Wow, it's been like a five days since I wrote anything substantial on here. I need to get into a better bloggin' routine...
My week off has been fairly busy. I finished all of my appointments on Thursday with an early morning trip to the dentist (no cavities!!) and have just been hanging out with friends and going out a lot. I saw The Messenger on Friday at the Garneau at 109th and 87th. It was really good, but really, really sad. Just like The Hurt Locker, I once again had to explain to my Dad the meaning behind the movie as soon as it was over.
Ever since I was really young, I've made an effort to stay informed about what's going on in the world. I check Google News almost every morning, along with the often hilarious Toronto Sun Cover Reviews. Once in a while, I'll find a story that I'll really latch onto. Often, I'll intensely research the issue and regularly bring it up in conversation with complete strangers. In the past year, I've saturated my brain with information on Bill 44, the Myspace suicide, and U.S. healthcare reform.
Most recently, my "major beef" is the Syncrude trial taking place just down the street from my house! For those of you that don't know, Syncrude is one of the big players in Alberta's oilsands industry. Essentially, they're "the shit" at destroying acres of the northern Alberta landscape and polluting our rivers and air. As Syncrude's lawyers have made very clear, one key feature of any oilsands operation is the tailings ponds used to contain noxious pollutants and excess bitumen. These toxic lagoons are often the size of small towns. Well, back in 2008, about 1,600 ducks thought it would be fun to chill in one of Syncrude's tailings ponds and never made it out alive.
Now, the company is on trial for the incident. Syncrude's lawyer has made ridiculous claims that the ducks maliciously decided to land in the tailings pond, as waterfowl are apparently supposed to be fully aware of the contents of these ponds. Now, their lawyer has even boldly stated that if his client is found guilty, Alberta's oilsands industry will be "doomed." The older more outdated Marc (circa 2007ish?) would probably have sympathized with Syncrude's claims. However, Marc 2.0, equipped with two years of education in environmental studies, genuinely hopes this trial spells the end of the oilsands industry. I honestly don't think there would be a greater blessing for this province's future.
Syncrude's closing arguments are on Wednesday and I can't wait to see what happens.
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