March 3, 2010

Now Playing on Made-in-Alberta: “Winter Cycling Part Two” (4 min)
http://rbcc.ca/winter-cycling-part-two-flash.shtml
Winter Cycling is a challenging activity – for you and your bike. Edmonton’s winter cyclists provide some examples of the types of bicycle modifications and maintenance that will help to keep you upright and on the road all winter long.

Now Playing: Tooker TV “Playing with Democracy”(53 min)
http://www.rbcc.ca/tooker-tv-channel.shtml
Tooker Gomberg ran for Mayor of Toronto in 2000 on an environmental, social justice and arts platform. His colourful, creative media events captured the imagination of journalists and citizens alike. Garnering 51,000 votes, he was runner-up in the race, but first in many peoples’ hearts.

Barb’s Field Notes: Remembering Tooker
Tooker Gomberg was a people’s politician and spokesperson for the environment. He traveled the world to bring home stories of “Greenspiration!”. His passion for people and planet gifted him with a vision to define future trends. As Edmonton City Councillor, he spearheaded many innovations that are now respected worldwide. He made one believe that a new world was within our grasp. Tragically, Tooker succumbed to clinical depression, which claimed his life at an early age, and so is not here to witness his “radical” ideas now entering the mainstream.

Yet, in many ways Tooker is still here. He has left a large and permanent impression on my career and on the work of thousands. His joy in finding solutions to environmental problems was  irresistible. His ideas for making Edmonton an “eco-city” in the 1980s and 90s were bold and – as it turns out – absolutely the right things to do. Fortunately, he has also left a permanent record on video. There’s lots, and more to come, on:
http://www.rbcc.ca/tooker-tv-channel.shtml

MIA Contest of the Week: an Edmonton green-dream-team
So, this week’s question is in honour of the sixth anniversary of Tooker’s death on March 3, 2004. How many terms did Councillor Gomberg sit on Edmonton’s city council? Send or phone in your answer. The first right answer wins a compilation of Tooker’s produced works on video, “Tooker TV – An Activist’s Life Caught on Tape”. There will be a bonus prize if you can name two of the eco-initiatives that Tooker and his fellow City Councillors brought in during that term, making Edmonton a North American leader in these areas.

Next week, I’ll have some notes from my experience at the Clean Tech Symposium plus the results of Barb’s “Deep Thinking about Ecology” contest. Thanks to all who played. The promised segment about the Albertans living 100 percent on solar energy will be released next week as well, but you can catch a preview here:
http://madeinalberta.ca/greening-the-patch-flash.shtml

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