All-Electric America: A Climate Solution and the Hopeful Future by S. David Freeman and Leah Y. Parks (Solar Flare Press, 2015). A review For this book review, I roped my husband, Dr. David Duke, into doing it. When I saw the synopsis, I thought, as he is the head of the Environmental & Sustainability Studies […]
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Snowpak Dog Sledding Adventures Riversdale, Nova Scotia **2018: Please note: this business is no longer in operation** *Disclosure: Our family received a trip on the dog sledding adventure in exchange for this blog post. It just means we get to tell you about the most incredible family adventure! All opinions are our own.* […]
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All-Electric America: A Climate Solution and the Hopeful Future by S. David Freeman and Leah Y. Parks (Solar Flare Press, 2015). A review For this book review, I roped my husband, Dr. David Duke, into doing it. When I saw the synopsis, I thought, as he is the head of the Environmental & Sustainability Studies […]
https://i0.wp.com/valleyfamilyfun.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/book3d2.png?fit=%2C&ssl=1ValleyFamilyFunhttps://valleyfamilyfun.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/vff_logo2-300x69.pngValleyFamilyFun2016-02-19 10:24:102016-02-19 10:24:10All-Electric America: A review
Snowpak Dog Sledding Adventures Riversdale, Nova Scotia **2018: Please note: this business is no longer in operation** *Disclosure: Our family received a trip on the dog sledding adventure in exchange for this blog post. It just means we get to tell you about the most incredible family adventure! All opinions are our own.* […]
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All-Electric America: A Climate Solution and the Hopeful Future by S. David Freeman and Leah Y. Parks (Solar Flare Press, 2015).
A review
For this book review, I roped my husband, Dr. David Duke, into doing it.
When I saw the synopsis, I thought, as he is the head of the Environmental & Sustainability Studies program at Acadia University, this would be right up his alley.
Was I ever right! He loved it!
Read his reaction below.
A lot of the time we read reviews that start with “this is an important and timely book” and it turns out that the book is neither important nor timely. But in this case it is very clear that David Freeman and Leah Parks have written a book whose importance cannot be understated and whose timeliness is critical.
It is not a thought-provoking book in that it is aimed at an audience for whom the importance of the subject – a fully-sustainable energy future – is entirely clear. But it is an inspirational book in that the authors show clearly not only why energy sustainability has to be the most important policy issue of our time, but ways to achieve it.
Even more, they set out a clear path to that future, one that engages citizens at all levels and which offers ways for all of us to begin the transition to clean energy right now, ways that are within our financial reach as individuals, and which will pay huge dividends, both environmental and financial, as soon as we begin to implement them, and far into the future too.
All-Electric America is divided into four parts, each of which is clearly designed and which is intended to be inspirational for the reader.
The first part, “The Promise”, clearly lays out a vision for a fully-sustainable United States economy driven by electrical power sourced from two main energy sources, wind power and solar power.
The second, “Obstacles”, takes aim at the hurdles that have to be overcome in order to achieve fully-sustainable energy, pointing out that those hurdles are either the consequence of at attitude that basically says “this is how we’ve always done things, and we can’t change except very slowly” or “we’re making money doing it the old way, so why would we change?” Not surprisingly this latter vision is held by energy companies, both those involved in the extraction of fossil fuels and those involved in turning fossil fuels into energy distributed via massive, often monopolistic, grids whose structure serves the corporations that own them rather than the customers whom they supply.
Part III, “Opportunities”, lays out the surprising array of technologies that are available now, at reasonable cost and with minimal disruption, to allow individual consumers to begin the transition to clean energy.
The book concludes with a part that is really a rousing call to action, “Let’s Make it Happen”, which urges the reader to be an active participant in the process, on the one hand lobbying politicians to change the legislative and policy environment to encourage the switch at a governmental level, and on the other laying out a clear roadmap that can be followed as an individual consumer, working either alone or with their local community, to transition to a green-energy economy.
The Authors
A word about the authors is in order, because their biographies show how serious and important this book is.
Leah Parks is a journalist whose original training was in civil engineering and whose work is very widely read in the electrical industry in the US.
David Freeman has had a long career at the highest levels of the US government, where he was, among other things, one of those responsible for setting up the Environmental Protection Agency. He served as Chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1970s and subsequently as CEO of a number of major public utilities including the New York Power Authority.
In other words, the expertise that the authors bring to the issue, from both the public-policy and private-enterprise perspectives, cannot be overstated, and it lends tremendous weight to their arguments.
When they lay out their case for a transitional path to a fully-renewable energy economy, not only do they clearly know what they’re talking about, but they are also able to show the hollowness of the arguments of those who claim that such a transition is impossible in the short term, who say that it must be based on a period of continued reliance on “clean” fossil fuels such as natural gas obtained by fracking, or on an expansion of the burning of “clean coal”.
Freeman and Parks show, in devastating detail, not only how such arguments are illogical but how they are in fact terrifyingly dangerous. They show how those “slow-lane” arguments are based on false, complacent assumptions about our ability to manage the environmental impact of continued widespread use of fossil fuels, and how big chunks of the private sector at the corporate level are beginning to abandon them as a dead-end that will ultimately cost huge amounts of money and inflict continued damage on the environment.
Indeed, this is perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the book: Freeman and Parks show the way in which business is getting on board in the transition to a green-electric future – not because it will save the environment, but because it will make money.
They show how the opportunities are growing, at all economic levels, from the individual to the local, to the regional, to the national, to make the transition to clean energy and to do so in a way that will renew our communities, empower individuals (you will be a producer of energy as well as a consumer!), and enrich our economies. Saving the environment will simply be a bonus!
I do have one note of caution though: this book, as the title makes clear, is about the United States and is aimed at an American audience.
The parallels with Canada are strong but not exact, and so if you read this book and are inspired to make change in your life, and in that of your community, then you will need to familiarize yourself with the regulatory environment in your province.
But this book shows you, broadly, how to do that – how to figure out how your utility companies are governed, how provincial legislation may direct their policies, and how you can get involved as a citizen in the creation of new, green policies.
The most important takeaway from this book, however, is not that the transition is possible, but that it is practical, sensible, and must be done now.
And in this sense it is incredibly timely for Canadians: in November 2015 at the international Paris Climate Conference the Federal Government committed to a legally-binding massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. That can only be done by massively reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to renewably-sourced green energy. It cannot be done by transitioning to natural gas “for a while” until “green energy is ready”. That is a dead-end policy, both for the environment and economically. It cannot be done by governments alone – we all have to work in partnership to make it happen.
Freeman and Parks show that green energy is economically competitive now, both for the individual consumer and for the broader economy. They show that we have an opportunity, indeed, an obligation, to make this happen, so I would urge you to read this book and begin your journey to a greener future!
**2018: Please note: this business is no longer in operation**
*Disclosure: Our family received a trip on the dog sledding adventure in exchange for this blog post. It just means we get to tell you about the most incredible family adventure! All opinions are our own.*
That was the most incredible outdoor, family adventure we have ever had.
“The only problem is, Mom,” says Daniel (9), “I can’t decide what was my favourite part!”
Our family had the incredible opportunity to go dog sledding with Snowpak Dog Sledding Adventures in Riversdale, Nova Scotia (between Truro and New Glasgow).
I first heard about this dog sledding adventure through my friend Nicole, who teaches tourism at the Community College. She had written about it in a winter-fun column. As soon as I read it, I knew we had to do it! Nicole graciously set me up with owner Michael Stratton, with whom we were able to make arrangements to come up for a visit.
Dog sledding in the woodlands of Nova Scotia allows you to take a trip back in time to when this was one of the main modes of winter transportation through the Canadian wilderness.
Enjoy the winter landscape as you quietly glide along the snow with your team of dogs and their musher, then end your day with a hot drink and a snack in a rustic wall tent like those used by early explorers.
Our Visit
As it turned out, our visit was on the coldest day of the winter with a wind chill of -25! However, nothing was going to get in the way of this adventure!
We bundled up and headed out into the woods. Because you are in the woods, it is sheltered and a bit warmer, but do dress appropriately with lots of layers and definitely a scarf to wrap around your face.
When we arrived, we were met by Michael’s dad who led us up the trail to the dog kennels. The dogs new that they would be going out soon, and they were excited!
Before heading out on the sleds, we were taught about dog sledding.
Did you know that dog sledders don’t use the words “Mush! Mush!” ?
The most common commands for a dog team are: • Gee!: Turn to the right. • Haw!: Turn to the left. • Easy!: Slow down. • Whoa: Stop. • On By!: Pass another team or other distraction.
This talk was fantastic. David says that not only did it tell the safety aspect (we are being pulled along by a ton and a ½ of dog power, after all) but we also got a sense of the dog teaming community from Nova Scotia all the way to Alaska. The boys listened so intently to his talk, and absorbed all this information! He would have been a great school teacher!
Hooking up the Dogs
When it came time to hook up the dogs, it was a group effort. Some people were assigned to stand on the brakes (because as soon as the dogs are attached, they will want to start running!)
Others, like David, had to stand with some of the other dogs, to make sure they weren’t chewing their lines or jumping on each other while waiting for the sled to be hooked up.
The dogs used at Snowpak are actually a mixture of Alaskan Sled Dogs and Siberian Huskies. Most of the dogs are bred on site, while others were delivered there by animal control.
They are really incredibly docile and friendly, but with such energy, they just want to run!
Two sleds run at the same time over a 5 km course through the woods. The scenery is so incredibly beautiful, especially as you come around the corner to a mountain view, look off.
The boys loved the ride. Sometimes the sled went up on it’s edge going around the corners, but it was all perfectly safe, and exhilarating.
“It was kind of scary when you were leaning over the edge, because you think you are going to fall over, but you actually weren’t,” said Thomas (7).
The entire sled ride takes about 20 minutes. It is so relaxing to just sit there, enjoy the scenery, and to take in the fact that you are on a dog sled.
How cool and unique is that?
Thanks to my friend Lisa for letting me use her Go-Pro camera!
Meeting the Dogs
After everyone in the group had a ride, the dogs were unhooked and returned to their kennel. We gave them a few minutes to calm down while we had hot chocolate and cookies in the warm hut.
Then, we headed into the kennel to meet the dogs.
This was such a great part of the day’s adventure, and just as much fun as the dog sledding itself.
“It was fun to play with the dogs afterwards because Jumble was jumping on me,” Thomas said.
They made quick friends with the dogs – playing with them, being licked, and providing lots of love and attention.
I could not get over how friendly and affectionate these dogs were! I would have taken any of them home as a family pet!
Want to try the dog sleds without the snow? Try a cart ride in the fall! SnowPak Kennels has specifically designed carts that the dogs pull during fall training and when there isn’t enough snow for the sleds.
They offer shorter, but exciting rides on these carts – with cart rides we also supply the same instruction and training as for sled rides.
Pricing: $20-$30 (+tax) – family and group rates are negotiable.
Snowshoeing on Site
The scenery at SnowPak Kennels is stunningly beautiful. There are so many trails through the woods, that you can spend all day exploring it.
Bring your snowshoes and discover the trails. We would have done this, had it not been so cold on the day we went.
Want to just go snowshoeing on site without the dog sledding? That’s possible too, for just $10 a person.
If winter camping is your thing, you can stay on site!
Opportunities are available to individuals, families, and groups and you can use a combination of walled tents and regular tents. As part of this package, you get instruction on winter survival, and you also get a dog sled adventure!
Contact them for prices and details.
Reservations and Special Notes
Your sledding package includes a tour of our kennel, meeting all of our dogs, instructions on how to handle and harness sled dogs, how to hook dogs up to the sled, basic dog mushing terminology and commands, a dog sled ride, and hot drinks and snacks in our wall tent – the ride itself covers several kilometers – the time it takes depends on weather and trail conditions.
Pricing: the basic cost for the above package is $50-$80 (+tax) – small children may be able to pair up with each other or a parent – family and group rates are negotiable – families or groups can also book the kennel
Reservations
SnowPak Dog Sledding Adventures is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays whenever snow conditions are suitable.
**Please note: the dog sleds can carry up to a maximum of 250 pounds**
SnowPak Dog Sledding Adventures is located on the highway between Truro and New Glasgow, in Riversdale. From the Valley it takes approximately 1.5 hours to get there.
We are definitely heading back this summer for some more family fun!
Staying in Truro
If you are not going to winter camp on site, you still might want to make a weekend out of your adventure as we did. Although drivable in a day, we decided to spend the night before in Truro, because it was only a 30 minute drive from there.
Because of a provincial swim meet and a hockey tournament that weekend, it was really difficult to find a place to stay.
We originally made a booking in a nearby motel, but when we found out a murder had happened there a few years previously, we felt a bit nervous about the area! Thanks to a last minute cancellation, we were able to get a room at the Comfort Inn right off the highway. And, lucky for us, it included breakfast, too!
If you are staying in Truro, be sure to go to Murphy’s Fish and Chips, located at 88 Esplande by the VIA rail station.
A friend recommended it to us, and we are so glad we went! They even have the distinction of being voted as the #1 place in Canada for English-style fish and chips!
My British husband agrees! Yumm!
Overall
We had a fabulous time in Truro and surrounding area for a weekend of outdoor family fun! We are still reeling from our fantastic adventure with Snowpak Dog Adventures.
Do yourselves a favour, and give your family one of the most unique trips of the year!
Memories are made of this! Travel local. Support local. And have fun with your family!
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