Tigers, hot miners, and unnatural disasters

The city of Yellowknife is considering using that heat from defunct gold mines as greenhouse gas-free energy. Even in the dead of a Yellowknife winter, workers at the old Con mine on the edge of the city used to come up from the depths dressed in T-shirts and shorts due to the heat of the bedrock.

Was anyone else hoping that they’d have superpowers? I was hoping the miners got superpowers. But they didn’t. Not radioactive. Just toasty warm.


BANGKOK, Thailand - Thailand's parks and wildlife reserves could hold up to 2,000 wild tigers, about three times their current level, but only if the government steps up efforts to control poaching, researchers said Monday.

The scientists also expect tourism to improve, with the new slogan: “Thailand: It’s chock full of tigers.”


CAIRO, Egypt - Egypt might copyright its pharaonic antiquities, from the pyramids to scarab beetles, in an attempt to profit from the sale of replicas, an official said Thursday.

So if you dress up as Cleopatra for Halloween, you won't just be slutty, you’ll be illegal.


MOSCOW (AP) — An unmanned Russian cargo ship docked Wednesday at the international space station carrying two tons of supplies including Russian-tailored trousers, which it said were made of a new, thinner fabric more comfortable than the U.S.-made clothing used by the crew. If the crew like the pants, they could become standard.

So Canada, be proud of our Canadarm. But know that the Russians have upped the bar with slim-fitting, flattering Ruskachinos.


The city of Baltimore now offers at least $2,000 toward closing costs for people who buy new homes close to where they work.
“Just living near your job and taking transit or walking to meet your daily needs provides basically the same environmental benefit as buying a hybrid car,” said Amanda Eaken of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

You know what else is like buying a hybrid car? Electing a federal government that is even remotely concerned with destroying the earth less quickly.


According to the U.N. 2007 was the warmest year on record in the Northern Hemisphere, and included record high numbers of weather events such as droughts, hurricanes and floods. Arctic ice is also at record low levels.

Said the Canadian and American governments: “What an super bunch of coincidences!”