills.

meme by ICANHASCHEEZBURGER.COM
meme by ICANHASCHEEZBURGER.COM

5. Using green energy. Many businesses today focus on being environmentally friendly. It’s not just right for the world, but it’s also right for your business as you can include your use of green energy as part of your marketing plan. When your company can help reduce carbon emissions, you can make your place and your neighborhood healthier, while it also boosts the reputation of your company.

6. Regular advice. Your energy consultant may be asked to come in on a regular basis. Because of this, your company may keep current on the latest developments regarding the use of renewable energy. This means you’ll learn about new technology and changes in alternative energy laws. Also, your energy consultant can fine-tune your use of alternative energy and also make sure that your renewable energy system is running at peak efficiency. For the Silo, Dimitry Karloff.

 

Culture

Mediocrity Prevents A Peoples Revolution Against Publishing Giants

Leave a comment
The world is full of writers but has this led to the rise of mediocrity? image: philosophyslam.org
The world is full of writers but has this led to the rise of mediocrity? image: philosophyslam.org

When I was growing up, I imagined being a novelist meant I would write for a living.  This is not always the case.  There is a darker side to the writing and publishing profession, even more disturbing than the constant criticism, rejection and pirating of e-books.  We’re not all dedicating our lives to the manipulation of words for entertainment value.  Most habitual readers I know don’t realize that gone are the days when writers were intellectuals and academics spending their whole lives with their nose in a book.  In 2013 every other person I meet online claims to be a writer, many of them bestselling authors at that.

A writer in this decade is an everyman.  You probably know one yourself because anybody can claim the tag now.  They could be writing e-books, blogs or letters to the editor of a newspaper to supplement their income, but the fact remains that if you are trying to make a living from writing, your time will mostly be spent promoting and networking, and networking means you’ll come across the type of people who will inspire you to write a murder mystery just so you can make them the victim.

Life just might be creative literature...or at least a series of punctuation marks CP
Life just might be creative literature…or at least a series of punctuation marks

 

What’s brought about this change in the profession?  I’m not one of those intellectuals or academics, so I can’t say.  I am a person who has had a series of dead-end jobs but naively dedicated the last twelve years of her life to the craft of creative writing, making numerous sacrifices to find fulfillment.  To me it’s a vocation rather than a career or hobby because no matter what I do I can’t stop writing.  I mentally plot the story of job interviews during the event to cope with the pressure.  When my husband had a stroke, I imagined the blood clot that caused it as a series of ellipses in our lives, whereas the birth of my son was an exclamation mark.  People I don’t like have faces like twisty question marks and any bad luck I have is merely a comma.  I ceased to become part of my own reality a long time ago.  It verges on mental illness.  This is not particular to a writer in the 21st Century and could be said of anyone so obsessive about the craft at any time.

Now there are so many would-be writers, there is no people’s revolution against the publishing giants, despite what many independent authors, including myself, have thought and said in the past couple of years.  There are hundreds like me to whom writing is like breathing but thousands of bandwagon jumpers who rush out book after book then market them in questionable ways.  I even had one man send me private messages on Twitter every day for almost a year in an attempt to get reviews for each book his wife has written – a total of twenty three in the last two years.

"Tractor beam" - Dr. Evil
“Tractor beam” – Dr. Evil

 

I self published through choice, without knocking on agents’ doors because I knew my novel was too contemporary to wait and within a few years would be dated.  Self publishing is what the majority of wannabes do but it tars us all with that opportunist brush.  The Internet is awash with distinctly average literature written on a whim by someone who never had ambitions to be a writer and was bored one day so self published on one of the many websites that allow you to do so without a book deal.  I suspect many of them aren’t even readers.

Stories of people who have written twenty or more titles over the course of a few months and sold hundreds of thousands of copies both impress me and rile me in equal measure because despite having spent years working at it, as an independent writer without a publishing deal and only Amazon et al behind me, we are all on the same level. For the Silo, Lacey Dearie.

Sci-Tech

Real Meteorite Part Of New Royal Canadian Mint Coin

Leave a comment

TORONTO, June, 2018 /CNW/ – The Royal Canadian Mint has created a truly out-of-this-world collectible by adding a genuine meteorite fragment to limited edition silver coins marking the 150th anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.  This vividly illustrated coin, unveiled at a special ceremony in Toronto attended by RASC officials and former Canadian astronaut Dave Williams.  It is available for purchase as of today.

“One hundred and fifty years of research, education and discovery by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is an engaging story to share with Canadians,” said Sandra Hanington, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.  “It is only fitting that RASC’s many scientific achievements be recognized on a vividly coloured coin, which breaks barriers of its own by featuring a shard of a real meteorite.”

Designed by Canadian artist Alexandra Lefort, the reverse design of this coin features a deep space vista enhanced by engraved textural details and full colour.  Prominent design elements include the Eagle Nebula and its pillars of interstellar gas and dust, which are known as the Pillars of Creation. Also featured are the Moon, the Andromeda Galaxy (nearest to our own) and a blazing meteorite, enhanced by a genuine iron meteorite fragment from the Campo del Cielo meteorite field.

Canada Meteorite Coin

“The RSAC is excited to be celebrating our 150th anniversary with the issuance of a coin that symbolically depicts the important contributions of Canadian astronomers,” said Randy Attwood, executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – 150th Anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has a limited mintage of 5,500 and retails for $149.95CDN. It can be ordered by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca. Please mention The Silo when calling. The coin will also soon be available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through the Mint’s global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

Canada Meteorite Coin Reverse

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001 certified company the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit. www.mint.ca

Sci-Tech

New Millennial Trading App White Shark

Leave a comment

Toronto, ON  — White Shark Fintech, Inc. (the “Company”) a revolutionary free artificial intelligence based trading platform that flourishes in volatility and allows its users to better control their assets, including crypto-currencies, launched recently across Canada. A popular tool among young traders looking for simple ways to buy and sell crypto-currencies, the app has created a waiting list to manage user demand.

The free-to-use app takes speculation out of trading by employing high performance algorithms that signal a user when markets for particular securities, including cryptos,  are likely “over bought” or “over sold”. With White Shark users no longer have to guess or rely on self proclaimed experts about the price at which they buy or sell cryptos and other securities.

“Fintech companies, like White Shark, that engage millennials have earned multi billion dollar valuations. With the growing hunt for millennial assets and engagement with other apps, we decided to make the White Shark experience fun, empowering and engaging – regardless of where they hold their assets.” said founder and chairman Marc Wade, “White Shark is truly a user experience company engaging millennials in the capital markets when and where they want.”

WhiteShark Fintech App“White Shark is a game changer.” White Shark app enthusiast Ryan Kesler of the Anaheim Ducks explains. “It’s so easy and fun to use.  Buying and selling crypto has become part of my daily routine. There’s no guess work in making money – the accuracy of the algo trading is the only way to go.”

White Shark’s machine learning algorithms compile market data trends and price book movements into 4 gauges that work together to signal market movements. The app provides the user the ability to respond to changes in market conditions before other traditional indicators.

Now users no longer have to trade blind. Gdax (Coinbase), with over 11.9 million users, is one of the exchanges that can be connected to White Shark.

“So called “experts” have been making speculative and incorrect calls on bitcoin and other cryptos for too long.” Said CEO Stuart Shanus

Stuart Shanus CEO White Shark
Stuart Shanus

“Our free trading app isn’t based on speculation. It’s based on mathematical models and machine learning algorithms – and it should be the go-to app for investors whether they are buying and selling crypto-currencies, fiat currencies or equities.”

Investors using the White Shark app connect their preferred broker account including tCoinbase (gdax) , Kraken, Bitfinex, Poloniex and Hitbtc.  For the Silo, Amy Saunders. 

About White Shark

White Shark is a revolutionary free artificial intelligence based trading app that pairs investors with  real time artificial intelligence (AI) to increase returns and mitigate risks.  White Shark’s high performance algorithms have been used for 17 years by professional traders who have achieved exceptional returns.

Art

Book Snobbery, Fairy Tales And Reality

Leave a comment

“The way to read a fairy tale is to throw yourself in.” ― W.H. Auden

“In a utilitarian age, of all other times, it is a matter of grave importance that fairy tales should be respected.” (Frauds on the Fairies, 1853)” ― Charles Dickens, Works of Charles Dickens

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ― Albert Einstein

i dream of genie with blue djinn and darrens living room

I was “that child”, the one who wanted fairy tales and magic to be real. As far back as I can remember I dreamed about having supernatural powers (always good of course…well, almost always) having carpets that flew, potions that could transform anyone or anything, the ability to speak to animals. I never understood why Darren and Samantha worked so hard at concealment. Or why Jeannie didn’t dump the Major and go back to live with the Djinn….I mean, LOOK at the decor!!!! Who wouldn’t rather have scarves and pillows and elaborate brass lamps instead of that godawful avocado and mustard vibe?

Music for a fairy tale. Click me.
Music for  fairy tales. Click me.

Books fueled this. Small witches, talking mice, flying nannies, rings and boxes and mysterious rooms and islands all combined in a grand and glorious stew. Why couldn’t I have a wizard for a teacher? (maybe I would have learned math) Why couldn’t bullies simply be turned into flowerpots? Alas, eventually the adulting creeps in. And people stop being indulgent about your whimsy. And your imagination….

You stop inviting your friends over to play make believe. Or, at least, they stop accepting. And you are encouraged to put away childish things. To accumulate the right kind of books….improving books. High tone books. Books with Purpose. The wishing frogs and tall towers and magic mirrors are packed away… Book Snobbery. Where Fantasy books in the annoying “Y.A.” category are barely tolerated. Stuff and Nonsense.(keeping it G rated here. I expect points…) Children should be encouraged to read whatever they reading-on-the-buswant and adults should enjoy the same free pass. You should be proud of displaying your book on the bus whether you are reading Kafka or Twilight. There are life lessons to be found in fantasy. Fairy tales teach you that sometimes bad things do happen. (The original version of some of the most beloved and well known can be a bit brutal.

For example, the Ugly Stepsisters in Cinderella actually cut their toes off to fit into the slipper. Kiddiewinkle Disney this ain’t.. ) But good and kind usually triumph. Sometimes help can come from unexpected areas. And there is always a way out of the woods. I do live in the real world. Drive. Work. Pay taxes. Cook, clean, shop. Watch the political situation (although “real” and politics lately….never mind) When I sit at a stop light I do not think a gnome is changing the colors. I rarely look for dragons. But I still yearn for them. Magic is everywhere and everything. It may not have glittery wings, it may not be vanquished with a sword, there might not be a house dropped on it or a incantation spoken…..but it is here.

Writers poets, artists, storytellers; all know this on some level. Even if we disguise it.The human imagination is ancient. The roots of stories are found far back in oral traditions and the tales were only modified later to make them illustrations of good versus evil. We do research, we discuss, we delve and write learned papers. We collect quotes and materials, and most importantly buy the books buy the books buy the books…. Books are the real magic. The tangible, in your hands, in your face, take you wherever you want to go – Magic. Read it. Whatever the cover, whatever the rating.

If you like it, read it. Do not let any house of cards pompous proclamation tell you it’s wrong. Secretly we are looking for the elves. We want there to be fairies in the garden. We never see a shooting star without wishing. And if you are very, very lucky. You will never lose that. For the Silo, Jaye Tomas. 

 

 

Culture

Be A Part Of The Sanderson Centre This Season

Leave a comment

The Sanderson Centre has many incredible performers headlining shows this season. BE A PART OF IT! Mixed in with our headlining shows you will find some of this country’s best performers in exciting concerts, family and school programming, matinees, holiday classics and even shows that bring our own community onto the stage.

Their lobby series continues this season with three fascinating artists in conversation and two musical performances that you will be talking about for days afterward. Find out more by clicking on the 2018 2019 SEASON image to the right.

Supplemental- The warm history behind last year’s 100 Year Sanderson Centre Anniversary.

 

Sci-Tech

Current State of Cybersecurity Doesn’t Work

Leave a comment

“You pay your money, as the saying goes, and you take your chances.” says Falkowitz, CEO of Area 1 Security. “More and more these days, it seems like this ‘policy’ is the rule rather than the exception, in everything from health care insurance to the commuter parking lot. Even though you’ve paid for the product or service, no one’s really responsible for some reason when you suffer damages while consuming whatever it is you bought. Or worse yet, you somehow find that whatever you bought doesn’t really do what you bought it for. And there’s an asterisk somewhere in the fine print to explain why. Unfortunately, nowhere is this more prevalent than in today’s cybersecurity industry.”

Despite the billions spent on cybersecurity we continue to suffer the most debilitating and expensive breaches imaginable, and some that cannot be imagined under any circumstances. Yet experts predict the worst is still to come. Cybercrime has moved from data theft and website defacement to a trajectory that includes data manipulation, data loss and eventually, if something is not done to change the economics of being a bad guy on the internet, threats to the stability of society itself.

“Cybersecurity companies seem to be content to collect their millions with the caveat that they can’t really offer protection in exchange,” continues Falkowitz. “Their customers likewise collect mountains of data on their customers and are appropriately contrite when that data is stolen or misused but the apology is not accompanied by compensation. Even the government can’t protect itself, or its citizens even if they’re attacked by another nation-state.”

Phishing

The excuses and the explanations are familiar: Cybersecurity is too complicated. Hackers are too clever. Attacks are unprecedented.

“Nonsense. Every bit of it.” says Falkowitz. “Cybersecurity is no more complicated than hundreds of other things we do routinely, from sending astronauts into space or open heart surgery. Hackers are human, just more persistent about how to fool the rest of us. And attacks are based on the same tried and true methods—phishing—they’ve been using for decades.”

Oren J. Falkowitz is the co-founder and CEO of Silicon Valley’s Area 1 Security. Oren held senior positions at the NSA and United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) where he focused on Computer Network Operations & Big Data and is a predominant cybersecurity industry thought-leader committed to keeping high-level national security conversations relevant.  For the Silo, by Jennifer Vickery. 

Supplemental- What exactly is phishing?

Earth

Sugar Battery Set To Power Phones, Tablets And Other Devices

3 Comments

Catalyzing Commercialization Sugar could some day be used to power smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices thanks to a recent breakthrough by Blacksburg, VA-based Cell-Free BioInnovations, Inc. It might seem strange to use an ingredient found in cupcakes and cookies as an energy source, but it’s not, as most living cells break down sugar to produce energy. And, interestingly, the energy density of sugar is significantly higher than that of current lithium-ion batteries.

Working under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation, a research team led by Y-H Percival Zhang, Chief Science Officer of Cell- Free BioInnovations and an associate professor of biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech, has successfully demonstrated the concept of a sugar biobattery that can completely convert the chemical energy in sugar substrates into electricity.

As reported in the January 2014 issue of Nature Communications, this breakthrough in sugar-powered biobattery can achieve an energy-storage density of about 596 A-h/kg — an order of magnitude higher than the 42 A-h/kg energy density of a typical lithium-ion battery.

A sugar biobattery with such a high energy density could last at least ten times longer than existing lithium-ion batteries of the same weight, drastically reducing how often users need to recharge their electronic devices. This nature-inspired biobattery is a type of enzymatic fuel cell (EFC)— an electrobiochemical device that converts chemical energy from fuels such as starch and glycogen into electricity.

While EFCs operate under the same general principles as traditional fuel cells, they use enzymes instead of noble metal catalysts to oxidize the fuel. Enzymes allow for the use of more-complex fuels (e.g. glucose), and these more-complex fuels are what give EFCs their superior energy density. For example, the complex sugar hexose can release 24 electrons per glucose molecule during oxidation, whereas hydrogen (a fuel used in traditional fuel cells) releases only two electrons. Until now, however, EFCs have been limited by incomplete oxidation, releasing just two to four electrons per glucose molecule.

“We are not the first who proposed using sugar as the fuel in the biobattery,” says Zhiguang Zhu, a senior scientist at Cell-Free BioInnovations. “However, we are the first to demonstrate the complete oxidation of the sugar in the biobattery, enabling our technology to have a near-theoretical energy conversion yield that no one has ever reported.”

Zhang and his team constructed a synthetic catabolic pathway (a series of metabolic reactions that break down complex organic molecules) containing 13 enzymes to completely oxidize the glucose units of maltodextrin, yielding nearly 24 electrons per glucose molecule.

We put specific thermostable enzymes into one vessel to constitute a synthetic enzymatic pathway that can perform a cascade of biological reactions the sugar, converting it into carbon dioxide, Zhang says. Unlike natural catabolic pathways for the oxidation of glucose in cells, the designed synthetic pathway does not require costly and unstable cofactors, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), coenzyme A, or a labile cellular membrane. The researchers used two redox enzymes that generate reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) from sugar metabolites. NADH, a reducing agent involved in redox reactions, is a natural electron mediator that carries electrons from one molecule to another. They also used ten other enzymes responsible for sustaining metabolic cycles and an additional enzyme that transfers electrons from NADH to the electrode.

This new synthetic pathway enables the biobattery to extract the theoretical number of electrons per glucose unit and thereby use all the chemical energy in the sugar. This, the team reports, represents a significant breakthrough.

In addition to its superior energy density, the sugar biobattery is also less costly than the Li-ion battery, refillable, environmentally friendly, and nonflammable. While researchers  continue to work on extending the lifetime, increasing the power density, and reducing the cost of electrode materials for such a battery, they hope that the rapidly growing appetite for powering portable electronic devices could well be met with this energy dense sugar biobattery in the future. For the Silo, Zhiguang Zhu, chief scientist at”The Sweet Battery Project”.

This technology was funded through the America’s NSF Small Business Innovation Research Program.

Reviews

Ltd Edn Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whiskey Triple Cask Edition Available

Leave a comment

LONDON, June 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ —World‘s #1 Scotch whisky and travel retail giant Dufry partner for launch of new whisky

Whisky loving travelers can now indulge in a limited edition Scotch, as the world’s No. 1 Scotch whisky[1] brand introduces Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition exclusively to passengers travelling through selected Duty Free Stores around the world.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition is a limited-edition whisky inspired by the smooth and deep character of the iconic Johnnie Walker Black Label. Only available in Dufry stores, this new blend offers travelers one new flavour with triple the character.

Black Label Johnny Walker Glasses

Enthusiastic about the launch Roger Jackson, Commercial Director Europe & Middle East of Diageo Global Travel said: “We’re delighted to release Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition as part of an exclusive partnership with Dufry stores. Shoppers are set to be inspired and excited by the instore tasting opportunities and knowledgeable staff who will explore the creation of this brilliant new blend with whisky fans.”

The development of this rich, sweet and spicy Scotch has been led by Johnnie Walker Master Blender, Jim Beveridge, and expert blender, Chris Clark. This new expression has been crafted using three key Speyside Malts from Blair Athol, Cardhu and Strathmill and matured in a combination of Bourbon, Caribbean Rum and Scotch Whisky casks. The result is a wonderfully rich Scotch with layers of sweet vanilla and ginger aromas, toffee and brown sugar notes and a whisper of signature smoke. Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition are exclusively available at Dufry, the world’s leading travel retailer, and distribution began in over 300 stores worldwide starting last month.

Eduardo Heusi Pereira, Global Category Director Liquor, Confectionery & Tobacco said: “Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition is a marvelous addition to the portfolio of Johnnie Walker whiskies that are currently proudly stocked in our stores around the globe. We’re excited to activate a number of vibrant touchpoints both instore and on online that will provide the opportunity for our shoppers to explore and get their hands on this lively new expression of Johnnie Walker Black Label. Exclusive to only Dufry stores, this makes the perfect unique gift for travelers.”

Johnnie Walker Triple casks have been available globally from May, at a recommended price of 28 GBP (about $48.74 CDN) for a 1L bottle. For the Silo, Alex Head/Cision. 

Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Coconut Spritz:
Ingredients:
– 50ml Johnnie Walker Triple Cask
– 75ml Coconut water
– 75ml Soda water
– 1 Dash sugar syrup
Lime zest & mint sprig
Method:
Serve with fresh ice, built in the glass.
(15.8 grams of alcohol per drink)
Please visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Supplemental- Toronto Martini’s are all about the garnish.

Earth

Molds Pose Serious Health Risks Whether In Home Or Business

Leave a comment

Ottawa, Ontario – To increase awareness against molds and their health impacts, Mold Busters has created a scholarship program which caters to select Canadian students. Molds are harmful organisms which grow as a result of water damage or excess humidity within the home or office. Whether it’s in the home or business, molds pose serious health risks and can spread fast, causing damage to the walls and furniture. Incidence of molds when not properly taken care of can consume the entire building and cause damaging health risks.

Describing the company, Mold Buster’s spokesperson said: “Mold and indoor air quality (IAQ) awareness is at an all-time high. Across Ottawa, Montreal and other larger cities, people are realizing that exposure to poor IAQ may be triggering recurring physical symptoms, such as sneezing, coughing, skin irritation and other allergies. It’s time to take action against indoor air pollutants like mold, asbestos and VOCs. We are Mold Busters, a reputable mold inspection and mold remediation company that offers comprehensive testing and removal services in cities all over Ontario and Quebec.”

The Ottawa-based mold removal company, Mold Busters, launched the biannual writing contest, an Environment Scholarship Program (https://www.bustmold.com/mold-busters-scholarship), for Canadian college and university students in a bid to raise awareness regarding the harmful effects of mold and of poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Students from any program in all Canadian post-secondary institutions are encouraged to submit an expository essay to qualify for the scholarship. The essays subject is based on mold, asbestos, or other indoor air pollutants. Participating students should explore causes and effects of air pollution on building structures and human health, and can also discuss the various remediation techniques and practical prevention tips.

Mold Busters since its establishment in 2005 has been concerned with the testing and removal of molds and other air pollutants from the indoor living environment thereby ensuring that the indoor environment is both healthy and safe for habitation. The company is certified by the National Association of Mold Professionals (NAMP) and operates in strict adherence to the IICRC remediation guidelines. Services offered by Mold Busters include inspection of homes in Ottawa and other neighboring cities as far as Montreal with the mission to provide fast and accurate information which will aid timely decision in combating incidence of mold. Additionally, Mold Busters offers testing services and a variety of remediation services including mold remediation, asbestos removal, ozone cleaning, and attic insulation removal.

Supplemental- Mold In Workplace Buildings- Ontario Ministry of Labour

 

Reviews

World First Magnet Operated Coin From Canada Mint

Leave a comment

OTTAWA, June, 2018 / CNW/ – The Mint continues to tap in to its creativity and innovation to further unleash the potential of coin manufacturing and transform the coin collecting experience.  Such is the case with the 2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Antique Carousel and several other head-turning coins in the June 2018 numismatic catalogue.

In a world-first, the Mint’s Research & Development team has meticulously created a 6 oz. silver coin featuring a miniature, functional carousel that rotates with the help of a magnet.  This timeless attraction at countless Canadian carnivals and fairs is the crowning piece of artist Calder Moore’s design, selectively plated in gold, much like the gilded carousels of the past.  Even the horses move up and down on this dazzling creation which is limited to a world-wide mintage of only 1,000.

Another impressive 3D design element can be found on the 2018 $200 Pure Gold Coin – 30th Anniversary of the Silver Maple Leaf.  This 1 oz. gold coin is enhanced by a “high intricacy casting” of a silver maple leaf that literally pops from its reverse proof surface.  In another Mint-first, we have launched the 2018 $250 Fine Silver Coin – Maple Leaf Forever: a one kilo 99.99% pure silver coin, our largest convex coin to date, featuring the artwork of senior Mint engraver Stan Witten.

Finally, two new coin sets stand out as memorable additions to an exciting line-up of classic and unique numismatic products.  The 2018 Fine Silver 3-Coin Set – Beneath Thy Shining Skies features a complex design by artist Rebecca Yanovskaya. Two rectangular coins flank a maple-leaf shaped centrepiece to compose a panoramic tableau that links scenery and famous Canadian landmarks to illustrate the story of our nation and its people.

History takes centre stage on a four-coin set celebrating the “Colonial Currency of the Atlantic Provinces”.  Struck with dies mimicking the wear of well-circulated coins and hand finished with an antique patina, these icons of early Canadian numismatic history are beautifully reproduced in 99.99% pure silver.  In order to bring out the elegant features of each period design, each coin is larger in diameter than its original.

Other collectibles available this month include:

  • The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – First World War Allied Forces: Canada, the first coin in a new series commemorating the contribution of the major Allied forces that brought fighting to an end with the Armistice of November 11, 1918. The design featuring the Canadian cavalry is the work of artist Pandora Young;
  • The $100 Fine Silver Coin – Keepers of Parliament: The Unicorn, the first of a series of 10 oz. silver coins, designed by Patrick Bélanger and showcasing stonework figures watching over the front doors of Parliament;
  • The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Fireworks at the Falls, featuring a Tony Bianco colour illustration of the natural landmark, with a hidden nighttime fireworks scene only visible under black light;
  • The 2018 $500 Pure Gold Coin – Predators of the Wild, an impressive 5 oz. designed by Emily Damstra;
  • The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Zentangle® Art: The Great Horned Owl, designed by Jori Van Der Linde;
  • The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Canadian Canopy: The Maple Leaf, designed by Emily Damstra;
  • The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin Frozen in Ice – Scimitar Sabretooth Cat, designed by Glen Loates;
  • The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin – The Thirteen Teachings from Grandmother Moon: Strawberry Moon, designed by Frank Polson; and,
  • The crystal-enhanced 2018 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Birthstones: July, featuring a mandala-inspired ruby design by artist Pandora Young.

Mintages, pricing and full background information on each product can be found on the “Shop” tab of www.mint.ca. Coin images can be viewed here.

All of these products can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada,
1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca.  Please mention The Silo when contacting. The coins are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified corporation, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale.

 

Fashion

Chelsea Taylor Jewelry Designed With Wild Animal Prints

3 Comments

The brief: Wild animal prints have come roaring back onto the fashion scene for the past few years. From handbags and shoes to diaper bags and bed linens, this hot, fun and funky trend seems like it’s here to stay. This trend has also extended into the jewelry world with the dark colored prints and animal-shaped jewelry pieces.

This Chelsea Taylor ring is elegant,moody and made of semi-precious stones. #affordable

Chelsea Taylor leads the pack with a collections of rings, bracelets, and earrings, perfectly designed and crafted to complete your ensemble. How can you enjoy this fun trend and bring out your wild side? E-A-S-Y.  By incorporating Chelsea Taylor’s animal inspired pieces into your wardrobe.

Each jewelry piece is designed with perfectly placed Swarovski crystals in various sorts of colors, creating elaborate patterns and designs fit for every occasion. Chelsea Taylor Jewelry is being worn by celebrities such as Debra Messing, Miss Jay Alexander from Project Runway, Jill Zarin from Real Housewives of NY, Tinsley Mortimer and many more.

Inspired by the booming animal print designs showing up seemingly everywhere- another fine CT semi-precious ring. You might have seen Snookie wearing one like this on Jersey Shore.

 

More About Chelsea Taylor: Chelsea Taylor is all about big and bold, simple and sweet, statement and layering pieces, enamels, floral, retro 70’s and 80’s looks, animal motifs, and more. Everything is customizable and available in up to 19 different shades. Certain colors available, olivine, amethyst, blacks hematite, fuchsia, peach, topaz, smoky brown, and more, for particular pieces retail at about $200 usd. In addition to the website, the collection can be found in The Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas’ Bellagio, MGM, and retail jewelers / boutiques throughout the country.  For the Silo, Belagio Dubois. 

Gaming

Fortnite Is Wake-Up Call For Companies On Verge Of Video Game Ad Buy

1 Comment

Pong, Mario, Doom, The Sims, Minecraft and … Fortnite? The hallowed halls of video game history are packed with products that became a cultural phenomenon – and it’s looking like Fortnite will soon be able to stake such a claim. The co-op survival game that takes place in a “sandbox” universe recorded a record 3.4 million concurrent users in February 2018.  [ If you’re one of the 3.4 million and want to leave us a video comment or video of your Fortnite character please use our Video Uplink button at the end of this article.] The game, which is free to play, also allows users to purchase a semi-annual “Battle Pass” that runs less than $10 and provides access to additional items. This low-cost approach is apparently working, as reports show Epic Games earned nearly $300 million in April 2018 alone. Further, in-game “microtransactions” that allows players to use minimal amounts of real-world money for in-game goodies is helping add to Epic’s well, epic payday.

So, let’s recap: A game that’s free to play plus $10 usd occasional optional investment and microtransactions gives us hundreds of millions of dollars each month. You know what else makes that kind of money? Hollywood movies, major league sporting events and social media platforms – and those things are plastered with advertisements. According to Ken Wisnefski, CEO of digital marketing firm WebiMax, advertisers who want to get ahead of the coming eSports curve and start reaching gamers where they reside need to start paying attention to the preferences of this sector.

“Fortnite has really taken the world by storm. I think the new microtransaction process is a concept that shows how high volume and low cost can have a huge impact. It’s growth and notoriety is amazing,” said Wisnefski. “A few years ago, Pokemon Go was all the rage; I am curious to see if Fortnite continues to show this sort of traction.”

Want to make money through Fortnite? Here’s what Wisnefski has to tell companies on the verge of investing in video game ad buy.

‘Go’ along for the ride: According to Wisnefski, we haven’t seen a video game with such mass appeal since 2016’s “Pokemon Go,” which drew 10 million people to download the app in one week. An advertising analysis also notes that some businesses were given the opportunity to turn their stores into a “Pokestop” and, of course, increase foot traffic and hopefully sales as a result.

Shadow of a doubt: Still skeptical about sinking money into video game advertising efforts? Then take one look at “Ninja,” a 26-year-old Fortnite player who is reportedly raking in $500,000 per month for streaming his live game feed on the “Twitch” website. Wisnefski says it merely makes sense for relevant brands to jump on an opportunity to get their product in front of potential customers – namely as a “medium rectangle” or 15-second spot before one of Ninja’s streams.

Risk and Reward: Soft drink and snack food companies – we’re looking at you, Mountain Dew and Doritos – have for years pandered to gamers. As well they should, says Wisnefski, noting that some sectors are “very viable for this sort of opportunity.” If you’re a small to medium-sized company, however, guidance from a digital marketing company may be in order. “Big companies have the ability to absorb some losses to see larger gains; smaller companies can’t afford to take that sort of risk,” said Wisnefski.

[vidrack align=”center” ext_id=”345″ desc=”some description”]

Culture

Interesting Book On Trade And Civilization Prehistory To Early Modern Era

Leave a comment

This book provides the first global analysis of the relationship between trade and civilization from the beginning of civilization around 3000 BC including the Silk Road, the Indian Ocean trade, Near Eastern family traders of the Bronze Age, and the Medieval Hanseatic League, it examines the role of the individual merchant, the products of trade, the role of the state, and the technical conditions for the land and sea transport that created diverging systems of trade and developed global trade networks.

Trade networks, however, were not durable. The contributors discuss the establishment and decline of great trading network systems, and how they related to the expansion of civilization, and to different forms of social and economic exploitation. Case studies focus on local conditions as well as global networks until sixteenth century when the whole globe was finally connected by trade.

Trade and Civilization results from a three-step academic venture. The idea for this book originated in two Swedish interdisciplinary conferences on Global Histories held in 2011 and 2012, where a number of central research themes were identified and discussed. It inspired three editors to propose a carefully prepared international follow-up conference on the theme of trade and civilization that should lead to (this) a book.

Click here to continue reading full book text in PDF.  For the Silo, Christian Christiansen. 

Art

Dance Healing Immigrant Victims Of War Prejudice And Sexual Exploitation

Leave a comment

Study after study has shown that arts education nurtures students’ creativity and problem-solving skills, competencies that are critical for success in a 21st Century world, but how does dance and movement facilitate healing and transform at-risk youth?

14 year old DTC dancing participants Richard Rutherford Danny Guerrero
14 year old DTC dancing participants Richard Rutherford Danny Guerrero

New York’s Battery Dance launched its Dancing to Connect programs in 2006. Since that time, the program has spread to 6 continents, 50 countries, 100 cities, and 1,000 schools. A powerful new documentary by Wilderness Films follows six dancers from the dance company from India to Eastern Europe to the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East as they support vulnerable youth helping them to express themselves through movement. The film focuses on the struggles, frustrations, resilience and ultimate transformation of the students and their dance teachers.

Producer Cornelia Ravenal says that as a trauma survivor she understood the power of art to “heal and transform.” Ravenal along with husband partner Mikael Södersten collaborated with Battery Dance Founder Jonathan Hollander to create the documentary because she believed this was a story that had to be told. As global populations continue to grow, migration and increasing social and cultural diversity are reshaping classrooms worldwide. Solutions for integrating and uniting peoples from diverse cultural backgrounds are now sought by schools and communities all over the globe. Hollander believes that “no divide has been too great for the art of dance, the primacy of movement, the common humanity, and expression, to span.”

Read the Full Article

Battery Dance performs on the world’s stages, teaches, presents, and advocates for the field of dance. The Company is dedicated to the pursuit of artistic excellence and the availability of the Arts to everyone. Battery Dance has produced over 100 original dance works choreographed by its founder and artistic director Jonathan Hollander, in collaboration with a diverse array of composers and designers, and its cast of outstanding dancers.

CMRubinWorld launched in 2010 to explore what kind of education would prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing globalized world. Its award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, is a celebrated trailblazer in the renaissance of the 21st century, and occupies a special place in the pulse of key issues facing every nation and the collective future of all children. It connects today’s top thought leaders with a diverse global audience of parents, students and educators. Its highly readable platform allows for discourse concerning our highest ideals and the sustainable solutions we must engineer to achieve them. C. M. Rubin has produced over 700 interviews and articles discussing an expansive array of topics under a singular vision: when it comes to the world of children, there is always more work to be done. For the Silo, David Wine. 

Earth

Ontario To Citizenry: Fight Lyme Disease, Protect Yourself From Ticks & Mosquitoes

6 Comments

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is reminding all Ontarians to protect themselves and their families against Ticks, Lyme disease and West Nile virus this summer.

Dr. David Williams is asking people to take simple measures to avoid being bitten by blacklegged ticks that can carry Lyme disease. If not identified and treated early, infection can lead to recurring arthritis, neurological problems, numbness and paralysis.

Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against Lyme disease. You can protect yourself and family by:

  • Wearing closed-toe shoes, long-sleeved shirts and pants
  • Pulling your socks over your pant legs to prevent ticks from crawling up your legs
  • Wearing light-coloured clothing to spot ticks more easily
  • Using insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin on clothing as well as on exposed skin, following the instructions carefully
  • Showering or bathing within two hours of being outdoors to remove ticks that can be on your skin but not yet attached
  • Doing a daily full body check for ticks. Young blacklegged ticks can be as small as a poppy seed, so look carefully. Check children and pets for ticks as well.

West Nile Virus Mosquito TransmissionDr. Williams is also reminding Ontarians to protect themselves from mosquito bites to reduce their risk of getting infected with West Nile virus. Simple precautions to take include:

  • Using insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin on clothing as well as on exposed skin, following instructions carefully.
  • Wearing light-coloured clothing, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants
  • Making sure screen doors and windows are in good repair to keep mosquitoes outside
  • Eliminating mosquito breeding sites around your home by emptying standing water in flowerpots and birdbaths on a regular basis, and getting rid of compost and dense, overgrown shrubbery.

Tick Removal TweezersMost people who catch West Nile virus will experience fever, head and body aches, a mild rash and swollen lymph glands. More serious symptoms include encephalitis (swelling of the brain), difficulty swallowing and confusion. Adults 50 years of age and older and people with underlying medical conditions and/or weaker immune systems are at greater risk.

If you or a family member are experiencing serious symptoms and health effects, or have concerns about any symptoms, contact your health care provider right away.

QUOTES

“Ontarians should definitely enjoy all the province has to offer outdoors this summer. However, they should keep in mind that while outdoors, they can be exposed to Lyme disease and West Nile virus. Taking the necessary precautions to prevent tick and mosquito bites is the best defense against these diseases.”

— Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Interim Chief Medical Officer of Health

“As a public health physician, I know that Lyme disease is a serious issue. Our government is committed to protecting Ontarians from Lyme disease and other diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes. It’s important that all Ontarians take these simple steps to protect themselves while enjoying the outdoors this summer.”

— Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

QUICK FACTS

  • Risk areas for Lyme disease in Ontario include: Thousand Islands National Park area (prior to 2013, known as the St. Lawrence Islands National Park), Long Point Provincial Park, Rondeau Provincial Park, Point Pelee National Park, Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area, Turkey Point Provincial Park, Pinery Provincial Park, Rouge Valley, and locations in the Rainy River region of Northwestern Ontario.
  • If you have visited Lyme disease risk areas and are exhibiting symptoms, let your doctor know. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics if diagnosed and treated early.
  • West Nile virus has been reported in different parts of Ontario – cities as well as rural areas. Contact your local public health unit to find out when and where you are most at risk to exposure to West Nile virus.

LEARN MORE

 

Culture

Saddle Up With Your 200 New BFFs In New Advice Book

Leave a comment

Women’s Studies scholar Becca Anderson has gathered the wisdom from a chorus of fabulous femmes for this one-of-a-kind advice book. From housewives to Hollywood starlets, from standup comedians to startup entrepreneurs, from feminists to Facebook queens, these badass women offer unvarnished and unabashed opinions about love, life, word, men, and sex and share their very frank and forthright thinking on the wild world of relationships.

This delightfully dishy gathering of gal pals is like having a heart-to-heart with 200 of your closest friends. Garrulous girls and loquacious ladies from every walk of life unleash their wicked wit in this humorous and enlightening compilation and tell it like it is.

Badass Women Give The Best Advice Book
Price: $15.95 usd
ISBN-13: 978-1633536937

Topics include What the World Needs Now, Love Hurts, Lost Love, and Are Men Really Necessary and cover sex, personal ads, blind dates, break ups, weddings, and the prerequisites for the perfect kiss.

Sidebars include quizzes, love and sex bucket lists and topics like “Size Really Does Matter,” and “Cry Me a River, The Weepiest Romantic Movies Ever.”

Wait, there’s more–true tales about wild women of yore that entertain as much as they enlighten.

From Anais Nin to Lily Tomlin, from Amy Bloom to Dorothy Allison, from Drew Barrymore to Chrissy Teigan and beyond, there’s no shortage of sass, sarcasm, or sizzle and a few shocks along the way!  For the Silo, Brenda Knight. 

What people are saying about Badass Women Give the Best Advice:

These bold bon mots are a solid roadmap for living a full love. I, for one, will be taking to heart all the advice from these very wise and wild women–silver screen queens, comediennes and brilliants writers. You actually can get what you want, provided you listen very closely.
Nina Lesowitz, author of The Party Girl Cookbook

“Sometimes we women need quotes and pick-me-ups to get motivated or to have our spirits lifted. Badass Women Give the Best Advice is a book for and about women (no men allowed!). This is not a book that you read once and put away. It’s good as a conversation starter or to refer to when you want to feel big on girl power. Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of love, sensuality, and beauty is just one of the women we learn about in this book. There’s also quick rundowns on writer Simone de Beauvoir, advocate Amelia Bloomer, and much more. So fun!”
Heck of a Bunch Blog

Culture

Explore The Evolution And Creation Of America’s Music On Giant IMAX Screen

Leave a comment

America’s Musical Journey follows singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc as he traces the roots of American music and explores the great musical cities- places like New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, Miami, New York City and more- where such electrifying art forms as jazz, the blues, country, soul and rock and roll were born.

In America’s musical cities, every chord, every riff, every bang of a drum tells a story. In America’s Musical Journey these stories come together to create a soundtrack for the American experience—a soundtrack that showcases the nation’s diversity and its collision of cultures, culminating in a unique blend of sound, music and innovation unlike anywhere else in the world. Click here to read full PDF release.

Aloe Blacc
Singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc tracing the roots of American music.

“There’s something exciting that happens when different cultures come together as they have in America. One of the things that happens is incredible creativity.”

Aloe Blacc US Consulate Toronto
Aloe Blacc- one of the stars of America’s Musical Journey- performing live this month at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto.

America's Musical Journey IMAX

America’s Musical Journey is a MacGillivray Freeman Film produced in association with Brand USA and presented by Expedia.

Director: Greg MacGillivray
Producer: Shaun MacGillivray
Executive Producer: Tom Garzilli
Writer: Stephen Judson
Music By: Steve Wood
Editors: Stephen Judson, Jason Paul and Victoria McGinnis
Director of Cinematography: Brad Ohlund
Aerial Cinematographer: Ron Goodman
Production Manager: Meghan MacGillivray
Production Manager: Kathy Almon
Visual Effects: Alan Markowitz

Click Me!
Culture

Groundbreaking Design For Sanctuary For Abused Animals In Mississippi

1 Comment

Carroll County, MS – In Defense of Animals has unveiled brand-new, state-of-the-art facilities to care for the Deep South’s most abused animals at Hope Animal Sanctuary in Carroll County, Mississippi. The organization has rescued and rehabilitated animals in Mississippi since 1993, and this weekend it revealed a cutting-edge sanctuary that will support animals and the local community for many years to come. Members of the public joined canine, feline, and barnyard animal residents at a grand opening ceremony on Saturday, May 12, to celebrate and unveil the major face-lift.

“Hope Animal Sanctuary has rescued and rehabilitated thousands of Mississippi’s castoff animals in its 25 years, and these brand new facilities offer new hope to thousands more,” said In Defense of Animals President Dr. Marilyn Kroplick. “Animals find refuge at Hope Animal Sanctuary when they are beaten, blinded, burned, sick, starved, or simply forgotten, and now they will get the top-notch care they deserve in cutting-edge facilities. We are very proud of our quarter-century of work here in the Deep South and thank our generous supporters who have made it happen – their love and compassion is literally written on the bricks.”

Carroll County is a region devoid of animal shelters and other vital animal control services, making In Defense of Animals’ ongoing work beyond critical. The charity’s Hope Animal Sanctuary has rescued, provided refuge, and fought for justice for abused animals in rural Mississippi since 1993. It gives temporary sanctuary to dogs and cats, puppies and kittens, pigs, and horses. Last year, Hope Animal Sanctuary staff placed 700 dogs and cats in forever homes.

Tiny House interior Sharon Stone Operations Director Hope Animal Sanctuary

Dr. Kroplick cut the ribbon to reveal a new operations center that houses a calming cattery and state-of-the-art veterinary rooms, and will also serve as a welcome and education center for visitors. Traditional dog-kennels have been entirely reinvented as a groundbreaking community of 20 “tiny houses” that encircle the operations center to accommodate groups of rescued dogs and cats.

The cozy community homes are a breakthrough innovation that revolutionizes the way dogs and cats are sheltered. The tiny houses are thoughtfully designed for animals’ comfort first, allowing the occupants to live in a home-like setting while they wait for their loving new guardians. Specially developed to be warm in winter and cool in summer, each tiny house is nestled around a cul de sac and scenic walking path, complete with a covered porch perfect for afternoon napping. Each tiny house has a soft grassy dog run for furry friends to enjoy the play they have been deprived of for so long.

Dog enjoys dog run at Hope Animal Sanctuary

Veterinarians at Mississippi State Veterinary College gave the seal of approval to the novel renovation plans which were developed with a specialized animal sanctuary architect.

Dr. Kroplick paid tribute to several Mississippi animal advocates who have made animal rescue their life’s work.

“The animals and people of Mississippi are incredibly lucky to have animal angel Doll Stanley, a fearless campaigner who founded Hope Animal Sanctuary and has rescued literally thousands of animals during her 25 years service in Mississippi,” said Dr. Marilyn Kroplick. “We owe huge thanks to Stanley and also to Hope Animal Sanctuary’s Debbie Clark, Sharon Stone, and their fearless team who do the hard work, day in, day out, to get mistreated animals into loving homes. It is thanks to these folks’ unfaltering dedication to the animals we stand here today and our work will continue.”

The “Doll House” was unveiled in honor of Hope Animal Sanctuary founder and Mississippi Justice for Animals campaigner Doll Stanley. The founder of In Defense of Animals was also honored by the dedication of the “Dr. Katz Cattery” bearing his name.

In Defense of Animals also paid a touching tribute to the passionate animal advocates who helped rebuild Hope Animal Sanctuary. “We thank all the compassionate, generous In Defense of Animals supporters from around the world who have donated to make the Hope Animal Sanctuary rebuild happen. We especially pay tribute to the memory of Odette Grosz, New Orleans’ “grand dame of animal rights,” for this desperately-needed sanctuary rebuild would not have been possible had she not remembered the animals in her will.”

In Defense of Animals has invested $650,000 to construct the new buildings at Hope Animal Sanctuary that will allow the charity to continue to rescue and give shelter to thousands of homeless and abused animals for many years to come.

Hope Animal Sanctuary receives no government funding, so community residents and businesses are encouraged to support this vital community service by dedicating a memory lane pathway brick or sponsoring a dog run or dog house, all of which can be inscribed to recognize your commitment to serving the most abused animals in the Deep South.

For more information, please visit www.idausa.org/givehope

Earth

Canadian Garden Days Is Annual Event Celebrating Vital Role Of Gardening

1 Comment
'Garden Days' - June 13, 14 & 15 - are the ideal time to see what lies beyond your nearest public garden's gate. Photo: Tara Nolan
‘Garden Days’ – are the ideal time to see what lies beyond your nearest public garden’s gate.
Photo: Tara Nolan

DO YOU LIVE ON CANADA’S BEST GARDEN STREET? Canada is a country made up of neighbourhoods, and in many are streets where neighbours take pride in making their gardens – and even city-owned medians – as pretty as possible through their collaborative ‘green thumbed’ efforts.

As part of this year’s Garden Days program, being held across the country from June 16 to 24, the Canadian Garden Council invites you to register your Garden Days activity. Let us know why your street is the prettiest in the country and how it contributes to your, and the neighborhood’s, quality of life. All Canadian gardens, garden centres, horticultural and plant societies, garden clubs, schools, garden-related businesses and communities are invited to organize Garden Days activities or events – between June 16 and 24 – to celebrate public gardens and home gardening.

Twelve garden gnomes have escaped from The Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island! Might they be among the dahlias? Help find them during 'Garden Days', June 13, 14 & 15
The Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island.

Garden Days is organized by the Canadian Garden Council, and begins with National Garden Day on the Friday before Father’s Day, Garden Days is a three-day celebration of gardens and gardening across Canada.  The program’s objective is to draw attention to Canada’s garden culture, history and innovations and to underscore the importance of public and private gardens, the values of home gardening and the promotion of environmental stewardship. Garden Days is a joyful, country-wide celebration of the role of gardens in our communities and in our lives. To find a Garden Days activity near you visit:  http://www.gardendays.ca and click on the ‘Activity’ button. For the Silo, Courtney Charette.

Garden Days is sponsored by: Scott’s, Miracle-Gro, bullfrogpower and supported by Communities in Bloom and the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

Follow Garden Days on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/CanadasGardens  and join in the conversation at #GardenDaysCanada

Earth

Into The Depths Is How Far Down Companies Drill For Oil

Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered how far down companies have to drill for oil? It’s quite staggering!

Over the years, companies have had to go further and further into the earth in order to find Earth’s remaining oil and today we are deeper than ever.

In this piece, we’ll be looking at the Z-44 Chayvo Well, the deepest on the planet, and we show you comparisons so you can see clearly just how amazing this feat is.

We’ll also show you the depth of this well in comparison to the earth’s core. How close does this drill actually get?

And finally, we’ll outline just how much it costs to pull off the deepest ever oil extraction. For the Silo, Rose Baldwin and fuelfighter.co.uk
drilling for oil infographic

Earth

All Parties Support Ontario Greenbelt And Recognize Immense Values

1 Comment

Last week, a video was released showing Ontario’s PC Party leader Doug Ford promising to open up a “big chunk” of the Greenbelt to allow development on its protected areas, an idea he attributed to the “biggest developers in this country.”   

Our Executive Director, Tim Gray responded in the news that this would have severe consequences and allow land speculators to build massive subdivisions, at immense profits, on farms, forests and natural areas currently protected in the Greenbelt.

Watch Tim Gray’s interview on CTV news.

Ontario’s PC Party leader Doug Ford later reversed his position. This is consistent with polls that suggest more than 89 per cent of Ontarians support the protection of the Greenbelt. Ontarians like you.

The good news is that now all parties support the Greenbelt and recognize its immense values. Thank you for your help in securing the future of farmland, forests and water systems in Ontario. 

Over the last few months, many of you signed petitions supporting expansion of the Greenbelt. Your voice matters now more than ever. We encourage you to ask candidates questions on their views during the upcoming provincial and municipal elections.

It’s time to set the record straight.

The Greenbelt does not constrain housing supply or cause high house prices. In fact, municipal data shows that there is enough land available to provide for housing development within existing Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area urban boundaries until 2031.

The best way to address housing prices and supply in our region is by directing growth to existing urban areas, limiting sprawl, and building different kinds of affordable homes close to transit.

Read our latest blog highlighting 7 facts about the Greenbelt and what really impacts housing prices in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. 

Thank you,

Susan Lloyd Swail
Livable Communities, Senior Manager

Art

Surreal Aspects Of All Expressed In Artwork

Leave a comment

Many have been humbled simply standing in a darkened field and looking to the stars. Indeed the great thinkers of the many generations that have come and gone are regarded as giants when in fact they were merely humans dropped to their knees by the wonder that is the universe all around us. There is as much wonder in a blade of grass as there is in a cosmic nebula, as much mystery in a drop of water as in the dark matter we yet fail to comprehend.

James Hart Dyke is based in Brighton, England nestled between the water and the south downs. In his studio he works largely on commissions. Last November Hart Dyke traveled to Patagonia and is now painting mountain landscapes from this trip for an exhibition in London at the end of the year. Landscapes are his life’s work and his love for the art form has infused his life and career with adventure and physicality as he climbs and hikes the places he later paints. “Enduring the landscape in some way, I find that combination of painting and physicality very exciting…it’s what my painting is about, really,” he says. Hart Dyke has been embedded with British forces in war zones on commission from the UK military. In Baghdad he painted while two soldiers stood guard. This tradition of bringing artists along to paint is long standing and important to the regiments of the UK. The work created is kept in the collections of the individual regiments and displayed in the mess hall, documenting the history of each for the soldiers to witness. The tradition dates back before photography when artists were the only window to a visual representation of the action of the battlefield.
Artists’ representations of war convey more than just the actual imagery of what is going on before them. The emotions of the situation are infused into the work, as well. Hart Dyke has had an unusual career. His work has led him to a position as artist in residence for the British Secret Intelligence Service as well as to work for the Royal Family. For the British Secret Intelligence Service, Hart Dyke helped to commemorate the centenary by documenting things in paint. As an artist he was able to venture where photographers could not go due to the highly sensitive nature of the work done there. His paintings from this series are quite surreal, a nod to the rather unusual nature of the work the British Secret Intelligence Service does. Hart Dyke studied architecture which he is still passionate about despite eventually moving to painting. His entrance into the painting world began with commissioned paintings of buildings. In reality, Hart Dyke began painting at the age of eight and despite his foray into architecture he never truly gave it up. There was inevitability to his career as a painter. Because of the physical nature of his process, art has become in a very real sense James Hart Dyke’s sport. To hear more about this, James Hart Dyke’s unusual career, and about the tradition of artists on the battlefield, listen to the complete interview.
Kambui Olujimi recently exhibited work titled Red Shift. The title refers to celestial bodies in space that cannot be seen because of shifts in the spectrum of light. Through this lens, Olujimi contemplated the mythology of whiteness as an unseen force. Olujimi describes how the mythological space of whiteness plays out in the physical world through policy, allocation of resources, and myriad other ways. He references descriptions of mass shooters as “lone shooters” in a way that removes them from the space of violence pervasive in the US. Presidential assassins are another example. These two groups of predominantly white men are somehow isolated, removed from the larger conversation about violence in the US creating a Red Shift that in a sense conceals them from the rest of the data.
For the exhibition, Olujimi created collages from news imagery of the alt-right coupled with drawings. Olujimi’s current project centers on fragmentation of identity. His love of films informs this work. In particular he references the accidental announcement of La La Land for Best Picture in 2017 when in fact the film Moonlight claimed that title. His concept deconstructs and reassembles that moment, elongating it and examining the feeling of elation followed by crushing deflation. “A lot of my work is around these things that I call inevitabilities…I’m interested in bringing those inevitabilities out of the space of the implicit. Once you give them shape and weight and gravity and start to manifest them in some way, the incongruities and absurdities, the surreal aspects all become very evident and we are able to become more critical of them in that space.” It is these gaps, these “moments of silence” that inform Olujimi’s work. To hear more about this powerful art, listen to the complete interview.  For the Silo, Brainard Carey. 
Featured image- Mercy Doesn’t Grow On Trees, 2016 Wood, glass, hair, gold leaf, ratchet straps 150 x 48 x 30 inches
Culture

Our Vintage Computer Was Used In The Thing Prequel

Leave a comment
Computer display in John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi classic The Thing,

Getting Into Hollywood Accidentally…When I conceived the idea of a computer and technology museum around 25 years ago I didn’t concern myself with things like revenue models and how the place would be funded. Instead, I just worried about getting the coolest (and oldest) pieces of technology I could in order to have the best displays possible and appeal to the widest range of people.
Fortunately, I still think like that. However, the reality of having to pay bills for storage and electricity and all of the other things that come with running a proper business (and make no mistake, a museum is a business) means that on top of having some of the greatest technology pieces in the world to look at I must find ways of making money along the way.

A couple of years ago a production company called me asking for some early computers to use in a documentary about the origins of the internet that was going to run on the Discovery Channel (or was it the History Channel?) The guy was such a quick talker that I never really got a chance to get concrete information on what the show was going to be called or when it was going to air. To this day, I still don’t know if it ever did.

Then the CBC called. They were looking for an older computer running DOS with WordPerfect, the de facto standard in word processing – in 1989. An upcoming episode of “The Fifth Estate” required a computer recreation from the 80’s and they wanted to know if I could help. I missed the initial call and by the time I had gotten back to them, they had located something locally. It was at this time, however, I started thinking differently about our collection.

Some time had passed, and then the television show “Design By Decade” called. They needed some pictures of machines from the 90’s (and yes, in terms of computers, these are now quite ancient) and then Wired magazine asked for pictures as well. People writing Wikipedia articles were asking for permission to use some of our unique photos of machines to enhance their submissions. I started to think that we were really onto something.

When I first heard about a remake of 1982’s “The Thing” I never knew I would have something to do with it. A production designer called about putting computers from that time period into the 2011 remake. The only unfortunate part, because of the nature of the film, was that they would require purchasing the computers, not just renting them. “I can’t very well rent them from you and potentially return them with fake blood on them now can I?” I recall her saying. I had to agree. In the end, none of our computers actually made it into the film but I did my part as a consultant and helped steer the production in the right direction.

Earlier this year (2012), someone from Cineflix Media called. I recognized the name from the American Pickers and Canadian Pickers shows I somehow ended up addicted to. They required a recreation of a 70’s something office with computers and related materials. Dubbed as the “world’s most heroic airborne combat missions” it seemed like the furthest subject matter from computers I could think of, but hey, everyone needs to have an office, right? Getting paid for renting out our equipment was a real bonus, plus we got to be part of something cool. Now I found myself thinking about what the television and movie houses might want and have started acquiring those machines. Typewriters and old cell phones are now filling the nooks and crannies of our storage units.

Most recently a Toronto production company called, producing a film called “Public Service”. A short film that will make its rounds in the film festivals next year, it stars Gil Bellows (“Ally McBeal”) and Sheila McCarthy (“Little Mosque on the Prairie”). The majority of the film takes place in a government office in the mid 70’s and required some hard to find computers. A large one that normally sits in storage because it’s too big for even us to display was used during filming. We are excited to see how it all turned out, but we now feel like we’re pros at renting our stuff out to production companies.

We are presently working on expanding our website to included film and television production rentals as part of our service offering. It has not only become a nice revenue stream for the museum but it’s also exciting being involved in television and film. From the CRT screen, to the LCD screen, to the Silver screen we go!    For the Silo, Syd Bolton. 

 

 

Art

STRUTT Was Largest Wearable Art Show In Canada

Leave a comment
"Inflation". From the 2013 show. Eclectic. Radical. Awesome.
“Inflation”. From the 2013 show. Eclectic. Radical. Awesome.

The Niagara Artists Centre’s (NAC) 2014 STRUTT Wearable Art Show was outlandish, bizarre and like nothing you’d ever seen before. STRUTT took place on November 22, 2014 at the WS Tyler Factory in St. Catharines, ON. Doors opened at 8 p.m. for the first edition of the Niagara Exotic Bazaar and the runway show began at 9 p.m. The show showcased over 40 pieces of wearable art performed by acrobats, aerialists and break-dancers to a live musical score performed by Chiac hip-hopper sensations, Radio Radio. The runway show will also include the debut performance of the mini trip-hopera, Unstrung, featuring music by Paradise Animals, contemporary hip-hop dance troupe Bboyizm, and remarkable masks created by local artist, Clelia Scala. The event website is www.struttwearableartshow.ca.

“We pack a whack of WTF into this thing. We don’t care who you are, or where you’re from, you come to STRUTT and you’ll get your head spun,” says NAC’s Minister of Energy, Minds, and Resources, Stephen Remus. “The artists make fantastic work, the performers tear it up, and we turn the factory into a hedonist’s palace. I don’t think it can be doubted, STRUTT’s the single annual occasion where Niagara genuinely surprises itself.”

STRUTT was a surreal party scene where the absurd is commonplace. As Doug Herod of the St. Catharines Standard reflects, “STRUTT rocks! STRUTT is a wearable art show, but that description doesn’t do it justice. It’s music, it’s entertainment, it’s theatre — and a lot of fun.”

And a few more designs from last year.
And a few more designs from last year.

In addition to the runway show, STRUTT  included the Niagara Exotic Bazaar, a showcase of all that’s weird and wonderful and originating in Niagara, from wine to designer clothing to glassware. The Niagara Exotic Bazzar was sponsored by Shannon Passero and co-presented by NAC and the Garden City Food Co-op.

This one from 2013 is called: "What goes around".
This one from 2013 is called: “What goes around”.

 

Culture

Study Reveals Cost Of Cannabis And Industry Growth Worldwide

Leave a comment

2018 Weed Index Study reveals the cost of marijuana and highlights the number of grow and head shops in 120 cities around the world:

  • With a total of 156, Los Angeles, USA has the most headshops.
  • Madrid, Spain has the largest amount of growshops, with a total of 68.
  • Tokyo, Japan has the most expensive cannabis, at 32.66 USD per gram, while Quito, Ecuador has the least expensive marijuana, at 1.34 USD per gram.
  • Based on the average US marijuana tax rates currently implemented, New York City could generate the highest potential tax revenue by legalising weed, with 156.40 million USD per year. New York City also has the highest consumption rate of cannabis, at 77.44 metric tons per year.

 

Berlin, Germany, 20/04/2018 – ABCD, a data-driven media campaign outlet, has released new data which reveals the number of marijuana head and growshops in 120 cities around the world. This research, which builds on the 2018 Cannabis Price Index released earlier this year, reveals which locations around the world are ready to embrace cannabis legalisation. The aim of the study is to illustrate the continuous need for legislative reform on cannabis use around the world, and to determine if there are any lessons to be learned from those cities at the forefront of marijuana legalization. By including extra data on the number of head and growshops in each city, this new research can be utilized to indicate which cities are prepared for an imminent cannabis reform, while also highlighting which cities are in opposition of marijuana legalisation.

 

The initial study began by selecting 120 cities across the world, including locations where cannabis is currently legal, illegal and partially legal, and where marijuana consumption data is available. Then, they looked into the price of weed per gram in each city. To calculate how much potential tax a city could make by legalising weed, ABCD investigated how much tax is paid on the most popular brand of cigarettes, as this offers the closest comparison. They then looked at what percentage marijuana is currently taxed in cities where it’s already legalised in the US.

ABCD decided to conduct the extra research in order to to further the discussion around the medical and recreational use of cannabis, and the potential industry and business opportunities that would follow legalisation. By identifying the number of headshops as well as growshops, this study serves as an indicator to a city’s existing cannabis infrastructure and willingness to accept such reform on a larger scale. As an indicating factor, the more head shops and grow shops a city has, the more positive their state’s and general public’s attitude towards the cannabis-related industry is likely to be.

The table below reveals a sample of the results for the 13 US cities featured in the study:

 

# City Legality Price per gram, US$ Total possible tax collection, if taxed at cigarette level, mil US$ Total possible tax collection, if taxed at average US marijuana taxes, mil US$ Total consumption in metric tons Headshops Growshops
1 Washington, DC Partial 18.08 47.51 20.96 6.18 20 8
2 Chicago Partial 11.46 119.61 52.77 24.54 91 10
3 Philadelphia Partial 11.30 68.37 30.16 14.22 41 3
4 Boston Legal 11.01 28.59 12.61 6.10 49 4
5 New York Partial 10.76 354.48 156.40 77.44 59 7
6 Dallas Partial 10.03 51.01 22.5 11.95 80 6
7 Houston Partial 10.03 89.13 39.32 20.89 125 14
8 Phoenix Partial 9.35 58.26 25.71 14.65 72 9
9 Miami Partial 9.27 16.24 7.16 4.12 67 25
10 San Francisco Legal 9.27 30.94 13.65 7.85 61 3
11 Los Angeles Legal 8.14 124.88 55.10 36.06 153 46
12 Denver Legal 7.79 20.53 9.06 6.20 61 21
13 Seattle Legal 7.58 20.59 9.08 6.39 46 10

 

The table below shows the top 10 most and least expensive cities for cannabis:

 

Top 10 Most Expensive Cities Top 10 Least Expensive Cities
# City Country Legality Price per gram, US$ # City Country Legality Price per gram, US$
1 Tokyo Japan Illegal 32.66 1 Quito Ecuador Partial 1.34
2 Seoul South Korea Illegal 32.44 2 Bogota Colombia Partial 2.20
3 Kyoto Japan Illegal 29.65 3 Asuncion Paraguay Partial 2.22
4 Hong Kong China Illegal 27.48 4 Jakarta Indonesia Illegal 3.79
5 Bangkok Thailand Partial 24.81 5 Panama City Panama Illegal 3.85
6 Dublin Ireland Illegal 21.63 6 Johannesburg South Africa Illegal 4.01
7 Tallinn Estonia Partial 20.98 7 Montevideo Uruguay Legal 4.15
8 Shanghai China Illegal 20.82 8 Astana Kazakhstan Illegal 4.22
9 Beijing China Illegal 20.52 9 Antwerp Belgium Partial 4.29
10 Oslo Norway Partial 19.14 10 New Delhi India Partial 4.38

 

The table Below shows the top 10 cities with the most growshops:

 

# City Country Legality Growshops
1 Madrid Spain Partial 68
2 Buenos Aires Argentina Partial 48
3 Los Angeles USA Legal 46
4 Toronto Canada Partial 37
5 Melbourne Australia Partial 31
6 Miami USA Partial 25
7 London UK Illegal 23
8 Barcelona Spain Partial 23
9 Denver USA Legal 21
10 Berlin Germany Partial 20

 

The table Below shows the top 10 cities with the most headshops:

 

# City Country Legality Headshops
1 Los Angeles USA Legal 156
2 Houston USA Partial 125
3 Chicago USA Partial 91
4 Dallas USA Partial 80
5 Phoenix USA Partial 72
6 Miami USA Partial 67
7 San Francisco USA Legal 61
8 Denver USA Legal 61
9 New York USA Partial 59
10 Boston USA Legal 49

 

The table below shows the top 10 cities who could generate the most potential tax by legalising cannabis, if taxed at the same rate as the most popular cigarette brand:

 

# City Country Legality Price per gram, US$ % of cigarette tax Possible tax revenue, mil US$
1 Cairo Egypt Illegal 16.15 73.13 384.87
2 New York USA Partial 10.76 42.54 354.48
3 London UK Illegal 9.20 82.16 237.35
4 Sydney Australia Partial 10.79 56.76 138.36
5 Karachi Pakistan Illegal 5.32 60.7 135.48
6 Melbourne Australia Partial 10.84 56.76 132.75
7 Moscow Russia Partial 11.84 47.63 128.97
8 Toronto Canada Partial 7.82 69.8 124.15
9 Chicago USA Partial 11.46 42.54 119.61
10 Berlin Germany Partial 13.53 72.9 114.77

N.B. % of cigarette tax refers to the tax percentage on the most popular brand. Possible tax revenue refers to the total possible tax collection per year, if taxed at cigarette level. For a full explanation of how the study was conducted, please see the methodology at the bottom of the press release.

 

The table below shows the top 10 cities who could generate the most potential tax by legalising cannabis, if taxed at the average US marijuana tax rate:

 

# City Country Legality Price per gram, US$ Possible tax revenue, mil US$
1 New York USA Partial 10.76 156.4
2 Cairo Egypt Illegal 16.15 98.78
3 London UK Illegal 9.20 54.22
4 Chicago USA Partial 11.46 52.77
5 Moscow Russia Partial 11.84 50.82
6 Sydney Australia Partial 10.79 45.75
7 Melbourne Australia Partial 10.84 43.9
8 Karachi Pakistan Illegal 5.32 41.89
9 Houston USA Partial 10.03 39.32
10 Toronto Canada Partial 7.82 33.38

N.B. Possible tax revenue refers to the total possible tax collection per year, if taxed at average US marijuana tax rate.

 

The table below shows the top 10 cities with the highest and lowest consumption of cannabis, per year:

 

Highest Consumers of Cannabis Lowest Consumers of Cannabis
# City Country Legality Price per gram, US$ Total consumption, metric tons # City Country Legality Price per gram, US$ Total consumption, metric tons
1 New York USA Partial 10.76 77.44 1 Singapore Singapore Illegal 14.01 0.02
2 Karachi Pakistan Illegal 5.32 41.95 2 Santo Domingo Dominican Rep. Illegal 6.93 0.16
3 New Delhi India Partial 4.38 38.26 3 Kyoto Japan Illegal 29.65 0.24
4 Los Angeles USA Legal 8.14 36.06 4 Thessaloniki Greece Partial 13.49 0.29
5 Cairo Egypt Illegal 16.15 32.59 5 Luxembourg City Luxembourg Partial 7.26 0.32
6 Mumbai India Partial 4.57 32.38 6 Panama City Panama Illegal 3.85 0.37
7 London UK Illegal 9.20 31.4 7 Reykjavik Iceland Illegal 15.92 0.44
8 Chicago USA Partial 11.46 24.54 8 Asuncion Paraguay Partial 2.22 0.46
9 Moscow Russia Partial 11.84 22.87 9 Colombo Sri Lanka Illegal 9.12 0.59
10 Toronto Canada Partial 7.82 22.75 10 Manila Philippines Illegal 5.24 0.6

N.B. Total consumption is calculated per annum.

 

Further findings:

 

  • Shanghai, China has a large population of 24.15 million, has however no headshops or growshops in the city, underlining a resistance against cannabis reform.
  • On average, the status of legality (e.g. Legal, Partial or Illegal) coincides with the amount of headshops and growshops found in each city. The favourable the laws, the better the cannabis infrastructure
  • New York City, USA has the highest consumption rate of cannabis, at 77.44 metric tons per year.
  • Boston, USA has the most expensive cannabis of all the cities where it’s legal, at 11.01 USD, while Montevideo, Uruguay has the least expensive at 4.15 USD.
  • While Tokyo, Japan has the most expensive cannabis of all cities where it’s illegal, at 32.66 USD, Jakarta, Indonesia has the least expensive at 3.79 USD, despite being classed as a Group 1 drug with harsh sentences such as life imprisonment and the death penalty.
  • For cities where cannabis is partially legal, Bangkok, Thailand has the most expensive at 24.81 USD, while Quito, Ecuador has the least expensive at 1.34 USD.
  • Bulgaria has the highest tax rates for the most popular brand of cigarettes, at 82.65%, while Paraguay has the lowest, with rates of 16%.
  • Cairo, Egypt would gain the most revenue in tax if they were to legalise cannabis and tax it as the same rate as cigarettes, at 384.87 million USD. Singapore, Singapore would gain the least, at 0.14 million USD, due in part to the city’s low consumption of marijuana at 0.02 metric tons per annum.
  • Based on the average US marijuana tax rates currently implemented, New York City could generate the highest potential tax revenue by legalising weed, with 156.4 million USD per year. Singapore, Singapore would gain the least, at 0.04 million USD.

 

Source for data and graphics- http://weedindex.io 

 

 

The full results of the 2018 Cannabis Price Index:

 

# City Country Legality Price per gram, US$ Taxes of cigarettes, % of the most sold brand Total possible tax collection, if taxed at cigarette level, mil US$ Total possible tax collection, if taxed at average US marijuana taxes, mil US$ Total Consumption in metric tons
1 Tokyo Japan Illegal 32.66 64.36 32.14 9.37 1.53
2 Seoul South Korea Illegal 32.44 61.99 31.61 9.57 1.57
3 Kyoto Japan Illegal 29.65 64.36 4.64 1.35 0.24
4 Hong Kong China Illegal 27.48 44.43 19.72 8.33 1.62
5 Bangkok Thailand Partial 24.81 73.13 99.11 25.44 5.46
6 Dublin Ireland Illegal 21.63 77.80 29.31 7.07 1.74
7 Tallinn Estonia Partial 20.98 77.24 22.13 5.38 1.37
8 Shanghai China Illegal 20.82 44.43 49.12 20.75 5.31
9 Beijing China Illegal 20.52 44.43 43.10 18.21 4.73
10 Oslo Norway Partial 19.14 68.83 19.28 5.26 1.46
11 Washington, DC USA Partial 18.08 42.54 47.51 20.96 6.18
12 Cairo Egypt Illegal 16.15 73.13 384.87 98.78 32.59
13 Reykjavik Iceland Illegal 15.92 56.40 3.97 1.32 0.44
14 Belfast Ireland Illegal 15.81 77.80 13.55 3.27 1.10
15 Minsk Belarus Illegal 15.80 51.15 9.08 3.33 1.12
16 Athens Greece Partial 14.95 79.95 7.42 1.74 0.62
17 Auckland New Zealand Partial 14.77 77.34 106.03 25.73 9.28
18 Munich Germany Partial 14.56 72.90 50.90 13.10 4.80
19 Helsinki Finland Partial 14.42 81.53 27.12 6.24 2.31
20 Singapore Singapore Illegal 14.01 66.23 0.14 0.04 0.02
21 Berlin Germany Partial 13.53 72.90 114.77 29.55 11.64
22 Stuttgart Germany Partial 13.50 72.90 20.20 5.20 2.05
23 Thessaloniki Greece Partial 13.49 79.95 3.17 0.75 0.29
24 Stockholm Sweden Illegal 13.20 68.84 15.06 4.11 1.66
25 Vienna Austria Partial 12.87 74.00 59.21 15.02 6.22
26 Copenhagen Denmark Partial 12.47 74.75 20.65 5.18 2.22
27 Moscow Russia Partial 11.84 47.63 128.97 50.82 22.87
28 Hamburg Germany Partial 11.64 72.90 50.16 12.92 5.91
29 Chicago USA Partial 11.46 42.54 119.61 52.77 24.54
30 Philadelphia USA Partial 11.30 42.54 68.37 30.16 14.22
31 Bucharest Romania Partial 11.18 75.41 17.23 4.29 2.04
32 Cologne Germany Partial 11.14 72.90 28.51 7.34 3.51
33 Geneva Switzerland Partial 11.12 61.20 5.90 1.81 0.87
34 Boston USA Legal 11.01 42.54 28.59 12.61 6.10
35 Adelaide Australia Partial 10.91 56.76 41.60 13.75 6.72
36 Istanbul Turkey Partial 10.87 82.13 21.79 4.98 2.44
37 Melbourne Australia Partial 10.84 56.76 132.75 43.90 21.58
38 Sydney Australia Partial 10.79 56.76 138.36 45.75 22.59
39 New York USA Partial 10.76 42.54 354.48 156.40 77.44
40 Düsseldorf Germany Partial 10.70 72.90 15.82 4.07 2.03
41 Brisbane Australia Partial 10.63 56.76 66.88 22.12 11.09
42 Hanover Germany Partial 10.51 72.90 13.46 3.47 1.76
43 Prague Czech Rep. Partial 10.47 77.42 63.95 15.50 7.89
44 Frankfurt Germany Partial 10.29 72.90 18.06 4.65 2.41
45 Wellington New Zealand Partial 10.11 77.34 19.53 4.74 2.50
46 Dallas USA Partial 10.03 42.54 51.01 22.50 11.95
47 Houston USA Partial 10.03 42.54 89.13 39.32 20.89
48 Vilnius Lithuania Illegal 10.00 75.76 5.20 1.29 0.69
49 Zurich Switzerland Partial 9.71 61.20 10.33 3.17 1.74
50 Montpellier France Illegal 9.70 80.30 12.21 2.85 1.57
51 Canberra Australia Partial 9.65 56.76 10.96 3.63 2.00
52 Zagreb Croatia Partial 9.43 75.26 24.35 6.07 3.43
53 Nice France Illegal 9.40 80.30 15.80 3.69 2.09
54 Phoenix USA Partial 9.35 42.54 58.26 25.71 14.65
55 Paris France Illegal 9.30 80.30 102.25 23.90 13.69
56 Miami USA Partial 9.27 42.54 16.24 7.16 4.12
57 San Francisco USA Legal 9.27 42.54 30.94 13.65 7.85
58 London UK Illegal 9.20 82.16 237.35 54.22 31.40
59 Colombo Sri Lanka Illegal 9.12 73.78 3.98 1.01 0.59
60 Riga Latvia Illegal 9.00 76.89 10.23 2.50 1.48
61 Bratislava Slovakia Illegal 8.92 81.54 7.24 1.67 1.00
62 Milan Italy Partial 8.85 75.68 46.06 11.42 6.88
63 Varna Bulgaria Illegal 8.83 82.65 4.84 1.10 0.66
64 Marseille France Illegal 8.69 80.30 36.23 8.47 5.19
65 Glasgow UK Illegal 8.65 82.16 15.21 3.47 2.14
66 Toulouse France Illegal 8.62 80.30 18.67 4.36 2.70
67 Birmingham UK Illegal 8.58 82.16 27.73 6.34 3.93
68 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Illegal 8.54 55.36 6.61 2.24 1.40
69 Monterrey Mexico Partial 8.45 65.87 4.17 1.19 0.75
70 Edinburgh UK Illegal 8.41 82.16 12.22 2.79 1.77
71 Lisbon Portugal Partial 8.36 74.51 4.69 1.18 0.75
72 Strasbourg France Illegal 8.35 80.30 11.13 2.60 1.66
73 Warsaw Poland Partial 8.31 80.29 29.27 6.84 4.39
74 Lyon France Illegal 8.20 80.30 19.45 4.55 2.95
75 Los Angeles USA Legal 8.14 42.54 124.88 55.10 36.06
76 Liverpool UK Illegal 7.94 82.16 10.86 2.48 1.67
77 Amsterdam Netherlands Partial 7.89 73.40 20.94 5.35 3.61
78 Manchester UK Illegal 7.88 82.16 58.99 13.48 9.11
79 Rome Italy Partial 7.86 75.68 88.16 21.86 14.82
80 Toronto Canada Partial 7.82 69.80 124.15 33.38 22.75
81 Denver USA Legal 7.79 42.54 20.53 9.06 6.20
82 Naples Italy Partial 7.75 75.68 29.82 7.40 5.08
83 Leeds UK Illegal 7.67 82.16 16.93 3.87 2.69
84 Seattle USA Legal 7.58 42.54 20.59 9.08 6.39
85 Madrid Spain Partial 7.47 78.09 93.40 22.45 16.01
86 Calgary Canada Partial 7.30 69.80 52.23 14.05 10.25
87 Luxembourg City Luxembourg Partial 7.26 70.24 1.62 0.43 0.32
88 San Jose Costa Rica Partial 7.23 69.76 7.84 2.11 1.56
89 Buenos Aires Argentina Partial 7.13 69.84 25.32 6.81 5.09
90 Brussels Belgium Partial 7.09 75.92 15.50 3.83 2.88
91 Santo Domingo Dominican Rep. Illegal 6.93 58.87 0.67 0.21 0.16
92 Graz Austria Partial 6.84 74.00 4.81 1.22 0.95
93 Budapest Hungary Illegal 6.74 77.26 7.70 1.87 1.48
94 Sofia Bulgaria Illegal 6.66 82.65 12.83 2.91 2.33
95 Ottawa Canada Partial 6.62 69.80 35.43 9.53 7.67
96 Vancouver Canada Partial 6.40 69.80 23.44 6.30 5.25
97 Sao Paulo Brazil Partial 6.38 64.94 68.55 19.81 16.55
98 Rotterdam Netherlands Partial 6.33 73.40 12.75 3.26 2.74
99 Ljubljana Slovenia Partial 6.32 80.41 3.43 0.80 0.67
100 Barcelona Spain Partial 6.23 78.09 39.59 9.51 8.14
101 Montreal Canada Partial 6.15 69.80 60.52 16.27 14.10
102 Kiev Ukraine Partial 6.00 74.78 14.73 3.70 3.28
103 Abuja Nigeria Illegal 5.88 20.63 7.40 6.73 6.10
104 Lima Peru Partial 5.88 37.83 12.28 6.09 5.52
105 Mexico City Mexico Partial 5.87 65.87 22.58 6.43 5.84
106 Cape Town South Africa Illegal 5.82 48.80 2.47 0.95 0.87
107 Karachi Pakistan Illegal 5.32 60.70 135.48 41.89 41.95
108 Manila Philippines Illegal 5.24 74.27 2.32 0.59 0.60
109 Rio de Janeiro Brazil Partial 5.11 64.94 28.82 8.33 8.69
110 Mumbai India Partial 4.57 60.39 89.38 27.78 32.38
111 New Delhi India Partial 4.38 60.39 101.20 31.45 38.26
112 Antwerp Belgium Partial 4.29 75.92 4.10 1.01 1.26
113 Astana Kazakhstan Illegal 4.22 39.29 1.78 0.85 1.07
114 Montevideo Uruguay Legal 4.15 66.75 19.54 5.50 7.06
115 Johannesburg South Africa Illegal 4.01 48.80 3.76 1.45 1.92
116 Panama City Panama Illegal 3.85 56.52 0.81 0.27 0.37
117 Jakarta Indonesia Illegal 3.79 53.40 1.92 0.68 0.95
118 Asuncion Paraguay Partial 2.22 16.00 0.16 0.19 0.46
119 Bogota Colombia Partial 2.20 49.44 15.80 6.00 14.53
120 Quito Ecuador Partial 1.34 70.39 0.56 0.15 0.60

 

Methodology

 

Selection of the cities:

To select the cities for the study, Seedo first looked at the top and bottom cannabis consuming countries around the world. Then they analysed nations where marijuana is partially or completely legal, as well as illegal, and selected the final list of 120 cities in order to best offer a representative comparison of the global cannabis price.

 

Data:

 

  • Price per gram, US$ – Crowdsourced city-level surveys adjusted to World Drug Report 2017 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

 

  • Taxes on Cigarettes, % of the most sold brand – Taxes as a percentage of the retail price of the most sold brand (total tax). Source: Appendix 2 of the WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2015.

 

  • Annual possible tax collection is calculated in the following way:

 

  • Total_Possible_Tax=Population_City*Prevalence*Avg_Consumption_year_gr*price*tax_level, where:
  • Population: latest available local population data sources.
  • Annual Prevalence (percentage of population, having used weed in the year). Source: World Drug Report 2017 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
  • Average Consumption of weed per year in grams (people who consumed weed at least once in the previous year).
  • Estimation, with the assumption, that one use of weed on average means one joint.
  • One joint is assumed to have 0.66 grams of weed as in the paper of Mariani, Brooks, Haney and Levin (2010).
  • The distribution of use during the year is assumed to be the same as in Zhao and Harris (2004), where the yearly usage varies from once or twice a year to everyday.

 

  • Total Consumption in Tons

 

  • Consumption=Population*Prevalence*Consumption_year_gr
  • Population: latest available local population data sources.
  • Annual Prevalence (percentage of population, having used weed in the year). Source: World Drug Report 2017 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
  • Average Consumption of weed per year in grams (people who consumed weed at least once in the previous year).
  • Estimation, with the assumption, that one use of weed on average means one joint.
  • One joint is assumed to have 0.66 grams of weed as in the paper of Mariani, Brooks, Haney and Levin (2010).
  • The distribution of use during the year is assumed to be the same as in Zhao and Harris (2004), where the yearly usage varies from once or twice a year to everyday.

 

  • US tax level – Average tax level in the states of US where weed is legal: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Includes retail sales taxes, state taxes, local taxes and excise taxes.
  • Growshops – Sourced via Google Maps Listings 2018
  • Headshops – Sourced via Google Maps Data Listings 2018
  • Legality
    • Legal, if possession and selling for recreational and medical use is legal.
    • Illegal, if possession and selling for recreational and medical use is illegal.
    • Partial, if
      • Possession of small amounts is decriminalised (criminal penalties lessened, fines and regulated permits may still apply)
      • OR medicinal use legal
      • OR possession is legal, selling illegal
      • OR scientific use legal
      • OR usage allowed in restricted areas (e.g. homes or coffee shops)
      • OR local laws may apply to legality (e.g. illegal at federal level, legal at state level)

 

 

First quote: Based on New York City Council’s free lunch initiative which began in September 2017, with 1.1 million public school children, at a cost of $1.75 per child per day.

Earth

Ontario Law Protects Bees By Reducing Neonicotinoid Corn And Soybean Crops

4 Comments

On July 1, 2015, Ontario was the first jurisdiction in North America to protect bees and other pollinators through new rules to reduce the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds by 80 per cent.

Over the years, Ontario beekeepers have experienced unusually high over-winter losses of honey bees, reaching 58 per cent following the winter of 2013-14. image: naturalblaze.com
Over the years, Ontario beekeepers have experienced unusually high over-winter losses of honey bees, reaching 58 per cent following the winter of 2013-14. image: naturalblaze.com

To support this goal, new requirements were put in place for the sale and use of neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed that will help ensure treated seed is only used when there is evidence of a pest problem. Reducing neonicotinoid use in these two crops presents the greatest potential to reduce pollinator exposure to the neurotoxic insecticide.

Pollinators, including bees, birds and butterflies, play a crucial role in agriculture and our ecosystem. The level of over-winter losses considered to be acceptable and sustainable by most apiculturists is 15 per cent.

 

The new rules are one part of Ontario’s strategy to improve pollinator health. The province will also develop a pollinator health action plan in consultation with the public and experts to address other stressors that affect pollinators.

Ensuring a strong and healthy agricultural sector is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

A flowering tobacco plant. Close to 100 per cent of corn seed and 60 per cent of soybean seed sold in Ontario is treated with neonicotinoid insecticides.
A flowering tobacco plant. Close to 100 per cent of corn seed and 60 per cent of soybean seed sold in Ontario is treated with neonicotinoid insecticides.

QUOTES

“Much of the food we eat and the vibrancy of Ontario’s natural habitats depend on a healthy pollinator population. Our government is taking necessary action to protect these vitally important species and the ecosystems they support from the effects of neurotoxic neonicotinoids.”

— Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change

“Farmers are environmental stewards of their land and this regulation will enable our province’s farmers to strengthen their approach to protecting their crops. To have a significant impact on improving pollinator health, over the coming months, we collectively need to focus on three additional contributors: habitat and nutrition, disease and pests as well as weather and climate change.”

— Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

 “Farmers care about the health of pollinators. That’s why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA)  has worked closely with the Government of Ontario to have these new regulatory requirements work for the province’s farmers. The OFA supports the need for a complete pollinator policy.  The OFA will continue to work with the government toward the successful implementation of this regulation, keeping the concerns of farmers top of mind as part of a pollinator strategy.”

  • Don McCabe, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

 “Friends of the Earth is pleased and impressed by Ontario’s leadership in finalizing this first permanent reduction in the use of neonicotinoids in Canada. With its new pesticide regulation, Ontario is delivering important benefits for nature including honey bees, native bees and other vulnerable species.”

  • Beatrice Olivastri, Chief Executive Officer, Friends of the Earth Canada

“Doctors are delighted Ontario will be North America’s first jurisdiction to introduce regulatory restrictions on bee-killing neonic pesticides. Assuming Ontario hits its target of an 80% reduction by 2017, this will be the most important pollinator-protection policy on the continent — and a major contributor to food security.”

  • Gideon Forman, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

 

QUICK FACTS

 

  • There are more than 400 pollinator species in Ontario and bees are the most common pollinator.
  • Bees and other pollinators are responsible for pollinating roughly 13 per cent of agricultural crops in Ontario (crops worth about $897 million), and support $26 million annually in honey production.
  • The province conducted a comprehensive, two-stage consultation process with the public and stakeholders to develop its neonicotinoid regulatory requirements.
  • Neonicotinoid-treated seeds are widely used in agriculture. Close to 100 per cent of corn seed and 60 per cent of soybean seed sold in the province is treated with neonicotinoid insecticides.

 

LEARN MORE

 

Learn more about the new regulatory requirements to protect pollinators

Learn about the importance of protecting bees and other pollinators

Supplemental- New York Times: Bee death may be linked to Tobacco ringspot virus

Politics

Funding Announced To Help Ontarians Save Energy And Money In Homes And Businesses

3 Comments

I’m sure we all read the distressing poll that about a third of Canadians still don’t believe the threat of climate change is real.  Even more illuminating: only 30 per cent even know we are taking action in Ontario to fight climate change.

This is the reason why Canada and Ontario are working together to take action on climate change and find clean solutions to help homeowners and families save money, reduce energy waste, create jobs and support healthy communities.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, and the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, announced a federal investment of up to $100 million to help the people of Ontario make energy efficient retrofits to their homes – including apartments, townhouses and low-income housing – and businesses.

This funding will support the province’s GreenON Rebates program, which helps cover the cost of eco-friendly retrofits across the province. This investment is supported by the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund.

GreenON Rebates will assist property owners make energy efficient changes like installing better insulation, high-efficiency ventilation systems and heat pumps, and other devices to save energy and reduce costs.

This is an opportunity for us here in Haldimand-Norfolk to take action and do our part in fighting the climante change. We can take advantage of receiving some of our own tax dollars back by improving our houses and businesses while saving money in the long run at the same time.

As part of its Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), Ontario in investing up to $1.7 billion over the coming years into GreenON to support a wide range of programs, including rebates and programs to help families, business and farmers make environmentally friendly changes. The CCAP is a five-year action plan that is making life more affordable for people across the province and making Ontario a leader in the global fight against climate change. Revenues from Ontario’s carbon market, which puts a cap on the carbon pollution businesses can emit, are funding this action plan.

The Government of Canada’s Low-Carbon Economy Leadership Fund provides $1.4 billion to provinces and territories that have adopted the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (PCF), to deliver on commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today’s announcement is part of the almost $420 million Ontario is receiving through the Leadership Fund.

Did you Know:

  • Through GreenON, property owners are currently eligible for rebates up to $7,200 in savings on new insulation; $5,000 in savings on replacement windows; $5,800 in savings on some air source heat pumps; and $20,000 in savings on installation of some certified ground source heat pumps.
  • In January, Ontario became part of the second-largest carbon market in the world, which forms the backbone of Ontario’s strategy to cut greenhouse gas pollution to 15 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, 37 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050.
  • Ontario’s carbon market has generation approximately $2.4 billion in revenue to improve schools, hospitals, transit and other projects like new bike lanes that are building a greener, more energy efficient province.
  • Ontario has committed up to $1.7 billion over three years to support a wide range of programs under the Green Ontario Fund (GreenON).

 

Click Me!

Canada's 'biggest little blogspace'