UrbanWorkbench

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Australia

Coordinated Traffic Signals

by Mike Thomas on September 10, 2009

in Castlegar, Civil Engineering, Sustainability, Technology, Transportation, Urban Planning

View Timmy’s Run in a larger map
Driving down Columbia Avenue in Castlegar, one cannot help but wonder if the Traffic Light Gods are conspiring against them. This morning driving from South to North while taking the girls for a treat at Tim Hortons I hit every red light from 24th Street to 15th Street. It [...]

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My Shrinking World

by Mike Thomas on July 6, 2009

in Castlegar, Community, Kootenays, Sustainability, Transitions

But something is happening to this world. Your world is getting a lot smaller a lot quicker than you imagine. Yes you still have the internet, Amazon, CostCo and can spend hours browsing through the mall – store after store of goods made in faraway lands. However, the recent economic crisis has rubbed some of the shine and glitter off the consumer model of spending.

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Earth Hour

by Mike Thomas on March 3, 2009

in Castlegar, Energy, Science, Sustainability

The City of Castlegar has shown its support for Earth Hour this week in their Regular Council Meeting- Earth Hour 2009 is dubbed the election between the Earth and Global Warming. It all began in Sydney Australia in 2007 and has spread to become a global initiative to raise awareness of climate change and issues [...]

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Powering Down

by Mike Thomas on March 2, 2009

in Energy, Sustainability, Transitions

Part of the Transitions Network program is a series of courses called “Skilling Up for Powering Down”. One of the challenges is convincing people that there is value in preparing for a power-down scenario. If you read the news or watch TV – youd’ be forgiven for assuming that the world is already well on track to replacing petroleum products with wind power and hybrid vehicles. As my dad, who was in advertising, always said, don’t believe everything you read – or see on TV.

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Food Miles

by Mike Thomas on February 3, 2009

in Australia, Sustainability

This is another example of politicians just not getting it. Tony Burke is the Australian Minister for Agriculture…

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Believing Peak Oil

by Mike Thomas on December 5, 2008

in Australia, Energy

It is human nature to avoid thinking about things that we assume someone else is taking care of – or things that we believe don’t really impact us. Two stories, one warning of impending change, the other oblivious to any threat of Australia losing it’s precious way of life…
Hard times here to stay | Otago [...]

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Remembering

by Mike Thomas on November 11, 2008

in Australia, History

Remembrance Day 2008. Today is the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day in 1918, the end of the !st World War. I was in the Australian Army for four and a half years – training to serve my country, fortunately, I never went to war, many of those I trained with ended up in Iraq and [...]

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