So, having taken a class that covered the Spanish Flu of 1918 (Dr. Perrins’ History of Medicine, Acadia…great course…take it!), the Swine Flu is terrifying. This is what I’ve been waiting for ever since that course. A new flu that is going to be more deadly than anything we’ve seen for decades, maybe worse. Now, I’m not saying that is what is going to happen, just that this virus seems to have high potential to become very serious, based on what the WHO is saying.

Now, fingers point to Mexico as the starting point of this outbreak, although it hasn’t been confirmed where/how the virus was created. Possibly due to conditions and practices at huge factory farms (not confirmed by research yet!). Hmm….why do we have those huge factory farms again? Oh right! Huge demand for meat products!

Now, in an effort to not be preachy (I am in no position to preach, as I have been know to ingest meat products every blue moon), I in no way expect you to become a vegetarian. That is a personal decision that requires a lot of research and thought. But what are small ways we can all change to maybe take the pressure off intensive livestock practices that are not in the best interest of the future of our society?

1) You can eat one less meal with meat a week. That’s not too bad! Have a veggie lasagna. It’s so filling you won’t even notice. Burritos can be made with just re fried beans, skip the beef. Don’t say it’s too hard…my parents (former meat and potato people) are doing a great job of it, and I didn’t even have to harass them! Here’s a recipe for black-bean burgers even my super meaty boyfriend likes.

2) When you do buy meat, buy organic (when you can, I know it can cost more). That way, you can increase the demand for organic, causing more farmers to become organic, causing less use of antibiotics that can create super-bugs.

3) If you live in the country, try the farmers markets or even go direct to your neighbours. It night not be certified organic, but many small scale farmers don’t need to use heavy loads of antibiotics.

4) Know a hunter? Ask for some wild game! Rabbit stew is yummy. If you happen to be in Australia, try the roo (sometimes farmed, but much less intensive than cows). Grab a fishing rod and catch supper. It’s more fun than standing in line at the supermarket too.

Now, again, I’m not saying swine flu started on a factory farm. However, the conditions on factory farms are primed for outbreaks of nasty diseases than could jump to humans. So just to try do whatever you can to help a little bit. If we all help a little bit, it will help a lot (wow that’s cheesy, nice ending Carolyn).

Meerkat Manor! Kinda

Brad and I went to the Melbourne Zoo not too long ago. We were able to see a slew of native animals; Kangaroos, Wombats, and even a platypus! There was also lots of non-native species. I saw lions, gorillas, elephants, and meerkats (which were the cutest, see pictures).

I’m a bit on the fence about zoos. I’m not for keeping animals in unnatural, tiny settings, not letting them hunt and socialize like they do in nature. I remember going to the Oaklawn Farm Zoo in Nova Scotia for a biology class. They boast the world’s largest lion. As in weight. This lion was seriously overweight. It was sad to see. And this was on the main sign going into the zoo!

However, many zoos have animals that were rescued and can’t be released. This is often the case with birds. Other zoos really focus on pushing the message of conservation. “Hey Kids, love the river otters? Help protect our rivers!”, etc. I was really impressed with the aquarium in Shanghai, which I felt had a great focus on conservation.
As for the Melbourne Zoo, there was some conservation issues addressed, but nearly as much as I would have like to have seen.
So next time you make a Sunday trip to the zoo, think about what the zoo means for the animals and maybe decide not to visit those zoos without a rescue/conservation emphasis. Support things that are good for animals and good for the environment!

Roos and an Emu!

Biking on French Island

The hottest week in a hundred years. At least that’s what 7 News said. But they kinda seem like Fox News. Nonetheless, it was freakin’ hot last week. Over 40 for 4 days in a row I think. When you walked outside it felt like you were in a slow cooker.

So here I am in Melbourne. Got a flat off Flatmate Finders. Got a mattress and two desks off Gumtree (like Craigslist or Kijiji) and Ebay. These are good resources if you’re moving here on a budget or temporarily, both of which I am. If you try to get your own apartment you have to go through a real estate agent. Things aren’t done directly through landlords. And you need resumes and references…the market is tough here. So if you don’t have any Australia credit history…well it just seemed a bit much for us. We’re sharing with a lovely roomie (I mean flatmate) and I never had to talk to a real estate agent once. It was the first place we looked at, in an awesome neighbourhood just outside the downtown (or CBD – central business district), and it has a dishwasher. I guess we stuck in our thumb and pulled out a plum (I’m pretty sure that was a really lame thing to say, but I like it so it stays).

An interesting note on Australia…no pennies. Everything is rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cents. It’s lovely. Paper money is actually plastic money with a little see-through window, just like the money in Romania I was so impressed with two years ago. They don’t rip, you can wash them in your jeans pockets til the cows come home (what is with me and lame sayings today!), and you can peek through the see-through window. It’s also lovely.

I know there’s been some discussion in Canada about axing the penny. It’s been said that it costs more than a cent to make one penny. Aren’t we looking for ways to cut corners in this economic downturn? Hmm…it seems so logical. But what about the sentiment…find a penny pick it up and all that jazz. Well I think sentiment needs to take a back seat to practicality. *BTW Happy late birthday penny. It turned 100 last year.*

Have fun in the snow/slush/rain Canada. I’ll make sure to keep updating you on the sun and warm in Melbourne.

Happy 2009, the International Year of Astronomy!

A new form of pollution has been brought to my attention in the newest issue of the journal Nature, which highlights the International Year of Astronomy. Light pollution. At first this seemed like some wacko idea brought up by astronomers to drawn attention to their discipline. But after reading an article by Malcom Smith, I’ve started to think a bit more of this idea.

Smith’s article discusses the excessive amount of light emitted by cities at night via empty sky scrapers, street lights, etc. Did you know 1/5 of the earth’s population can’t see the Milky Way because of light pollution? Two thirds of us in North America are denied this sight. Light pollution can also interfere with bird migration patterns. Migrating is not easy, we really shouldn’t make it harder on those poor birds. There was also a potential connection mentioned in the article between light/dark cycles and our bodies ability to ward off cancer (this requires more research, but it sure gets you thinking!).

So another totally unexpected (by me anyway) reason to turn off the lights.

So if you happen to be the CEO of a business that’s in a sky scraper, or a city planner, or a mayor, or something of that sort, think about putting some policies in place to prevent excess light pollution. It probably will only save you money in the end. And if you’re not, turn off your own lights. Maybe go to bed a little earlier. If you’re watching TV, do you really need both of those lights on? Or have a romantic dinner over candles. Aw. If you work in one of those aformentioned sky scrapers, talk to the boss man about not leaving lights on at night. Lots of ways for you to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy.

Happy Buy Nothing Day!

Well, it’s officially tomorrow, but I think some people really needed it today.

I am very upset about this. A Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death as customers swarmed the store the day after American Thanksgiving, Black Friday I think it’s called. I was going to rant about it here, but it got a little rant-y…so please just think about this event and what it says about our culture.

If you too are disturbed by this event, please participate in Buy Nothing Day, Saturday November 29th.

Now, if you run out of milk or toilet paper, I think it’s ok to go re-stock. But avoid buying Christmas presents, fashion accessories, new shoes, that must-have kitchen gadget, etc. Just take a break from it all!

Please take the time to think about each thing you buy, not just Saturday but each time you enter a store. Ask yourself:

- why are you buying it?

- where did it come from?

- who made it?

- what raw materials were used?

- what does it mean to you or the person you’re buying it for?

- what will happen to it when you’re done with it?

Now, what else can you do if you’re not shopping? Well, if it’s a nice day go outside. Invite a friend over for tea. Clean out your closet (look at all the stuff you bought and didn’t need!). Just relax.