Ivriniel’s Recent Comments

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  Re: Info on Canada Geese

  According to the Canadian Wildlife Service's Hinterland Who's Who on Canada Geese there's dispute about how the various races of Canada Geese should be organized but this is what the CWS has to say about the Giant Canada Goose:

  One race, the Giant Canada Goose, used to breed in southern Canada and the northern United States but disappeared from most of its range by the late 1800s. Early settlers may have gathered Giant Canada Goose eggs and rounded up and slaughtered many of the geese during the flightless moulting period. Beginning in the early 1900s, Canada Geese from captive breeding flocks were reintroduced into the southern parts of their former range. This practice continued through much of the 20th century, and Canada Geese were eventually restored in Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, and west to southern Alberta. During this period, geese were also introduced to areas where they may not have bred before.

  These reintroduced populations have since exploded, and Canada Geese have become a nuisance in many areas. The birds thrive under the close protection and feeding opportunities they find in parks, near suburban wetlands, and on lawns or golf courses. Because no hunting takes place in these areas, there are few natural factors working to limit population growth and disperse the birds. Populations of urban Canada Geese are still growing, and the range of these birds is still expanding. Problems associated with geese include droppings on lawns and beaches, which may contaminate drinking water sources, aggressive behaviour toward humans, and collisions with aircraft. Wildlife managers are increasingly being asked to balance the careful conservation of some types of Canada Geese with programs designed to limit or reduce populations coming into conflict with agriculture or other human activities. To deal with problem geese, the Canadian Wildlife Service has liberalized hunting regulations as much as possible. It has also allowed other management options under permit.

  http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=35

  In any case, according to Wikipedia the American Ornithological Union reorganized the subspecies of Canada Geese in July of 2004. Maybe your bird books predate that?

  IvrinielOn Readers write in about sexist hair-color remarks, microwaving tea, eco rock concerts, and more posted 2 years, 8 months ago 5 Responses

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  First things second

  Masara: It's green tea that shouldn't be boiled. If you boil the water for green tea, it gets bitter. Black tea is different.

  From the Tetley Tea company:

  The key things to remember are to make sure you boil fresh water to more than 98.5 degrees centigrade, as it's only temperatures in excess of this that can efficiently extract flavour from the leaf. Water should be fresh and not previously boiled to maximise the oxygen content. Also, despite a common misconception which dates back to when we all used tea leaves brewed in pots, milk should be added after the tea bag has brewed, otherwise it will lower the temperature from the optimum level and affect the brewing process.

  http://www.tetley.co.uk/UK/ThePerfectCuppa/

  IvrinielOn Umbra on boiling water for tea posted 2 years, 8 months ago 23 Responses

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  Lower cost environmentally responsible food

  Here's a way to buy more enivironentally responsible fruits and vegetables at a reasonable price.

  In the Greater Toronto Area, Foodshare,  a United Way Agency has what it calls "good food boxes". Good Food boxes contain produce that is group purchased to bring down the costs to consumers.  The program is open to anyone regardless of income level. What's more they come in organic and non-organic versions.  Both versions do their best to emphasize local in-season produce.  The contents of the boxes vary from week to week, based on food availability and price.

  In Toronto the regular boxes range in price from $17 to $12 per box and the organic ones from $32 to $22 per box.  

  Apparently there are similar programs in other cities around North America.

  For more information here's their website: http://www.foodshare.net/goodfoodbox05.htmOn On greening your roommates posted 2 years, 8 months ago 3 Responses

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  Rice in Kansas?

  Where's the water for that little venture going to come from?

  The Ogallala Aquifer is being drained at a 1000 times the recharge rate to grow wheat in Kansas, so now we're going to start growing crops that require periodic flooding?

  IvrinielOn Carry On My Wayward Gene posted 2 years, 8 months ago 5 Responses

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  PVC

  Just to add to the all around badness of PVC, Vinyl Chloride is associated with a very specific kind of liver cancer, and workers who make PVC are exposed to the stuff.

  IvrinielOn Umbra on which plastics to avoid posted 2 years, 8 months ago 4 Responses