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The Blog

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

I've had a lot of emails this week looking for me to give to a range of just causes.
In honour of that, this is the GIVE 2020 THE BOOT edition, just 'cause
... of things like ...

World-wide, over 1.8 million people have died for COVID-19 so far. The daily death rate is still rising.

Ontario reports more than 2900 new cases of COVID-19 for first time ever
[dead link: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-reports-more-than-2-900-new-cases-of-covid-19-for-first-time-ever-1.5248291]

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

California nurse contracts COVID-19 after receiving Pfizer vaccine
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/california-nurse-contracts-covid-19-after-receiving-pfizer-vaccine
As advertised, it takes 2 doses and some time for the vaccine to achieve 95% effectiveness in the vaccinated population. Which means: 1) it doesn't work instantly; and, 2) 1 person in 20 likely won't achieve substantial protection from the vaccination, which is why high vaccination rates will be required to get the desired results at the community level.

Broad testing, not contact tracing, only way to curb pandemic without damaging lockdowns: study
https://nationalpost.com/health/broad-testing-not-contact-tracing-only-way-to-curb-pandemic-without-damaging-lockdowns-study

Spain will register people who refuse Covid vaccine, says health minister
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/29/spain-to-keep-registry-of-people-who-refuse-covid-vaccine

Provinces that acted faster had more success limiting spread of COVID-19, data shows
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/stringency-covid-lockdown-wave-1.5853785

'We are not prepared': The flaws inside Public Health that hurt Canada's readiness for COVID-19
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-we-are-not-prepared-the-flaws-inside-public-health-that-hurt-canadas/

Even with a COVID-19 vaccine, we still need paid sick days
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/12/30/opinion/covid-19-vaccine-paid-sick-days-legislation

It seems we need a couple of generations to die off so that the current one can repeat the mistakes of the past.
What Can We Learn From the 1918 Pandemic?
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/1918-covid-catharine-arnold/

Why we need 'micro-friendships' more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/why-we-need-micro-friendships-more-than-ever-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-1.5246535]

'If not now, then when?' COVID-19 spurs some Canadians to make big changes
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/if-not-now-then-when-covid-19-spurs-some-canadians-to-make-big-changes-1.5247203

Bringing it Home - Even That's Inside Out in 2020

It's been something of a New Year's Eve tradition for our household to bring in family for a fondue. Last night I did the prep for Lockdown Fondue, about as twisted a take on fondue as 2020 has been a completely bent excuse for a year. For fondue beef in broth, it's going to be meatballs in BBQ sauce. Substituting for chicken and potato pieces in oil, it will be breaded chicken nuggets and tater crisps. Instead of chocolate fondue with fresh fruit, it's chocolate bars with fruit in them. The toast to finish off the year will feature cans of ginger ale instead of sparkling wine. All portable and portioned for sharing across 3 households, with no open flames, as we can't gather in the usual way.

Life is hard. It's harder during the pandemic.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage
to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

;-) People who wonder whether the glass is half
     empty or half full are missing the point.
     The glass is refillable.
     Cheers to all, and here's to 2021! During lockdown,
     it's not like anybody's driving home after the toast.

Injection beats infection. But we gave infection a big head-start.
Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Yesterday, the UK reported over 53,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day. Officials say the the tsunami is being caused by the higher transmission rate of the new variant discovered there just a week ago.

Don't underestimate the impact of this variant, and recognize that the first cases have been found in Canada.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

WHO chief scientist not confident vaccines prevent transmission
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/who-chief-scientist-not-confident-vaccines-prevent-transmission
The vaccines are a definite huge step forward in the planetary battle against the COVID-19 virus. However, as I've noted before, let's remember what a vaccine does and how it works. It provides a high degree of immunity to the person who has been vaccinated - when the vaccine has had time to stimulate the immune system. But it's not a sterilizer, and it affords no specific protection to someone who has not been vaccinated until 'herd immunity' has been achieved. So, don't expect to throw away your masks or international travel to resume to 2019 levels in the near future.

Fauci says nearly 90 per cent vaccination rate required for herd immunity
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-fauci-says-nearly-90-per-cent-vaccination-rate-required-for-herd/

Animation: Why is COVID-19 vaccine so important?
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-12-29/Animation-Why-is-COVID-19-vaccine-so-important--WAnL8gwQko/index.html

Britain approves use of AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/astrazeneca-vaccine-approve-1.5857186

AstraZeneca says its vaccine should be effective against COVID-19 variant
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/covid-19-vaccine-oxford-astrazeneca-approval-expected-1.5855566

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has 'winning formula' for efficacy: CEO
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-has-winning-formula-for-efficacy-ceo-1.5245798]

How Canadians will know when it's their turn to get vaccinated
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadians-vaccinated-covid-19-1.5854325

Brantford man assaulted retail workers at 2 stores after being asked to wear a mask: police
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/brantford-mask-assault-charges-1.5856736

Tired, afraid and still getting screamed at
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/frontline-pandemic-grocery-gas-pov-2020-1.5851775

Explaining the difference between a variant, strain and mutation
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/variant-or-strain-experts-explain-what-s-happened-to-the-coronavirus-1.5245923"]

What we still don't know about the novel coronavirus
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/what-we-still-don-t-know-about-the-novel-coronavirus-1.5247072]

Life is hard. It's harder during the pandemic.
Do not eschew rest, it is a tool which strengthens the spirit and helps you master the next challenge.

;-) The King of Spain has been quarantined on his private jet.
     That means the reign in Spain stays mainly on the plane.

Injection beats infection. But we gave infection a big head-start.
Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

On Dec. 27th, Canada moved past 15,000 COVID-19 deaths. Reporting over 10,400 new cases on that single day, Canada also moved past 550,000 reported cases.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

Confirmed cases of new COVID-19 variant in Canada are 'unsurprising', experts say
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/confirmed-cases-of-new-covid-19-variant-in-canada-are-unsurprising-experts-say/

Ottawa confirms 1st case of COVID-19 variant detected in the U.K.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/u-k-variant-ottawa-first-case-1.5855649

What Canadians need to know about the coronavirus variant in Ontario
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/coronavirus-variant-ontario-info-1.5855396

For those that still cling to the disinformation that COVID-19 is a hoax, or it's just the flu, please, please read this item and let it sink in. And note this is before the UK variant is a factor.
Comparison of the characteristics, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza: a nationwide, population-based retrospective cohort study
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30527-0/fulltext

Hiding Covid-19: How the Trump Administration Suppresses Photography of the Pandemic
https://theintercept.com/2020/12/27/covid-photography-hospitals/

Operation Warp Speed Set To Miss Initial COVID Vaccine Distribution Goal
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/operation-warp-speed-set-to-miss-initial-covid-vaccine-distribution-goal

COVID-19 vaccine over holidays on 'amended schedules' as province stops reserving second doses
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vaccine-over-holidays-on-amended-schedules-as-province-stops-reserving-second-doses
No vaccination clinics from Dec. 24th to 28th?

Evaluation of Cloth Masks and Modified Procedure Masks as Personal Protective Equipment for the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2774266

Scientists urge government to issue Vitamin D advice, "arrogance that the government wants to wait"
https://nltimes.nl/2020/12/26/scientists-urge-government-issue-vitamin-d-advice-arrogance-government-wants-wait

Fauci shares Biden's concern that 'darkest days' may be ahead in COVID-19 fight
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/fauci-shares-biden-s-concern-that-darkest-days-may-be-ahead-in-covid-19-fight-1.5245979]

New mutant Covid strain to 'infect more children' suggests new study
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/new-mutant-covid-strain-infect-23224347

Life is hard. It's harder during the pandemic. If you are thinking about New Year's resolutions, here are a couple to contemplate.
1) In the race between injection and infection, support Team Injection.
2) Reflect on what really gets you going (not what 'should' motivate you), then live with purpose.

;-) https://i.imgflip.com/1zmk9d.jpg

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Weeks ago, my plan for today was to collect the good news items to leave you with, while I take a short break to enjoy family and catch my breath. Unfortunately, the news in what is apparently reality, hasn't been cooperating.

On the positive side, Canada has approved the second mRNA vaccine (Moderna), which is easier to transport and store in terms of its cold-storage requirements.

Health Canada approves 'game-changer' Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/health-canada-approves-game-changer-moderna-covid-19-vaccine/

That should bring additional good news for 2021. Immunity is not instant upon getting the injection; in either case it takes about a month from the first injection, and both require 2 injections. So, it's still necessary to take the standard precautions for a few weeks or months more.

Having 2 (or more) approved vaccines, raises some questions and problems we want to have. Who gets the vaccinations first? Should antibody tests be administered in the early days so those with immunity from exposure get moved to the second round of vaccinations? Can we figure out if the vaccinated are truly non-contagious? Should the passports have an expiry date? If so, should we implement immunity passports as a step forward as we continue to struggle with providing even the most basic measures in long term health care residences? How will vaccinations be tracked and validated, and how do we avoid conterfeit passports being created?

The argument in favour of COVID-19 immunity passports
https://theconversation.com/the-argument-in-favour-of-covid-19-immunity-passports-151627

In the meantime, some jurisdictions seem to have a much better handle on suppressing transmission than Canada's plague provinces.
It took leaving Ontario for me to realize why some places are winning in the fight against COVID-19
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/12/23/it-took-leaving-ontario-for-me-to-realize-why-some-people-are-winning-at-covid-19.html

It looks like BC has started to move its daily new case counts down pretty consistently since the start of December. (946 on Nov. 23 to 508 on Dec. 22 on a pretty steady downward trend line.)

If you only wanted good news today, time to leave off here and go look for cat videos.

Canada reported 172 additional COVID-19 deaths on Dec. 23rd.

Alberta's positivity rate was reported a 6.8% on December 23rd.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

Experts question Ford's defence of Ottawa lockdown
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/experts-question-ford-lockdown-reasoning-1.5852414

Health authorities confirm first COVID-19-related deaths in Nunavut
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/first-covid-death-nunavut-1.5849321

WHO was warned lives were at risk over yanked report, emails show
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/italy-report-world-health-organization-covid-19-1.5848829

Wishing you the best possible solstice celebrations as the pandemic will permit.

;-) Why has production been down at Santa’s workshop this year?
     Many of his workers have had to Elf isolate!

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

At the current rates, the U.S. will pass 338,000 COVID-19 deaths around Christmas Day. That represents 0.1% of the entire U.S. population, or 1 in a 1,000 people.

Probe: Trump officials attacked CDC virus reports
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/us/2020/12/21/probe-trump-officials-attacked-cdc-virus-reports.html

I remain baffled by the Doug Ford lockdown announcement on Monday. If the urgency is real (and I think it is in the most affected parts of the province), why take days to put the lockdown in effect? Why change the effective date from Dec. 24th to Dec. 26th in the hours before the actual formal announcement? Did the health data indicate a lower urgency in the early hours on Monday? We know now that wasn't the case.

Frankly, why weren't additional measures put into effect in November when the trend lines were already obvious? And why are we imposing the exact same measures on areas which have been managing the best in the province as have been so dramatically failing to contain the spread in the worst-affected areas? Given we know those measures aren't working in Toronto, Peel and Windsor-Essex, shouldn't we be looking for something different that actually works?

Three actions we should have taken after the first wave
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/12/22/three-actions-we-should-have-taken-after-the-first-wave.html

So, the world isn't making any more sense to me today than yesterday.

Fortress Fossil Fuels Highlights/Gaslights

Scientists cast doubt on seismic testing environmental mitigations in N.L.'s offshore
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/seismic-testing-concerns-offshore-newfoundland-1.5832466

Shore power coming to Victoria's cruise ship terminal
https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/vancouver-island/article/shore-power-coming-to-victorias-cruise-ship-terminal/
This should improve air quality in the Victoria area when cruise ships begin to appear again in 2021 or 2022, and will reduce use of heavy fuel oil while the ships are tied up at the dock.

Shuttering fossil fuel power plants may cost less than expected
https://phys.org/news/2020-12-shuttering-fossil-fuel-power.html
It's also worth noting that many coal-fired generating stations already have been shut down before their designed end of life because they cannot compete financially with new-build renewables. More are being added to the early closure list by the month in North America. Those are simple financial decisions, not related to decarbonization plans or our laughable 'carbon taxes'.

FIA develops "100% sustainable" biofuel for Formula 1
https://www.autocarpro.in/news-international/fia-develops-100-sustainable-biofuel-for-formula-1-77991

Solaris Rolls Its 20,000th Bus Off The Line
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/12/17/solaris-rolls-its-20000th-electric-bus-off-the-line/

Capital Power accelerating plans towards a low carbon future
Repowering Genesee 1 and 2, off-coal in 2023; advancing renewables growth strategy including Enchant Solar project and 25-year contract for Strathmore Solar
https://www.capitalpower.com/media/media_releases/capital-power-accelerating-plans-towards-a-low-carbon-future/

Powering down — and out
https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2020/11/29/powering-down-and-out/
There's no reason why New York state should resort to new natural gas infrastructure for electricity generation when the last nuclear reactor at Indian Point is shut down. It can buy all the electricity it needs from Quebec's hydroelectric portfolio. As NY already buys lots of electricity from Ontario and Quebec, no new connections required.

U.K. Targets Gas in Next Fight Against Fossil Fuel Pollution
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-14/u-k-targets-gas-in-next-fight-against-fossil-fuel-pollution
Uranium is not a renewable fuel, and the uranium fuel cycle is not zero GHG emissions.

Federal government releases draft regulations for Clean Fuel Standard
https://www.realagriculture.com/2020/12/federal-government-releases-draft-regulations-for-clean-fuel-standard/

Massive carbon capture growth in 2020 still isn’t enough, report finds
https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/12/massive-carbon-capture-growth-in-2020-still-isn-t-enough-report-finds/
Carbon capture bags on the side of fossil fuel burners has no viable economic future when operating the existing coal and natural gas burners can't compete financially with new-build renewables, let alone with additional costs for the GHG-emitters for future operation with CCS.

New Ways to Store Energy: Electrochemical Technologies Can Help Reduce Reliance on Fossil Fuels
https://scitechdaily.com/new-ways-to-store-energy-electrochemical-technologies-can-help-reduce-reliance-on-fossil-fuels/

Vanadium redox flow battery for utility-scale applications, microgrids
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/12/14/vanadium-redox-flow-battery-for-utility-scale-applications-microgrids/

How China Took Control Of Exxon's Supergiant Iraqi Oilfield
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/How-China-Gained-And-Exxon-Lost-Control-Of-This-Supergiant-Iraqi-Oil-Field.html

The Rise And Fall Of Japan Over The Deadly Mauritius Oil Spill [long]
[dead link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nishandegnarain/2020/12/11/the-rise-and-fall-of-japan-over-the-deadly-mauritius-oil-spill/?sh=26f1fd51e874] https://www.forbes.com/sites/nishandegnarain/2020/12/11/the-rise-and-fall-of-japan-over-the-deadly-mauritius-oil-spill/?sh=26f1fd51e874

Japanese Owner Of Wakashio Oil Spill Ship Continues To Hide Behind Corporate Secrecy
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nishandegnarain/2020/12/12/japanese-owner-of-wakashio-oil-spill-ship-continues-to-hide-behind-corporate-secrecy/

;-) The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it’s
     unfamiliar territory.
     ~ Paul Fix

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

The world has moved past 1.7 million COVID-19 deaths. Governments still think they can negotiate with the virus. That isn't the approach which has worked in the few jurisdictions that seem to have some sort of handle on it prior to mass vaccinations.

I have spent hours trying to figure out what the actual health guidance is for households in Ottawa today after Doug Ford's pulled-punches lockdown announcement for Ontario, and the returned fire from multiple regions which seem to have the COVID spread largely under control, for now. I can't give a clear answer, and others are also expressing they are perplexed and puzzled about the disconnect between evidence and the announced measures, which shifted from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day starts in a matter of hours prior to the formal announcement. Then the shot by Doug Ford at the federal government about testing at airports seemed to come from bizarro world. Perhaps the world will make more sense tomorrow.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

Climate Change

California Offers A Reality Check On Carbon Capture
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andystone/2020/12/16/california-offers-a-reality-check-on-carbon-capture/?sh=4553dc616da3

The Weekly Planet: The Only Way to Achieve Carbon-Neutral Flight, According to an Airline
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/12/united-airlines-wants-have-its-carbon-and-eat-it-too/617399/

So far, CCUS is an oil industry shell game where they get the PR greenwash benefit while taxpayers get to pay the bill for a technology that has not yet, after decades of government support, managed to post a win at their advertised objective. Also, watch out for the S-word in CCS and CCUS.

Originally, the S stood for sequestration - very long-term locking up of the GHG emissions component, which is actually CO2 (carbon dioxide) and not carbon black. Breaking CO2 into carbon black is an energy intensive process - essentially it's reversing the reaction caused by burning. Burning releases a LOT of energy. Reversing that will require at least as much energy as an input. If that energy comes from anything other than zero-emissions renewable sources, then the exercise is futile before we even start. Which is the whole game for carbon capture from a carbon fuel energy production or use system (e.g. natural gas electricity generation). If the S-word stands for storage, as is increasingly the case, then the storage is short term, and in many cases is intended for use in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) operations, which means even more GHGs will be produced than if the CCUS system had not been paid for by taxpayers in the first place.

If you want to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, plant trees. If you want to slow down the amount of GHG impact in the short term, reduce the use of natural gas (methane), as fugitive emissions are a huge impact, and even the amount that gets burned as intended produces carbon dioxide and waste heat.

Zero Emissions At Zero Cost? CleanTech Leads The Way
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/12/18/zero-emissions-at-zero-cost-cleantech-leads-the-way/
Be wary of the Osborne effect when it comes to claims of unproved futures where we can get more (GHG emissions reductions) for less (financial short term pain). That's the path that paralyzes action in the short term, dooming the potential dreamed of future. Action needs to be now, and if it takes short term incentives to keep advancing to that better future, it's a price we need to accept for now. We have some low-pain options on the table now, which are not getting traction due to the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) messaging from those who gain from the fossil fuel empire today.

Why Climate Change Denial Still Exists In The U.S.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1rxv1yPQrc

Looking ahead: What climate and energy actions might we see in 2021?
https://cleanenergy.org/blog/looking-ahead-what-climate-and-energy-actions-might-we-see-in-2021/

Biowaste-To-Bioenergy Using Biological Methods – A Mini-Review
[dead site: https://www.technologytimes.pk/2020/12/19/biowaste-to-bioenergy-using-biological-methods-a-mini-review/] https://www.technologytimes.pk/2020/12/19/biowaste-to-bioenergy-using-biological-methods-a-mini-review/

Wind plus solar to outstrip global gas plant by 2023 off 'sprightly' post-Covid growth
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/wind-plus-solar-to-outstrip-global-gas-plant-by-2023-off-sprightly-post-covid-growth/2-1-932419

Moon Influences Arctic Ocean Methane Releases, Study Finds
https://www.ecowatch.com/moon-arctic-methane-release-2649498077.html

Banks show the carbon footprint of the ships they finance.
https://splash247.com/banks-show-the-carbon-footprint-of-the-ships-they-finance/
Possibly a driver for adoption of drop-in replacement biofuels.

Long-Term Fossil Fuel Contracts & Power Purchase Agreements Lock In Pollution
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/12/13/long-term-fossil-fuel-contracts-power-purchase-agreements-lock-in-pollution/

Help developing nations avoid fossil fuel 'lock-in,' study urges
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/12/16/news/developing-nations-fossil-fuel-lock-in-study

Amazon and Ørsted Sign Largest Offshore Wind Corporate Power Purchase Agreement in Europe
https://www.offshorewind.biz/2020/12/10/amazon-and-orsted-sign-largest-offshore-wind-corporate-power-purchase-agreement-in-europe/

I've long been a fan of Sankey diagrams, and an animated Sankey diagram is a great video tool. To appreciate this animation, start by watching the coal lines on this item. Best viewed on a large screen like a desk top computer or at least a laptop.
Energy Transitions in U.S. History, 1800-2019
https://us-sankey.rcc.uchicago.edu/mobile/

Scientists: November 2020 was warmest on record
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/12/07/Scientists-November-2020-was-warmest-on-record/3331607357139/

Federal climate report predicting hot, dry, fiery future for Prairies
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/prairies-warming-faster-than-other-parts-of-canada-1.5832328

Freight sector missing from plans to scale up zero-emissions vehicle use
Building a zero-emission goods-movement system
Opportunities to strengthen Canada’s ZEV freight sector
https://www.pembina.org/pub/building-zero-emission-goods-movement-system

;-) The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen
     and stupidity.
     ~ Harlan Ellison

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

As I write this, winter is just 2 hours old here in the northern hemisphere. Today marks the 'darkest' day in the solar year, which seems an apt metaphor for the news that Ontario has fully bungled its 'management' of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today we just await the details, but the early news is a 'complete lockdown' beginning on Christmas Eve. As though people haven't already made their travel plans to be with family the next day.

Ontario will enter province-wide lockdown as of Christmas Eve, sources say
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-will-enter-province-wide-lockdown-as-of-christmas-eve-sources-say-1.5239437

More than 2,300 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Ontario as province sets new testing record
https://www.cp24.com/news/more-than-2-300-new-cases-of-covid-19-reported-in-ontario-as-province-sets-new-testing-record-1.5239221
There's nothing particularly new here, we have been seeing numbers like this for over a week, and the trend ramping up for a few weeks before that. The timing makes me think that the Premier wanted to ensure that the retail business shopping season was saved, at the expense of the health and lives of Ontarians.

Several European countries ban travel from U.K. as new coronavirus strain spreads
https://globalnews.ca/news/7533807/european-countries-travel-ban-coronavirus-variant/

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

(Digital) Deception

“If we are cynical about the system, then it causes us to stop being involved. If you stop being involved, if you basically give up, then you’re giving up on our democracy. And if you give up on our democracy, you are ceding the entire system to the moneyed interests that would like nothing better than for all of us to grow cynical and give up. So we can not and we must not.” — Robert Reich https://www.inequalitymedia.org/

Group of doctors signs open letter to MPP Randy Hillier denouncing COVID-19 misinformation
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/group-of-doctors-signs-open-letter-to-mpp-randy-hillier-denouncing-covid-19-misinformation-1.5239500

The antidote to fake facts: real ones
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-antidote-to-fake-facts-real-ones/

Vaccines for sale on dark web as criminals target pandemic profits
https://financialpost.com/financial-times/vaccines-for-sale-on-dark-web-as-criminals-target-pandemic-profits

Trump’s lies about the election show how disinformation erodes democracy
https://theconversation.com/trumps-lies-about-the-election-show-how-disinformation-erodes-democracy-150603

Scientists: Here’s how to fight back against anti-maskers, climate deniers and anti-vaxxers
https://theconversation.com/scientists-heres-how-to-fight-back-against-anti-maskers-climate-deniers-and-anti-vaxxers-145989

How technology can combat the rising tide of fake science
https://theconversation.com/how-technology-can-combat-the-rising-tide-of-fake-science-132158

Donald Trump Just Paid $3 Million to Expand Joe Biden’s Margin of Victory
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-wisconsin-recount-election-certification/
I hope this never-quite-over story marks the end of 'alternative facts' for at least a generation. As the saying goes, "You're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own set of 'facts'".

Tor malware is becoming a worryingly popular ransomware tool
https://www.techradar.com/news/tor-malware-is-becoming-a-worryingly-popular-ransomware-tool

Millions of users have had their data stolen by these 15 Chrome extensions – remove them right now!
https://chromeunboxed.com/malicious-chrome-extensions-december-2020

A COVID Christmas Tree Story from Calabogie

;-) My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people:
     those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to
     try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.
     ~ Indira Gandhi

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada now has over 500,000 COVID-19 reported cases and over 14,000 deaths. The rates are accelerating. That's with weekend reporting, which is generally under-counting. The world will move past 1.7 million COVID-19 deaths today.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

What we know about the UK's more infectious coronavirus strain
https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/19/what-we-know-about-the-uk-s-more-infectious-coronavirus-strain
The U.K. has identified a new Covid-19 strain that spreads more quickly. Here’s what they know
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/19/the-uk-has-identified-a-new-covid-19-strain-that-spreads-more-quickly-heres-what-they-know.html

COVID-19 vaccines are an 'astonishing' feat, but they won't end pandemic overnight
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/coronavirus-canada-covid-19-pandemic-fatigue-vaccines-1.5847352

Why COVID-19 represents such a threat to Quebec's hospital system this winter [but not just Quebec]
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-hospitals-covid-1.5846074

France Covid: Where do most people catch the virus?
[dead link: https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/France-Covid-Where-do-most-people-pick-up-the-virus-new-study-shows]

Why getting COVID-19 at an indoor gathering is even likelier than experts once thought
https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/airborne-coronavirus-transmisson-emerging-as-bigger-threat-indoor-gatherings-20201216.html

How one sports practice in Ottawa led to 89 COVID-19 cases and forced hundreds to self-isolate
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/how-one-sports-practice-in-ottawa-led-to-89-covid-19-cases-and-forced-hundreds-to-self-isolate-1.5237056

Immediate Detection of Airborne Viruses – Such As COVID-19 – With a Disposable Pathogen Monitoring Kit
https://scitechdaily.com/immediate-detection-of-airborne-viruses-such-as-covid-19-with-a-disposable-pathogen-monitoring-kit/

Laura Spinney: What Does The 1918 Flu Teach Us About Our Response To Pandemics? [12 minute audio]
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/18/947667137/laura-spinney-what-does-the-1918-flu-teach-us-about-our-response-to-pandemics

How N.S. kept COVID-19 from getting out of control
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1833987139563

Meet the Toronto Indigenous organizations bringing COVID-19 testing, food directly to people's doorsteps
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/anishnawbe-health-toronto-mobile-unit-covid19-1.5841393

Canadian airlines try testing passengers for COVID-19 at airports
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1834712131749

Brain Fog Explained as Study Shows SARS-CoV-2 Crosses Blood-Brain Barrier
https://www.biospace.com/article/sars-cov-2-crosses-blood-brain-barrier-explaining-brain-fog-and-other-cognitive-symptoms-of-covid-19/

Designboom: noah wangerin's filtered face shield reinterprets 16th-century plague doctor mask
https://www.designboom.com/?p=760023

COVID-19: UBC study looks at what one long-term care home did right
https://vancouversun.com/news/covid-19-ubc-study-looks-at-what-one-long-term-care-home-did-right

From the 'do what I say, not what I do' files
Murdoch Gets Vaccinated As His Media Outlets Spread Lies, Attack Essential Workers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFopNl6AQbA

N95 shortage persists 10 months into the COVID-19 pandemic
https://www.fastcompany.com/90587753/somehow-we-still-dont-have-enough-n95-masks

Almost half of Winnipeg care home workers waiting to be fitted for new N95 respirators: WRHA
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-health-care-workers-n-95-fitting-1.5844986

Toronto woman explains why she wears a plague doctor mask and outfit
https://www.blogto.com/fashion_style/2020/12/toronto-woman-who-wears-plague-doctor-mask-explains-why/

;-) The Great Carrot Caper or Frosty the Bunny Feeder
     https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/bunny-nibbles-snowman-s-carrot-nose-in-northwest-calgary-1.5845935

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada has now moved past 14,000 COVID-19 deaths. We'll likely surpass half-a-million reported cases this weekend.

The U.S. remains the trainwreck one can't look away from. Almost 18,000,000 cases, over 320,000 deaths.
Some vaccine doses kept too cold, Pfizer having manufacturing issues, U.S. officials say
https://www.yahoo.com/news/top-u-health-official-says-160329307.html

‘We are on a direct path towards an absolute brutal January’: Pressure builds on Ford to impose tighter COVID-19 lockdown
https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2020/12/18/we-are-on-a-direct-path-towards-an-absolute-brutal-january-pressure-builds-on-doug-ford-to-impose-tighter-covid-19-lockdown-on-toronto-area-as-health-system-shows-warning-signs.html

No, mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Do Not ‘Alter Your DNA’
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mrna-alter-dna/

Does AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine Contain Aborted Fetal Cells?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-fetal/

B.C. premier backtracks on his own Christmas plans, illustrating the confusion over health orders
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/horgan-christmas-family-plans-1.5848624
COVID is hard. Disinformation is malicious. Mixed messaging is confusing and can do real damage.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID Collateral Effects

Calls to Kids Help Phone have surged. Now some counsellors are making a distress call of their own
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kids-help-phone-toxic-workplace-1.5790617

Top doctor warns that severe illness likely to rise, trailing spike in COVID-19 cases
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/top-doctor-warns-that-severe-illness-likely-to-rise-trailing-spike-in-covid-19-cases/

Midway through the first full term of online classes, university students are burning out
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/online-university-burnout-1.5793757

Data Dive with Nik Nanos: How the pandemic could devastate the charitable sector
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-data-dive-with-nik-nanos-how-the-pandemic-could-devastate-the/

Massive surgery backlog latest symptom of Ontario's health-care problem
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-massive-surgery-backlog-latest-symptom-of-ontarios-health-care-problem

Surgery and scan backlogs set to worsen without government funding, CMA says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-19-surgery-backlog-1.5777843

Advanced cancers rising months after shutdown of non-urgent healthcare services
https://www.680news.com/2020/10/26/advanced-cancers-rising-months-after-shutdown-of-non-urgent-healthcare-services4895417/

Lockdowns will cause 10 times more harm to human health than COVID-19 itself, says infectious disease expert
https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/david-staples-lockdowns-will-cause-10-times-more-harm-to-human-health-than-covid-19-itself-says-infectious-disease-expert

Dangers of a sedentary COVID-19 lockdown: Inactivity can take a toll on health in just two weeks
https://theconversation.com/dangers-of-a-sedentary-covid-19-lockdown-inactivity-can-take-a-toll-on-health-in-just-two-weeks-149666

7 ways meaningful activities can help us get through the coronavirus pandemic
https://theconversation.com/7-ways-meaningful-activities-can-help-us-get-through-the-coronavirus-pandemic-150259

Arctic researchers fear “great COVID data gap”
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/arctic-researchers-fear-great-covid-data-gap/

;-) Chilly Gonzales breaks down the sound and history of
     Silent Night (about 9 minutes)
     https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-50-q/clip/15813117-chilly-gonzales-breaks-sound-history-silent-night?subscribe=true&share=true

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Ontario sets record for most COVID-19 cases in a single day; 70 new cases in Ottawa
[dead link: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ontario-sets-record-for-most-covid-19-cases-in-a-single-day-70-new-cases-in-ottawa-1.5235594]

Over 7,000 more COVID-19 cases reported in Canada yesterday, another 117 deaths, and the active case count is approaching 80,000. Acute care facilities are reporting being at or above capacity in some regions.

One week to Christmas, so too late to start self-isolation now for a safe small gathering outside your household. Consider your choices with thought. Wearing masks even within small gatherings may be something you want to consider, along with how to manage the indoor environment (air changes, humidity, air filtering and sterilization measures).

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

All Canadians who want a shot will be vaccinated by September 2021, public health agency says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-vaccines-september-2021-1.5844314

Extendicare reports 'extremely poor' air flow in several areas of Regina Parkside care home
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/extendicare-parkside-outbreak-regina-ventilation-care-home-1.5845102

CSIS warns of threats to vaccine distribution chain
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/csis-vaccine-distribution-threats-1.5842035

'Downward spiral': Swedish king says the nation’s controversial COVID-19 plan failed
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/swedish-king-says-the-nations-controversial-covid-19-plan-failed

Hairdresser shares potential sign you could be deficient in vitamin D
https://in.style.yahoo.com/hairdresser-shares-sign-body-deficient-vitamin-d-122106244.html

(Digital) Deception

Health Canada warns of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines sold online
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/health-canada-warns-of-counterfeit-covid-19-vaccines-sold-online/

EU police agency Europol warns of fake coronavirus vaccines
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/eu-police-agency-europol-warns-of-fake-coronavirus-vaccines/

A mysterious gap in COVID-19 deaths appeared in Florida before the presidential election
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-ss-prem-covid-deaths-florida-election-20201216-f4kgezjf4rf75ppumt4omxfsxy-story.html

Sim-swap fraud is on the rise. How can you stop it happening to you?
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/sep/13/sim-swap-is-on-the-rise-how-can-you-stop-it-happening-to-you
This is one more reason why identity theft is a problem, and you should not keep financial data on your cell-phone, or easy access to your bank account(s) and other financial assets on your phone.
Woman's phone hijacked in apparent 'SIM swapping' scam
[dead link: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/woman-s-phone-hijacked-in-apparent-sim-swapping-scam-1.5043116]
The SIM card swap scam: What it is and what you can do to minimize risk
https://priv.gc.ca/en/blog/20200312/

CNN-Bellingcat investigation identifies Russians who trailed Navalny before he was poisoned
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/cnn-bellingcat-investigation-identifies-russians-who-trailed-navalny-before-he-was-poisoned-1.5230035
If you don't know Bellingcat, it's worth some time to learn about. I recommend the movie made about the group.
http://www.bellingcatfilm.com/"> http://www.bellingcatfilm.com/">http://www.bellingcatfilm.com/ It's available on DVD (http://www.firstrunfeatures.com/bellingcatdvd.html).
I have not seen it available online for download (other than via torrent sites). They have a Facebook page and a podcast.

Up to 3 million devices infected by malware-laced Chrome and Edge add-ons
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/12/up-to-3-million-devices-infected-by-malware-laced-chrome-and-edge-add-ons/

Malicious update to SolarWinds’ Orion platform blamed for global hacks, including FireEye
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/malicious-update-to-solarwinds-orion-platform-blamed-for-global-hacks-including-fireeye/439555]

Gaps in safeguards led to massive Desjardins security breach: privacy commissioners
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/desjardins-breach-privacy-report-1.5840171

Canadian IT professionals guarded about security success
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/canadian-it-professionals-guarded-about-security-success/439381]
Enterprise systems security is a tough game, and you are constantly playing defence. The operatives in Canada are smart not to get cocky; one goal from the opposing team can end the business.

Cyber Security Today – Canadian firms allegedly hit by ransomware, man sentenced for Cisco Systems hack and patch this WordPress plugin
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/cyber-security-today-canadian-firms-allegedly-hit-by-ransomware-man-sentenced-for-cisco-systems-hack-and-patch-this-wordpress-plugin/439550]
Note the exploitation of Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). As work-from-home has grown with the pandemic, more people are using this feature, and unless well-secured, it's an open door to cyber-criminals.

;-) I’m at the library, and for some reason, when I plug my flash drive
     into the computer, it doesn’t show up. I keep trying, but nothing
     happens. As an IT major, I know I can figure this out. So I spend
     15 minutes changing settings and inserting and removing the flash
     drive. Then a girl sitting next to me taps my shoulder and says,
     “You’re plugging into my computer, not yours.”

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada is on track to surpass 500,000 COVID-19 cases by the end of the coming weekend, and 14,000 deaths before that.

Canada's 3-day moving average for new cases hit a new record yesterday at 6,962. There were 140 additional deaths.

The U.S. had nearly 250,000 new cases reported yesterday. That's a quarter of a million in a single day. And over 3,500 deaths - in a single day.

Vaccines are not going to reverse this trend in the short term. We don't have COVID under control in the six plague provinces.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

California begins 'mass fatality' program, ordering 5,000 body bags as vaccines roll out
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/world/california-activates-mass-fatality-program-ordering-more-body-bags-while-vaccines-rollout-across-u-s/

Ontario reports 2,139 new COVID-19 cases as deaths top 4,000
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-coronavirus-ontario-december-16-update-1.5843462

Lack of PPE contributes to outbreak
https://blackburnnews.com/windsor/windsor-news/2020/12/16/lack-ppe-contributes-outbreak/

Climate Change

Budget officer provokes fresh round of suspicion over Trans Mountain profitability
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/12/09/news/trans-mountain-profitability-parliamentary-budget-officer-yves-giroux
Can the government of Canada be both the owner of a crude oil pipeline project and a national voice for combating climate change as a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change? So far, the nice words have been supporting climate change mitigation, but the money has gone to expanding oil production and exports.

More than 500,000 full electric cars sold so far this year in Europe
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/03/more-than-500000-full-electric-cars-sold-in-europe-in-10-months

Direct Solar Steam Generation: Harvesting the Sun's Energy for Clean Drinking Water
https://scitechdaily.com/direct-solar-steam-generation-harvesting-the-suns-energy-for-clean-drinking-water/
Perhaps some Canadian communities could benefit from this approach. Clean water can be stored for a long time, and makes a great thermal mass for heat storage.

U.S. Renewable Energy Installations Break Records Despite Pandemic
https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/US-Renewable-Energy-Installations-Break-Records-Despite-Pandemic.html

Norrbotten is positioning itself as a leader in the booming renewable energy and hi-tech industries
https://monocle.com/magazine/issues/139/the-year-ahead/
The hydrogen bit is part of the global hyprogen mirage, but the rest is realizable now, and as the article indicates, in many other parts of the world.

Major Fossil Fuel PR Group is Behind Europe Pro-Hydrogen Push
[dead link: https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/12/09/fti-consulting-fossil-fuel-pr-group-behind-europe-hydrogen-lobby]

;-) Quarantine Day 58
     https://ifunny.co/picture/quarantine-day-58-uilt-myself-a-doberman-UmZAMCVc7

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Ontario reports nearly 2,300 new coronavirus cases, setting one-day record
https://globalnews.ca/news/7522702/ontario-coronavirus-cases-december-15-covid19/

Please remember, it will take months, certainly well beyond this winter (northern hemisphere), before the vaccines will change this trajectory if our governments don't take this pandemic seriously. So far, in most of Canada and the U.S., and in several other countries making the COVID news for the wrong reasons, politics is driving the response, not health science.

Quebec's new lockdown a harsh reminder the COVID-19 end game is still several moves away
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/covid-19-vaccine-canada-quebec-lockdown-1.5843045

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .>/P>

COVID-19 News Items

Canada counts its dead much too slowly
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/canada-counts-its-dead-much-too-slowly/
We need solid and timely data to inform good decision-making, not just in health care. But, we also need to carefully assess what data we are going to collect and store, recognizing that data breaches - both unintentional and malicious - are part of our world now.

On the other hand, COVID-19 restrictions and health guidance seems to be taking a huge bite out of some other infectious respiratory diseases.
How COVID-19 is changing the cold and flu season
[dead link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03519-3] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03519-3
One take-away from the study: COVID definitely isn't the flu.

Beyond self-care: Try these 5 therapeutic tools to manage stress better during COVID-19 restrictions
https://theconversation.com/beyond-self-care-try-these-5-therapeutic-tools-to-manage-stress-better-during-covid-19-restrictions-150838

Schools Re-opening

With a lot of schools closing due to fresh outbreaks, and some planning an extended holiday break as an infection counter-measure, here's a collection of fails and a few wins as we look forward to the next set of re-openings in January.

Is Ontario's back-to-school strategy working, or are COVID-19 cases going untraced?
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/11/30/analysis/ontario-schools-covid-19-testing-contact-tracing

COVID-19 outbreak is declared at Algonquin College's Pembroke campus
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/covid-19-outbreak-is-declared-at-algonquin-colleges-pembroke-campus

Six TDSB schools will close Monday and reopen after winter break
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/12/13/five-more-tdsb-schools-will-close-monday-and-reopen-after-winter-break.html

'Missing' students a cloud looming over school boards
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/missing-students

Tracking the Coronavirus at U.S. Colleges and Universities
Over 214,000 cases at over 1,600 educational institutions. What are we teaching them?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-college-cases-tracker.html

The C.D.C. has withdrawn its most contentious school reopening document
[dead link: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/18/world/covid-19-coronavirus#the-cdc-has-withdrawn-its-most-contentious-school-reopening-document] https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/18/world/covid-19-coronavirus#the-cdc-has-withdrawn-its-most-contentious-school-reopening-document

COVID-19 cases jump by 144 in Ontario public schools, including 82 more students, in latest report
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/10/27/covid-19-cases-jump-by-144-in-ontario-public-schools-including-82-more-students-in-latest-report.html

Almost two months into the school year, here's what we know — and don't — about school safety in the pandemic
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/10/28/almost-two-months-into-the-school-year-heres-what-we-know-and-dont-about-school-safety-in-the-pandemic.html

Some eastern Ontario teachers 'burnt out' by added stress of pandemic
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/eastern-ontario-teacher-covid-questionnaire-1.5778396

Teachers say return to school this fall has left them with overwhelming stress and a never-ending workload
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/teacher-questionnaire-pandemic-1.5775805

Parents pull kids from Ottawa school in wake of COVID-19 outbreak
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/parents-pull-kids-ottawa-school-covid-outbreak-1.5807240

Enrolment shortfall leaves OCDSB in a bind
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ocdsb-low-enrolment-1.5797949

In Canada, a Push to Keep Schools Open in Second Lockdown
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/world/americas/Canada-virus-schools-open.html

Another Take on Xmas Trees

'Gratitude tree' is getting attention for its deeper meaning (1 minute video)
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1827881027824

;-) If 2020 was a math word-problem:
     If you’re going down a river at 3 km/h and your canoe loses a wheel,
     how much pancake mix would you need to re-shingle your roof?

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

It is great news that the first vaccinations are being administered in multiple countries as of yesterday. 2 big cautions to temper the celebrations (virtual, I assume).
1) the vaccines don't become highly effective for roughly a month after the first of two injections. You need the second injection to get full effect.
2) It's going to take a year to get the great majority of people vaccinated, if all goes well and according to plans still being drafted.

For now and months to come, the health guidance restrictions remain in effect. Protect yourself and those near you. It would be a sad legacy to be one of the last to die from COVID-19 due to your own behaviour.

The rising counts of new cases and deaths are not good news. 8,119 new cases reported on Dec. 14th for Canada sets a new record, while 122 additional deaths continues that upward trend for the second wave.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

Silenced and sacrificed: COVID-19 health-care workers’ secret suffering unveiled
https://theconversation.com/silenced-and-sacrificed-covid-19-health-care-workers-secret-suffering-unveiled-150675

'This is ridiculous': Outcry leads to quick reversal after Quebec nurses' holidays cancelled
https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/this-is-ridiculous-outcry-leads-to-quick-reversal-after-quebec-nurses-holidays-cancelled/

Ontario healthcare workers pleading with people to cancel holiday gatherings
https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/12/ontario-healthcare-workers-pleading-cancel-holiday-gatherings/

Ontario family pleads for people to take COVID-19 seriously after healthy father dies
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-family-pleads-for-people-to-take-covid-19-seriously-after-healthy-father-dies-1.5231199

Italy overtakes U.K. for worst COVID-19 death toll in Europe
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-italy-overtakes-uk-for-worst-covid-19-death-toll-in-europe/

Ontario reports 1,940 new coronavirus cases, 23 deaths
https://globalnews.ca/news/7520410/ontario-coronavirus-cases-december-14-covid19/
Second highest single-day count to date. The highest was 4 days ago. This is why the Premier is no longer attending his own daily press conferences on COVID-19; he doesn't want to be associated with this daily reminder of the consequences of his blundering approach to the pandemic since May. Presumably that's also why his fact-challenged bluster about the update on the federal 'carbon tax' - anything to change the channel from Ontario COVID case and death counts.

Fortress Fossil Fuels Highlights/Gaslights

Wrecked cargo ship begins leaking oil 52 years after it sank in B.C.'s Nootka Sound
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/shipwreck-discovered-in-bc-zuciarte-shannel-bligh-island-nootka-sound-1.5838352

Natural Gas Demand Will Grow For Decades To Come
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Natural-Gas-Demand-Will-Grow-For-Decades-To-Come.html
I disagree with this assessment. There are several primary markets for natural gas: heating (process, domestic hot water, building space); electricity generation; transportation; upgrading petroleum products; fertilizer; and 'blue' and 'grey' hydrogen.

Climate change is based on an overall warming trend, which will reduce demand for space heating. Increasing heat efficiency of building envelopes and a shift to heat pumps will further reduce heating demand from natural gas. Domestic water heating can be done with solar energy and electric back-up. Electricity demand is already shifting away from natural gas to wind, solar and short-term (daily) storage. Electric vehicles are already cheaper to operate than natural gas internal combustion engines, so that market is not going to grow for natural gas.

As the world works to decarbonize its energy systems away from oil-derived heating oil, diesel, gasoline, etc., natural gas - being another carbon-based fossil fuel - isn't going to be the transition fuel when we can already easily jump past it to electricity from renewables and drop-in biofuels (e.g. for big ships and aircraft). Agricultural fertilizing is already shifting to composts, sewage sludge and other renewable sources and practices. Eventually, dried algae may become a fertilizer product.

As for 'blue' hydrogen, it needs to overcome 3 big barriers:
1) real infrastructure for the SEQUESTRATION (not 'storage and use') of CO2 in steam reforming production of hydrogen;
2) real infrastructure for the storage, delivery and safe use of hydrogen as a fuel; and,
3) overcoming the laws of thermodynamics which make the hydrogen energy cycle a non-starter due to massive conversion losses at multiple stages.

But the natural gas industry has been caught before telling some 'aspirational facts', and downright whoppers (like their self-assessed numbers on fugitive emissions). And here they go again.
These Ladies Love Natural Gas! Too Bad They Aren’t Real. https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2020/12/these-ladies-love-natural-gas-too-bad-they-arent-real/

Tackling The Natural Gas Industry's Biggest Problem
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Tackling-The-Natural-Gas-Industrys-Biggest-Problem.html

Natural Gas Price Forecast - Natural Gas Breaks Trendline
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-forecast-natural-gas-breaks-trendline-686656

End the Taxpayer Giveaway to Big Oil and Gas [U.S.]
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/opinion/oil-gas-companies-public-land.html

;-) Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
     wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
     ~ Miles Kington

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

How the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Works
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine.html

What cellphone mobility data can teach us about why lockdown might not be working, and what to expect from the holidays
https://www.ourwindsor.ca/news-story/10288549-what-cellphone-mobility-data-can-teach-us-about-why-lockdown-might-not-be-working-and-what-to-expect-from-the-holidays/

Germany tightening restrictions as COVID-19 cases remain stubbornly high
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/germany-covid-19-coronavirus-lockdown-1.5839540

Pandemic December: How to stay connected and resilient in a COVID-19 holiday season
https://theconversation.com/pandemic-december-how-to-stay-connected-and-resilient-in-a-covid-19-holiday-season-150678

Vitamin D is being promoted a lot as a preventative and curative for COVID-19, and studies are starting to suggest a causal link (covered in previous blogs) as opposed to just a correlation. Still, Vitamin D has other benefits, so people should do some research and consider if it's a potential benefit for them.
Based on this article (research on rats, not humans), perhaps we should ensure pregnant women are tested for Vitamin D levels (and magnesium) and prescribed if effective levels are low. The link for people could be verified by testing for Vitamin D levels in pregnant women and later outcomes in the children. With a little luck, there might even be some historical data which could be studied.
Vitamin D Could Explain Why Autism Is Three Times More Common in Boys
https://scitechdaily.com/vitamin-d-could-explain-why-autism-is-three-times-more-common-in-boys/

Health Canada adds to growing hand sanitizer recall list, warns of possible health risks
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-canada-adds-to-growing-hand-sanitizer-recall-list-warns-of-possible-health-risks-1.5229501

(Digital) Deception

U.S. Treasury breached by hackers backed by foreign government - sources
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/crime-pmn/u-s-treasury-breached-by-hackers-backed-by-foreign-government-sources-2

This nasty malware is infecting every web browser — what to do now
https://www.tomsguide.com/news/adrozek-browser-malware

New ransomware campaign exploits weak MySQL credentials to lock thousands of databases
https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/ransomware/new-ransomware-campaign-exploits-weak-mysql-credentials-to-lock-thousands-of-databases/

FireEye discloses data breach and theft of hacking tools
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/fireeye-discloses-data-breach-and-theft-of-hacking-tools/439364]

His bank raided his account to cover a payment made to scammers
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tangerine-account-raided-job-scam-1.5806275
Lesson for scammed consumers: if you have been scammed, immediately close any other accounts you have with the same bank and move your assets to another institution, say a credit union. Also be aware of connections of supposedly independent banks. Tangerine is part of Scotiabank.

This zero-click iOS exploit could let hackers hijack your iPhone
https://www.techradar.com/news/this-zero-click-ios-exploit-could-let-hackers-hijack-your-iphone
(I'm so old I remember when secure mobile phones were an actual thing.)

Payment Card Skimmer Group Using Raccoon Info-Stealer to Siphon Off Data
https://thehackernews.com/2020/12/payment-card-skimmer-group-using.html

Ransomware gangs are now cold-calling victims if they restore from backups without paying
https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-gangs-are-now-cold-calling-victims-if-they-restore-from-backups-without-paying/

Are workers 'stealing' time from their companies when working from home? Some employers say yes — but studies say just the opposite
[dead site: https://remotefreelancerjobs.com/2020/11/28/are-workers-stealing-time-from-their-companies-when-working-from-home-some-employers-say-yes-but-studies-say-just-the-opposite-thepeterboroughexaminer-com/
I'm seeing a lot of 'demonizing' working-from-home employees items on social media (where I don't spend much time), and now leaking into mainstream media. As one who has maintained a home office for employers and clients for decades, my experience is that if there is time theft, it's been from my time to my employer's or client's benefit. Do I occasionally do some meal prep or a household chore during the day? Absolutely, that's just good time management, especially if I'm launching an appliance to do a multi-hour task I can ignore (bread-maker, oven, dishwasher, laundry, robot floor sweeper). But the 5 minutes I spend on the set-up is not billable time. Ever.

Even if I have the Eureka moment for a work problem while pouring flour into the breadmaker. By contrast, if I'm thinking about a client problem while doing some yard work, those brain cycles are free to my client/employer.

Also, employers, be careful what metrics you're using to try to figure out if there's time theft going on. Sales down while people are home working during the pandemic? Could it be a result of the pandemic, not worker hours being delivered? Again, a personal example. Early this year, I increased my inventory of medical battery chargers to meet expected demand which tends to occur in late March. This year, I booked zero sales from March 13 to May 31st, because hospitals and health-related clinics stopped ordering for typical inventory replenishment to conserve purchasing budgets for PPE, ventilators and other pandemic-related expenses, and clinics were reducing hours and service levels.

I think the vaccines mean the economic recovery will be coming in 2021 and 2022, and employees who have been demonized and denigrated will remember how their employers did not appreciate their continued contribution in a time which has been trying for all of us. Look for a lot of staff turnover as one outcome as we come out of the pandemic, because some employers clearly did not see themselves and their staff as being 'all in this together'.

The story above was a few days old as I discovered this item as a counter-point.
'Wage theft': Employees are working long hours at home — but some employers feel they don't need to pay them more
https://financialpost.com/executive/careers/howard-levitt-canadians-are-working-longer-hours-at-home-but-some-are-victims-of-wage-theft-by-their-employers
In my experience and conversations with employers and workers, this is more aligned with reality. Again, expect a lot of staff turnover after the vaccines allow a resumption of some kind of 'normal'. For now, if you're working from home for pay, keep solid records of the time you're actually working ' on the clock'. If you already keep timesheets, be meticulous with them. If you keep a work 'journal', note start times and end times for work activities.

;-) Had enough of COVID-19 messing up your regularly scheduled life?
     How about a campaign to have a Christmas that is back to gnomal?
     https://robothousekeeping.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/gnome-for-the-holidays-a-christmas-tree-gnome/
     (I'm being needled a bit about all the branches re: Xmas trees,
     yet I pine fir more.)

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

Five key genes linked to severe COVID-19 found, suggesting drug targets
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/five-key-genes-linked-to-severe-covid-19-found-suggesting-drug-targets/

COVID-19 outbreak declared at Mississauga's Credit Valley Hospital emergency department
https://www.mississauga.com/news-story/10286687-covid-19-outbreak-declared-at-mississauga-s-credit-valley-hospital-emergency-department/

(Digital) Deception

As COVID-19 vaccine rollout nears, disinformation already circulating: What to watch for
https://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2020/12/11/covid-vaccine-disinformation-misinformation/3879269001/

Social Media in 2020: A Year of Misinformation and Disinformation
https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-in-2020-a-year-of-misinformation-and-disinformation-11607712530

Flyers spreading COVID-19 misinformation hit Calgary mailboxes
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/flyers-spreading-covid-19-misinformation-hit-calgary-mailboxes-1.5226530

Coronavirus Shows You May Not Be as Good at Detecting Misinformation as You Think
https://www.sciencealert.com/coronavirus-reveals-you-may-not-be-as-good-at-detecting-misinformation-as-you-think

CISA and FBI warn of rise in ransomware attacks targeting K-12 schools
https://www.zdnet.com/article/cisa-and-fbi-warn-of-rise-in-ransomware-attacks-targeting-k-12-schools/

This new ransomware is growing in strength and could become a major threat warn researchers
https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-new-ransomware-is-growing-in-strength-and-could-become-a-major-threat-warn-researchers/

SHAKE them and STIR them: how Canada is fighting scam calls
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/shake-them-and-stir-them-how-canada-is-fighting-scam-calls/438865]

Online password '123456' more popular than ever and easy to crack
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nordpass-list-of-most-common-and-worst-passwords-1.5807089
It's like leaving your car unlocked and a ring of keys lying on the driver seat, including the one for the car. Don't be surprised when the criminal takes advantage.

Another tree alternative

A reader [dead site: https://www.simonteakettle.com] shared this image, noting this 'tree' has been a year-round feature for over a decade. Made from pussywillow and luminaria branches from the writer's garden using a plastic waste basket from a thrift store as the base, it features ornaments from their past and handmade items. The lighting brightens a dark corner, and is on a timer to come on automatically in the evening. Glorious!

;-) If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
     ~ George Carlin

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

We're less than one SARS-CoV-2 incubation period (2 weeks) from Christmas, and the news is not encouraging, other than a few people in Canada may start getting vaccinated next Tuesday. The rest sounds fairly dire.

Federal officials say action 'urgently needed' as COVID-19 cases rise, holidays begin
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/modelling-covid19-cases-tam-1.5837428

Canada will likely move past 450,000 reported cases today. Yesterday, we had 142 more deaths; the lagging indicator is starting to track upwards as was to be expected from the surge in new cases started a couple of months ago, and acute care facilities are now reaching or exceeding capacity.

The U.S. has exceeded 16 million cases and 300,000 deaths.

The world has now reported over 1.6 million COVID-19 deaths. 12,918 on Dec. 10 was barely not a new single-day record, but 703,595 new cases is a new record. Cumulative so far, about 71.5 million. It's not actually winter yet, so worse is yet to come.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

Fortress Fossil Fuels Highlights/Gaslights

Renewables seen as far cheaper than diesel generators for remote, island power grids
https://www.bworldonline.com/renewables-seen-as-far-cheaper-than-diesel-generators-for-remote-island-power-grids/

U.S. federal appeals court rejects Alaska offshore drilling plan
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/u-s-federal-appeals-court-rejects-alaska-offshore-drilling-plan-1.5832713

UN Report: Despite Falling Energy Demand, Governments Set on Increasing Fossil Fuel Production
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02122020/un-fossil-fuel-coronavirus-report/

Majority of $1.7B in government cash to clean up old oil and gas wells still hasn't been spent
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bakx-cleanup-wells-srp-1.5829018

Imperial Oil to write down up to $1.2B, no longer plans to develop 'significant portion' of Alberta assets
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/imperial-oil-1.5822984

BMO to exit oil and gas investment banking in the United States, will focus on Canada
https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/bmo-to-exit-oil-and-gas-investment-banking-in-the-u-s
(Knowing the Canadian federal government will continue to bail out the oil industry while the U.S. government probably won't, makes investing in oil north of the border a safer investment environment.)

Daimler announces $85 billion investment, mostly toward accelerating electrification
https://electrek.co/2020/12/03/daimler-investment-mostly-toward-accelerating-electrification/

Trans Mountain's COVID-19 costs are now $12.5 million and growing
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trans-mountain-pipeline-covid-pandemic-1.5829486

Inside Clean Energy: The Era of Fossil Fuel Power Plants Is Rapidly Receding. Here Is Their Life Expectancy.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10122020/inside-clean-energy-fossil-fuel-power-plants/

Not exactly local, but an interesting idea
London Christmas Tree Rental
https://www.londonchristmastreerental.com/
When the trees are too tall for rental (7 feet +), they are removed from their pots and planted in solid ground to continue growing.
Closer to home
Can't decide on a real vs. fake Christmas tree? Consider a 'living' tree
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/what-on-earth-christmas-tree-live-1.5836182
Note the cautions associated with a 'living' tree in the house for the holidays.

Repurposing an artificial Christmas tree

It started with squirrels taking out the the outdoor LED Christmas lights. I don't ever remember having this issue with the old incandescent light strings. Perhaps the higher current in the wires when powered were instructive, and the new more efficient lights don't provide the same jolt. Or, maybe the wiring insulation on the new wires tastes better. I haven't tried it to find out.

Anyway, a few strings went into the 'fix it someday pile'. COVID brought 'someday' this past week.

Then there was the old artificial Christmas tree we had used for a couple of decades, where the molded plastic branch retainers finally failed to the point we couldn't effect a good repair. The 'plan' was perhaps it could be an outside tree some day.

With a bit of time (mostly for creating enough work space) and some cable ties and surplus fence wire, those became this.

It's just over 6 feet in diameter, specifically so it can fit through doorways, but fills the height of our balcony opening nicely. It used about 2/3's of the branches from the donor tree, so perhaps something else may come of that material. We put it up yesterday afternoon, and it's already drawn one compliment from a neighbour.

Some other folks have also considered the matter of the repurposing of artificial Christmas trees, and they have some ideas.
https://www.adayinmotherhood.com/christmas-tree/
https://fredgonsowskigardenhome.com/2012/11/20/some-ideas-for-repurposing-reusing-recycling-an-old-artificial-christmas-tree/
https://www.instructables.com/Artificial-Tree-Repurposed-Christmas-Wreath-and-Mi/
https://visihow.com/Reuse_an_Artificial_Christmas_Tree

Have a safe and pleasant weekend. (A weekend is 2 days - usually known as Saturday and Sunday - which were set aside as non-work days for the majority of workers in the Western world before the COVID-19 pandemic.)

;-) At what point can we just start using 2020 as profanity?
     As in: “That’s a load of 2020.” or “What the 2020.” or
     “abso-2020-lutely.”

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Ontario sets provincial record with nearly 2,000 new coronavirus cases
https://globalnews.ca/news/7513329/ontario-coronavirus-cases-december-10-covid19/
Canada moved past 13,000 COVID-19 deaths yesterday, with a new single-day high for the second wave at 126.

The U.S. will likely pass 300,000 deaths today, having hit a new single day record on Wednesday with 3,263 followed with another 2,974 yesterday.

U.S. passed up chance to buy more coronavirus vaccine doses from Pfizer https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/12/us-passed-up-chance-to-buy-more-coronavirus-vaccine-doses-from-pfizer.html

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

(Digital) Deception

Annual total losses from cybercrime including downtime almost $1 trillion, says report
dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/annual-total-losses-from-cybercrime-including-downtime-almost-1-trillion-says-report/439438]

BlackBerry Spark Suite and Android 11 promise 'security, privacy and productivity'
https://www.itwire.com/business-it/blackberry-spark-suite-and-android-11-promise-security,-privacy-and-productivity.html

‘People tired of misinformation,’ says U of A professor
https://www.660citynews.com/2020/12/01/people-tired-of-misinformation-says-u-of-a-professor/

Vaccine misinformation is the next big pandemic problem, UCSF doctor warns
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/vaccine-misinformation-is-the-next-big-pandemic-problem-ucsf-doctor-warns-11606964881

'Science is not an opinion': Saskatoon microbiologist refuses to let COVID-19 misinformation slide
https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/science-is-not-an-opinion-saskatoon-microbiologist-refuses-to-let-covid-19-misinformation-slide-1.5225881

Why cybercriminals are working extra hard this holiday season and how you can protect yourself
https://globalnews.ca/news/7482577/cybercriminals-online-shopping-holiday-consumer-matters/

Montreal Police Are Warning Locals About 4 Major Online Scams Happening Right Now
https://www.mtlblog.com/en-ca/news/montreal/montreal-police-are-warning-locals-about-4-major-online-scams-happening-right-now

Majority of Canadian cyber incidents happen due to poor cyber hygiene, new report says
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/majority-of-canadian-cyber-incidents-happen-due-to-poor-cyber-hygiene-new-cybersecurity-report-says/438467]

Phishing simulation reveals more than 70% of public sector workers who clicked on malicious link ended up compromising passwords
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/phishing-simulation-reveals-more-than-70-of-public-sector-workers-who-clicked-on-malicious-link-ended-up-compromising-passwords/439238]
The underlying question here is, who is providing the cyber-security training to staff in the public sector? In my experience with agencies that receive public funding for operations, funds are always insufficient to provide full operating budgets (I have even encountered health service providers that run bake sales as fund-raisers to fund core operations), and anything considered 'discretionary' is always put off until 'next year', and the cycle continues annually. I can't imagine things are any better under COVID conditions, where provincial governments are only now announcing miserly incremental funds.

As it takes 2-3 years (or more) to train and hire staff for health-related care jobs, will that incremental funding last for 4 or more annual budgets, or will those governments return to cutting those budgets again in the name of paying off 'COVID debt'? If history is our guide, it will be the latter.

Facebook must be broken up, the US government says in a groundbreaking lawsuit
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/09/tech/facebook-antitrust-lawsuit-ftc-attorney-generals/index.html

PR Firms Are Being Shamed For Helping Fossil Fuel Companies 'Green' Their Image
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pr-firms-helping-fossil-fuel-industry-climate-image_n_5fd0ea92c5b66a7584113ad1

Why Doug Ford's daily COVID-19 news conferences have suddenly stopped
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-doug-ford-daily-news-briefings-1.5835706

It seems Christmas trees are a more popular topic than COVID stats. Here's an image of a decepti-tree from a reader.

;-) “A lie gets halfway around the world before
     the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”
     ~ Winston Churchill

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Yesterday in Canada, more than another 6,000 new cases, and the trend line continues to go in the wrong direction. Today we'll likely surpass 13,000 COVID-19 deaths, as that trend line also keeps going in the wrong direction.

World-wide, the 7-day moving average is well over 10,000 COVID-19 deaths per day - and rising.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

All I want for Christmas is my two front-running vaccines

Canada approves Pfizer vaccine, will start administering "within days"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCVRBxALErc

U.K. investigates two possible allergic reactions to COVID-19 shot
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/uk-to-refine-allergy-warning-on-pfizer-vaccine-sparked-by-two-adverse-reactions/

Act now to stop anti-vaccine misinformation, says Ottawa researcher
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/anti-vaccine-misinformation-public-health-communications-1.5833537

François Legault Said He's Not Ruling Out The Idea Of Quebec Going Into Total Confinement
https://www.mtlblog.com/en-ca/news/franois-legault-said-hes-not-ruling-out-the-idea-of-quebec-going-into-total-confinement

After going eyeball to eyeball with COVID-19, Kenney finally blinks
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/opinion-thomson-covid-kenney-blinks-1.5833751
As I said before, you can't negotiate with the virus.

‘Dead people don’t go out shopping’: Former AHS CEO critical of Alberta’s pandemic response
https://globalnews.ca/news/7511797/alberta-covid-19-response-former-ahs-ceo-critical/

PPE

Distillers scrambled to make hand sanitizer for free. Then the federal government moved on.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/distillers-hand-sanitizer-pandemic-1.5813509
As I have been known to say, no good deed goes unpunished. This is precisely the concern I had when authorities mouthed the words about supporting small businesses in Canada, and ensuring that we not get caught again being dependent on other countries for critical supplies. Just words. Now, I can only hope that local governments step up where the federal and provincial governments have failed, and support their local businesses that stepped up, and source locally as they buy saniitzer for future needs, which will be many months yet.

What you need to know if you're making and selling non-medical masks
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-masks-making-selling-1.5808545

Barrie business partners with Kitchener company to produce 'game-changing' PPE
https://www.barrietoday.com/coronavirus-covid-19-local-news/barrie-business-partners-with-kitchener-company-to-produce-game-changing-ppe-3168847

COVID Face Shields No Match for Sneeze Vortex Rings
https://scitechdaily.com/covid-face-shields-no-match-for-sneeze-vortex-rings/
It matters if you are talking about the blocking at the origin side of the sneeze, or as the exposed party where the force will have dissipated. The growing consensus is that the virus is airborne, so protecting yourself is still a useful approach. I still think there is value in the wrap around fabric and face shield when venturing into higher-risk environments like grocery-shopping in areas where the testing positive rate is over 10%). https://econogics.com/c4c/

;-) Mask not what your country can do for you.
     Mask what you can do for your country.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada adds 93 more COVID-19 deaths while provinces break new infection, fatality records
https://globalnews.ca/news/7504354/coronavirus-canada-update-dec-5/
On December 7, Canada added 7,872 new COVID-19 cases, setting yet another single-day record, and 112 deaths. Lower numbers on Dec. 8, but not dramatically so. As winter really sets in, these numbers will likely get worse.

Good news is coming in on the vaccines front, though we need to understand it will take several months before we have the upper hand on community immunization. Until you get your injection(s) AND wait the recommended time for immunity to have taken effect, the current restrictions and guidelines still apply. Can you stick it out a few more months and not contract the COVID-19 coronavirus until we can suppress the pandemic with the vaccines? You have managed it for 9 months already, but the virus is still circulating and infection rates are still rising.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

Covid vaccine roll-out begins as 90-year-old becomes first in UK to get jab
[dead link: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/coronavirus/covid-vaccine-roll-out-begins-as-90-year-old-becomes-first-in-uk-to-get-jab/ar-BB1bJjFk] https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/coronavirus/covid-vaccine-roll-out-begins-as-90-year-old-becomes-first-in-uk-to-get-jab/ar-BB1bJjFk

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine could ship to Canada within 24 hours of approval, exec says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pfizer-biontech-covid-vaccine-canada-1.5830434

COVID-19 vaccines have expected side-effects, but experts say they're no cause for concern
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/covid-19-vaccines-have-expected-side-effects-but-experts-say-theyre-no-cause-for-concern/

[Ontario Health Minister] Elliott says Ontarians receiving COVID-19 vaccine will get some form of proof that may be ‘essential’ for some activities

Alberta imposes tough new restrictions in bid to curb soaring COVID-19 infections
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/covid-alberta-reatrictions-1.5832682

Alberta tried to build 'a wall of defence' around its most vulnerable citizens. It has crumbled
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-senior-citizens-wall-defence-1.5832611

P.E.I. testing focus now on twenties age group with roommates, restaurant jobs or symptoms
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/video-no-new-covid-19-cases-in-pei-on-dec-8-2020-528754/

Fear, frustration, compassion and shame: What nurses are dealing with during the pandemic
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/nurses-pandemic-the-national-1.5821815

COVID-19 in long-term care: a report from inside
https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/covid-19-in-long-term-care-a-report-from-inside/

Trump Administration Declines to Tighten Soot Rules, Despite Link to Covid Deaths
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/climate/trump-epa-soot-covid.html?segment_id=46263

The Pandemic’s Final Surge Will Be Brutal
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/12/covid-deaths-seven-day-average-highest-april/617318/

The Real Reason Americans Aren’t Quarantining
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/12/states-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-quarantine-hawaii/617321/

Covid-19 has already exhausted the US. And it's only the start of a dark and deadly winter
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/04/us/covid-19-winter-doctors-nurses-funeral-food/index.html

This is the exact type of break you should be taking when working from home
https://www.fastcompany.com/90582261/this-is-the-exact-type-of-break-you-should-be-taking-when-working-from-home

;-) We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a
     lot more information in our heads.
     That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

2020 is looking to wrap up as a record-setting year for mostly the wrong reasons, e.g. ...
Ontario reports more than 1,900 new cases of COVID-19, breaks another record
[dead link: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-reports-more-than-1-900-new-cases-of-covid-19-breaks-another-record-1.5220005]

On the positive side, it appears vaccines will actually be going into the arms of some Canadians before the end of the month, which seems miraculous to me, and the plans on who should be first make sense.

Let's try to remember this is also the year where 'caremongering' became a word in Canada.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

Climate Change

Oh, Christmas Trees, Oh, Christmas Trees, how troubling are thy branches

Real vs. artifical Christmas trees
Here is the annual enviro Christmas story pitting 'natural' Christmas trees against artifical trees. Take a minute or two to read it, and come back for my take on the fake debate.
https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/protect-water-and-land/land-and-water-stories/real-vs-fake-christmas-tree/

Let me start by saying I understand the appeal, and downsides, of having a fir or pine tree in the house for the holiday season. I remember driving out to the friend's bush lot, trudging around in the snow, guessing at heights, sawing away at the trunk, and bundling the catch onto the car roof, taking into the house and the final trimming to fit the space. But for many years, we have used artificial trees.

I see a few fallacies in the story line, so let me take a minute to point those out.

1) A truly environmental approach would not indulge in either kind of tree. So, this is a fake debate because these aren't the only two available options. It's like the old question: which is better for transporting crude oil; rail or pipelines?
The answer: neither, the better option is to reduce demand for crude oil and the need to transport it at all.

2) A tree farm is not a natural growth environment; it's monoculture. The big difference from conventional farming is the harvesting is done about once a decade rather than annually.

3) There's no guarantee the Christmas tree you buy at a seasonal stand was grown locally. It may have travelled halfway across the continent to get to your neighbourhood.

4) The downstream environmental impacts of a natural tree depend entirely on how it is disposed of. However, no matter how that goes, this tree has gone from being a carbon sink while it was growing to being a GHG source, whether carbon dioxide or methane as it decays. Fossil fuels are typically burned to move the discarded natural tree from the household to the next stage in its processing. Our artificial tree - along with several storage bins of decorations and other Christmas season material, moves from main floor to basement at the end of the holidays, and back up again 11 months later.

5) An artificial tree may displace as many as 20 natural trees over its useful life. I know our previous one did.

6) An artificial tree doesn't have to end up in landfill; that presumes a lack of imagination. Perhaps an old artificial tree could be re-purposed now so landfill should not be in its near future when it has fulfilled its original mission.

7) As for the transportation energy and emissions, our artificial tree takes up less space than a natural tree (packs tighter) and weighs less than a natural tree of the same erected size.

8) If we had a circular economy in mind, we would be making the artificial trees out of compostible materials to begin with.

9) The key reason we chose an artificial tree was to avoid the fire hazard of a natural tree, as we keep ours up for about a month or a bit more each year. It was central to our holiday season social activities and some family traditions.

Here are some alternatives to both the conventional natural and artificial trees. In a year where your entertaining may be severely curtailed, and you're wondering if it's worth the effort of putting up a full-size tree at all, or because space or finances or lack of free time or personal energy or even trees are issues, these might have some appeal, at least for this year.

https://www.boredpanda.com/diy-christmas-trees/
https://www.mamaandmore.com/2019/10/31/christmas-tree-for-small-spaces/
https://www.thespruce.com/alternative-christmas-tree-ideas-451943
https://onekindesign.com/2016/12/02/christmas-tree-alternatives/
https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g28872053/alternative-christmas-trees/?slide=9
https://www.ohmeohmyblog.com/diy-christmas-tree-firefly-lights/
https://bestlifeonline.com/christmas-tree-alternatives/
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/alternative-christmas-trees/
https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/traditional-christmas-tree-alternatives/
(you can find more on the Web with a search)

Whichever way you choose, natural tree, artificial tree, something unconventional or none at all, I hope you it can bring you some joy this year, when so many of us so desperately need it. (Perhaps someone will make commemorative vaccine ornaments.)

However your culture and traditions recognize the winter solstice, may the next orbit of Earth around the Sun bring you a better year than this one has been for so many.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

The 7-day moving average has been over 6,000 new cases in Canada every day since Dec. 2nd. Expect another jump with today's post-weekend reporting.

The U.S. now has over 15 million reported cases of COVID-19. That's over 4.5% of the entire population. Canada's corresponding number is 1.1%, less than a quarter of the U.S. ratio.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

Coronavirus Becomes Number One Cause of Death Per Day in U.S., Surpassing Heart Disease and Cancer

Canada surpasses 400,000 coronavirus cases as infection rate accelerates
https://globalnews.ca/news/7500620/canada-coronavirus-400k-cases/

The Canadian economy and jobs numbers were recovering as a function of keeping the SARS-CoV-2 virus under some degree of control over the summer.
Canadian economy added 62,000 jobs in November, unemployment rate fell to 8.5% https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/12/04/canada-jobs-economy-november/
The question in my mind, can Canada get back to that level of control through the 'second wave' this winter, and keep people - and as a result, the economy - healthy until the vaccines are in wide distribution?

Why Sobeys is saying yes to ‘hero pay’ and no to gouging suppliers: meet the man who’s putting values first in a time of crisis
https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/12/05/empire-ceo-michael-medline-breaks-ranks-to-put-values-first-at-sobeys.html

Ottawa's COVID-19 success 'really unique' globally
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-s-covid-19-success-really-unique-globally-1.5825390
It's a community effort, and all it takes is a few Covidiots to under the efforts of the majority. Ottawa does have it's anti-masker and COVID-is-a-hoax contingent, but in general it's small. There's also a growing and real movement to support local businesses, particularly in retail and food services. A question I have asked locals on occasion is, what businesses would you like to see around when we get back to 'normal'? What are you doing now to help them survive until then? Since this article was published, Ottawa has returned to having about 40 new cases per day.

If Doug Ford's plan was to make tens or hundreds of thousands of Ontarians sick, have a few thousand more die before the end of 2021, and hollow out the public health care system even further, then the plan is working.
Ontario reports over 1,900 new coronavirus cases, setting record for 2nd straight day
https://globalnews.ca/news/7504778/ontario-coronavirus-cases-december-6-covid19/

Critical shortage of workers hampering home care in Ottawa
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-staffing-homecare-shortages-1.5828311

'If it wasn't for overtime, we'd have no healthcare system': N.B. nurses union president
https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/article/if-it-wasnt-for-overtime-wed-have-no-healthcare-system-nb-nurses-union-president/

The world needs more women leaders — during COVID-19 and beyond
https://theconversation.com/the-world-needs-more-women-leaders-during-covid-19-and-beyond-150599

Why our minds can't make sense of COVID-19's enormous death toll
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/why-minds-brains-cannot-make-sense-coronavirus-enormous-death-toll/
The numbers are abstract to start with, and as they get bigger, we go numb from the repeated messaging. Part of our brain function is to notice the things that are out of place. As the news reports are increasingly the same (more cases, more sick, more dead), they become the pattern and less jarring. We also tend to identify with stories about people ('human interest'), and especially those that look like us (age, gender, culture, economic status, ethnicity ...). That's why local stories about individuals and families are more impactful - if the connection works - than stories about increasing numbers.

People with vitamin D deficiency at higher risk of severe COVID-19, says study
https://www.news-medical.net/post.aspx?id=aea7de1d-b5cf-4fea-9fa0-50257ab2ac71

Less air pollution during Covid-19 restrictions, says study
https://earthsky.org/earth/how-much-covid19-related-pollution-levels-deviated-from-norm-2020

;-) I think the biggest error in my life has been confusing
     societal need with the potential for consumer demand.
     On reflection, it seems P.T. Barnum was right: "Nobody ever lost a      dollar by underestimating the taste of the [North] American public.”

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta all set new one-day COVID-19 new cases records on Saturday.
Manitoba set a new one-day record for COVID-19 deaths.
COVID-19 cases hit new records as Tam urges vigilance, promises vaccine on the way
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/covid-19-cases-hit-new-records-as-tam-urges-vigilance-promises-vaccine-on-the-way/

The U.S. reported over 208,000 new cases and 2,250 additional deaths on Saturday.

For now, our mission is to keep ourselves safe from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus until we can be vaccinated. The novel coronavirus has been here for almost months now. In another 9, we could have it well under control with vaccines, which speaks of something akin to a medical miracle.
Provinces ordered to have sites ready to receive COVID-19 vaccines by Dec. 14
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-provinces-ordered-to-have-sites-ready-to-receive-covid-19-vaccines-by/

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

Climate Change

COVID-19 recovery is an opportunity to tackle worsening climate crisis: New report
https://theconversation.com/covid-19-recovery-is-an-opportunity-to-tackle-worsening-climate-crisis-new-report-151242

UN Shipping Agency Greenlights A Decade Of Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/11/20/un-shipping-agency-greenlights-a-decade-of-rising-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

Brazil's Oil Major Believes Net Zero Emissions Is A 'Fad'
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Brazils-Oil-Major-Believes-Net-Zero-Emissions-Is-A-Fad.html

Freight’s carbon footprint soaring
https://www.trucknews.com/transportation/freights-carbon-footprint-soaring/1003146651/

What cities can learn from the biggest battery-powered electric bus fleet in North America
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/electric-buses-transit-1.5823166

Fossil fuel production far exceeds climate targets, UN says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/un-fossil-fuel-production-1.5824858

Rising seas predicted to flood thousands of affordable housing units by 2050
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/1/21747466/rising-sea-levels-flood-affordable-housing-2050

'Canada really sticks out:' Studies show banks not so green on climate change
https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/canada-really-sticks-out-studies-show-banks-not-so-green-on-climate-change-1.5215051

Ontario's carbon emissions went up during Doug Ford's first year as premier
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-greenhouse-gas-emissions-report-environmental-defence-1.5825851

Building electric cars in Canada is key to reaching climate goals, recharging auto industry
https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/opinion-electric-vehicles-environment-economy-1.5817762
Perhaps there has been a lesson to be learned from PPE and vaccines about off-shoring production of critical goods that can be used as political leverage in times of crisis.

Long-time readers of these posts know that I also put them up on the Econogics website (eventually), but did you know there is a little 'Easter Egg' bonus on the Web edition? In the lead paragraph of every post on the website, there is sentence that reads "The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you." Within that sentence there is a hyperlink, and in every post that hyperlink is unique, taking readers to 220 different and eclectic places - so far. (https://econogics.com/blog.htm)

;-) “People often say that motivation doesn’t last.
     Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”
     ~ Zig Ziglar

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada is still at near-record numbers for daily new COVID-19 cases. Unbelievably, the U.S. managed to set yet another record at over 235,000 new cases yesterday. The world also set a new record yesterday with almost 685,000 new cases, and another with over 12,000 deaths in a single day yesterday.

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/
and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

COVID-19 News Items

COVID-19 caution fatigue: Why it happens, and 3 ways to prevent it
https://theconversation.com/covid-19-caution-fatigue-why-it-happens-and-3-ways-to-prevent-it-150837

How I beat 'cooking fatigue' during the pandemic
"https://www.today.com/food/how-beat-cooking-fatigue-during-pandemic-t190682
Lots of publications are offering up recipes online, but it's also worth dusting old favourites, especially the frugal recipes for those of us also suffering from income interruptus. The Christmas season also provides some traditional recipes - not all of them are cookies.

Once, we stood in solidarity against the virus. Then came the second wave.
https://nationalpost.com/news/when-the-clapping-stopped-toronto-once-stood-in-solidarity-against-the-virus-then-came-the-second-wave

More than 100 Sask. health care workers test positive in two weeks
https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/more-than-100-sask-health-care-workers-test-positive-in-two-weeks

Trudeau says vaccines will roll out 'as quickly as possible' after Health Canada approvals
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-vaccine-quickly-health-canada-approvals-1.5823683

Canada expects first batch of vaccines early next year; Ontario reports 1,824 new cases
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/covid-19-ontario-reports-1824-new-cases-military-readying-for-vaccine-rollout
To repeat: your mission is to avoid being infected from now until you can be vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccine FAQ: 6 things to look for in clinical trial results
https://theconversation.com/covid-19-vaccine-faq-6-things-to-look-for-in-clinical-trial-results-150843

Sweden says no need for face masks as COVID-19 deaths top 7,000
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/sweden-says-no-need-for-face-masks-as-covid-19-deaths-top-7000

AHS makes face shields, goggles mandatory for frontline workers
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/frontline-workers-must-wear-eye-protection-and-masks-now-ahs-1.5214281
Note shift in position at Alberta Health Services.

;-) Dealing with squirrels can drive you crazy.
     You can't drive squirrels crazy,
     they come that way from the factory.

Squirrels going nuts for Chinese-made Christmas lights
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/squirrels-steal-hundreds-of-bulbs-1.5828363
Been there, have the light strings remains.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada posts deadliest day of coronavirus pandemic since June as vaccine hopes rise
https://globalnews.ca/news/7498535/coronavirus-update-canada-dec-2/
On Dec. 3rd, Canada tied the old record with 6,495 new cases.

U.S. virus deaths surpass the spring peak as the country reports more than 14 million cases
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/03/world/covid-19-coronavirus#us-virus-deaths-surpass-the-spring-peak-as-the-country-reports-more-than-14-million-cases

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/ and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

Fortress Fossil Fuels Highlights/Gaslights

From wood waste to renewable natural gas: A Kelowna company’s plan
https://globalnews.ca/news/7485789/food-waste-renewable-natural-gas-kelowna-company/

Investors plan major move into renewable energy infrastructure
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/23/investors-plan-major-move-into-renewable-energy-infrastructure

Academic from Saskatoon plays key role in Cambridge University divesting from fossil fuels
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-academic-cambridge-university-investment-fossil-fuels-1.5812483

Lakehead University to divest from fossil fuels
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/lakehead-university-to-divest-from-fossil-fuels-3136404

Weaker penis bones in river otters linked to oilsands contaminants in new study
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/otter-penis-oilsands-alberta-1.5818973

Tesla Model 3 Police Car vs. Dodge Charger Police Car — Nearly $7,000 In Savings In One Year
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/11/29/tesla-model-3-police-car-vs-dodge-charger-police-car-nearly-7000-in-savings-in-one-year/

Fremont Looks to Expand All-Electric Police Car Fleet
https://www.governing.com/next/Fremont-Looks-to-Expand-All-Electric-Police-Car-Fleet.html

Shell in court over claims it hampered fossil fuels phase-out
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/30/shell-in-court-over-claims-it-hampered-fossil-fuels-phase-out

Refineries Are Fighting Over Used Cooking Oil And Animal Fat
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Why-Refineries-Are-Fighting-Over-Used-Cooking-Oil.html

Biodiesel made from discarded cardboard boxes
https://phys.org/news/2020-11-biodiesel-discarded-cardboard.html

Québec awarding US$4.6M to advanced biofuel project carried out jointly by BioÉnergie La Tuque, Neste, and the Council of the Atikamekw Nation
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201201-latuque.html

New Study Links Texas Oil Refineries To Elevated Cancer Risk
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/New-Study-Links-Texas-Oil-Refineries-To-Elevated-Cancer-Risk.html

Aerospace - IHI explores electrification, biofuel to combat climate change
https://www.flightglobal.com/aerospace/ihi-explores-electrification-biofuel-to-combat-climate-change/141377.article

Al Wegdaniyah Transport becomes latest firm to make shift to biofuel [based in UAE]
https://www.logisticsmiddleeast.com/transport/36205-al-wegdaniyah-transport-becomes-latest-firm-to-make-shift-to-biofuel

VARD delivers electric container vessel to Yara International
https://www.ship-technology.com/news/vard-electric-container-vessel-yara-international/

;-) I am seeing opinions that the COVID-19 pandemic may
     require some of us modify some of our Christmas
     traditions. Humbug! Why, just last night I plucked
     the Christmas tree.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

On Wednesday, Quebec reported a new single-day record for new cases, and just after asking hospitals to conserve medical oxygen supplies, Alberta has contacted the Canadian Red Cross and Canadian military about the possibility of obtaining field hospitals for treating the growing number of COVID-19 patients they are now expecting in the weeks to come. Former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley released leaked modelling data which the current Premier and Health Minister claimed did not exist, saying they were 'projections', not 'modelling'.

Quebec sets single-day coronavirus record with 1,514 new cases
https://globalnews.ca/news/7496811/quebec-coronavirus-covid-19-december-2/
Canada-wide, 6,307 new cases and 114 deaths aren't records, they're the new normal.

Alberta requests field hospitals from Ottawa and Red Cross as rising COVID cases overwhelm capacity
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/alberta-requests-field-hospitals-from-ottawa-and-red-cross-as-rising-covid-cases-overwhelm-capacity

Leaked Alberta modelling data projects upwards of 775 COVID-19 hospitalizations by mid-December
https://globalnews.ca/news/7494847/alberta-leaked-covid-19-modelling-data-ndp/

For current COVID-19 numbers, go to https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/ and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

It's Thank-You Thursday. Perhaps today (or every day) you could find a way to thank a front-line worker. We're 9 months in with COVID-19 in Canada, and they're still out there, as the second wave is getting worse, in the plague provinces in particular.

Climate Change

Canada is losing the race to low-carbon prosperity
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/11/26/opinion/canada-transition-to-low-carbon-economy
Pity our political leaders are so steadfastly opposed to a green recovery and reversing course on our GHG emissions trajectory (it should be going down, not up). But 'conservative' leaders like Doug Ford are firmly committed to killing renewable energy projects and embracing more fossil fuel use and the mirage of nuclear fission as affordable and green.

Nuclear power isn't the answer to Nunavut's energy problems, expert says
https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/article/nuclear-power-isnt-the-answer-to-nunavuts-energy-problems-expert-says/
While nuclear fission generation may be nominally low GHG-emissions (if you ignore the total fuel cycle and the need for stand-by power), it is ALL about massive amounts of waste heat. The melting Arctic doesn't need colossal amounts of additional waste heat, locally or globally.

As Joe Biden prepares to tackle climate change, Canada has been dragging its feet
https://www.wellandtribune.ca/ts/politics/political-opinion/2020/11/24/as-joe-biden-prepares-to-tackle-climate-change-canada-has-been-dragging-its-feet.html

This is how you can really help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/article/instead-of-your-carbon-footprint-this-is-how-you-can-really-help-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

First Nation completes largest solar panel project of its kind in Metro Vancouver
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/tsleil-waututh-nation-north-vancouver-solar-panels

Greenhouse gas emissions in EU reach lowest level since 1990: report
https://globalnews.ca/news/7492261/greenhouse-gas-emissions-european-union/
Note: most of this progress is because the EU has a decades-old plan they are working toward, including the phase-out of nuclear power in Germany after 3-11, and not because of COVID-19.

New Wind Turbine Blades Could be Recycled Instead of Landfilled
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-wind-turbine-blades-could-be-recycled-instead-of-landfilled/

Lithion Recycling Granted Patent for its Unique Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Process
https://www.lithionrecycling.com/lithion-recycling-granted-patent-for-its-unique-lithium-ion-battery-recycling-process/

NASA launch Saturday: This satellite will track Earth's sea level rise
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/21/world/nasa-sentinel-6-michael-freilich-launch-scn/index.html

UN Shipping Agency Greenlights A Decade Of Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/11/20/un-shipping-agency-greenlights-a-decade-of-rising-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

Brazil's Oil Major Believes Net Zero Emissions Is A 'Fad'
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Brazils-Oil-Major-Believes-Net-Zero-Emissions-Is-A-Fad.html

"If you want to imagine the world getting better, or getting through this century without a mass extinction event, the amount of work and things going right that has to happen is vast and complicated."
~ Kim Stanley Robinson

;-) This video brought a smile. I hope it it brings you one as well.
     https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/video/mol/2020/11/16/3980849746945723049/480x270_MP4_3980849746945723049.mp4

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

If you want to look at COVID-19 data for Canada, go to
https://epiforecasts.io/covid/posts/national/canada/

For Canadian, world and data for other individual countries, go to
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/

B.C. sets record for COVID-19 patients in hospital, ICU, and deaths in a day
[dead link: https://www.timescolonist.com/b-c-sets-record-for-covid-19-patients-in-hospital-icu-and-deaths-in-a-day-1.24248828] https://www.timescolonist.com/b-c-sets-record-for-covid-19-patients-in-hospital-icu-and-deaths-in-a-day-1.24248828

COVID-19 News Items

If you read only one item today from my litany below, make it this one:
COVID-19 in Canada: How our battle against the second wave is going
https://www.macleans.ca/society/health/covid-19-in-canada-how-our-battle-against-the-second-wave-is-going/

ICU specialist debunking myths, misinformation about COVID-19
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/hassan-masri-covid-19-saskatoon-health-virus-myth-misinformation-1.5820065

The COVID warning Jason Kenney should have heeded
https://www.macleans.ca/news/the-covid-warning-jason-kenney-should-have-heeded/

“It’s Like Putting a Band-Aid on a Bullet Wound”
https://slate.com/technology/2020/11/north-dakota-coronavirus-surge-contact-tracing.html

Which provinces are pushing Canada's COVID-19 active case count higher than ever?
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/canada-has-twice-as-many-active-covid-19-cases-as-it-did-on-nov-1/0

Most lungs recover well in 3 months after Covid: Study
[dead link: https://english.mathrubhumi.com/technology/science/most-lungs-recover-well-in-3-months-after-covid-study-1.5235525] https://english.mathrubhumi.com/technology/science/most-lungs-recover-well-in-3-months-after-covid-study-1.5235525

Wearing a mask one of the most effective things to do to stop spread of COVID-19: Ontario's doctors
https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/wearing-a-mask-one-of-the-most-effective-things-to-do-to-stop-spread-of-covid-19-ontarios-doctors/

A quarter of Canadians over the age of 65 are caregivers, StatCan survey reveals
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/a-quarter-of-canadians-over-the-age-of-65-are-caregivers-statcan-survey-reveals-1.5203441

Made-in-Ottawa app could help streamline complicated COVID-19 vaccine rollout
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/made-in-ottawa-app-could-help-streamline-complicated-covid-19-vaccine-rollout

Guelph researchers look for answers on lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/university-of-guelph-covid-19-long-haulers-1.5811853

Grief, loss, anger: A call for change to seniors' care
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/seniors-care-petition-change-1.5810972

Canadian ER visits dropped by half during 1st wave of pandemic, national data shows
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-emergency-department-surgery-cihi-1.5808191

It’s the perfect pandemic Christmas song—but we don’t sing the right version
https://www.macleans.ca/culture/its-the-perfect-pandemic-christmas-song-and-it-came-out-76-years-ago/

;-) If you are ever feeling like you are not leading a
     meaningful life, remember it is someone's job to
     put a nutritional value label on a bag of ice.
     https://twitter.com/meanwhileincana/status/1282638567135678465

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10).
A message for Christmas, not so much for COVID.

Canada on track for 4000 coronavirus patients in hospital by Christmas, eclipsing first wave https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadas-holiday-coronavirus-spread-expected-to-eclipse-first-wave/

Canada reported 7,861 new COVID-19 cases on November 30th, blowing past it's previous single-day record by over 1,500 cases. Alberta had almost the same number of cases as Ontario (1,733 and 1,746), with only 1/3 the population, and a younger average (median) age: 36.7 years vs. 37.2.
98 additional deaths in Canada yesterday.

I'm pretty sure COVID stats in Canada are going to be increasingly depressing for the next few months, so I'm likely going to stop posting them here. I hope for better uses of my time and this space. If you want to stay up to date, use https://covid19tracker.ca/ and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/ .

Recent new cases counts world-wide (undoubtedly under-counts for national political reasons).

Date    New Cases  Deaths
Nov. 24:  550,973  11,741
Nov. 25:  641,920   12,243
Nov. 26:  617,768   11,237
Nov. 27:  617,253   10,815
Nov. 28:  570,135    9,377 (weekend reporting)
Nov. 29:  514,845    7,437 (weekend reporting)
Nov. 30:  499,545    8,293
One week
totals:   4,012,439  71,143

In the U.S., the daily new case counts since November 24th are:
177,120; 183,597; 158,518; 167,822; 146,450; 144,727 and 161,736 for a one-week total of 1,139,970.
Deaths were 2,210; 2,332; 1,438; 1,357; 1,219; 824; 1,238 . One week total: 10,618.
These numbers will get worse for the next few weeks as Thanksgiving takes its toll.

Feeling numbed by the numbers? That's COVID fatigue.
Not believing it's a real problem? That's disinformation campaigns.

Fortress Fossil Fuels Highlights/Gaslights

Canada's Oil And Gas Sector Sees Record Job Losses
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Canadas-Oil-And-Gas-Sector-Sees-Record-Job-Losses.html

David Hughes: The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is not needed
https://vancouversun.com/opinion/david-hughes-the-trans-mountain-pipeline-expansion-project-is-not-needed
The Trans Mountain pipeline could soon be Canada's white elephant
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-trans-mountain-pipeline-could-soon-be-canadas-white-elephant/
Keystone XL, Trans Mountain and Line 3 last pipelines Canada will ever need, says energy regulator
https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/keystone-xl-trans-mountain-and-line-3-last-pipelines-canada-will-ever-need-says-energy-regulator
Canada Energy Regulator projects there may be no need for Trans Mountain pipeline expansion
https://globalnews.ca/news/7482212/canada-energy-regulator-pipelines-trans-mountain-report/

Western Green Hydrogen Makeover Clouds Fossil Energy Revival
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/11/23/western-green-hydrogen-makeover-clouds-fossil-energy-revival/

Battery-electric trucks will win race against fuel cells and e-fuels - researcher
https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/battery-electric-trucks-will-win-race-against-fuel-cells-and-e-fuels-researcher

The end of the internal combustion engine?
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/11/27/the-end-of-the-internal-combustion-engine

Carbon Tracker Claims EV Revolution Will “End Oil Era”
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/11/22/carbon-tracker-ev-revolution-will-end-oil-era/

Offshore drilling in marine refuge guided by ‘best available science,’ regulator says
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/11/24/news/offshore-drilling-marine-refuge-best-available-science-regulator
"Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson created a new regulation earlier this year that exempts exploratory drilling in the Atlantic east of Newfoundland from federal impact assessments."

EU Database Raises More Questions About Japanese Owner Of Mauritius Oil Spill Ship
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nishandegnarain/2020/11/26/eu-database-raises-more-questions-about-japanese-owner-of-mauritius-oil-spill-ship/?sh=3120a9f0537b

First fully carbon-neutral cargo flight set to take off from Frankfurt airport
https://www.euronews.com/2020/11/28/first-fully-carbon-neutral-cargo-flight-set-to-take-off-from-frankfurt-airport

Volkswagen partners GoodFuels to run biofuel roro operations
https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/bunkering/volkswagen-partners-goodfuels-run-biofuel-roro-operations

;-) It turns out that when asked who you're favourite child is,
     you're supposed to pick one of your own.
     I know that now.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly, but that day is getting closer.
With thanks to those making the effort, every day, for us all.

For earlier entries, see earlier blog file.
For the current blog, see the Econogics Blog.

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