5 posts from 2008

I finally got to the Oshawa dump on Saturday and it was open. Now having run through the gauntlet that is the waste disposal facility, I'm more impressed with the operation. Coming from a rural upbringing, the dump to me was a large open pit of trash, speckled with seagulls and presided over by a solitary attendee in a dumptruck. I should've figured that in the Canadian epicentre of blue collar workers, being located in the same town as a massive General Motors plant, there would exist a proper waste facility.

Upon arrival, I was about fifth in line before the gatehouse. A stop/go signal light told me when to advance onto the scale and next to the booth where the first of many workers I saw asked what I was carrying. I replied that I had general garbage, computer components, and used oil. He asked me to proceed up a small hill where a stop sign requested that I halt and speak to another worker who told me exactly where to dispose of my unwanted possessions. When a spot opened, I backed my station wagon up to the edge of a dock, which found a large refuse bin on a lower level. I easily added my garbage to the bin, as did the van next to me. But he kept piling it in long after I was done.

Next I drove up to a pair of large wire bins that contained numerous computer parts, but mostly CRT monitors, of which I contributed two. I forgot to mention there were another eight or ten of these bins near the dump entrance overflowing with CRT monitors. Seems LCDs are just too popular to keep the old power hungry behemoths around. After also unloading a couple old computer cases, I pulled over to the hazardous waste area. I was instructed up a small set of stairs to the mouth of a large open funnel into a massive tank where I emptied the numerous jugs of old oil I've collected from various motorcycle services. A jug of coolant was added to a separate reservoir nearby. I placed my old sulphate-covered motorcycle battery to a skid bearing many others, and two empty paint cans were submitted to the attendant.

Now free of my burden, I drove to the exit weigh scales like all the other cars and trucks before me and a display instantly showed my required monetary contribution, a mere $20. I paid by credit card, though debit and cash would also have been accepted, and I was on my way with an empty car.

The operation was very impressive and it was being well-used. I figure upwards of a hundred vehicles were in attendance at the time I was there, always coming and going. I didn't see any open pit dump like I'm accustomed to, but the burms surrounding the facility alluded to its possible presence just beyond. I do believe I will be making another trip to the local dump soon, and might actually enjoy it a little more even.

I can't overcome my most supreme disappointment with the Durham Region waste management system. It's a joke that has done nothing for me but pissed me off over the past couple years.

Realize first that I like to dispose of waste and recyclables properly. I was part a of handful of volunteers who pioneered a municipal recycling program, and was even considered to be its leader except for my mid-teen age, trudging through the trash that people gave us in a school parking lot to sort the items for proper disposal. My entire family was involved and we did this for a number of years.

But Durham Region, it seems, wants me to put all my trash into the green garbage bag. Oh, they're not explicit about it, but their actions drive me closer to the brink of giving up and trashing it all. I've been at constant battle with the guy who picks up my recyclables at the curbside, who is not the same as the trash guy. The recycling guy will always leave me something behind and I couldn't understand why for the longest time. Turns out the Region won't accept certain types of recyclable plastic (that other regions will accept, like Toronto), because they don't have a buyer for the end product. So for plastic, it's pretty much bottles only. You know those nice plastic tray that come with most food items? Not acceptable. But will they store them so that one day when a buyer is found they can be properly recycled? Oh no? Trash it, they say. Styrofoam? Trash. Not so in Toronto. Scrap metal that doesn't resemble a tin can? Trash.

WTF? I thought we were trying to divert trash from landfills? And do you think the pickup guy could return my two blueboxes and green bin to the side of my driveway so I don't have to park in the middle of the street when I get home from work to move them first? Not a chance. But there IS a good chance that there's a healthy amount of perfect paper left inside one of them anyway because the guy is too lazy/stupid to check and make sure the box is empty.

Now I'm doing a major spring cleanup of my basement and I fill the first of many carloads from my basement collection of useless junk covered in 3 years of dust and animal dander. This was 4 days ago and I'm still recovering from my allergies. I fill my station wagon right to the brim and drive to the local dump on a Saturday, because the website says that they're open Saturdays, closes Sundays, Mondays and holidays. Saturday, not a holiday, came after Good Friday, a holiday, and before Easter Sunday, also a holiday. When I arrive at the entrance, what am I greeted with but a locked gate and not one, but two vehicles making disgruntled u-turns in the entryway. The nicely produced sign "Closed Easter Weekend" hangs nicely in front of the gate. So on this nice long weekend where many people might take advantage of the time to do a little cleaning, we are cut off at the pass. Now what do I do with this carload of crap that I was anticipating getting rid of? I need my car during the weekdays, and I'm not trudging the unwanted treasure back down into the basement, so I have to unload it into my garage until I can fill the car back up again in a week, because they're not open Mondays remember (which as a government work I had off too and could've used).

How about that nice green bin kitchen waste recovery system that's been implemented? Good in theory, but the brown Biosak biodegradable bags they want us to use break down in a matter of a couple days, in the bin on the kitchen counter, before it can get to the larger outdoor green bin. Okay, so the brown bags are flaky and leak all over the place, but these green biodegradable bags from Glad last longer and the box says they're the same thing. Well after using them successfully for weeks, garbage pickup guy decides they're no longer acceptable and leaves me, without any notice, two weeks worth of rotting kitchen waste of a full green bin behind at the curb. Now I've got to hang onto this thing for another week. It's a good thing it's winter and the smell's bearable. Guess what happened to the nice green bags? You guess it, into the big green bag with the rest of the trash. Now I've taken to putting a nice green bag inside a crappy brown bag so that I can fill it in the kitchen, it won't leak, and once tied up will pass the brown bag inspection test at the curb!

I got thinking, our nice little consumer society has us all prepped for buying goods, which I wholeheartedly enjoy, but our waste disposal system REALLY sucks. And those new goods have a lot of packagine waste to get rid of. No wonder Tony Soprano was in the business, it's a goldmine for the private industry. Which makes me think maybe I should call 1-800-GOT-JUNK instead and get them to haul away my crap? I would never even thing of endorsing it because it's unsightly and inconsiderate, but I'm starting to see why there's a lot of illegal roadside dumping in the area. I'd like to do the right thing, but dammit, the local government is doing their damndest to ensure that I don't.

Smarten up guys! Get a functional system in order like a civilized country should have.

I was unable to attend on Sunday, so this recollection is only of the first full day of SciBarCamp numero uno, Saturday.

Although I intended to park in my dedicated spot at work only blocks away, I was late and made a bee-line for Hart House, delighted to see that parking was only $7 for the full day right in front of the building. Nice! Karl Schroeder opened up the day in the Music Room to a small crowd of drowsy attendees. More people arrived as the morning progressed. What's with all these people? Guess they don't have kids that wake them early. I decided to record each session as it started via Twitter, which I'm using now to compile these words.

Sessions of the day started with a presentation of Science 2.0 and of JOVE, Connotea and the Nature Network in particular to disseminate scientific research as it occurs. Privacy and intellectual property rights were issues taken heartily. We then heard about how to teach quantum mechanics simply such that a 10 year old would understand it. Next came the use of social media as a general communication tool moreso than being used explicitly for science. Bioengineering and synthetic biology came next with a quick pro-con presentation that yielded fascinating insights.

A Japanese gentleman braved his English and spoke about how the MIMA search works to relate subdisciplines of science under a collective umbrella. After lunch, musician Rick Sacks then treated us to an interesting display of keyboard and drums with prerecorded samples of speech and sound effects. His drum performance was really cool and can't be described here. A later group discussion focussed on whether technology actually makes us happier. There was a battle between the elder luddites and the younger adoptees that suggests the future of science will be online and connected as the older generation retires and dies off.

After the last session I attended in the Music Room, I ventured into the hallway where I found a freelance barrista! Of course I bought a cuppacino for a friend and myself and we ventured to the next session, sci-fi versus sci-fact, in the hallway before being marched in to a nearby room and being transmuted into a session on the internet emerging with a self-aware consciousness in a futuristic scenario. Much lively discussion was had, not all on topic. The sci-fi vesus sci-fact was then reopened for a short time. Then I moved to another room for a panel discussion on time and space. I wish I'd caught the start of that one and got lost in the middle of the conversation. That was the end of my official time at SciBarCamp!

SO...

My thoughts? Well, Robert J. Sawyer blogged about the scheduling of the event and how it could've been much improved. I like the method used at PodCamp Toronto, whereby the sessions were proposed in advance on the public-access wiki, and the schedule determined a short time in advance. That would also allow attendees to combine similar topics themselves without relying on the organizers to do it for them. The facility was incredible with striking architecture and the real feel for being in the halls of academia. The calibre of attendee was also notable, with several people representing the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Ontario and various universities. I also like the number of sci-fi and sci-fact authors present, since they tend to see where trends will lead us in the future. All in all, I had a great time and was thrilled at what I got in a day and a half, including parking fees, for less than the price of going to the movies!

I eagerly await the sequel.

Friday evening saw the opening of the world's inaugural SciBarCamp. Upon arrival, drinks were found at the bar and former strangers easily socialized. This was due in no small part because each person was encouraged to write their own nametag that also outlined what they do and what they're interested in. Those with wireless devices like laptops and PDAs were given instructions on synching up with the free onsite wifi.

The organizers soon opened the event by explaining the process to propose a session and how to express interest in the twenty or more that appeared. We were asked to stand in a really wierd oval that filled the room and introduce ourselves. This took some time with some 120 attendees. After that task we signed up for sessions and mingled. Before people disbursed for the night, some to the pub, some for home.

Since I haven't posted in a while, this should be special, right? Well I've got a good one.

I'm so excited that I'll be attending the inaugural SciBarCamp at the University of Toronto this weekend. This event is in the typical Barcamp style of un-conference, and stems from the original Science Foo Camp that occurred at the Googleplex in 2006 and again in 2007. Whereas that event is invite-only and is chock full of incredible minds, SciBarCamp looks to emulate that calibre of attendee but is more open, capped at just over 100 people due to space constraints.

While I'd probably want to attend SciBarCamp anyway, being most interested in such things, I'm looking forward to being in the presence of great minds such as those from the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. I've been enamoured with the Perimeter Institute at a distance since its inception near my alma matter in Waterloo, Ontario. I recognized Lee Smolin's name but his website rang no bells. However, I finally realized I had read his words in various skeptical arenas. Michael Nielsen is an organizer and has written some good blog entries. He's interested in the way science will change in the coming years, what with this new method of communication called the internet. It is already drastically changing the way scientists conduct research and interact, destined to leave the traditional journal industry in tattered ruins.

In addition to those mentioned will be some people who may be considered the prognosticators of science to come, science fiction authors Karl Schroeder and Robert J. Sawyer. While I haven't read Schroeder yet, his website is slick and the imagery makes me want to. Sawyer on the other hand is a great writer of hard SF and I've met him a few times in the recent past, as well as having exchanged writings on his email list. He's easily accessible to anyone who takes the time to talk to him and he's a credit to the profession, especially given that he sets some of his stories in Canadian localities that I can relate to. I look forward to meeting him again this weekend, along with all those attendees I've yet to admire.

The un-conference begins Friday evening and only then will the schedule be determined by the attendees themselves, lasting through to Sunday. The topics should be wide ranging, from the all-new Science 2.0 and the cutting edge of research to communication with the public. Attendees are expected to come prepared to participate in full instead of sitting at the back of the classroom, osmotically absorbing (or not) the information like a standard lecture. I've got my own ideas of what to discuss. Since I'm a government scientist, I'm thinking that politics and/versus science would be a great tract to initiate. The possibilities are endless yet immediate because our current federal administration in Canada seems to want to emulate the anti-science administration found to the south. The need for world governments to consult and rely on what science can tell them has never been greater.

Lastly, while reading through SciBarCamp preparatory material from other attendees, I found this blog post on the future of the publication of scientific research. Fascinating!