the gravel pill was still in my system heading into work this morning. We got February’s bus pass and that’s $60 right there. But at the same time to start February 1^st the City is increasing walk on transit fare to $2.50, which includes a bus ticket. My wife goes to work on bus tickets exclusively except when I’m having my lodge nights. She’s been spending $17 and change for a book of ten every week, This month we had other things to cover so a 2^nd bus pass isn’t in the plans but beginning next month se’s going to get 2 bus passes, one for each of us. What’s good about this is the Feds are making bus passes a deduction. How much I’m not sure but between the two of us, we’ll be claiming this on our taxes this April. That’s $720/year or $1,440/year. The whole idea behind this is to encourage more people to take transit. Our nearest KRT Station to us is Clairview station and it opened up April 1981. But Bay Station the first leg heading south was opened in 1983. But emphasis has been placed on everything heading south over the last 23 years. I’d love to see the train go to Nait and or WEM but that won’t be in my lifetime. These projects take ten tears or more.

Speaking of transit and the environment a UN report on climate change released yesterday talks about how 2000 scientists are saying that there is with an almost 90% certainty that global warming is man made By the same token, oil went up to $59/barrel yesterday and looks like it’s on an upward swing. There is also evidence in the geological record that also says climate change has happened before in earth’s history. True human activity has dramatically increased thanks to the industrial revolution in 1850’s has played a significant role in climate change, Other more ordinary factors also cause global warming, such as volcanoes under the ocean floor and land use even solar activity all contribute to global warming but mostly human activity is the main culprit. I’d say more so since the mid 1980’s when the Minivan first appeared. These gas-guzzlers make a huge contribution to global warming and auto manufactures still make them. Some people suggest we use Hybrid vehicles that run on ethanol etc but these kinds of grain fuels are slightly toxic but still Alberta’s energy sector maybe in the short term would take a hit but in the long term would profit from such a change over if we went in this direction from fossil fuels to grain fuels because not only are we an oil producer but we are also an agricultural based economy as well. Either way Alberta would win and so would our local economy. So when the City brings these Hybrid buses online I’ll be one of the first to speak in favor for them.  

I don’t know how much writing I’m going to get to this evening much less any blogging. Tomorrow we’re going to go to go out to Smitty’s for our brunch about 2pm since Smitty’s is open all day.

Also the Oilers won in a road game against the Ave’s 3-2 so that’s good news. I hope Ryan Smyth can come out of the Feb 28^th trade deadline and still be an Edmonton Oiler. Feb 27^th is also the day when the Oilers raise Messer’s #11 sweater to the rafters to join, Gretzky, Kurrie, Fuhr’s and Coffee’s. Then they also need to retire Glen Anderson’s as the last one possibly Kevin Low’s as well. If the Oilers ever win a Stanley Cup again and they came close last year I’d like to see Ryan Smyth’s #94 being raised as the only post Gretzky Oiler player. I’m biting my nails in hopes he’s still an Oiler in March but they need to make some trades, as long as it’s not him.

e. Jim