It's Still Cold

Environment Canada says it's -18 degrees C, -29 w/windchill. Better, but not much. But here's some good news on a still-frigid Tuesday: global warming is irreversible.

From discovery.com:

"The study's authors said there was "no going back" after the report showed that changes in surface temperature, rainfall and sea level are "largely irreversible for more than 1,000 years after CO2 emissions are completely stopped."

So should we quit all this green-gab and just pack it in? Not so fast, says the study's lead author, Susan Solomon of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association in the Telegraph:

"Climate change is slow, but it is unstoppable - all the more reason to act quickly, so the long-term situation does not get even worse."

More here.

Hooray?

Don't Eat Blowfish Testicles

Or at least make sure your testicle chef has a fugu license. Otherwise, this could happen to you.

Six In The Morning (Deadline Edition)

A half dozen things you need to know about right now. RIGHT...NOW!!!

1.) IT'S COLD! -28.8 degrees C, and completely horrible. Make that -41 with the windchill.

2.) BUDGET DAY The drama explodes like a birthday cake stuffed with dynamite starting at three this afternoon (Eastern, so that's what, two here?). Will Iggy's Grits let Harper and company's budget pass? Will Jack Layton go all Die Hard With A Vengeance in the House of Commons? Will Gilles Duceppe be smugly inscrutable? Follow the excitement here or here or here or here.

3.) IT'S COLD!

4.) IT'S COLD!

5.) DEADLINE DAY It's Tuesday, the day prairie dog goes to press. There's sure a lot of work to do.

6.) IT'S COLD! Cold! Cold! Cold!!!

Council Cancels Condo Conversion

Following up on this post... At last night's meeting, city council voted unanimously to deny the application to convert 2141 Rae Street, the Viva Apartments, into condominiums. Councillors cited the appallingly low vacancy rate (o.5%) as one of the reasons driving their decision. Beyond that, the key factor was likely a petition presented by a Viva resident indicating that 17 residents from the 24-unit building were still opposed to the conversion and felt it would cause them significant hardship.

Council did approve the 15 Coventry Road conversion. However, the building owner, PR Investments, indicated they intended to only convert four of the building's 12 units into condos. The remaining eight would remain as rental suites, with funds raised from the sold suites going into building maintenance. Also, PR Investments indicated that they were offering all of their tenants lifetime tenancy agreements and would continue to rent out their units at below market rates. Coucillors felt that under these particular circumstances -- i.e., that the bulk of the units would remain affordable rental units -- they could in good conscience approve the conversion.

Expect more detail on the condo conversion issue in the next prairie dog.