Climate change is, without a doubt, the greatest challenge we
face. Nowhere are these effects felt more strongly than at 8 Elliott Ave in
Etobicoke.
If you don’t have last year’s letter handy we are all one
year older. That means that Maggie is 16, just a few short days from
independent driving and Hannah is turning 15 as I write. The temperature swings
in our geography are rapid and severe.
In 2012 we incurred tremendous carbon debits mainly through
long range travel. In the Summer Hannah jetted to Borneo to spend 3 weeks
living aboard her Aunt and Uncle’s
sailboat and exploring Malaysia. Hannah is laid back, can amuse herself with a
book and makes for good company in the cramped quarters of a boat.
Seeing the developing world gave them some perspective on our carbon-rich
lifestyle. If you are normal and these trips strike you as extravagant I
welcome you to my world. In my next life, however, I will not only have total
clarity on why they are necessary I will also be rewarded and probably have the
urge to buy my kids a couple of MacBook Pros and iPhones.
Maggie is still a good student in Mr. Kotter’s Sweathogs
class and Hannah loves her hippy-dippy school where they first-name their
teachers. The major adverse event looming on the horizon is University
admission. It’s not even the money. It’s the
human toll. No amount of sandbagging can prepare us for the impending
catastrophe.
Carolyn is the David Suzuki in our house. Walks the talk,
saving the world, and still running a pretty successful business over there at
Jumpstart. She is often the voice of reason, building a consensus among the
various stakeholders(me vs. them). She got carbon credits for riding another
500kms in August with the Jumpstart fundraiser (Kingston to Niagara Falls). I
was just there to carry her bag and perform the occasional helmet testing
procedure launching myself onto the road at 25kms/hr. – weeeeeeee.
With global warming, Calgary will one day be an ideal beach
resort. This trend was our friend when Hannah and I got May’s weather in March
on our week-long trip to Paris. We picnicked on the grass at Versailles, we picnicked
in the square outside the Centre Pompidou, we dined on the sidewalk by our
hotel in Les Marais. Hannah does not like to shop, neither do I. You can do a
lot in Paris if you skip the shopping – chamber concerts, museums, fine dining
on a budget (chowhound.com), reading in cafes, and sightseeing. We did not
yield to the half-cast on her badly sprained ankle or her natural urge to sleep
until Noon.
My tiny reserves of empathy go out to the scientists of
l’Aquila. We grind away doing the best job we can in a maelstrom of
unpredictability, and yet, predict we must. When the volcano blows on its own
mysterious schedule the blame game begins. We are paraded at court and
convicted. Not convicted of incompetence mind you, rather they are jailed for
their innate manly predisposition. They were poor communicators.
Our only hope for the future is to fully realize that we are
part of a larger community one with shared purpose and mutual support. One in
which we demonstrate restraint and consider generosity alongside our own needs.
Our globe is populated by you our friends and family. The more we can get
together, the better off we are. Like Kyoto and Rio, its just good to
talk...and maybe ultimately save the world.
That is the spirit of our best wishes to you for the holidays.
Climate change is, without a doubt, the greatest challenge we
face. Nowhere are these effects felt more strongly than at 8 Elliott Ave in
Etobicoke.
If you don’t have last year’s letter handy we are all one
year older. That means that Maggie is 16, just a few short days from
independent driving and Hannah is turning 15 as I write. The temperature swings
in our geography are rapid and severe.
In 2012 we incurred tremendous carbon debits mainly through
long range travel. In the Summer Hannah jetted to Borneo to spend 3 weeks
living aboard her Aunt and Uncle’s
sailboat and exploring Malaysia. Hannah is laid back, can amuse herself with a
book and makes for good company in the cramped quarters of a boat.
Maggie,on the other
wing, spent 2 weeks volunteering at an orphanage in Uganda. This remarkable
place was founded by a woman whose daughter worked with Carolyn at UNICEF. Both
Carolyn and Maggie were inspired at a small fundraiser. To give credit where it
is due Maggie funded a good portion of her trip with her own funds, and
channelled generous gifts from friends and family into her “Uganda fund”.
Seeing the developing world gave them some perspective on our carbon-rich
lifestyle. If you are normal and these trips strike you as extravagant I
welcome you to my world. In my next life, however, I will not only have total
clarity on why they are necessary I will also be rewarded and probably have the
urge to buy my kids a couple of MacBook Pros and iPhones.
Maggie is still a good student in Mr. Kotter’s Sweathogs
class and Hannah loves her hippy-dippy school where they first-name their
teachers. The major adverse event looming on the horizon is University
admission. It’s not even the money. It’s the
human toll. No amount of sandbagging can prepare us for the impending
catastrophe.
Carolyn is the David Suzuki in our house. Walks the talk,
saving the world, and still running a pretty successful business over there at
Jumpstart. She is often the voice of reason, building a consensus among the
various stakeholders(me vs. them). She got carbon credits for riding another
500kms in August with the Jumpstart fundraiser (Kingston to Niagara Falls). I
was just there to carry her bag and perform the occasional helmet testing
procedure launching myself onto the road at 25kms/hr. – weeeeeeee.
With global warming, Calgary will one day be an ideal beach
resort. This trend was our friend when Hannah and I got May’s weather in March
on our week-long trip to Paris. We picnicked on the grass at Versailles, we picnicked
in the square outside the Centre Pompidou, we dined on the sidewalk by our
hotel in Les Marais. Hannah does not like to shop, neither do I. You can do a
lot in Paris if you skip the shopping – chamber concerts, museums, fine dining
on a budget (chowhound.com), reading in cafes, and sightseeing. We did not
yield to the half-cast on her badly sprained ankle or her natural urge to sleep
until Noon.
My tiny reserves of empathy go out to the scientists of
l’Aquila. We grind away doing the best job we can in a maelstrom of
unpredictability, and yet, predict we must. When the volcano blows on its own
mysterious schedule the blame game begins. We are paraded at court and
convicted. Not convicted of incompetence mind you, rather they are jailed for
their innate manly predisposition. They were poor communicators.
Our only hope for the future is to fully realize that we are
part of a larger community one with shared purpose and mutual support. One in
which we demonstrate restraint and consider generosity alongside our own needs.
Our globe is populated by you our friends and family. The more we can get
together, the better off we are. Like Kyoto and Rio, its just good to
talk...and maybe ultimately save the world.
That is the spirit of our best wishes to you for the holidays.
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