As has become custom, I have been using the year-end holiday season to recharge my batteries, chill out, relax, etc. This means a lot of reading, a lot of new learning, and very little writing. Along with the increasingly-frustrating ravings of Dr. Moore, I have been reading Master Transportation Plans, found a couple of interesting new on-line sources of better science around environmental issues, and have even been reading a bit of fiction: a rare luxury for me. So I have not been writing much.
However, once again, the News Leader asked me to contribute to the year-ending Looking Back / Looking Forward feature, on the topic of local environmental issues. I can’t help but feel 2011 was a good year locally for the environment, just as giant steps backwards were taken nationally and internationally.
I’m not one prone to New Years Resolutions – my life is full enough of half-realized aspirations – but I do have some plans for 2012. Obviously, the Master Transportation Plan and Pattullo Bridge public consultations will be meaningful and interesting. There are a couple of big captial projects at the Royal City Curling Club that have been on the back burner too long, and I will relish being the “Past President” of the NWEP, seeing what exciting new directions the group takes under the refreshed Board and crazy-smart and outspoken new President. I also need to take a little more analytical approach to my gardening, the shotgun approach is getting frustrating. Oh, and finish the basement renos, and ride my bike more, and replace the back fence, and spend more time on Saturna, and stop using the car to commute so often, and get a day of curling practice in every week to work on my draw weight, and… what was I saying about half-realized aspirations?
Nevermind the rest of that stuff, Pat. Your draw weight is all that matters.
Was going to share this link with you … my brother works with this guy on a house controls project in Victoria. Mentioned the idea of the pool / curling rink exchange and brother thought this guy was right up the alley on it, so here ya go: http://www.accent-refrigeration.com/
Happy New Year!
Thanks Jen. good info. any energy exchange would have to coincide with Canada Games Pool renovations, and there are a few pokers in a few fires there…
Mostly, the club needs a few mechanical upgrades to keep operating, and secondly, I’m looking at improving some the energy efficiency of the building, perhaps to coincide with a new roof that will be needed this decade. With recent upgrades to the lighting and water recirculating system, wears already way more efficient that we were a couple of years ago, but it still takes a lot of energy to make ice.