You Never Knew This

Here are some things you probably never knew:

HOW CANADA MISJUDGED THE MOROUNS

How will Canada ever recover from the assumptions that they made with their latest attempt to force Moroun out. Clearly, they had no contingent back-up plan because they were so smart that their plans would work. Their excuse is the collapse of the world economy but how does that help them?

Assumption #1

Moroun will understand that the Governments can destroy the value of his bridge and so will sell out cheaply and quickly. DRIC was the obvious tool of choice as Canada's Bridge Company talks make clear. The decision for talking was Harper's it seems .

That failed when the Globe and Mail did their 2 1/2 page story on Moroun.

Assumption #2

This is neatly set out by the anti-Moroun Michigan writer Jack Lessenberry who also writes for the Star but, interestingly, nothing on the border file so far.

• "What makes this all especially bizarre is that Manuel J. Moroun will soon be ... 83 years old. Odds are heavy that he'll never live to see any new bridge finished, whether he or someone else builds it.
  
  Furthermore, MM is essentially rolling in dough. True, his net worth, according to Forbes, has fallen to barely a billion dollars. How much more money does [sic] you need? If I were Moroun, I would be sitting somewhere warm with my legs propped up, drinking a glass of good wine and reading a most excellent book."

Matty was to retire to Florida. The view was that Matty would never sell the Bridge since it was his icon but that Matty's son who would take over the business would sell out, as it was put to me, in a "New York Minute."

Oh dear, did they ever misjudge Father and Son. The son's reputation is that, while very polite and gentlemanly, he is just as tough as is his Dad from whom he has obviously learned a lot, especially about strategy! That photo of him on a recent magazine cover was the signal that he is in much more control of the Empire than most people know.

STOVES NOT TRUCKS MAY BE THE REAL SOURCE OF POLLUTION PROBLEMS

Pull down the Greenlink banner. Stop the DRIC road RFP. We need NOT spend multi-billions on an unneeded expensive road to the Ambassador Bridge. A "cheap solution" road works just as well.

Again, I demand a 10% finder's-fee from the Ontario Government of the amount that I will save them in not spending money on the DRIC road. I figure that is worth about $400M give or take a million. I found out this information not their team of so-called engineering experts.

Remember I begged the DRIC engineers before to do a study on Cow farts for their environmental study. That would have helped the cause. They refused. I wonder if that is part of the Sierra Club lawsuit.

Now read this and gasp, if you have the breath to do so!

• Is Asthma An Ultrafine Particle Disease? – A Hypothesis
  
  Jamson S. Lwebuga-Mukasa, MD, PhD. Founder and Director, Center for Asthma and Environmental Exposure, Lung Biology Research, Buffalo. November 20, 2009
  
  Background
  
  The exact causes of asthma are unknown. Genetic risk factors are important. However, they do not explain the increase in the number of persons with asthma in the United States, from 6.8 million persons in 1980 to about 15 million in 1996... Living in close proximity (within 75 m) of busy roadways has been associated with increased asthma risk. However, this would not explain the occurrence of asthma in cases further away from busy roadways...
  
  The current hypothesis
  
  Chronic exposure to high concentrations of ultrafine particles that are generated indoors by electric, gas stoves, ovens and other kitchen appliances in poorly ventilated homes contributes not only to flare-ups of asthma but also to the development of asthma. In other words, asthma is an ultrafine particle disease.
  
  Discussion
  
  The above hypothesis is supported by the recent report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology that found that nanoparticles are released by common kitchen appliances. In 150 experiments, the investigators found that gas and electric stoves and electric toaster ovens release nanoparticles. Electrical heating elements and wires most commonly consist of an alloy of nickel (80%) and chromium (20%). During the first burn, new heating elements or wires form stable protective oxide layers that in theory prevent further oxidation of the heating elements. However, recent studies using nanobeam X-ray and magnetic force microscopy have found that such protective oxide layers actually consists of a mixture of oxide materials and metal nanoparticles. It is plausible that during heating, metal nanoparticles “escape” from the metal nanonetworks. I speculate that at least in the case of electrical heating elements some of the ultrafine particulates contain nickel or chromium. Recently, Italian scientists reported that nanoparticles were produced by natural gas domestic burners. Thus, electric and gas burners in homes kitchen appliances produce ultrafine particles that cause airway inflammation during normal use...
  
  Third, it provides a framework that can explain the increase in asthma prevalence which occurred during the period when there were changes in housing construction were made to conserve energy and there was worldwide urbanization. In order to save energy, some individuals in cold climates sealed their windows with plastic. Many homes have cooking stoves that are not vented outside and in some cases stove fans are used sparingly or not at all...
  
  In the US and other developed countries individuals spend 90% of their time indoors. Ultrafine particles are produced when electrical heating elements or gas burners are turned on. The particulates reach concentrations that are five to ten times the concentrations that are measured at the roadside of busy truck routes. Ultrafine particles (20 nm – 500 µm diameter) once generated, remain elevated for over three hours after the burners are turned off. The heating element by itself, without the addition of food, generates ultrafine particles. The concentration of particulates generated increases with the intensity of the heat of the heating element. Food being cooked generates additional particulates and volatile organic compounds that can be measured. In addition, cooking with gas stoves may release nitric oxide that is converted into nitrogen dioxide which is an airway irritant. Thus, a family that cooks three meals a day or uses a cooking stove continually through the day, is chronically exposed to high levels of ultrafine particles...

IT'S ALL SEWAGE

Stop the sanctimonious patting on the back for Windsor's wisdom and the nasty headlines and Editorial about Detroit:

• "Windsor cleans up act as Detroit spews sewage into river"
  
  
• "Editorial: Time for Detroit to clean up its act"

Remember Edgar's contribution to this topic when talking about a "a $60-million riverfront basin to stop raw sewage overflows." As I Blogged:

• "Here is what I mean in regard to Eddie and the canal deal that tells me that he is out of touch with what this City needs at this time:
  
  “While ignoring the canal project, council approved adding a $60-million item for a waterfront underground retention treatment basin to end sewage overflows into the Detroit River, an item for which the city was already in the process of seeking senior government funding.
  
  “Other cities are putting forward massive projects with vision. Today, here, instead of such vision, we have a receptor sewer project … how does that diversify our economy,” Francis said after the meeting.”
  
  He does not understand that we are tired of his failed VISIONS and are more interested in the bread and butter issue that make this City a place where one can live. Roads and sewers are what is important to people, not spending money so that he can try to create a legacy for himself at taxpayer expense and further his career so that he can move out of here into the big-time when his mayoral term ends."

The Star Editorial was hilarious:

• "It's ironic that U.S. leaders, who spend so much time talking about climate change, air quality, gas emissions and other eco issues, could allow citizens to live in conditions associated with Third World countries.
  
  Yet there seems to be no urgency on the part of our nearest neighbour to fix the situation. While Windsor is using infrastructure funding to build a new $60-million riverfront basin that will stop the overflow of raw sewage into the river, Detroit and Michigan have not committed to any project that would make the river cleaner.
  
  The city and state both say they can't tackle the problem because of the economic downturn."

Why didn't the Star add in to the list of talk subjects the DRIC Bridge?

The Star story stated:

• “The City of Detroit’s wastewater treatment plant is the largest source of sewage-related contaminants in the entire Great Lakes,” said Matthew Child, director of watershed restoration for the Essex Regional Conservation Authority.
  
  “Clearly, it’s a plant that requires upgrading or expansion. For Canadians, we definitely have a shared interest in seeing that addressed...”
  
  But Detroit, which is facing a $300-million budget deficit and possible bankruptcy, does not have the will or resources to fix the problem...
  
  Detroit’s waste water plant is in the industrial community of Delray, not far from Zug Island. The water flow most often pushes that city’s raw sewage downriver toward Amherstburg and affects Lake Erie communities of Colchester, Kingsville and Leamington."

Hey I have this crazy idea. Instead of the US wasting billions on a DRIC bridge in Delray, perhaps they could use part of that money to fix up the sewage plant!

NANNY STATE

It's going to be tough to justify keeping open Child Care centres with McGuinty's legacy action of full day kindergartens.Of course, the CUPE strike is part of the problem as a reader wrote:

• "Sure is ... especially after Eddie has successfully driven away the customers who had to find other daycares during the strike.
  
  Not to mention the fringe jobs lost with the downturn of the economy. These are the jobs that mom's used to get. Now with the economy low, fewer moms can find work.
  
  So lower demand for childcare."

DID O'BRIEN WORK FOR WINDSOR

He had to. No one could get this much money just working in his new job for 7 months:

• "Conan O’Brien signs ‘Tonight Show’ exodus
  
  It looks as though the late-night wars are coming to an unceremonious close. As previously reported, Friday should be Conan O’Brien’s last night as host of The Tonight Show, tenure he’s held for seven months.
  
  O’Brien and NBC struck a $45 million deal at about 4 a.m. ET Thursday morning that sees tomorrow night as Coco’s last night in the gig, and Jay Leno return to the coveted desk as of March 1."

Watch out that the revolving door does not hit you.