Globe: Buy Nothing groups go easy on the pocketbook and the Earth
As the pull of the holiday shopping season competes with the consequences of overconsumption on landfills and waterways, people such as Nigel Dadswell are turning to Buy Nothing groups to gift to neighbours the stuff they don’t need and also to acquire stuff they do.
Buy Nothing communities, often formed through Facebook, encourage members to post their unwanted items for free, allowing other members to pick them up at no cost. A search for “buy nothing” on Facebook returns more than 50 results for the Metro Vancouver area alone. The groups are organized by neighbourhood, meaning someone can likely find goods for free within walking distance.
Globe: Werner Antweiler: A new generation of biofuels will play a key role in the energy transition
We may be entering the age of the electric car, but biofuels will still be an important tool in the fight against climate change for years to come. Most Canadian cars will run on conventional fuel for the foreseeable future, allowing Canada to take advantage of this latest generation of biofuels. By strengthening mandates, supporting innovation, developing new sustainable energy crops and negotiating fair access to U.S. markets, Canada can become a leader in the sector.
The earliest iteration of biofuels were blend-in fuels: ethanol and biodiesel, mostly made from corn in Canada. However, engine compatibility imposed blending limits. As discussed in my recent publication, the next generation are drop-in fuels, which are chemically the same as ordinary fuels: renewable diesel for trucks, sustainable aviation fuel for planes, and biomethane for homes and industry. They also rely on feedstocks – currently canola oil and tallow – but can eventually shift toward using dedicated energy crops, such as perennial grass and fast-growing trees that can be grown on marginal agricultural land, easing concerns about competition with food production.
I certainly don’t agree with some of his suppositions, but there are some interesting ideas here.
Globe: Letters: Dec. 22: ‘Chrystia Freeland is simply playing the blood sport known as politics’
Re “Justin Trudeau and the Liberals gather for a holly jolly family fight” (Dec. 19): A prime minister has the discretion to shuffle his cabinet as he sees fit, and in doing so Justin Trudeau offered Chrystia Freeland a key posting to oversee Canada-U.S. relations at a critical juncture when strong diplomacy – and a strong Canadian government – are essential to our national interests.
Ms. Freeland responded by publicly attacking Mr. Trudeau and instead destabilizing the government at the worst possible time. I find her claims of prioritizing Canadians' interests over her own to be demonstrably false.
James Hayes Mississauga
Space: You can now wear an Apollo Guidance Computer keypad as a wristwatch
Your doorbell today may have the same computing power as was on the Apollo spacecraft, but can it fly you to the moon?
Atlantic: Trump’s Plan to Make America a Global Bully
Yet Truman’s thoughts were already shifting to the postwar future. “We must now learn to live with other nations for our mutual good. We must learn to trade more with other nations so that there may be, for our mutual advantage, increased production, increased employment, and better standards of living throughout the world.”
Truman’s vision inspired American world leadership for the better part of a century. From the Marshall Plan of the 1940s to the Trans-Pacific Partnership of the 2010s, Americans sought to achieve security and prosperity for themselves by sharing security and prosperity with like-minded others. The United States became the center of a network of international cooperation — not only on trade and defense, but on environmental concerns, law enforcement, financial regulation, food and drug safety, and countless other issues.
via Dave Winer
ScienceAlert: Stunningly Preserved Baby Mammoth Found in Siberian Permafrost
Russian scientists on Monday showed off the remarkably well preserved remains of a baby mammoth found in the permafrost-covered region of Yakutia.
The 50,000-year-old female mammoth has been nicknamed “Yana” after the river in whose basin it was discovered this summer.
Experts say “Yana” is the best preserved mammoth carcass in the world and is one of only seven whole remains ever found.
iPhone in Canada: 630+ Tesla Supercharging Stalls Coming to Canada in 2025
Tesla plans to open over 630 new Supercharging stalls across more than 50 locations in Canada over the course of 2025, according to the electric vehicle (EV) giant’s roadmap (via Tesla North).
The scheduled installations should greatly improve Supercharger density across Canada. Tesla’s planned locations even include Tofino on Vancouver Island, which will finally get its first Supercharger. Take a look at a list of all the new Supercharger sites coming to Canada next year below: …
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Tesla plans to open up its Supercharging network to Volvo and Polestar EVs in Canada next year, adding them to the likes of Ford, Rivian, and others who already have access. Earlier this month, Tesla started rolling out its annual Holiday Update with the ability to use an Apple Watch as a phone key and many other new features.
iPhone in Canada: Starlink Mini Launches in Canada with Special Pricing
SpaceX has launched Starlink Mini in Canada (via _Tesla North_), its compact portable internet device, making it easier for travelers, campers, and remote workers to stay connected. This is basically a smaller Starlink dish that can fit in your backpack.
Originally launched in the U.S. in June, Starlink Mini is designed to bring high-speed internet to areas where it’s typically hard to find. Hikers, campers, and those living in RVs, will now be able to get online with a compact Starlink Mini dish.
The Starlink Mini kit has debuted with special pricing of $399 CAD, discounted until January 6, and offers download speeds over 100 Mbps. It includes a WiFi router, has low power consumption, and a DC power option. Compared to the original $599 USD price, the Canadian pricing offers significant savings at launch.
Guardian: Dozens of MPs in Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party agree prime minister should resign
Dozens of MPs in Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party have now agreed that Canada’s embattled prime minister must abandon his post after last week’s catastrophic resignation of his deputy — a sign he has completely lost support from what were crucial loyalists.
Several Canadian media outlets, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Toronto Star, reported over the weekend that 51 of Ontario’s Liberal MPs met virtually and agreed collectively that Trudeau’s time in office has expired.
There are a total of 75 Liberal MPs in the province that is the country’s most populous and represents where most of the party’s support lies, indicating the core of the Liberals have abandoned Trudeau.
Canada’s public broadcaster also reported that 21 Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign since the exit of Chrystia Freeland, who was his deputy prime minister and finance minister until her abrupt resignation on 16 December.
What’s delaying his decision?!
Guardian: Who owns the Panama Canal and what does Trump want with it?
Ships using the canal must pay fees set by the canal authority. Variable rates have soared in recent years amid droughts worsened by global heating, which dry up essential reservoirs and reduce the canal’s capacity.
As a result of severe drought in late 2023, only 22 ships crossed the canal each day instead of the usual 36, forcing ships to queue for weeks or pay as much as $4m (£3.2m) to jump ahead. Transits fell by nearly a third in the year to this September.
Electrek: Honda, Nissan confirm EV deal amid ‘100 year’ industry shake-up
Honda and Nissan will team up to build EVs as they look to keep pace with Tesla and BYD. The Honda and Nissan EV merger will create one of the world’s largest auto groups as they look to pull a third Japanese automaker into the partnership. Here’s everything you need to know.
It’s official. Honda and Nissan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday, laying the groundwork for a joint EV holding company. Executives from both companies confirmed the news.
We knew the EV merger was coming soon after a Nikkei report last week claimed Honda and Nissan were closing in on a deal. With around 8 million combined sales, the landmark partnership will create the third-largest auto group globally, behind Volkswagen and Toyota.
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After kicking off discussions on Monday, Honda and Nissan said they plan to provide more details on Mitsubishi’s involvement around the end of January 2025. The EV merger is expected to be official by August 2026.
Last Updated: 23.Dec.2024 23:40 EST
