The King Environmental Movie Series presents:
Turning Down The Heat:
The New Energy Revolution
King Township Public Library
Thursday, April 8th at 7 pm.
“I must tell you this is one of the sweetest pieces of work I’ve seen in a very long time. You’ve made a real concerto out of a potentially dry and pretty lifeless subject. It’s smooth as can be. It never flags. It never ceases to be interesting. In short, I am awed by your artistry.” ( Ross Gelbspan, 1984 Pulitzer Prize Winner and author of “THE HEAT IS ON: The High Stakes Battle over Earth’s threatened Climate”).
“It’s a gift – an extraordinary opportunity, not just economic but for the environment, for ecosystems, for people, for cultures, for societies, and of course, a gift by us back to the entire earth.” (Donald Aitken, Union of Concerned Scientists)
 The next movie in the King Environmental Movie Series It is very rare to hear people talk about a major global environmental problem in this kind of way – especially a problem so huge, so threatening and so complex as global climate change. Where’s all the doom and gloom we’re supposed to be feeling ?
The documentary produced by Jim Hamm, in co-production with the NFB (Gillian Darling Kovanic, producer) and narrated by Dr. David Suzuki, is a stark contrast to many environmental films. The 48- minute film TURNING DOWN THE HEAT, approaches the problems of global warming in a manner that leaves the viewer feeling positively excited about the energy revolution that is sweeping the world, rather than worried about yet another environmental horror story. From the thousands of Danish farmers who have struck co-operative agreements to install windmills on their land to the Vancouver schoolchildren who are saving money by saving energy, TURNING DOWN THE HEAT speaks to the optimist in each of us.
The problem is the burning of fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide, which warms the global atmosphere, which leads to all sorts of concerns, such as increased floods, droughts, hurricanes and other nasties. Director Jim Hamm demonstrates that the solutions lie with the new energy revolution, based around solar and wind energy, energy efficiency, hydrogen fuel and other breakthroughs. In Denmark, which is leading the wind-power revolution, wind turbine manufacturers have quadrupled their production over the past four years, a rate faster than the growth of cellular phones or internet servers, generating 13,000 new high-paying jobs.
TURNING DOWN THE HEAT shows that the same story is emerging all around the world, from solar energy in Japan, Holland and Sacramento, to biogas energy in Vietnam and wind energy in Tamil Nadu, India, to hydrogen fuel and ground source heat in Vancouver. By exploring the look of the future, the director provides a reassurance that solutions do exist : it’s just a matter of making the policy commitments to make progress with them. Here in Canada, the government has provided massive subsidies to the Hibernia oil field and the oil sands projects in northern Alberta, but almost nothing to renewable energy. The future is waiting for us, with new jobs and new technologies : why are we waiting for it ?
The celebrity Varied Thrush at Cold Creek Conservation Area is doing his part to help the Cold Creek Stewardship. In addition to attracting visitors from all over Ontario, it helped raise $136.57 – money that will go towards the printing of our new trail guide.
 Varied Thrush When the Varied Thrush’s presence was made known to the ‘world’ (via the ONTBIRDs mailing list) back near the beginning of January, birders started arriving in flocks. The first week saw nearly two hundred visitors, many catching their first view (a ‘Lifer’) of a bird usually found only on the west coast. The Stewardship put out a guest book, a stack of Cold Creek brochures (which include a trail map) and the “Birds of Cold Creek” list that Barry Wallace and Dave Milsom have been building since 2002. For the first week only, they also put out a donation jar. The birders (and photographers) who visited during this first week were most appreciative – and it showed.
Geoff estimates that around four hundred people have now visited to see the bird, and their comments show their appreciation. One visitor from Toronto wrote “A very beautiful bird! Worth the trip up by GO bus”. Another contributed “Varied Thrush – A Lifer for me. Thanks. ps, I had wonderful experiences at Cold Creek when I was in junior high in the early 70s.” Another, “Varied Thrush (lifer), Red-Bellied Woodpecker (lifer), Robins, Northern Shrike, Brown Creeper – what a great place!”
The guest book has recorded visitors from Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Bolton, Bracebridge, Brampton, Brantford, Burlington, Cambridge, Cobourg, Collingwood, Dundas, Etobicoke, Exeter, Grand Bend, Hamilton, King City, Kleinburg, Lake Simcoe, Leamington, London, Markham, Mississauga, Mt. Albert, Oakville, Oshawa, Owen sound, Rondeau, Scarborough, Schomberg, Stratford, Thornbury, Toronto, Vineland, Washago, Whitby, and Willowdale.
The money raised will help the Stewardship with the upcharge to print the upcoming trail guide booklet on 100% Recycled paper (as certified by the Forest Stewardship Council of Canada). It just seems like the right thing to do.
Thanks to all involved.
Geoff
Meet at Nobleton Library Feb 3 – 7pm
Review new website
New trail signs
Annual Report content
Year end financials
In addition to their snowshoe program, King Township Parks Recreation and Culture will offer cross country skiing at Cold Creek Conservation Area on Saturdays, starting January 23 (weather permitting).
- Gates open Saturdays from 9 am – 1 pm
- Ski and Snowshoe rentals available
- Drop in or instructional courses available
Drop In (Self Guided Tours):
- Cross Country Skiing 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Snowshoeing 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Instructional Courses (Guided Tour):
- Snowshoeing 9:30 am – 10:30 am
- Cross Country Skiing 11:00 am – 12 noon
- Pre-registration Required
 Varied Thrush Newest addition to the Cold Creek Bird Species List
Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)
The latest addition to the Cold Creek Bird Species List is the Varied Thrush. This rare visitor to Ontario was spotted at Cold Creek in early January, 2010, by Geoff Simpson, a Cold Creek Stewardship member. Normally a resident of north-western North America, from Alaska down to northern California, several spill over the Rockies into Alberta in the summer and a few even make their way to Ontario each winter.
The male, in winter, with its blue-black and orange colouring, is extremely attractive when contrasted against a snowy backdrop. Winter food includes berries and seeds, plus fruit, nuts and suet at feeders. The Varied Thrush is shaped like a Robin, but is slightly smaller, and its flight is robin-like.
— Barry Wallace (Barry the Birder)
From everyone associated with Cold Creek Conservation Area, we wish you a happy & healthy New Years!
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