The PenOpticon

Yeah, I know Earth Hour isn't going to solve the Global Mess we've gotten ourselves into. It's a symbolic gesture, but sometimes symbols are all we have. And when you know you can't fix the world, it's still worth taking on issues that are close to home. 

That's why on March 29th, I'll be at the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, Ontario.  For the past 72 years, the Dunlap Observatory has been a place of discovery and wonder for hundreds of astronomers and many thousands of visitors.

When the lights go out in Toronto, we hope to see the same sky that Dunlap's first astronomers saw in 1935.   Unfortunately, this could be the year the David Dunlap Observatory goes dark, forever.  The current owner, the University of Toronto is trying to quickly sell this property to developers. The world is about to lose a historic eye, a powerful eye that has been looking out into space for decades, the same eye that was used by Dr. Tom Bolton in 1972, when he proved the existence of a Black Hole in Cygnus X-1.

If Dunlap closes, my town will also lose a large green space — a much needed urban wilderness — that is home to dozens of bird species, deer, fox, coyote.  Instead we'll have more concrete, more pavement, more noise, more traffic –  and more light pollution. Hundreds of us have been holding rallies, writing letters and attending town meetings to try to convince the University of Toronto to postpone the sale and other levels of government to protect the property.

In the meantime, local residents and groups such as the Richmond Hill Naturalists will continue to fight to save David Dunlap Observatory and the surrounding green space by appearing before the Ontario Conservation Review Board to seek a 100% heritage designation for the property. These same groups are also lobbying York Region to stop plans to widen existing arterial roads such as 16th Avenue to 6 or 7 lanes. 

We need to ask ourselves, our businesses, our governments — and our universities: what is the point? What is the POINT of looking up at the stars if we continue to destroy the Earth beneath our feet?

When hundreds gather at David Dunlap Observatory for this Earth Hour, that question will be blazing in the sky, burning in every star that shines down upon us.

Happy Earth Hour, everyone.

It is astounding to me that the University of Toronto continues to ignore the public and politicians calling on them to cancel the sale of David Dunlap Observatory.  The DDO land and buildings were donated in the 1930's and the facility has been doing useful science on every clear night since then.   Because it sits in an urban area, the 74-inch telescope is used for niche areas of astronomy: primarily stellar spectroscopy.

At the same time, Richmond Hill has adapted the growth of the town around the 190 acre park.  It is now the largest and last remaining green space in the middle of town and is much needed by people and animals alike.

U of T should listen to the more than 2000 people who signed this Online Petition and 2000 others who joined the Save David Dunlap Observatory Facebook group. And the 5000 signatures we delivered to the Ontario Legislature and the University of Toronto. The University should also look at the number of newspaper articles, letters, editorials and blogs which have called the sale a "cash grab" or worse.

People do not want to fund the University of Toronto by selling the land beneath our feet.

Dunlap fight reaches floor of Queen's Park

When I read inspiring books like Bill McKibben's Deep Economy and Mike Nickerson's Life, Money and Illusion , I dream utopian dreams of a world with no cars. Instead, our roads are practically empty except for hundreds of modern, quiet, hybrid and electric buses. Lotsa buses. Enough buses that you'd almost never have to wait more than a minute or three to catch one. Enough buses to ensure you almost always get a seat. Maybe even a window seat.

And then I wake up and realize I'm standing in the middle of a crowded aisle on a VIVA bus, heading to York University. For some unknown reason, the driver refuses to open the roof vents or turn on the air conditioning. The packed load of sweating students sways with nausea as the bus lurches through stop and go traffic, navigates around road construction and dodges the SUVs that routinely cut in front.

Those of us who travel without earbuds are treated to the cacophonous hiss and pop of 30 or 40 iPods which rhythmically bash away at the eardrums of their wearers. 

And then we arrive. And we stagger out of the bus like early morning drunks only to shuffle through a gauntlet of idling buses that spew diesel fumes which gather and linger around the walkways and buildings.

What I want to know is this: if we really are on the verge of Peak Oil; if a barrel of the stuff will soon cost more than $100; if the ice caps are melting, causing half the world to flood and other half to dry out; then, why can't we at least learn to turn off buses when they are parked?  York Region Transit is about to raise fairs to $3 a ride.  How much of this fair increase could be waived if drivers routinely shut off the engines when their buses are stopped for more than 3 minutes.

Of course, I'd prefer to see a car-less world where clean buses rule the roads. In the meantime, can we at least build buses that doesn't spew diesel and irony? Right now, they are choking the life out of us.

The Ontario Liberal's new environmental "incentive program" was unveiled yesterday. This scheme would allow the province to hand out special eco-licence plates to owners of low-emmision cars such as the Toyota Prius.  The details are still being hammered out, but owners of these special green plates could be entitled to free parking and the right to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Woot!

At first glance, this eco-plate scheme sounds harmless enough: a low-cost, low-impact bit of PR.  Look a little deeper, however, the the scheme is nothing but a minor Liberal tip-of-the-hat to the wealthiest Ontarians who could (if they wanted) purchase an expensive hybrid car.  The plan will do nothing to help alleviate global warming or get cars off congested roads.  And it will do nothing to improve public transit. In fact, the eco-licence will bring additional traffic and demand for parking.

Sorry Dalton, but we need tougher emissions laws now to make it hard for car makers to sell cars that spew carbon.  Your recently announced $650-million fund to develop green cars in Ontario sounds like money wasted on big auto makers.  Why not direct that fund into an Ontario-grown green transit manufacturer.  Put green buses on the roads and help Ontario industry re-tool to build renewable energy products. Then you might get my Green vote.