Silver City

[by Shelley]

After a couple days hiking and climbing around Phoenix, we got rained out and decided to head further south and east to the Gila Wilderness. The original plan was to do a multi-day hike around here but the weather forecast was lousy. We decided to check out the area anyway for future reference. The last 45 minutes of the drive to Silver City was in the dark and through a snow and wind storm. Visibility was nearly nil, it got icier and icier and the only way we could see where the road went was by the reflective posts at the side of the road.

But we arrived safe and sound and booked into the Palace Hotel. Built in the late 1800's it has a lot of interest and character to it. We asked the receptionist about places to eat and she first pointed out Isaac's across the street, highlighting the great bison burgers. When we said we were vegetarian she immediately said "Oh, you have to go to Shevek's." We did and it was awesome! Immediately upon entering, you pass through the small bar area and past the display full of handmade chocolates and desserts. The menu has three sizes of each dish -- tapa, mezze, and entree. We asked the waiter for vegetarian recommendations and almost half of the large menu was suitable. In order to try more things, we had the mezze size of the salad and tapas sizes of the other dishes:

Spinach, Cabrales Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad
with an aged sherry vinegar and walnut oil dressing.

Eggs with Fromage and Wild Mushrooms
soft scrambled eggs finished with freshly made fromage and topped with wild mushroom "caviar."

Spinach Briouats
traditional Moroccan street food. Spinach and herb-stuffed phyllo dough "cigar." Served with tzatziki on a bed of greens.

Grilled Stuffed Portabello Mushroom
with roasted red pepper pesto on a bed of greens.

Spicy Chickpea and Eggplant Stew
spiced with garlic, red pepper flakes and cooked in a sauce of roasted tomatoes and fresh herbs. Served over cous cous confit.

Accompanied by a nice Luna Rossa Shiraz, made locally at Deming, New Mexico. (We were impressed that the waiter recommended a local and quite inexpensive wine.) And followed by dessert of yummy chocolate cake with peach and raspberry filling. There were only a few people in the restaurant and the chef came out and chatted with us. Even the background music was good.

We might have to go back again tonight to try a few more of the options!

This morning after the included breakfast at the hotel we had coffee, tea and reading time at the Javelina Coffee House which is also in the Palace Hotel building. It's large and funky with an eclectic crowd. The doors are set deep into the building and there are raised window seating areas. The place is filled with assorted mismatched tables, comfy chairs, and couches, mostly of quite old vintage. There were people on laptops (free wifi), some seated at the in-house computer terminals, a group of women that appeared to be a conversational Spanish group, and a couple guys that I can only describe as "rubby dubs". It was an interesting mix!

We wandered the downtown area for a short while and since it was sunny decided that we should try to get out for a hike. We drove just 6 miles up the road to Pinos Altos only to find ourselves once again in the middle of snow, wind and icy roads. Ok, maybe we won't hike after all! We wandered some more, this time going into several of the art galleries, art shops and the museum. It's a very historic area with lots of old buildings and interesting architecture. There is lots of art around - as one of the locals told us, "Silver City is full of starving artists".

This is a really nice town and we definitely look forward to coming back when it's warmer and doing some hiking in the Gila Wilderness.

2011-02 Silver City

Apache Junction

[by Shelley]

After leaving the Grand Canyon we stopped in Apache Junction, just outside of Phoenix, for a couple days to visit my dad and stepmom. They have a winter home there just a few minutes drive from the Superstition Mountains. Since dad went hiking in Peru with us last year I wanted to get out with them for at least a short hike. We headed to Gold Canyon and hiked the Hieroglyphics Trail up to a waterfall. Unfortunately there wasn't much water running and it was a very popular trail (including an entire scout troop!) Lots of people were out on a warm, sunny Saturday morning. (Question - shouldn't it be "Petroglyph Trail" rather than "Hieroglyphics Trail"?)

By the time we did the hike and had lunch, it was a bit late for Andrew and I to get any climbing in but we headed over to Lost Dutchman State Park (only a few kilometers from Apache Junction) to check out the approach to a route we planned to do. But when we arrived the next day there were three people there getting ready to head up. Rather than wait for them to get far enough ahead of us and then be behind them all day, we headed off to find something else to do and ended up climbing "The Hand", a classic route in the Superstitions. It wasn't difficult but a nice climb up an arete (ridge) with lots of airy exposure! Andrew belayed from the top of the first pitch with one leg on each side - and I had to carefully tip toe around him, using his shoulders as "holds" to start the second pitch. One very long two-rope rappel brought us back down to the bottom.

We also did a one-pitch climb on "The Pickle", another interesting shaped spire near the Hand. A fun couple of days!

2011-01 Apache Junction

Contrasts in Hotels

We started off in Las Vegas at the Palms Casino Resort. We ended up there because it was one of Expedia's "unpublished deals" through Hotwire.  We've never had any trouble booking hotels through Expedia, but this time when we arrived they had no record of our reservation. We showed them the confirmation from Expedia but that didn't help. We called Expedia and got an extremely unhelpful person. First he tried to tell me it was the wrong date. I've always had a recurring fear of booking stuff on the wrong day so I had a moment of panic but no, I had the right date. Presumably the call center is on the other side of the date line. I got nowhere with the Expedia guy so I handed the phone to the Palms clerk. She didn't have much more success. She wanted him to fax the booking to her. He said he couldn't fax but he could email. But the Palms didn't seem to be set up for staff to receive email.

We didn't resolve anything, but the reception person gave us a room anyway, and even upgraded us to compensate for our trouble. Our room in the "Fantasy" tower was very nice, with a great view over the city (see photos). But typically, the more expensive the hotel, the more they try to add on extra charges - like $15 per day for wifi (which we didn't pay). The other downside was having to go through the noisy, smoky casino to get in or out of the hotel.

We went from the Palms to a much more mundane La Quinta. It was the weekend, with less deals available and we paid almost exactly the same price. The hotel and the room were nowhere near as fancy, but wifi and breakfast were included, and it was about 10km less driving through traffic to get to Red Rocks. (The weather was good enough to camp, but the campground close to Red Rocks is an unappetizing dust bowl.)

And now we're at the historic Palace Hotel in Silver City, New Mexico. The hotel is over 100 years old - a long way from either the Palms or La Quinta! If you want a spotless modern  hotel, don't come here. But if you want a small, local, quiet place with character, it's great.

Grand Canyon

[by Shelley]

“Getting to the bottom is optional. Getting to the top is mandatory.”

The exact opposite of this is true for climbing mountains but it's certainly a suitable saying for hiking down into the Grand Canyon. We caught the shuttle from the Backcountry Information Center at 9 a.m. and were at the start of the South Kaibab trail and on our way about 20 minutes later.

The South Kaibab follows a ridgeline down, one of the few trails that does not go down one of the side canyons. Therefore, you get an excellent and wide open view the whole way down. Although it didn’t feel like we were “meandering” we certainly stopped a lot to take photos and enjoy the view. Near the top it was cool and windy but got much nicer the lower in altitude we went. The trail was wide, well maintained and very gradual descent of 4800 ft over 12 km. Much easier on the knees than I had expected it to be!

There weren’t a huge number of people on the trail. This is the off season so we just showed up and hiked. During high season, people book months, if not a year in advance to hike into the Canyon.

We booked into a cabin at Phantom Ranch. I know, I know! Very decadent of us not to carry tent and sleeping bags and stay at the campground! It was rustic but quiet. The ranch, campground, ranger station and mule pens are set in a very beautiful side valley. Meals at the ranch are served “family style” with everyone passing dishes around the table. We had a very yummy vegetarian chile with salad, cornbread and a humongous piece of chocolate cake for dessert.

The next morning we had a quick but filling breakfast and were on the trail by 7:30. We headed up the Bright Angel Trail, an ascent of 4400 ft (yes, the altitude of the rim at Bright Angel is 400 ft lower than Kaibab) over 15 km. The first hour of the hike is along the Colorado River so no elevation gain. Within a couple hours we got to the Indian Garden campground and passed most of the people who'd had an earlier breakfast sitting and had started out ahead of us.

Again, great views on the way up although more enclosed in the canyon until we got higher up. The trail was quite good, although a bit icy as we got closer to the top (in the shade). We plugged along at a steady pace and made it to the top in 5 hours (guidebook estimates 6-10 hours). The trail was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Both Andrew and I felt our legs were tired but not sore. Having said that, the Grand Canyon is not to be taken lightly. There are lots of people who have died over the years from heart attacks and heat stroke in the summer.

The next day we drove out of the park via Desert View and stopped at several of the scenic overlooks as well as the historic lookout just before the park exit. We ended the day at my Dad’s place just outside Phoenix at Apache Junction.

2011-01 Grand Canyon

Johnny Vegas

[by Shelley]

How could we resist a 3-star route called “Johnny Vegas”? Yesterday (was it only yesterday??) we were back on Solar Wall for our last day of climbing at Red Rocks. An hour’s hike took us to the bottom of the route. Andrew led the first pitch accompanied by the beat of Indian drums somewhere in the distance. Very nice! Perhaps there was something going on the at the Red Rock Visitor’s center.

I led the second and hardest pitch (how did that happen???) to the annoying sound of yelling boys. A wise woman once told me “Boys are stupid.” Why, after walking on level ground for 30 minutes and then scrambling on top of a 10 foot boulder, is there a need to yell and scream at the top of your lungs for several minutes as if you’ve conquered the world???

The guidebook said the first part of the third pitch had no protection but Andrew came up with some innovative gear placements -- threading a nut and tying a sling on a “chicken head” rock formation. It was impressive seeing him go out under a huge roof and then disappear over the arête.

The last pitch was an easy scramble up to the top of the buttress. A few rappels down the nearby gully brought us back down to the base of the route. Only to find that the zipper on the top of the pack we’d left behind was opened, a plastic bag chewed through and only one of our two apples left! The chipmunks (or whatever critters were responsible) are very bold and strong!

After a last coffee break back at The Coffee Bean, we headed east from Vegas. Very sad to be leaving Red Rocks. We did a lot in 6 days of climbing and 1 day of hiking but there’s still so much more that could be done!

Now at the Grand Canyon and packed up, ready to hike down tomorrow and back up the following day. Looking forward to some amazing views!

2011-01 Red Rocks 4

The photos are from three days - hiking up Turtlehead Peak, sport climbing, and then Johnny Vegas.

Whole Foods Dinner

Shelley figures we shouldn't eat out every night (she gets some strange ideas sometimes!) so we picked up food for supper from Whole Foods. We needed to stay "home" to do laundry anyway.

We managed a tasty menu:

Buddha Jewels - tofu, peanut butter, peppers, water chestnuts, sesame seeds

Black Quinoa salad - quinoa, feta cheese, spinach, sweet potato

Stuffed Portobello mushroom - stuffed with green and red peppers, eggs (cage free), mozzarella, and parmesan


Margherita Tofu Lasagna - spinach lasagna noodles, tomatoes, tofu, cheese

For desert, a dark chocolate turtle for me, and a Grand Marnier chocolate for Shelley

And all accompanied by an organic Frey California Syrah :-)

Geronimo

Yesterday we did a four pitch trad (traditional = not bolted) route on Jackrabbit Buttress called Geronimo. We expected it to be a short day with only four pitches, but unfortunately another group of three was in front of us. And of course, they were moving very slowly, and had a beginner with them who eventually decided not to climb after failing to get up the first 10 feet.

Luckily, the other two decided to descend after the first two pitches to return to their friend. (We ran into them later and they had come down a longer way and their rope had got stuck and they'd had to climb back up to free it. Not their day!)

We finished off the last two pitches without quite as much waiting around. It was a fun climb - quite steep, but big handholds so pretty easy. The only downside was that one of our cams got jammed irretrievably and it cost us $60 to replace it. On the positive side, it was an old one and we've been gradually replacing them anyway.

The raps (rappels) down went smoothly. The rock here is really nobby and it's easy for the rope to get hung up when you pull them down.

2011-01 Red Rocks 3

Agave

For the most part, Las Vegas is a wasteland for the kinds of restaurants we like - small, quiet, slow, local, organic, etc. Last night we ate at a place called Agave (presumably named after the agave plant). It wasn't quite as small or as quiet as I'd like, but the food was excellent and the building and decor was nice. Here's what we had, all very tasty.

Crispy “Street Style” Quesadilla
corn masa turnovers served with avocado-tomatillo purée, red fresno sauce, blackened jalapeño crema and spicy poblano carrot salad

Agave Ensalada de la Casa
mixed field greens with toasted pine nuts, warm goat cheese, pears, vine-ripened tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette

Black Bean and Smoked Cheddar Soup
black bean soup mixed with smoked cheddar cheese, salsa fresca and fire roasted serrano cornbread

Potato and Portabella Mushroom Tacos
yukon gold potatoes, stewed with chipotle peppers, caramelized onions, spicy tomato sauce and queso fresco

It was well accompanied by a glass of Lo Tengo Torrontes

PS. We only found this place because it is next door to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf we have been frequenting for our morning pre-climbing coffee. (Which we also discovered by accident, but really like.)

Suck it up Princess

2011-01 Red Rocks 2

[by Shelley]

I’m pretty sure Andrew was thinking “Suck it up, Princess!” But he didn’t say it out loud.

After yesterday’s longer multi-pitch route we were back to harder one-pitch sport climbs. It was my turn to lead. The first bolt hanger was a long way off the ground! The book said the crack to the left of the climb could be protected with a cam. We’re sport climbing you stupid book! All the trad gear is in the car.

“It’s an awfully long way to the first bolt,” I said.

“It looks pretty easy though,” said Andrew. “Besides, if you fall you’ll just slide down this smooth slab.”

Uh-huh. And lose a whole bunch of skin in the process. Not to mention the landing. That rock isn’t exactly padded you know. And did you happen to notice the ledge we’re standing on? It’s only a couple feet wide? And it’s sloping? And it’s another 10 feet or so to the next level of unpadded rock?

“Well, I don’t plan on falling,” I said. Suck it up, Princess.

Andrew was right though, the part to the first bolt was easy. Nice positive hand holds and good foot holds.

I clip the first bolt and look waaaay up to the second one. Ground fall potential, I think to myself and say so to Andrew. “No, I don’t think so. You’ll be fine.” Easy for him to say, safe on the ground. Who’s he trying to kid anyway?

I keep going. The first half of the 140 foot route isn’t overly difficult, just not very well protected. As I go higher though, the foot and handholds become more and more sparse until there aren’t any at all. “Trust your feet!” was the mantra with each move. Not . . . going . . . to . . . fall.

Although it was a bit unnerving, I didn’t fall! You gotta love gritty sandstone. Especially once you get used to it. That’s the joy of going to a variety of places to climb. They’re all different and all have a different feel and characteristic to the rock.

The rest of the day was a bit tamer, even the ridiculously hard climb we top roped. Andrew managed to get to the top of it, I only got about ¾ of the way. The last climb of the day was lots of fun – a layback crack with good holds and big pumpy moves.

Tomorrow is a “rest day” so we’ll do some hiking and then visit the REI store – and Andrew’s wondering if there’s an Apple store in Vegas :-)

Climbing at Red Rocks

We arrived in Las Vegas on Tues. and went straight to Red Rocks to start climbing. (After coffee, of course!) It always takes a while to get used to the rock and things seem hard at first. We did some single pitch bolted sport routes on Ultraman wall at the first pullout. We did a 5.7 that seemed really hard for that grade. When we looked it up in the new guide book it was now a 5.9 which made us feel a little better.

The next day we decided to do a longer route - Solar Slab (5.6). The easiest way to get to the bottom of the route is Solar Gully, 4 pitches of 5.1 to 5.3.

We got a late start - leaving the car after 10am and not getting to the base of the gully till 11am. The gully was actually quite fun. Because of the time, we just did the first four pitches of Solar Slab. They were good fun. It was nice to get up high (maybe 1000 feet up) and see the views. We headed down about 3pm and got off the many rappels about 5pm, just as the last light faded. It was another beautiful warm (+21c) sunny day, although it got cool when we started down and the wind picked up and we lost the sun.

Hiking out in the dark was interesting. There was a bright full moon, but it was shining straight in our eyes so it wasn't as helpful as it could have been. After a day in tight climbing shoes my toes did not appreciate being stubbed on rocks as we stumbled around. We lost the trail at one point and spent some time wandering in the desert trying not to impale ourselves on the cactus. Luckily we found the trail again. When we reached the highway we stepped into the parking lot to find our car missing! After a moment of panic we realized we'd taken a different branch of the trail and come out in a different parking area. The car was sitting waiting for us a few hundred meters away.

Haven't take many photos yet. Here are a few.

2011-01 Red Rocks 1

Organic

Stopped at Whole Foods and picked up a bottle of wine for later. I was surprised they didn't have more organic ones. I liked the label on this one.



Shelley says if she lived near a Whole Foods with all their prepared foods that she wouldn't have to cook any more :-)

Vegas Here We Are

Heading to Red Rocks to start climbing :-)

Day 2 on the Road

We went through a roller coaster of temperatures today. It was -12c when we started out. Soon after leaving Lethbridge I noticed the road looked wet. Strange. Then I noticed the outside temperature on the dash said +2c. As we drove south the temperature gradually rose to +6c. Then as we were driving along the windshield suddenly fogged up on the outside - the temperature had suddenly dropped back to -6c. But it rose again and got up to +12c around Great Falls where we stopped for lunch. This was 33c warmer than when we left Saskatoon at -21. It felt pretty nice.

The scenery around Great Falls was more like fall than winter. Much of the ground was bare. Flocks of Canada Geese were feeding in the stubble. But further south it was winter again with snow covering the countryside.

Then it started to rain and as we went over a few higher passes the temperature dropped. I crossed my fingers that it wouldn't start to freeze.Thankfully the lowest it got was +2c and the road stayed wet rather than icy.

Past Butte the temperature got back up to +6 but that didn't last. As we cross the border into Idaho it dropped below zero. Luckily the rain stopped and the road was dry. The sign said "Welcome to Idaho" but the thick fog that greeted us wasn't especially welcoming as the last of the daylight fades away.

We're definitely in cattle country - big herds everywhere. There was also a large group of pronghorns beside the highway. Hard to count but it looked like hundreds. We also saw a couple of bald eagles - probably feeding on road kill.

Tomorrow we'll continue South through Salt Lake and hopefully escape winter at some point. Rain predicted tonight, but with any luck it'll stay above freezing.

Trippin'

The Saskatchewan prairies in January are about as bleak as you can get. It's hard to tell if the sun is up yet or not. The grey of the ground and sky merge at the horizon. It's snowing lightly and there's enough on the highway that all you see of the vehicle ahead is a swirling cloud. The farms are greyed out by the snow in the air. It's -20c and there's no sign of life out there.

Shelley says "death zone". I think, yeah, it looks a bit like the summit plateau on Cho Oyu over 8000m.

But actually, what she said was "dead zone". While I study the scenery, she's engrossed in her BlackBerry, and frustrated by the lack of a signal.

I say that maybe holidays ought to be BlackBerry dead zones.

We're almost to Lethbridge and I haven't checked my email yet. But I have had my laptop out. Done a little programming, wrote this blog post.

It's not as dead as it looks out there. I've seen a rabbit, birds, deer, and pronghorn antelope. No doubt there are foxes and coyotes out there too. It's a far cry from the color and abundant life of a coral reef, but it has it's own austere black and white beauty.

Living for the Moment

via Vertical Carnival

The Myth Of Work Life Balance

The Myth Of Work Life Balance | Six Pixels of Separation - Marketing and Communications Blog - By Mitch Joel at Twist Image

good article, especially for those of us whose "work" is more than just a job

via Penny

Banks, Tigers, and More

Banks, Tigers and Related Matters — Sierra Club of BC: "Banks, Tigers and Related Matters"

"we may have crossed the boundary from being a part of nature to being apart from nature"

"The environmental crisis presently confronting our planet is a variant of the one confronting our financial system. The time scales are different but the dynamics are the same. So are the denials, the rationalizations, the failed oversight, the paucity of regulatory constraints and the public's naivete. The collective values that have engaged people in the busy enterprise of making money and amassing wealth have kept them so busy with the industry and commerce of production and consumption that they have failed to notice that the ecology of the planet is unravelling."

Waxwings

Saw a small flock of waxwings eating berries in a bush when I was walking across the university campus. I love their coloring - the black bandit mask and bright yellow trim on the tail. I thought they were Cedar Waxwings, but we're more in the range of the Bohemian Waxwings.

Not my photo, didn't have a camera handy :-(

And they call it democracy

We are the majority! | Sierra Club Canada: "In every poll done over the last five years, an overwhelming majority of Canadians are in support of climate action. In the last election, 68% of voters voted for parties with plans to take significant steps to address this issue. The last pollster even told me we have the best numbers she’s ever seen for a public issue. Yet, somehow unelected senators can block the will of the public with sneaky parliamentary games."

The title is from a Bruce Cockburn song - Call It Democracy

[previously posted in my software blog by mistake]

Birds

Yesterday, walking home in the wind and blowing snow, a bald eagle came soaring down the river, riding the updraft off the river bank. He was gliding quickly, barely moving his wings. They are impressive birds. I don't recall seeing one inside the city before. And I thought they would have migrated south by now.

Today, walking home again, I spotted something up in a tree on the riverbank. Was it a big bird, maybe the eagle, or was it a plastic bag snagged on a branch? As I got closer it looked more birdlike, but it wasn't moving at all, even when I clapped my hands. Eventually it must have got tired of me and it tipped forward, unfolded it's wings, and slid away into the night air. It was too dark to get a good look, but I don't think it was the eagle. Maybe an owl.

Great Climbing Video

I really like this video. For me it really captures the essence of climbing big mountains. It evokes many memories. (not that I ever was in this league) The early morning starts in the dark, the strange food, the banter between partners, the incredible views, the fear, the happiness, the exhaustion.

And I really like that it's very low key, laid back. So many climbing stories, especially those aimed at the general public, push the melodrama way too far. Everything has to be extreme, on the edge, "into thin air", in the "death zone", about to die, bodies scattered about. Blah! To me, that's not what climbing is about.

Heads in the Sand

"People are caring about—and believing in—climate change a lot less than they used to. A recent Pew study found that less than a third of Americans think that climate change is a very serious problem. Even scarier? Only 59 percent of Americans believe there is “solid evidence” that the planet’s getting warmer at all, down from 79 percent in 2006."

from: Best and Worst Environmental Moments of 2010

Not that it should be surprising. Look at how many people don't believe in evolution.

Photo of the Day

Sun shining through the clouds and light snow.

Money Isn't Everything

My last post on my computer blog was a quote about how the big threat is not losing your job, it's doing work you aren't passionate about. Jen commented:

Unless you are poor, and then it is losing your job! The only people who say money doesn't matter are the people who have it.

I don't think it's anywhere near that simple, and it bugs me every time I hear that kind of thing, especially from people that aren't "poor", except perhaps in their own minds.

I "have money" now, but for a good chunk of my life I chose to do work I was passionate about and be much poorer than if I'd just gone and got a regular job. In fact, I quit a regular job to do what I wanted, in full knowledge that I'd be much poorer. Coincidentally, that ended up with me being reasonably well off. But money was never my goal, and if it hadn't worked out the way it did I'd still be happily doing what I enjoyed, just poorer.

And my sister Penny is happily doing what she enjoys, rather than taking a regular job which would pay much better.

So no, it's not just people with money who say there are more important things than money.

By the standards of the majority of the world, none of "us" are poor. We think "poor" means having trouble making the payments on an oversized house, multiple cars, trucks, SUV's, ATV's, jet skis, snowmobiles, multiple big screen TV's, computers, video games, and on and on. That's not "poor" by any stretch of the imagination. Poor is not having enough to eat.

Money doesn't make you happy. Twice as much money won't make you twice as happy. Buying more "stuff" won't make you happier, no matter how much the people selling that stuff would like you to believe that. "Rich" people aren't happier than "poor" people, usually the opposite.

The people who are "poor" are the ones who spend more than they make, buying stuff they don't need. Having more money than you need is as much a matter of how much you spend as it is a matter of how much you make. It doesn't take an accounting degree to figure that out.

Are Shelley and I less happy because we live in a small house and share a single vehicle? I don't think so.

We all want to be happy. And we all want to find shortcuts. More money seems like a shortcut to being happy. Finding what you enjoy and are passionate about, and then sacrificing to do it, that's hard.

Photos of the Day

early morning fog

snow creature perched in a tree

oops, moved the camera, but the effect is interesting

Definitely pushing the low light (ISO 800 and 1600) capabilities of the G12.  The noise reduction in Lightroom is a necessity. The stabilization is also impressive, for example, the fourth photo with the path beside the building is hand held at .8 seconds!

McNally Winnipeg Annoys

I really hate petty bureaucratic small minded rule spouters.

Shelley and I are in Winnipeg on our way back from her conference in Grand Forks. One of the stops on our list was the McNally Robinson book store.

I'm browsing through the books and I find one that looks interesting. I try hard not to buy every interesting book I run across, so instead I was snapping a picture of the cover with my iPhone camera, as I've done numerous times before. Some guy comes along and says "hey buddy, you can't do that, it's illegal, breaks copyright law". I stare at him, thinking up wise ass responses, but keeping my mouth shut, as is usually wise in such situations. He sees I'm just staring at him and says, "I'm Andrew, I work here." I fight down the urge to say, "I'm Andrew too, and I'm the customer that pays your frigging salary, bozo."

Having said his piece, he left. Leaving me annoyed. First, I really doubt that copyright says it's illegal to take a cell phone snapshot of a book cover for personal use. Even if some lawyer could argue that it's against copyright, is it really something bookstore employees need or want to enforce? Or even something authors would want? Book publishers and authors spend large amounts of money and effort trying to get their books mentioned and the covers displayed anywhere and everywhere they possibly can.

I have no doubt that it pisses off bookstores when people browse the books and then just write down (or god forbid take snapshots) of the titles. I'm sure they imagine we all immediately run home and buy them from Amazon. But regardless of how annoying they might find it, abusing the customers who actually made the effort to come to the store won't help.

Nor does sticking to ways of operating that are helplessly out of date. The last time I asked for a book at McNally they said it wasn't in stock but they could special order it for me and it would only take 6 to 8 weeks. And they wonder why people order from Amazon when they get their book in 3 or 4 days? It seems to me they'd be better off taking the order, ordering from Amazon themselves, and getting the customer back in the store in a week to pick it up, even if they didn't make much profit on the deal.

I love bookstores and I don't want to see them go out of business. Yes, I buy books digitally because of the reduced impact on the environment (and the reduced impact on my basement stacks). I also read books from the library. But I still do buy books, and when I can, I try to buy them from local bookstores like McNally.

The people that care enough about books to be keeping wish lists are the very people they should be cultivating and encouraging, not pissing off.

You might say this is just one employee and not necessarily representative of the store itself. But the employees are the public face of the store. And this kind of behaviour and culture spreads. If one employee is acting that way, chances are good he's not the only one.

Needless to say, I didn't buy any books at McNally in Winnipeg.

Q&A with TSA

Call Me Fishmeal: Q&A with TSA Chairman John Pistole

Sunrise, Sunset

More photos walking to and from (the last one) work. As much as we might dislike winter, it has a certain beauty to it. I've taken these shots multiple times, but each time it's a little different angle or light or reflections. Every day is different.

Snow!

Winter arrived yesterday with a pile of snow and cold temperatures. Penny pointed out the snow piled up on the berries on a tree at Innovation Place. I only had my iPhone though, so not a fancy photo.

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

Another great video. Ken Robinson is always entertaining and thought provoking.

This planet is finite

Feds slammed for stance on Mackenzie Valley project | Sierra Club Canada

God forbid we should "constrain development". Maybe they should wake up to the fact that we live on a finite planet that inherently "constrains development". We should be smarter than bacteria in a petri dish developing without constraint - until they crash.

TimeScapes: Rapture

Nice time lapse video. Best full screen, HD


TimeScapes: Rapture from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

via John Nack on Adobe

Frost

On the way to the Farmer's Market this morning. Glad I put my camera in my pocket.

OKGO on Toast

via John Nack

Tracks to Nowhere

A foggy morning on the train bridge. (Taken with my iPhone.)

Photos from Lake Louise

2010-11-03 Lake Louise

Tea House Trek

We're in Banff for the Mountain Book and Film festival. We had the day free Wednesday so we went to Lake Louise and hiked the 12 km roundtrip up to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House. It was a beautiful day - clear blue skies and fantastic views of the mountains. It was a little icy down by the lake where it had been melting and up at the tea house there was 4 or 5 inches of snow, but overall the trail was in good shape.

It was nice to actually get outside in the mountains. It's always frustrating, and more than a little ironic, to go to the mountains and then sit indoors hearing about the wonders of the outdoors! Especially when the weather is beautiful.

We probably would have walked right by but luckily another hiker pointed out a mother and a young mountain goat just beside the trail. I think I got some good photos of them. (I'll post some photos when I get a chance.) For a change they were close and there was plenty of light. Impressive creatures.

A few minutes later we ran into another couple and we told them to watch for the mountain goats. They asked if they had been "aggressive". The question puzzled me at first but then I remembered there had been a recent freak incident where someone had been killed by a mountain goat. A new thing for people to get freaked out about, despite the fact they're far more likely to get killed or hurt driving than hiking.

We passed a woman on the trail who had just arrived on the bus from Bellingham Washington that morning. She'd had a few days left on her bus pass and decided to take advantage of it. She told us her husband had passed away earlier in the year and since then she had been traveling by bus and train all over the United States. You can imagine either her husband hadn't liked travel or else his death had made her realize that if you put things off too long you may never do them. Good for her! There are many ways to have your own adventures, it doesn't have to be the big name National Geographic style adventures that we hear about at the festival.

Bulls in a China Shop

People on this planet are like the proverbial bull in a china shop.

At best, the "enlightened" bulls are starting to think maybe they should leave some china for their children and grandchildren to break.

The idea that maybe they should just leave some parts of the place alone, for good, doesn't seem to occur to them.

Even when we do protect things we have a "funny" way of going about it. Banff National Park is great, but what kind of "protection" includes a large town full of McMansions, many hotels, a golf course, multiple ski resorts, and a four lane Trans-Canada highway?

Everest Circus Continues

Everest gets cell service

And people wonder why I never wanted to climb the big E. Not exactly a wilderness experience.

A Historic Landmark ... in Handwaving

The "agreement" reached last week at the Convention on Biological Diversity is making headlines about its "success". But the only "success" is in committing to nothing and spinning it as a huge step forward.

And according to A Ghost Agreement they haven't even published the "landmark" agreement. Gotta love that kind of openness.

Edison Ahead of his Time

I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power!
I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.

Thomas Edison, 1931, shortly before his death, to Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone

Work Narration

I enjoy reading Flight Level 390, a blog by an airline pilot. It's not a topic I would have said I was interested in, but somehow he makes it interesting and funny, like the last post I read, Precision.

Part of it is that I enjoy people who are thoughtful about their work. Not just doing the job mindlessly. Not even doing the job thoughtfully. But thinking about the doing of the job. What it is you enjoy, what's important, what's not important, the big issues, and the small pleasures.

Jon Udell makes a good case for this, calling it "work narration" in one of his blog posts. It's part of the reason why I blog about my work on my Software Life blog.

Sacrifice

People support conservation, but few want to sacrifice anything for it. Certainly not our disposable consumer SUV gas guzzling commuting lifestyle.

Conservation International Blog: "But how can we protect biodiversity without sacrificing human interests?"

Win-win scenarios that don't require sacrifice are great when you can find them, and I'm all for looking for them.

But there are times when you just can't have your cake and eat it too.

Harrison Ford on Conservation

“I see opportunities to preserve the natural world slipping away, and I want to be involved in correcting the balance between the pressure of human population and the potential benefits to humanity of a healthy biodiversity. We are the problem; we are the solution,” he said. “Nature doesn’t need people; people need nature. So we’ve got to protect this most important resource. We’ve got to recognize our opportunity, we’ve got to recognize our responsibility and we have to take action now.”

In Japan, Harrison Ford voices support for Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund | Conservation International Blog

Less Stuff

Here are some thoughts on how to deal with one of the big problems with our culture - consuming too much. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, Annie Leonard does a great job of explaining the problem in The Story of Stuff. Consumption uses up non-renewable resources, fills our environment with waste (much of it toxic), and uses large amounts of energy in manufacture and shipping which in turn releases a lot of greenhouse gases.

Why do we consume so much? How did we end up characterizing ourselves as "consumers"?

If you watch TV, read newspapers or magazines, drive by billboards, or walk through a mall, you're getting inundated with marketing aimed at making you think that consuming is not only natural, but good and necessary. It's understandable that people selling stuff want you to buy more. But even our economists and governments tell us that consumption is what drives our economy and we don't dare slow down. What no one wants to think about is that if we don't slow down, if we all keep accelerating, then sooner or later we're going to crash.

Apart from the environmental issues, another reason to aim for less stuff is to be happier. Our culture tells us more stuff will make us happier. But study after study shows that's not true. Happiness has much more to do with what you do with your life, not what you have. There's a lot to be said for simplicity.

There's more to life than shopping. Shopping is not a hobby. It won't make you happy in the long run. Go for a walk. Go to the library. Go for coffee. Read a good book. Take up a real hobby. Spend time with friends or family.

When I get the urge to buy something, here are some things I ask myself:

• Will it actually get used in the long run? Or will it just end up gathering dust, or worse, in the garbage.

• Will it let me do things I couldn't do otherwise? (Preferably something enjoyable, useful, non-destructive.) 

• Am I just keeping up with the Joneses or getting sucked in by advertising?

• Is there an alternative? Can I get it from the library or digitally or online? Can I borrow or rent? I get all my music digitally rather than on physical cd's. I buy almost all my books digitally. (with the exception of books of photographs)

• What future costs will it entail? For example, buying a car means big expenses for insurance, gas, and maintenance. Buying a pet means pet food, and vets, and responsibilities.

These questions apply just as much when you're buying gifts for other people as they do when you're buying for yourself. 

Some more suggestions:

• Avoid ads. Get a DVR and skip the commercials. The less brainwashing you're exposed to, the easier it is to resist. I guess I should stop looking at Apple ads :-(

• Take advantage of the natural inclination to procrastinate. Even if you decide you really do "need" something, wait till next week to get it. Maybe by then you'll change your mind.

• Set yourself quotas - for example, one book per week, or don't replace your computer or camera more than once every two years.

• Don't buy another if you've already got a shelf full you haven't used. In my case, don't buy more books when I've got a stack of them I haven't read yet.

• Buy better quality items that will last longer instead of cheap disposable single-use junk.

• Buy locally made items. Local means less shipping, often less packaging, and it supports small businesses instead of giant corporations.

• Don't buy something because it's on sale. It doesn't matter how much money you're "saving" if you don't need the item in the first place. Of course, if you previously decided to buy something, and then you find it on sale, great.

• Save up to buy something instead of buying it on credit. If nothing else, it avoids impulse buying.

• Spend your money on more environmentally friendly things. Go out for a good meal. Go to a movie. Throw a party. Yes, these things have environmental costs too, but a lot less than loading up a shopping cart at Walmart.

• When you are finished with something, avoid throwing it out or letting it sit on the shelf. Sell it or give it away. If nothing else, recycle it.

Beware of falling off the wagon. When you buy less stuff, you'll end up with more money. And in our culture, available money means only one thing - shopping! Instead, add it to your savings, or put it towards buying better quality items, or make some donations to good causes.

Note: I'm definitely not claiming to be the perfect non-consumer. I have a basement full of books. I have way too much climbing and outdoor gear. I have too many gadgets. I lust after new cameras and computers. All we can do is try!

Restoring the American Chestnut

I tend to focus on the negative, so here's a positive story for a change :-)

WorldChanging Canada: Restoring the American Chestnut: "Now that they’ve got trees with a shot at survival, volunteers have joined federal officials to begin reforestation. They’ve planted 20,000 to 25,000 chestnuts, and some of the most promising work is being done on land decimated by strip mining that must be restored under federal law."

Insanity

The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is meeting in Japan to develop a Strategic Plan.

The problem is, they've met before and developed almost identical strategic plans, and the results were failure (by their own assessment). Biological diversity continues to decline at increasing rates.

As Albert Einstein said, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity.

But hey, all the big wigs get to have a big expensive conference and hob nob with each other. Not to mention release a bunch of greenhouse gases by flying a pile of people all over the globe. What more could you ask for?

see also: A Planet In Square Brackets

Deliberately uninformed

Seth's Blog: Deliberately uninformed, relentlessly so [a rant]:

"Many people in the United States purchase one or fewer books every year.

Many of those people have seen every single episode of American Idol. There is clearly a correlation here.

Access to knowledge, for the first time in history, is largely unimpeded for the middle class. Without effort or expense, it's possible to become informed if you choose. For less than your cable TV bill, you can buy and read an important book every week.

Or you can watch TV."

Lost and Found

A couple of weekends ago I decided to go for a trail run on the community pasture trails south of the Dundurn military area. I got to know this area quite well when I used it for one of the Prairie Pitch adventure races, but that was a few years ago.

Just after I started I ran into two cowboys on horses. They grilled me thoroughly on why I was there, what I was doing, had I talked to the pasture manager, etc. As far as I know I wasn't doing anything wrong being there, and they didn't say any different, but they sure seemed suspicious. I'm not sure what nefarious activity they imagined a guy in shorts and a t-shirt would be up to. Once they got over their suspicion they questioned me repeatedly as to whether I'd seen any of the cows they were trying to round up. (I hadn't.)

It was a beautiful fall day and I had a nice long slow run. I haven't been running very long distances lately so I broke it up with walking part of the time.

If I had stuck to the trails I probably would have been ok, but of course I had to go exploring cross country. I had only planned to go for an hour or two, but I hadn't worn a watch. I hadn't even brought any water, just my little camera and my Spot. Eventually I decided I'd better turn around and head back. I'd gone out generally west, and came back generally east. But I wasn't too sure how far north or south I'd come. I came to an area I thought I was to the north of where I'd parked, so I headed south.

But I couldn't find the trail out to the highway. I could hear the traffic, but there was a thick area of trees blocking the way. I decided it couldn't be very far and I'd just bushwhack out to the road. After 10 minutes of thrashing around in stinging nettles in shorts I decided maybe that wasn't the best plan after all.

Eventually I found a trail that got me out to the highway. But I realized I had another problem. I didn't know whether the car was north or south of me. I couldn't see it in either direction. I guessed north and went about a kilometer down the road. No sign of the car. I went back a kilometer and then went about a kilometer south. No car, and the road looked unfamiliar. I decided it must be north, just farther. The car turned out to be about 4 km north of where I hit the highway. So I did an extra 8 km of jogging up and down the highway, on top of multiple hours of running off and on before then.

At least I had a half liter of water in the car to guzzle down - I was pretty thirsty by then. I figured I'd probably gone about 25 or 30 km. It was about 7 pm when I finally got home. Shelley was starting to wonder what the heck had happened to me since I'd left about 1 pm saying I was going for a run.

It was a good reminder that finding your way, especially across prairie with few landmarks, is not trivial, and shouldn't be taken for granted. A compass would have been handy. A watch would have helped to know when to turn around. I could have taken my GPS and gone straight back to the car, but I'm not sorry I didn't - it would have spoiled the adventure!

Dangers of rope worn carabiners

Interesting test of worn carabiners by Black Diamond via ACC NewsNet

Although nowhere near as bad as the ones shown here, I recently retired a number of old biners when I noticed they were showing distinct grooving (probably from top roping). I retired them out of general principle - I never even thought of the danger of sharp edges cutting the rope. 

I'm always distressed by how people continue to use ropes and harnesses and other gear long after it should have been retired. There are always excuses, but do you really want to take chances with something like that?

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2

Before our last trip to Baja I gave Shelley a camera for her birthday.

It's been a while since she had her own camera. Recently she's been borrowing mine. But that can be inconvenient and it didn't let her keep one with her.

There are a zillion point and shoot cameras out there. To get around the  tyranny of choice, I narrowed it down to waterproof, shockproof ones. I looked at the reviews for the Olympus Stylus Tough, Canon PowerShot D10, Pentax Optio W90, and the Panasonic TS2.

The TS2 got some good reviews so that's the one I chose.

I've been quite impressed with it. We didn't actually use it underwater, but it's really nice for diving and kayaking to not have to worry about getting it wet. (Tip: get a flotation strap for it in case you drop it in the water, otherwise it'll sink!)

It shoots quite good video, but the default AVCHD mode is a pain to work with since most software doesn't handle it (yet).

Here are a few samples from it: (minor tweaks in Lightroom as usual)

If you're looking for a waterproof, shockproof camera, you might want to have a look at the TS2.

Who died and made us king of everything?

One of my pet peeves is the insistence on defending the environment in purely human terms. Save the rain forest because it might contain medicines for us. Save the ocean because it produces the air we breath. Save the bees because they pollinate our crops. Save the climate because it might be uncomfortable for us. Us, us, us, us.

Who died and made us king of everything?

I recently read Poseiden's Steed by Helen Scales, a fascinating book on seahorses, amazing creatures. But in the epilogue she says "Even if nature wouldn't pay much attention the day seahorses were no longer there, surely they do matter to us ... they matter because they inspire us to care about the natural world." (my emphasis)

She goes on to quote Sir David Attenborough (who I otherwise have great respect for) regarding protecting the planet's biodiversity "The overwhelming reason is man's imaginative health." (my emphasis)

We should save the planet for our "imaginative health"? That's the best we can come up with?

How arrogant is it for us to believe (or at least act as if) the earth was put here solely for our benefit. We're not the end point of evolution, we're an interesting experiment in the value of intelligence. And the jury is still out on the result of that experiment.

If you believe your religion tells you that it's ok to trash the planet, I think you're misinterpreting your religion, but I'm not going to get in a fight about it. I will ask, "Do you crap in your living room?" Well, wake up people, the earth is our living room, and we're crapping in it.

If any other species' population exploded the way ours has, or did as much damage as ours has, we'd regard them as a horrific pest and we'd put vast energy into stopping them. But if it's man, then somehow it's ok.

Politician love to justify themselves by saying "if I have to choose between people and the environment, I'm going to choose people". And everyone nods. Wait a minute, what makes people more important? We just assume they are, but why? The biosphere will do fine without people, people won't do fine without the biosphere.

We have to not trash the planet, not for our benefit, but because it's simply wrong to do so. We are not alone here. All of life deserves a slice of the pie, not just some greedy destructive naked apes with swollen heads who breed like rabbits.

End of rant :-)

Grasslands

2010-10 Grasslands

Another good weather forecast led Shelley and I to a trip to Grasslands National Park on the long weekend.

Grasslands is split into two parts, the West Block which is more developed and has an "eco tour" road through it, and the East Block which is mostly undeveloped. Of course, I prefer the East Block :-)

If you look on Google maps you'll see the park as two solid blocks. But in reality the "park" is as much a vision as a reality. Much of the park is "projected" i.e. the land is not part of the park yet. I hope it gets completed, but you wonder whether that will happen in this age of shrinking budgets.

We left Sat. morning after the Farmers Market, stopping for lunch at Coffee Encounters in Moose Jaw. We arrived at the McGowan's entrance to the East Block around 4pm and hiked for about 2.5 hours (10 km) to a campsite I'd found on a previous trip. You could camp pretty much anywhere, but this spot has a commanding view and a rock outcropping for interest. The weather was warm and calm, hardly a breath of wind - unusual for the prairies!

The next day (Sun.) we packed up camp and hiked a big loop to the north and west. We saw deer, coyote, rabbit, owl, hawk. It was another beautiful day, a bit of a breeze, but that was actually pleasant since it got quite warm. We explored an old abandoned farm house and yard. Hard to imagine how isolated it would have been to live here before telephones (let alone internet).

One of our challenges for the day was to find drinking water. There are various creeks but most of them are intermittent muddy pools - not too appetizing. We ended up getting water from Wetherall Creek which was at least running steadily. The water was reasonably clear and tasteless, despite the cattle all around sharing the water and trampling the muddy banks. (Don't worry, we treated the water with Aquatabs)

We camped Sun. night at the foot of Red Butte. The weather Mon. morning was cloudy and cool with a sprinkle of rain. We hiked back to the car and headed home. In all we hiked about 45 km. It was nice to feel pleasantly tired albeit a little foot-sore.

I was disappointed to find so many cattle inside the park areas. We didn't see any in the area immediately around the entrance, but everywhere else they seemed common.There is a school of thought that says the prairies evolved along with buffalo, and to maintain their natural state they need to be grazed. But cattle are not buffalo. And with climate change we're never going to maintain the original prairie. One of the problems with cattle (as we found) is that they trash water courses, trampling them into muddy messes and destroying plants growing around them. Even if the cattle are at a low density overall, they tend to congregate, especially around water, where they also do the most damage. We've got plenty of cattle infested pasture land, I'd rather see the national park take a different path. I don't go to Grasslands National Park to wander through the cattle and cow pies. In the West Block they have reintroduced bison, which is great. If that's not feasible in the East Block for some reason, why not let the grasslands find their own new equilibrium? Change will happen regardless.

According to Environmental Assessment of the Grasslands Grazing Experiment in Grasslands National Park of Canada originally cattle were excluded here as in other national parks. But it was felt that the ecosystem was suffering from the lack of grazing. Maybe there's some truth to that. But look at what the experimental reintroduction of grazing involved - fences, corrals, dredging, pumping systems, generators, pipelines, and increased vehicle traffic. I'm sure that's all going to help the ecosystem.  And from what we saw, it doesn't seem like a controlled experiment. Fences are down in places and cattle are wandering in and out of the park areas.

Paddling the Bagwa Loop

I decided to take advantage of the good weather and head up to Prince Albert National Park to kayak the Bagwa Loop. It didn't take long to throw the gear together.

Soon after leaving Saskatoon I passed a swirling mass of Snow Geese in the air and on the ground. Signs of autumn.

I decided to go counter-clockwise and do the long leg on Kingsmere lake while the weather was calm. It's a fair size lake and if it's windy the waves can get big. Not on Sunday though. The lake was pale green clear glass, like an antique bottle. A lot of the lake is shallow and the bottom was perfectly clear. No tropical fish here, though. But the sun was warm. What a beautiful fall day.

I set up camp and watched the sun slowly go down, taking plenty of photographs.

It started raining in the middle of the night soft but steady. It was still pattering on the tent fly when I woke up. I briefly considered sleeping in to see if it would stop, but my bladder disagreed. And it could just as easily get worse as better. By the time I finished breakfast it had stopped, thankfully. It's always a hassle packing up in the rain.

Although the rain had stopped, I put the spray skirt on the kayak. It makes it a little more awkward getting in and out, but it definitely keeps you warmer and drier.

Shortly after heading out it started to rain again. I stopped to dig out my rain hat and neoprene gloves. When I glanced up there was a moose in the reeds only about 30 feet away staring intently at me. I knew I'd never get my camera from behind the seat and out of the dry bag without spooking it so I just watched. I didn't move as I drifted slowing closer. When I got about 20 feet away it snorted, bellowed and turned away, plowing through the water and reeds. Behind it was a young one. It peered at me a bit longer and then turned and followed Mom. (The photos are of another pair I saw the first day.)

Although I'd camped about half-way around the loop, I'd left the two portages for the second day. The portages themselves weren't too bad, but getting in and out of the water was pretty mucky!

Back out on Kingsmere Lake, the wind was picking up and whitecaps were starting to appear. With the wind against me and the rough water it was definitely harder work than yesterday. But as I got closer to the end of the lake it was more sheltered and the water flatter, and the sun even came out.

We're lucky to have the boreal forest and lakes so close to us. It's beautiful country.

2010-10 Bagwa Paddle

Sustainable Gourmet

Last night Shelley and I went to the Saskatchewan Environmental Society's Sustainable Gourmet dinner fund raiser. It sounded good, and it's a worthwhile cause.

We really enjoyed it. The food was great and and lots was vegetarian. They even let the vegetarians go up to the buffet first!

We enjoyed the conversation with the other people at our table. And there were no long speeches! Only a short entertaining one about the history of the SES since it's their 40th anniversary.

This was their fifth year, although it was the first year for us. We'll definitely consider going next year.

Lost Mountain

"a searing indictment of how a country's energy lust is ravaging the hills and hollows of Appalachia" - Publishers Weekly

Sometimes I wish we'd just run out of oil and get it over with. Not that I look forward to the upheaval, but at least I wouldn't have to get pissed off at people driving gas guzzling vehicles.

The problem is, we have plenty of coal left. It'll last many years after the oil runs out. And coal is ugly. Burning coal for energy is dirty and puts a lot of carbon into the atmosphere.

But Lost Mountain by Erik Reece is about another ugly side to coal - how we mine it. Specifically, the strip mining in the eastern United States, where they chew off mountains to get at the coal underneath, and dump the leftovers into the valleys. The mining companies are supposed to do "restoration" but the results are a pale ghost of the original forested mountains. These forests have some of the highest biodiversity in North America. Or should I say "had".

The mining destroys the forest and poisons the watersheds. And to add insult to injury the locals profit very little from it. A few mining companies make money but the locals stay some of the poorest in the USA.

But we all want electricity, and unfortunately, coal is one of the main ways we generate it.