Psiphon Fights Censorship

Earlier this year we covered that Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto was creating some software called Psiphon that lets people bypass firewalls. Psiphone is designed to let people access sites that are blocked for censorship reasons like in China where there is a lot of online censorship.

“psiphon is a censorship circumvention solution that allows users to access blocked sites in countries where the Internet is censored. psiphon turns a regular home computer into a personal, encrypted server capable of retrieving and displaying web pages anywhere.”

Primer on Consumption

This book should be on every environmentalists Christmas list…..although it might change your views on this jolly time of year. To every person who spends more time shopping this season than spending time with their family, I say the booklet Consume This – Buying That Matters is for them. The Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention (C2P2), through the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, has developed this booklet to teach youth on the topic of sustainable consumption. The 40-page booklets teaches youth to understand that where, how, when and what the consume has an impact on the environment, empowering youth to make environmentally friendly choices. The book outlines simple ways to reduce personal environmental impacts and participate in sustainable comsumption activities.

Visit the C2P2 website to download a FREE electronic version. Although I strongly suggest memorizing the electronic copy, full colour printed copies can be ordered using the online order form on the website or by calling 1-800-667-9790, or e-mail info@c2p2online.com. The booklet is printed by an EcoLogo Certified printer on 50% post consumer paper with vegetable based inks

Energuide Resurrected

A pilot program has been announced by Ontario’s Chief Energy Conservation Officer to offer private low income home owners energy audits, education programs and upgrading or replacing ineffecient equipment and appliances. This $2.9 million initiative will target private single, semi-detached and row houses in 16 communities across the provinces. The low income housing sector was the hardest hit by the death of the Energuide program as the poor use the least amount of electricity, but pay a disproportionate amount since the price of electricity in Ontario is tied to capacity and peak consumption by large users.

If you interested in energy issues come out with the Young Environmental Proffesionals this Tuesday (Nov 28th) at the Duke of York pub to discuss the Portland Energy Center.

Safer Homes

A house in West Point, PEI, is the first Canadian home built under the “Designed for safer living” program.  This program is a joint collaboration between the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, the Canadian insurance industry, and home builders.

This slide show details how the house was rebuilt after being badly damaged by fire last spring.  The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction says it’s unclear how much the improvements added to the cost of the home, because the program is new.

Five more are expected to be built by December 2007, including one in the Prairies that will withstand wildfires, one in Vancouver that will handle earthquakes, and another in Sudbury to deal with wind and storms.

Hockey Overload

I know that this is the second hockey post in as many weeks, but this is a Canadian-based site remember. Also on Friday’s we tend to post news that is more entertaining in its goodness than effect.

Hockey good thing number 1:

“A recent winner of a hockey contest on Information Morning in Fredericton gave back his grand prize, asking the show hold an auction with proceeds going to a child who couldn’t afford to play hockey this year.” From Inside the CBC. A news story about hockey from a CBC blog about a contest run by the CBC that also involves beer (can’t much more stereotypically Canadian than that).

Hockey good thing number 2:

Canadian researchers have found out what spot of the ice a hockey goalie needs to watch.

Previously we spoke of hockey on Google Video.

Scroll To Top