Category: Uncategorized

Climate Change in Fifty Years

August 2, 2024

While drilling a tooth in my mouth, the dentist asked me if I thought it was warmer in Ottawa now than a decade ago. Once he pulled out the drill from my mouth and my tongue got free to speak, I said yes. I said absolutely; this area is becoming a retirement community with a balmier climate that has superseded the cold winters. We now have longer, warmer summers and shorter, more tolerable winters.

The impact of climate change on winter sports is undeniable. The once long and enjoyable cross-country skiing season has been noticeably shortened. On the other hand, urban walking in winter has improved. With less snow, we can now stroll around town all winter, often with no snow on the ground.

But let me go back to the winter of 1974 when Ottawa’s average January temperature was 12 degrees Fahrenheit. In contrast, Ottawa’s average January temperature in 2024 was 21 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a significant upward move that has been gradual in my memory. The last few years have been mild and quite manageable, wearing light winter jackets.

Another example of the gradual warming is the number of days the Canal has been open for skating over the years. Dubbed the longest skating rink in the world, the Canal opened for skating in 1972 and was open for ninety days; the temperature was so cold that the ice on the Canal was three feet deep, the standard used for safe skating. It was open for twelve days in 2024 and never opened in 2023.

Leaving the dentist’s office, I met my friend, who explained that we have climate change, but he does not believe we have “global warming.” He agreed that climate change is real; this may be the hottest month in Ottawa, with daily temperatures in the nineties. He questions climate science and quotes periods when we have had warming and cooling over the last thousands of years.

He said Wade Davis’s chapter in his just-published book Beneath the Nature of Things provided the best and most balanced description of the climate issue he had ever read. Davis is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. In his essay, he provides a brief history of the climate change movement from its beginning in 1972 at the Copenhagen Conference.

Davis describes the cult-like followers of the climate crisis, including Greta Thunberg. He also mentions Steve Koonin (the science advisor to President Obama) and those who, although agreeing that the planet is in serious trouble embracing the carbon economy, believe technology will help solve the issue. There are also geopolitical issues: the South is asking for reparations; the North has had the time to create the problem while developing its economy and now asks the South to forego development based on the carbon economy. That does not seem fair. 

Davis intersperses his essay with fascinating facts, for example China approving the opening of 180 coal mines yearly and airline companies having 12,000 airplanes on order. These are examples of how these initiatives will increase rather than decrease the carbon economy. Also, 80 % of India has yet to fly, and sooner or later, all these people would want to experience flying, adding to the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.

The answer: Davis believes in setting action plans instead of target reduction plans; to date, the twenty-eight climate conferences have come up with watery plans, sometimes using misleading data, for example when the NATO countries came up with a target of 24% reduction when they had already achieved 12% of it by letting the ex-Soviet satellite countries join NATO.

Reading Davis’s essay made me wonder if I have ever done anything to reduce my carbon footprint. I belong to the group of people who do not feel the urgency of acting on a doomsday scenario that happens in decades. Polls show that although many believe in the danger of global warming, they are unwilling to act on it since it happens in the future.

Our new car is a hybrid EV. Did we get it because it is environmentally better than a carbon-fueled car? No, it was an economic decision: the mileage is much better than in a fully carbon-fueled car. We have not reduceed our travels to visit family and friends by air or automobile. And we have not downsized to save on heating fuel and AC. Should we?

Many factors influence the decisions to reduce our carbon footprint. The first one is to be convinced that the doomsday scenarios are real. But I have not had the experience that would convince me that we are on the threshold of a crisis.

If I travelled in an area with industrial pollution and massive car traffic resulting in hazy weather, I would put higher priority on solving air pollution resulting from the carbon economy. But that is not my recent experience.

Driving from Pittsburgh, PA, to Durham, NC, via West Virginia, we have seen vast expanses of beautiful open space with rolling hills. We have not seen any air pollution. We smelled fresh air. We also flew from Ottawa to Vancouver a few weeks ago and observed the vast lands underneath with no population. There is crowding with car pollution along parts of the East and West coasts, but most of the country in between is empty. So, I am not inclined to believe we have a climate problem based on my experience. I know there has been a gradual warming in the Ottawa area over the last fifty years. Beyond that, I have a minimal understanding of the future.

Career Advice 2024

July 19, 2024

At Reser Stadium, Oregon State University, in Corvallis, OR, ex-OSU football player Steve Jackson delivered a commencement speech that was more than just advice. It was a call to action, a call to travel and discover oneself. The stadium was hushed as the students absorbed Jackson’s powerful message, drawn from his own transformative experiences.

 His speech resonated deeply with the audience and earned the roaring applause of the 7,600 graduating students and forty thousand family and friends in the stadium on June 15, 2024. We were in the audience to watch our grandson graduate in engineering.

Jackson started his speech by asking the students: what is your next step? The NFL drafted Jackson before graduation, and he did not have to think about the future until he became disappointed with his team and concerned about his long-term career. His concern led to travel each year when the team was off-season. This narrative structure, which began with a personal anecdote and then transitioned into the central theme of travel, effectively engaged the audience and set the tone for the rest of the speech.

He traveled alone or in small groups to meet local people in foreign countries who did not know he was a well-known football player in the US. He said his travels made him find his strengths and increased his confidence in resolving challenges when he came home. The challenges did not become any easier; they remained the same. However, he discovered that he became better at solving problems based on what he learned traveling.

He recommended travel, including adventures like he had paragliding over Iguazu Falls in Argentina and cage-diving with great white sharks.

Another adventure was to build water wells in Tanzania as part of a team to help that country with its water problems. The tour also included climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, an extremely demanding physical hike. He described that when the group climbing the mountain was a hundred meters from the top, he looked back and saw his friend struggling to walk further, weakened by the thin air at this high altitude. Although he was steps away from the top, he decided to return to help, and both scaled the summit together. Jackson said teamwork is essential in achieving goals, but helping his friend was a moment of self-discovery in understanding your strengths and empathy for others.

Listening to Jackson reminded me of my travels to the Middle East and Southeast Asia with my wife. We backpacked, taking the less traveled paths and taking advantage of learning about local cultures, being observant, and talking to people. I fully agree with Jackson; when traveling, you leave your daily routine and identity behind as much as possible and instead open your mind and eyes.

For instance, we stumbled upon the rat temple in India, where you enter barefoot and are surrounded by over 25,000 rats (Karni Mata in Rajasthan). The full-time staff’s dedication to feeding and supporting these rats is a testament to the temple’s religious significance. It was a sight we could never have imagined before our travels.

We also saw an exquisitely carved Jain temple, where we had to shed all leather goods (materials that come from living things), like my belt, to enter. Other requirements were no shoes, socks, or food, and women could not enter during their menstrual cycle.

In Moslem Jordan, we learned that all room service staff were men; women are prohibited from working in such spaces. Instead, Egyptian immigrant men are doing this work.

In Bangladesh, we encountered a combination of urban poverty, crowding, and working conditions that do not exist in North America; for example, we saw fifteen people sewing shirts in a closed, windowless space of two hundred square feet with one lamp and no AC, working in temperatures of over ninety degrees in Pune, India. We also experienced a hundred-mile, four-hour car trip.

Returning from our trips, we have become more tolerant and understanding of different cultures. We looked at our issues at home from a larger perspective; for example, we did not think our highway congestion was terrible compared to the roads around Pune.

Mind you, we traveled when we were older, unlike what Jackson recommended in his speech to new graduates. And we were not looking for our future careers. However, travel is educational at any stage in life and can help focus people’s lives, so I thought Jackson’s speech was helpful to new graduates.

But remember that young people want to get on with their careers and look for a job before considering traveling. One also needs some funds to travel. So, although I agree with the premise that travel opens your mind and assists with figuring out your career, most young people fall into the job market after graduation, often marry and establish a family before thinking about travel that needs some funds and free time. Considering these practical challenges when evaluating the relevance of Jackson’s advice is essential.

With his newly minted diploma, my grandson, Cedric, had already secured a job in San Francisco before he heard Steve Jackson. Many of his friends had also obtained jobs before graduation. However, the message may linger with them, and between future job changes, they may travel. For those graduating with no immediate plans, by all means, go on a trip and find yourself. That was Steve Jackson’s message.

Flying from Ottawa to Portland: My Travel Experience

July 3, 2024

Although some people are used to flying and to the hurly-burly of moving through airports, I found it a pain in the butt flying from Ottawa, ON, to Vancouver, BC, and then to Portland, OR, and back. The entire experience, especially clearing security, which I found a bracing experience, only reinforced my dislike for flying.

Preparations for our flight started a few days before departure. I set the alarm clock for four a.m. to get used to an early start. I wanted to make sure the alarm clock worked, and it did. Such an early morning start is not my typical schedule.

I reserved a taxi to take us to the airport the night before but was worried about what would happen if it did not come. In that case, I thought of taking our car to the long-term parking lot and hauling our suitcases a mile to the airport. But the taxi came and messaged me fifteen minutes before the reserved time that it was on the way and again when parked on our driveway. Impressive.

Leaving our house involves shutting off the water main in case of a leak that may flood the basement and installing the alarm system. Since I did not want to carry my heavy keychain on the trip, I left a key hidden in the garage but also put a house key in my wallet in case the electricity would be off coming home, making the garage door inoperable, in which case I would use the key in my wallet to open the front door of the house. I think of all the situations that could go wrong; maybe I am paranoid.

Arriving at the departure lounge, I showed the airline attendant our boarding passes, printed at home, and asked what we needed to do next. She asked if we wanted to use the self-serve kiosks or talk to someone to get our luggage tags. I found her question strange: why would she not just help us? She seemed as if she did not want to be bothered by passengers before six am. However, hearing our conversation, a colleague quickly came forward and offered help with a smile.

After this rude welcome, though, the airline attendants were excellent during the rest of the trip, including subsequent legs with the same airline. For example, when paying for a sandwich on the plane, the stewardess noticed my Aeroplan card in my wallet and recorded the card number for the purchase, adding points to my account.

Next came the security check. I hate putting my wallet and passport on the long conveyor belt, afraid of losing or someone stealing them, which could happen when they pat me down looking for the metal in my body. I usually point to my hips, where I had joint replacements, to help security staff locate the metal. I know there is no need to do that since they use a wand to pat down my entire body, but I feel better by trying to help them. I walked through the x-ray machine, and an agent patted me down with a wand for fifteen minutes. Then, he asked me to lean against the wall and lift my shoes’ soles for visual inspection.

In contrast, the security check was more detailed on the trip’s second leg from Vancouver to Portland. The inspectors opened my carry-on suitcase, and my “Kindle” enjoyed a second trip through the X-ray machine. I always place my laptop in a basket, but they told me at the Ottawa airport that I did not have to take out my Kindle and put it in a basket since it only has a virtual keyboard! Then, they also removed my toiletry case, extracted a Swiss knife and a brand-new shaving foam container, and confiscated both items; I should have known not to carry them in the carry-on. They also asked me to remove my shoes and belt.

Instead of the walk-through X-ray machine at the Vancouver airport, I stepped into a surround X-ray machine that showed all the metal inside me to security so the inspectors did not pat me down. That saved over fifteen minutes. The only uncomfortable feeling I had was my pants were sliding off without the belt; I had to pull them up every few minutes.

The two experiences made me consider whether the security procedure is the same at every airport. I would bet that it is a standard procedure, except that its administration was different: the security was sloppy in Ottawa.

Do not get me wrong; I understand the need for security, but how it is delivered seems to invade your privacy. The inspectors see your meds and toiletries, which I may not want to share with anyone. It also takes time, and I am nervous about having my wallet and passport on the conveyor belt for a considerable amount of time while they x-ray me.

Having gone through security, we walked into the waiting room, the next phase of air travel that often brings unpleasant surprises, such as an announcement of a delay on one of our flights on our return trip. The uncertainty and waiting can be frustrating, adding to my dislike of flying.

On arrival, we had to find the baggage claim area. For some reason, the baggage claim area was the farthest from the landing gates at both the Vancouver and Portland airports.

Reflecting on our recent experience of how long it takes to get to the airport, go through security, experience delayed departures, wait for baggage pickup at the destination, and then grab a cab to where we stay, I would rather drive for shorter trips. The convenience and control of driving often outweigh the hassles of flying unless it is a cross-country trip.

The New Car

June 7, 2024

My good friend, who happens to be the sales manager at a Honda dealership, recommended that we trade in our leased car for a new one before we drove 100,000 kilometers (60,000 miles) on it. We were approaching this mileage threshold when interest rates were high, so switching to a newer model was expensive. We decided to wait and see if interest rates would come down and if there would be any sales specials from the manufacturer that would make it attractive to trade up.

Used cars sold for almost as much money as new cars last December because of the shortage of new vehicles – one consequence of Covid when car workers were laid off and production slowed. However, the economy began to pick up last year, and new car production followed. So, a trade-in became urgent; used car prices trended down as new vehicles arrived on car lots.

To increase car sales, Honda introduced different lease rates for two-year, three-year, and four-year leases, with the shortest leases having the lowest interest rate. Also, Honda added four months to the leases as a bonus, so the total cost of a two-year lease was divided by 28 instead of 24 months (2 years) to get a lower monthly payment. For instance, my friend calculated that my monthly payment for a new car would increase by only $25 for a two-year lease, a small price for a brand-new vehicle.

We discovered that the new EV hybrid model we test-drove was not just a practical choice but also an exciting one. It offered the same comfort and reliability as our previous car but with the added potential fuel savings. That, coupled with the anticipation of rising gas prices, made the decision to trade up a positive adventure.

But beyond the financial and practical reasons for moving on to a newer car, there was another inspiring logic – the environmental logic. Who wouldn’t want to be part of the future, driving an EV car? We’ve all heard the dire predictions of what could happen if we don’t reduce our carbon footprint. I may not be a climate expert, but it’s empowering to think we’re joining the progressive crowd and doing our part for the environment with our new EV. The decision came with the bragging rights of being an environmentalist.

So, we confidently signed the papers for a new lease. Kathy picked the color, and my friend ordered a blue Honda CRV that rolled out of the Alliston, ON, Honda plant in mid-January 2024.

But picking up our new hybrid Honda came with a few wrinkles. First, our CRV model is the most stolen car in Ottawa, if not in Canada. Many insurance companies require the installation of a tracking device. Even with that gadget, the insurance costs are higher than those for comparable cars. My insurance broker quoted a price for the new year fifty percent higher than what I paid in the current year. So I went insurance shopping and found that the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), of which I am a member, offers a twenty percent discount for its insurance provided I use a “club,” the locking device that fits across the steering wheel. I already have a club, so we switched our insurance to the CAA.

Second, I assumed that the bicycle hitch on my 2020 CRV would fit the new 2024 CRV. That was not the case; in their wisdom, Honda engineers changed the dimensions under the chassis, and I bought a new hitch. It was an unexpected cost, but it was essential if we wanted to go on biking tours.

So, we thought we were ready to rock and roll with the new car until I attached the Thule bicycle rack to the hitch and backed up from the garage. Some warning system alerted us that we were backing into some barrier. It turned out that the bicycle rack triggered the warning sound. The Honda engineers had not figured out that the warning system should not come on when an object is attached to the back of the car! No problem: I called my friend at the dealership, and the service people there advised me to turn off the “parking assist” system to avoid the racket that the warning system made when backing up the car with the bicycle rack on the vehicle.

I used to leave the bicycle rack on the car all summer, but now, I cannot do it unless I suffer the loud racket when backing up. The alternative is to attach and remove the bicycle rack during a bike tour. We decided to go with the alternative solution since Kathy uses the car ninety percent of the time, and the “parking assist” system” is helpful.

Dealing with the bicycle rack issue was an experience highlighting the new car’s adaptability and versatility. It introduced me to the various computerized systems in the new car, offering more conveniences than I had expected. For instance, I discovered the wireless iPhone charger on the middle console, a feature I now appreciate in the 2024 CRV (in the previous model, I had to plug in a cable to charge the phones). It also made me read the instruction book with fine print on hundreds of pages. I have never liked to read instruction manuals, but they are helpful.

Understanding this new hybrid model’s features is still a learning curve. The car’s advanced computerized systems, such as the various warning systems, require some time to get used to. However, once you’ve mastered them, they can significantly enhance your driving experience and make your life on the road more convenient.

Opening the Cottage

May 24, 2024

When I started walking to the boat, the president of the cottagers’ association stood at the edge of the marina parking lot with his huge dog, a malamut. He said they missed us at the pancake breakfast the day before. Instead of saying we never intended to attend, I said we were busy. He and the association have been advocating for a revised constitution, a subject with no interest to me but likely to be brought up during breakfast. The president is an earnest fellow working hard at being president, and I did not want to hurt his feelings. It takes a lot of work to revise a constitution. Preparing a pancake breakfast is also an ambitious undertaking for a group, giving him credit.

When the president’s boat arrived to return him to his cottage on the island, we went to our boat. The starting engine sputtered for a while, warming up. The battery in the boat usually runs down in a few weeks unless it starts up every few days, and our boat must have been in the water for weeks without running. The ride to the cottage was relaxing on the quiet water, allowing us to reacquaint ourselves with the cottages and the small islands along the way.

Arriving at the cottage dock, I did a quick double-take, seeing the floating dock paralleling the shoreline instead of being perpendicular to it. Docks are usually positioned like fingers reaching out into the lake, where the water is deeper than at the shore. There was no question in my mind that the dock floated sideways, moved by some storm, losing its anchors at the deep end. I knew then that my first task would be to fix the dock after landing.

 But surprises never come in single doses; inside the cottage, we came upon stacks of mice poo in the kitchen and storage areas where we leave cans and dry goods over the winter. We do not usually get mice over the winter at our cottage; we leave mice poison in the Fall. But one year out of ten, we get a mouse invasion.

Cleaning up mice poo called for a hand-held vacuum. Although we had one, we remembered that it died last year. So instead of sweeping the poo off the counters, we decided to wait until the next time we came out with a new vacuum. This is an example of the disadvantages of island property; one has to boat back to the mainland for items missing on an island.

While Kathy took the covers off the beds and chairs, I put on my bathing suit and goggles and went down to fix the dock. I paid a local handyman to take the floating dock to a quiet bay for the winter and return it in the spring. Whoever brought the dock back this time tied it up with one concrete block at the deep end, which did not have enough weight in our lake, protecting against the three-foot waves rolling against the shoreline in stormy weather.

 I dove into the fresh but bearable water to look for the tires that I filled with concrete to serve as weights, but I had no success. I’ll have to look again next time; there is no way the current would have pushed the two-hundred-pound weights far away. In the meantime, I pulled the single concrete block out to the deeper water, hoping no storm would materialize for a week, pushing the dock back to the shore.

After my swim fixing the dock, I joined Kathy at the cottage, and beyond the mice invasion, the cottage was clean. It was time to relax and eat or drink something, but there was nothing for lunch since we had just come up for a day to do some reconnaissance. Then I remembered the alcoholic beverages that we left there for the winter. Our American neighbor from New Jersey left me his special edition bourbon he made in Kentucky with his friends in 2022. It is a bottle of Maker’s Mark, Private Selection, called “Bobby’s Garage.” The name is from his garage, where he and his friends exercise every morning. It was the best ounce of bourbon I had ever tasted, especially after diving into the lake and fixing the dock.

While enjoying the drink, I called my neighbor two lots away to find out how the pancake breakfast went; I knew they had attended. Instead of answering me, she invited us for a glass of wine. An offer too good to pass up, but before visiting, I decided to sweep the decks clear of leaves and take the covers off the Adirondack chairs outside.

While I worked outside, Kathy grilled some chicken for a light dinner later. By five o’clock, we were ready to see our neighbors. They said perhaps fifteen people attended the breakfast; I thought that represented less than ten cottages out of the one hundred on the island. I felt sorry for the organizers for doing so much work for so few people.

It was time to leave, and armed with a list of items to bring back next time, we started the boat, and it sputtered again. I made a mental note to call the marina next week and ask if something is wrong with the fuel line.