Here’s Why Bikers Get On Commuters’ Nerves:

Basically, we’re vulnerable – which should give us the upper hand. When you’re riding a frame with wheels and “sharing the road” with cars, we feel like these heavy metal things rolling around have a good chance of being bullies. Some (and I mean only some) of them are, and dangerously so. More on that later.

The most un-lazy. I think I can count on all my digits how many times I’ve taken the bus to work this year rather than bike – and I live in a super rainy part of Canada. So there. See, I love myself more than you already. With this, the fact that we’re “un-lazy”, we have more reason to act snobbish around potential bullies (see above).

We’re “greener”, and yes, many of us believe that. While not all road-bikers (exercise and pastime) may be workday bikers – most will have two bikes for that reason.

Stubborn – when we think that we should use the road “as if we were a car”, it is for our own safety. Drivers should understand that we wouldn’t risk losing limbs just because we’re stubborn. But if we’re in a 40k zone downtown, and safer away from the danger from parked car doors opening, we’ll use the middle of the road.

Which leads me to dangerous time stories. My girlfriend really hates it when I come home with stories like this, because she thinks I’m a douche who probably puts his life in danger. I’m not – I’m stubborn and un-lazy.

Stubborn story. Biking along a slow, downtown harbourside road. In a 40 zone and I’m doing 45, at least. I take the middle of the road because of its narrowness. Car behind honks once, I glance back and wave. Car honks again and revs engine. I shake my head, keep biking. Traffic light 100m ahead, so I keep going. Driver (two lane road) overtakes me on my left, gives me the finger – “pretends” to swerve into me (and that’s a fucknut move) accelerates last 20 metres and stops right ahead of me at the light. Lucky him.

Other story. The road en route to work each morning, never a problem in the past. At one point the bike lane ceases to exist and the road narrows as we come up to a stoplight where I would turn right. Huge truck overtakes me, leaving about three feet between me – himself – and the curb. Tight squeeze but I hold my ground. He’s raging a little and I can see him in the passenger side mirror (which is a method all bikers should use, on both sides of the car – IT MEANS THEY CAN SEE YOU). He’s stopped at the light and I pass the cabin to make my right turn as he yells out the window, “…get off the fucking road“. I call him a “ridiculous shithead” and roll away smirking. At this point I’m all worked up, and it’s probably a testosterone issue on both our parts. That, and it’s before 8 in the morning.

Truck vs. bike ?? C’mon! – THAT is why I hold my ground. While I will openly admit to some occasional snobbery, bullying a biker by using one’s vehicle as a tool is not cool. It’s like punching the kid with glasses; it’s common courtesy not to.

*disclaimer: I wear glasses too.

For The Love Of Biking

I took a roundabout route to work yesterday morning for the sake of this video. You guessed it; I’ve bought myself a new Canon digicam with a time-lapse video option. Shall we see how long that excitement lasts!!?

Long enough.

Enjoy the short vid:

(music is ‘New way new life’ by Asian Dub Foundation)

The neo-Yippie – An Urban Salad

The modern amalgamation of a hippie and a yuppie – the Yippie. (but different from the classic Yippie)

It’s the young urban professional with the hippie conscience. He (or she) doesn’t habitually wear Birkenstocks. They can work for environmental conservation, but prefer to do so in a manner that supports a career, a profession. They know how to hacky-sack, and smoke pot – but only on weekends.

I came across (and was once called) this special term during my years in Vancouver. The neighborhood’s called Kitslano, and it’s home to many a neo-yippie. By now those yippies have probably moved on to full family status, and have kids to bring to hockey practice. But we, the next gen, carry on the yippie torch. Or maybe you’re just a yuppie, but like to think you’re environmentally friendly. So be it.

The new Yippies plant trees, for money. Mostly. We don’t dance in the rain and stomp in muddy puddles in protest of war. We blog and vote our protest, and we discuss our ideas over Gin and Tonics. We know the value of technology and information. We don’t really put ourselves out there, but we’re certainly distrusting of ugly politics.

It’s not all ‘generational’; it’s that we like our comfort, and may see the world like a hippie would.

The Epic Market: Close Enough to the Truth

Marketing Friendly

The marketing of wood and its many products is highly dependent on environmental sentiment both at home, and abroad. This is one area where BC wood can move ahead, and faster so than the rest of Canada if done right.

I read in an investing column a few weeks ago (this particular group is big on a Timber turnaround soon – I don’t think it’s here yet), and the author mentioned that Canada produces some of the best quality wood in the world. Hoorah! Hooray! It’s true though, we have this stamp of quality, and a stamp of vintage. What does it mean though, that we have some of the best wood? It actually means that we are still (and predominantly) harvesting old-growth wood.

The good news of known quality overshadows the fact that in BC we have barely begun to harvest second-growth wood. As long as there’s older-growth wood, it’ll come down before the second growth. We’ve been planting trees at a good rate since the 80’s – but we’re not even sure if that wood will be of the same quality. Can we market cropped trees as effectively? In any case, we have to start acting now on pumping up that quality and care stamp – and most of all make it true.

Stewards of the Land: Can we move to care?

When I mention care of the land and resources, I mean pride and stewardship: treating it like it is our own and important.

There’s been a healthy push for protection of the Boreal forests (about 40 percent of Canada’s landbase, mostly northern), finally. It has been proposed that 20% of it should be actively managed (logging and silviculture), 20% protected (parks only), and the remaining used with a variety of management (culture, recreation, production). These are proposals that happen every few years, and I am assuming nothing has yet been written in policy – as active management continues.

This is a chance to take an Aboriginal model of care and management. Why can’t we admit that our culture and identity is connected to the land? We’ve (as an imperial population) learned to disconnect ourselves from the land, truly, and feel no emotional or cultural ties to it. We’d only react if faced with the thought or image of destruction, until then we’re uncaring. We react to geography (oh what beautiful views), and topography – but until then we’re uncaring.

The consulting firm I work with used to be called ‘forest inventory’ consultants. That name supported the image of forest as numbers (which is an important element). They’ve moved to a ‘natural resource’ brand: a name so friendly we may be mistaken be mistaken for a conservation group. But that name supports the BC cause, and I think it’s a positive step.

In working with Aboriginal clients we can learn from, and work with and on their cultural stewardship model. No one can deny our economy needs a healthy amount of timber harvesting, but the sharp limitations are starting to take hold, and that’s most evident in Aboriginal-claim land. They lay legal claim to a large land-base, there are hundreds of historical claims throughout the province, and it’s healthy for our forests. Sadly, the ecological care is only above average when operators are forced to consult with these Nation groups.

International / National

Internationally, it’s important that we are seen as good to our resources. Have you seen those Greenpeace (or other) billboards that point out that Canadians kill grizzlies, polar bears and old old trees for money? I’d say it’s at least close enough to the truth. They are trying kill that other friendly image we put out, the touristy one that has fly-overs of mountains and forests, cliffs and valleys and waterfalls. You know the one. All I’m saying is that image matters, and it’s not going to be healthy abroad until it’s healthy internally, or people are more knowledgeable nationally. It doesn’t help that we are constantly given mixed messages. so many mixed, and different statistics. Driven by this or that cause, or this or that government. When I see something that looks too friendly (corporate), I am critical of it’s reason. Likewise, too negative (conservationists) and I am critical as well.

I feel that our industry would be healthier, and our economy will adjust and prosper if we can work on our long-term care and image, and have them match. Make them truthful. Saying the deforestation rate in Canada is less than 1% is something to be proud of. What it actually means though, is that for every 1.5 million acres logged, only 1% of that is not re-planted.

We are a second-growth forest factory. Start there.

What Our Folks Gave Us – Passing Down Ethics

Once in a while I need to contribute to certain discussion which is ongoing within the blog-o-sphere. It’s this about our Generation-Y. And I do feel that it’s moderately productive. It helps with the creation of our group identity, which helps us to feel comfortable when we feel we need an identity in this place we call the working world. It’s also a discussion as to how ethical and caring we really are.

My folks may not have been the most revolutionary (if you’re reading this mom n’ pops, you know what I mean, huh?) individuals in their generation, but if there’s one great asset they’ve played a part in, it’s the passing on of ethical characteristics to their offspring, as well as the life we’ve lived that sets us apart from crowds. This is not true with all of the boomers. There are some kids that I know of who very closely emulate the 70/80’s business approach (mainly impersonal), and are callous and ignorant of the world’s problems.

I really, really wonder what happened along the way when I meet people my age who: 1) support the U.S. ‘effort’ in the Middle East, something to do with democracy they say? and…2) throw out the Global Warming warning as if they don’t want to be ‘brainwashed’ into changing their ways. Even if you don’t believe the hype, can you not work to help change? ‘Cause we all know it’s for the better….

My folks are of the boomers, or even slightly younger, and have passed on some of the best world ethics to us kids (x3). It helps that we grew up around the world, the Philippines and Bangladesh to name our largest influences – but we have caught on quite quickly that there are ethics in both how we should treat people, ourselves, and the environment around us.

It’s true though, we are rather quiet and conservative – but we know, mostly, where the worlds problems actually lie. Perhaps we’re just a patient bunch; we know that soon, seeing as people die and take some lies with them, we can enact the necessary change – and as well pass on our morals.

Though we are relatively quiet, and concerned about our own happiness, we can mix the two, and help along change through our work – to maintain those comfortable lifestyles we love so much. My older brother is a climate change researcher (see In the Green in my blogroll to the right), and I work in forestry/land management. This of course may largely be trend-watching in terms of job prospects, especially the climate change work, but it’s also making sure we live right and practice what we preach. I believe in sustainable practices in forestry, and the need for change in its management, and he believes that climate issues (as well as critics) are becoming problems. I would say more than others, our generation can be convinced to look for work in these sectors, knowing that it can be an exciting, and effective workplace.

It was in fact my mom who gave herself credit, for herself and dad passing on goodwill (and all sorts of world ethics) to us kids. In fact, it’s probably better than giving to charity, which they do, as well as voting responsibly, which they do. Speaking of which, I think many Americans could do with a healthy dose of responsible voting, i.e – not on a whim because of a $300 tax incentive (as a vague example). I mean really, look what you’ve done!..unless of course you may argue that voting wouldn’t have made a difference in the past 2 elections.

So, that’s what we’ve got and that’s what I’m saying: because of what our folks have seen from a distance, they have, if anything, created an ethical generation hungry for change. Oddly enough though, the next battle we’ll be having is with people our own age who didn’t take that with them. Those on the dark side.

Given the power we’ll have in the next 10 years, the question is when will we be able to start noticing the health of our planet, relationships with other nations, and ecological systems? It may take another generation or two – so start now, young parents!

Economic Identity Begins

Ah, identity. Identity (repeat 3x). It’s about belonging. It’s about sharing values among other individuals, so that often, a group identity can be formed. Some people don’t like being identified with certain things, and some people spend a lifetime trying to gain an identity – both of these can lead to individual or group conflict.

Here I’ll start focusing on Economic Identity (extended pause). I came across that term in reading about Aboriginal relations, and in my constant search in trying to improve how we work with First Nations groups, and increase efficiency in development projects and community involvement. The main factor here is that we deal in their land. Their land (or at least ‘Asserted Territory‘) is massively popular. And I mean massively, as is the size of their claim. Up to six different logging operators work in their territory, and only one of those is jointly run by the Nation’s people. There are as well mining operations, and power generating operations.

This isn’t about economic worth, this is about struggles with identity, and how one is seen as contributing to groups or society as a whole. Here now we have to separate the on-reserve habitants from the off-reserve. Both struggle with their sense of identity, as do we all, but the ones acting as stewards to the land more than anything need to assert themselves more and more. And that’s not in stopping operations (the work is worth the economic worth), but in becoming identified with the land. Their culture is the land, and their heritage is the land. Imagine if your economic identity started to become associated with constantly feeling like you had to protect something; struggling to control…

My thoughts are that I am very glad that someone is taking to the proper, and monitored, care of the land. We as ’settlers’ have freely raped the land whilst we associate our identity with our lifestyles back home, back in our cities, back in our condos. But okay, to be fair the trends are finally changing for the better. Slowly.

Truly it’s shared land, not theirs – but the consultation involved in starting a project is much more complex now. Systems are being built with which to care for heritage, ecology and so on. We didn’t want those. Our system was based on the politics of the industry. The industry ruled the environmental policy.

Those damn economists.

It’s time we start to build on our own perceptions of ours, and those we share the land with’s identity. We don’t want Aboriginal identity here in Canada to mean holders of the land looking for white man’s money – and we are very nearly verging on that.

Enter the care.