Canada Day – Are you sure you want to celebrate?

Before you get all patriotic and fly your little Canadian flags in celebration of Canada Day and, presumably, of being Canadian, think about it. Are you really proud to be:

• the second worst of all the industrialized countries when it comes to sulfur dioxide emissions

• the second worst when it comes to carbon monoxide emissions

• the third worst when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions (we pump out 48% more greenhouse gas emissions per capita than the OECD average, up about 13% since 1990, in violation of our international commitments)

• the fourth worst when it comes to producing ozone-depleting stuff

• the second worst with regard to per capita water consumption

• the third worst when it comes to per capita energy consumption

• the second worst when it comes to energy efficiency

• not even in the top ten with regard to garbage production per person (we’re 18th out of 27) (and we’re 24th out of 25 for glass recycling, 21st out of 28 for paper and cardboard recycling)

• when it comes to producing nuclear waste, we’re #1!! Yay!! We produce more nuclear waste per person than any other OECD country!!

In short, we are hogs. We are stupid, don’t-give-a-damn pigs. We’re the ones to blame for so much of this climate change – the heat waves, the floods, the droughts, the high food prices. Our fault. Yup, fly your little flag. That’s it, wave it, smile … Ya stupid idiot.

*****

“I killed you. Killed you too. Got you.”  In the Library.

So I was working in my local public library the other day – well, trying to work. I was distracted by the kid on the computer next to me who was playing a computer game. My first point. Is it appropriate for kids to be allowed to play computer games on the computers in public libraries? I suggest that libraries are repositories of knowledge that people peruse to borrow or access on-site. Given that, playing computer games should not occur in a public library. Libraries aren’t entertainment centers. [1] Yes, perusing and accessing knowledge can be fun. But that doesn’t mean that that which is fun is necessarily perusing or accessing knowledge.

Furthermore, the kid was continuously commenting, not in a particularly loud voice, but certainly loud enough for me, sitting next to him, to hear. My second point. Goes along with the intense irritation I experienced while in the university library a few weeks ago, unable to search the stacks for what I was seeking (books containing arguments) because someone in one of the nearby carrels was talking on her cellphone. Not an emergency conversation, mind you, but a mundane hi-yeah-so-like-whatever one. Given that libraries are repositories of knowledge that one either peruses to borrow or accesses on site – both of which often require mental effort, requiring concentration, which is inhibited by the distraction of talking aloud – both the kid’s running commentary and the cellphone conversation should not have occurred.

Further still, the kid’s comments were “I killed you. Killed you too. Got you. Killed you.” and so on. Not only distracting, but disturbing. My third point? Given that the library is indeed a public library, and not withstanding what I’ve said elsewhere, I think there may be grounds for censorship – could that be considered “hate speech” or “disturbing the peace”? It’s bad enough that the kids’ parents are irresponsibly unaware of the damage being done to their kids, not to mention to the rest of us, by allowing such activity (it desensitizes the kid to death, and it forms an association between killing and fun/entertainment), but there is no excuse for public librarians to be so unaware. And, given the public status (and funding) of the library, they have grounds for acting on their awareness.