As technology progresses, we become closer and closer to being able to engineer life forms (or portions of them) in order to serve us better. Biotechnologies will allow us to have organic computers, light bulbs grown in tubes and a wide array of other, no doubt, handy items.
Bio-mimetics and Cyberware are also on the very near horizon, but have the added advantage of being morally neutral; that idea of subjugating living creatures for our own use is often frowned upon by a significant portion of Western culture (I'm looking at you PETA). Granted, I'm not entirely on board with the idea either, especially when there could be other options (even riding horses makes me uncomfortable for that poor bugger that has to tote me around).

"Science is one thing, wisdom is another. Science is an edged tool, with which men play like children, and cut their own fingers." - Sir Arthur Eddington

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Location: 44.91??°N, -78.06??°W; Alt: ???m
	Photo Date: 25 June, 2005
	ISO: 200
	Aperture/Shutter: F/7, 1/120
	Focal Length: 15mm
	Camera: Fuji S5000
Category: City / Landscapes

Also from Silent Lake, this is the view from (I think) site 43. I was impressed with the overall green tones throughout the view and the surprising lack of mosquitos ... possibly due to the abundance of frogs and the opening created in the trees to allow a light breeze in.

Location: 44.91??°N, -78.06??°W; Alt: ???m
	Photo Date: 27 June, 2005
	ISO: 200
	Aperture/Shutter: F/3.2, 1/1600
	Focal Length: 42mm
	Camera: Fuji S5000
Category: City / Landscapes

Trying to keep with the Earth Day theme (even if it is late by a day), I thought I'd give something a little more environmental then plastic and city.
This is an island in Silent Lake. A physical lake and a Provincial Park near Bancroft, Ontario (The co-ords are rough estimates to the lake, not the island itself. This was still shot pre-GPS days).
Taken in late June , the humidity was getting quite high. Especially that summer. This posed some serious issues with many of my pics that week as any shot of significant distance tended to become quite hazy ... well that and the fact it would periodically rain on us.

The lake really is quite spectacular. It's a semi-closed lake (access to other waterways only via swamp; not really passable, even by canoe) and is completely contained within the park. It's non-motorized and has limited gas or detergent pollution allow for an abundance of undisturbed wildlife. There is also no fear of being swamped by the asshole in a speedboat twice the size the lake can handle while taking your photos.
Jackass ...

Watch out for the snapping turtle that lives in the rocks near the surface though, he (or she) looks about 100 years old and entirely unfriendly. Certainly not impressed when I parked the canoe on it to take some pictures (sorry, sorry ...).
The camping section is also limited to a very small portion of the lake, so the majority of the forest around the lake is also undisturbed. A great camping ground, but be cautious of bears.
Remember, being close to nature also comes with significant responsibility for both it and yourself (ah, Earth Day content!). It would be a shame to have the bear shot by a ranger for your own stupidity as it flings you around like a rag-doll.

I know I'm a little behind on this particular story, but apparently the world's first vegan strip club has opened in Portland, Oregon.
The menu apparently is entirely entirely vegan and therefore environmentally, biologically and ethically sound (ok, that last one is more on an 'animal rights' sort of ethic). Personally, I'm impressed that a business can actually pull off an all vegan meal and stay ... well, in business. Now, you might think that a strip club may have a better chance then any other, and you might be right, but remember that Portland, Or. has more strip clubs per capita then any other American city.



It will cost you less then $500 to get from Toronto to Portland, anybody up for a weekend trip?

'Canada's New Government' (as they seem to still be calling themselves) has announced a new programme, starting in Saskatchewan, to capture and bury carbon emissions. This particular (CAN$240 million) project will be used on a coal-burning power plant (we still use these?!?) to redirect the carbons into the ground.
I'm hesitant as to the value of this particular project from an environmental point of view as everything else we've buried tends to come back to haunt us at some point.
Garbage, nuclear waste, zombies and other undead corpses.
The principle seems sound though. The issue is not carbon per se, as it's rather handy for a variety of purposes, but the fact that it's not happy when it's in the air (or in our lungs). The dinosaurs did a lovely job of trapping it in the ground and letting the wee mammals inherit the Earth and fuel our lovely, monstrous, oxygen-needy brains. We, deciding that traffic and rush hour is much better then intellect, burned those saviour (or savory) dinos and realeased it back into the air setting us back on track for the weather of the Triassic.
So does putting it back in the ground really make it better? A sort of artificial dinosaur reburial to appease the lizard gods (and potentially create large carbon supplies in friendly territory for future generations) or is it more like sweeping the dirt under the rug and hoping no one will notice?

As promised, the second installment from the YouTube Environmental Vigilante, Wonderingmind42.
There are some distinct similarities to his initial broadcast, but the entertainment value is certainly still there.
I think he really needs to cut down on his Red Bull consumption, but I'm very impressed that this footage is perhaps the first recorded proper usage of the word "hosed" by an american.
I almost feel like sending him a touque for the honour ...
This strip too, clocks in at under 10 mins.
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I don't normally post video to my blog, but I must admit that this particular one does an amazing job of simplifying the issue of global warming. Presented by a science teacher, one whom I can only imagine is a very good one, it takes all the issues of the day and boils them down to the bare essentials.
A distilation of facts leaving the rawest of truths. My favourite kind really. You know, the simple one's that don't have all that chaff that leaves a vile taste in your mouth or sticks between your teeth and makes you hiss.
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