The 18to8 campaign, that originated with the David Suzuki Foundation, although satirical, suggests that if eight-year-old kids would actually be able to vote, politicians would do more in the fight against climate change.

The satirical campaign’s sentiment is actually a good thought although not necessarily from 18 to eight. Voting is vital in a democracy. It raises your concerns, elects officials who share your beliefs and holds officials accountable for their actions and responsibilities.

To be able to vote in Canada, you have to be at least 18. But many Canadians younger than 18 —some more aware of issues and certainly more passionate than older voters — have no say on who gets to lead the country in which they hope to grow older.

The solution is straightforward. Lower the voting age from 18 to 16. It’s just two years. Many experts agree that it’s not much of a difference, but it makes a huge impact in civic engagement. And if we encourage 16-year-olds to develop the voting habit they will be ready to lead earlier.

Other countries have taken the lead on this.

Austria is the best example where voter turnout among 15-30-year-olds has been 79 per cent in elections in the last three years.

Europe’s average is 64 per cent. Here in Canada, in the previous federal election in 2015, 57 per cent of eligible 18- to 24-year-old voters cast a ballot.

It’s also a matter of fairness. Most teenagers have an economic stake in the country well before 18, with part-time jobs starting as early as 15.

The idea seemed to gain some momentum in Canada during this federal election campaign. Last month, the Union of B.C. Municipalities passed a resolution to lower the voting age.

Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault told CBC News last year it was an idea worth considering.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have indicated support for a change at the federal level. How could they, and the other party leaders not? On Sept. 27, hundreds of thousands of youth across Canada gathered to call for climate action, joining millions of people on a global climate strike sparked by 16-yearold Greta Thunberg.

The local climate strike in downtown St. Catharines on that day was very empowering. The youth were yelling, “Schools strike for climate!” and students below 18-years-old were speaking their thoughts and demanding leaders to be accountable to their promises and to put the citizens’ interests first.

The argument that 16-year-olds are just too young just won’t be heard if they continue to mobilize and show more civic engagement. It’s also hard to fight against the argument that we, as a society, as a planet, are just running out of time. If you’re 16, the temptation just to give up on the whole process is strong if you look around and see a climate emergency and massive social and economic shifts.

Students say that with all the unprecedented destruction of the environment, school is pointless. They question “why study for a future that won’t be there?” or even “why spend a lot of effort to become educated when governments aren’t listening to the educated?” We need to engage these voices not dismiss them.

Today’s youth are waking up to these issues and are aware of the consequences that will affect them more than say Millennials, Gen Xers or Boomers. “Kids” are serious about the planet’s future.

The 18to8 campaign website says: “While grown-ups are worried about grownup things like gas prices and political popularity contests, we’re passionate about protecting the natural world – our home.

“You think kids voting is crazy? Doing nothing is crazier.”

Let’s give them a chance

THERESA REDULA

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By THERESA REDULA
Published Nov. 26, 2019 (Niagara News)

Anything new tends to make people nervous and skeptical. Electric cars are relatively new and everything about them is different compared to gas-powered vehicles: refuelling, engine, expenses and such.

Since electric vehicles made headlines and have become stars in automotive industry competitions, dozens of myths have surfaced and negatively impacted the reputation of electric vehicles. This caused people to be hesitant about buying an electric vehicle.

Bryan Mewhiney, Niagara College’s Renewable Energies Technician co-ordinator and professor, says that the claims about electric vehicles being short-ranged is “definitely a myth.”

Electric vehicles are not limited when it comes to range. In fact, Tesla S, a pure electric vehicle, has around 539 kilometres of range and 500 kilometres on full charge. This is more than enough for an average commuter to get back and forth to work, says Mewhiney.

When it comes to electric vehicles being slower, Mewhiney says that a Tesla can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour, or around 96 kilometres per hour, in 2.4 seconds.

Sheri Waldie, a Niagara College library technician who owns a Tesla Model 3, says that because there is no transmission and no gear changing, her pure electric vehicle “is like a rocket ship. It goes faster and faster.”

Mewhiney adds that there is also Formula E racing, which is an electric racing circuit, just like Formula One racing.

Although electric vehicles cost more compared to gas-powered vehicles, Waldie says that buying the car is worth it because of the fuel savings.

Waldie adds that she pays less insurance for the car because of its higher safety rating.

Mewhiney compares the Chevrolet Volt Plug-in hybrid to Chevrolet Cruze, which he says is roughly comparable in size, capacity and usability.

Considering everything from the car price and the cost of fuel or charge per kilometre, Mewhiney says that the Volt hybrid is actually a smarter choice for a vehicle compared to the gas-powered Cruze.

“At the same usage, we’re looking at a total price on 10 years: $48,400 for Cruze versus $48,500 for Volt hybrid,” says Mewhiney. “If gas prices go up, the Volt is a more economical vehicle, especially if you drive more.”

Waldie says that electric vehicles are “extremely practical and very user-friendly.”

She says that her Tesla Model 3 tells the driver where all the Tesla superchargers are with how far the car is from it.

For other electric vehicles, Mewhiney adds that there is a website called chargehub.com that shows charging stations and tells the driver if a charger is being used in real time.

In fact, there are two charging stations by Niagara College Welland campus and one charging station at the Seaway Mall.

Rumours about electric vehicles say these cars are unsafe because the lithium batteries are dangerous and can explode.

Mewhiney answers, “So can gasoline. Everything’s unsafe right?” He says that in reality people accept the risks, including the lithium batteries that they use every day: laptops, phones, smartwatches and such; these electronic gadgets have the ability to rapidly release energy if mishandled in some way.

Waldie also says that she does not experience any issues with her electric vehicle’s batteries.

Myths also say that electric vehicles are not “greener.”

Mewhiney says this myth particularly applies to the U.S., where a number of electric power plants are coal- or oil-powered.

However, he says that in Canada, a large percentage of the energy comes from zero emission sources and low carbon sources such as natural gas, hydroelectric generation and solar and wind power plants.

Mewhiney concludes for this myth that electric vehicles are greener than gaspowered vehicles depending on where drivers use it and where they charge it.

The batteries are reprocessed into the same thing or into secondary materials, contrasting misconceptions about them ending up in landfills.

“Batteries are not supposed to go to landfill,” says Mewhiney. “There’s specific diversion for batteries in general so materials can be processed into other materials.”

The increase of electric vehicles on streets meant the increase of concerns over the power grid crashing if millions of plug-in vehicles charge at once.

Mewhiney says that as more people buy electric vehicles, it’s becoming more likely.

He says, however, that there is already a tool to throttle the load during high-peak areas in time when there’s overload on the grid, which can be applied to electric vehicles.

Myths about electric vehicles also say that these vehicles take too long to charge. Mewhiney says there are actually several types of charging stations: DC fast charging stations that can get the car some hundred miles of range in 15 minutes, the level two charging stations can charge the car enough to go home if a driver’s coming from work and, for most, their home charger can charge it in eight to 12 hours.

Waldie chooses to charge her electric vehicle between midnight and 4 a.m. She also adds that the vehicle stops charging the moment the battery gets full so the car is not charging needlessly.

Mewhiney says that the only real issue with charging is when the driver has to stop for hours just to charge the car while on a thousand-kilometre journey.

Overall, Mewhiney says that electric vehicles are “absolutely” the technology for the future because have the potential to replace gaspowered vehicles.

Waldie says that electric vehicles are “a lot better” because there are no emissions.

“Cars spew out so much pollution. It’s just nice to be able to drive a clean vehicle and feel good about it,” says Waldie. “When we first got it, my son who is 19 said ‘I’m so excited because this is the future.’”

People are only doubtful about electric vehicles because they don’t understand the technology, says Mewhiney.

Waldie adds that drivers like her take “a little bit to get used to it,” because they are nervous at first.

Mewhiney says the public needs more education on how electric vehicles work. He admits there are risks, similar to gas-powered vehicles, but that electric vehicles are perhaps even safer.

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By THERESA REDULA
Published March 11, 2020 (Niagara News)

Not being the fastest, largest or strongest is okay. In fact, it has its advantages.

Survival of the Slowest, an educational exhibit at the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, proves that some animals’ disadvantages are the reasons why they still exist today.

The exhibit presents the animals’ unique adaptation of slow speed that translates into an effective survival strategy: avoiding predators, wasting less energy and eating less than faster animals. The most-visited

The most-visited animal in the exhibit is Barry, a Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth.

“He’s not from the wild,” says zoologist and evolutionary biologist Haley Yorke, who is also the wildlife educator in the exhibit.

She adds that Barry, named after fictional DC Comics character Barry Allen (The Flash), is “very spoiled” and “loves his hammock and blanket.”

“He’s always bugging me for sweet potatoes. That’s his chocolate basically.”

Because of the sloth’s slow speed and tendency to be still, predators may find it more difficult to find and hunt them.

Other animals in the exhibit have also adapted to a slower life for survival, such as the green iguana, and the red-footed tortoise.

The green iguana, named Hammer, likes to hang-out on his favourite log and “soak in the sunlight from his heat lamp.” He also tends to be lazy, but can run “pretty fast if he wants to,” although not for very long.

Living in the same enclosure with him is his fellow vegetarian the red-footed tortoise, Strawberry.

Yorke says fighting won’t be an issue between the two animals.

“(They) get along nicely because they’re all vegetarians and nobody’s going to be nibbling on anybody else.”

“(Fighting) is something that is very unlikely, especially for those animals,” she adds. “If we thought there’s a chance of them harming each other, we just wouldn’t put them together.”

Yorke adds that both the green iguana and red-footed tortoise are from the rainforest region in Central and South America.

“It wouldn’t be unusual to find them together in the wild.”

The exhibit’s visitors were also curious about one other animal, the African bullfrog.

Visitors had to look twice to find the bullfrog, as it tucked itself deep into the mud but its eyes were peeking just above the ground.

The African bullfrog, coming from a wet or dry season, can spend up to six months soaking itself under the mud to keep its skin moist; it is another way animals adapt into a lowenergy lifestyle.

The exhibit doesn’t really take out the bullfrog for visitor interaction due to the mucus and slime coat on its skin.

“Because amphibians breathe through their skin a little bit, they tend to absorb anything that comes into contact with their skin,” says Yorke.

“When we do bring them out, we don’t let people touch them because … different people may have hand sanitizer, soap, perfume and not all those things can be healthy for them absorbing into their skin.”

However not all animals in the exhibit are what visitors expected.

Yorke, in one enclosure at the corner, took out a ball python, which was a surprise for some visitors.

She explained that among Survival of the Slowest exhibits, they don’t always have the ball python, sometimes they have the blood python, which fits the theme “a little bit better.”

But both are “great, big, chunky snakes that stay still.”

Both snakes tend to “sit in just one spot and just wait for food to come to them.”

Lack of movement for predatory animals such as snakes is an advantage because they can stay motionless and “grab something walking past.”

Other animals in the exhibit include a veiled chameleon, pancake tortoise, tarantulas and scorpions.

Yorke says that the most rewarding experience for her is when visitors see that their fears of the animals, especially toward snakes and spiders, are “a little misplaced and they don’t have to be afraid of something that they’re afraid of.”

The animals in the exhibit, run by Little Ray’s Nature Centre and the Canadian Museum of Nature, are rescues.

Yorke says that the animals they care for tend to be former pets of people who thought having them for pets would be “cool” but realized they couldn’t take care of them because they’re more expensive to care for than they expected, or because of their longer lifespan. For example, tortoises can live up to 40 or even 60 years.

The Survival of the Slowest exhibit will run at the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory until May 31.

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By THERESA REDULA
March 13, 2020 (Niagara News)

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By THERESA REDULA
Nov. 26, 2019

Another election, another win for Niagara Centre Liberal incumbent Vance Badawey.

The election took place Monday, Oct. 21.

Badawey was re-elected with 2,214 more votes than Conservative April Jeffs, with a total of 20,109 votes or 35 per cent of votes in Niagara Centre.

Holding his election rally at The Black Sheep Lounge, Badawey thanked all of his supporters, including his family members, his campaign team and volunteers.

“I was just a face, and sometimes the arms and the legs, but you guys were knocking on doors, calling on phones, putting up signs, talking on the streets – you guys rocked it,” said Badawey in his winning speech.

“We worked hard on this one … each and every one of you that are here right now had a part to play in this campaign.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. Without you guys, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Badawey said that he’s been privileged to represent his riding for the last four years in the House of Commons. “People asked in the last couple of days, ‘What are you going to do?’ I said, ‘You know what? I just want to get back to work.’”

Badawey also reaffirmed his commitment to his riding.

“Yes, we have a lot of activities happening up in Ottawa… but I’m a riding guy and I want to ensure that the issues of the people here in Niagara Centre, and all of Niagara quite frankly, are to be looked after,” said Badawey.

Badawey said he will prioritize a couple of issues: economy, seniors issues, healthcare, poverty and jobs.

He also added that he wants to ensure more affordable housing available in the area during the upcoming term.

“Each and every one of you, thank you for putting me back in that seat to work with you to ensure that Niagara Centre, and all of Niagara moves forward.”

Malcolm Allen, NDP candidate, who served as Niagara Centre MP from 2008-2015, came to The Black Sheep Lounge to congratulate Badawey.

Allen tried to gain the seat back, but ranked third with 15,358 votes or 26.7 per cent, following behind Jeffs’s 17,895 votes.

Allen was followed by Green Party’s Michael Tomaino, ranking fourth place, with a distant 2,999 votes.

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Three years after the announcement of plans of shutting off the American Falls in 2019, state officials now say that the shutdown may not happen this year.

The American Falls “dewatering” did not push ahead because of the lack of funding for the project, which is estimated to be around US $30 million.

The dewatering is part of the efforts to replace a pair of historic bridges which connect the mainland United States to Goat Island “in the most physically responsible way.”

According to a state-issued public presentation, it involves building temporary structures, called cofferdams, to redirect the water flow to the Horseshoe Falls and give way for the replacement of the deteriorating concrete arch bridges.

New York State Parks spokeswoman Angela Berti says that currently the 118-year-old bridges have a metal bridge over the top of it that was built in 2004 to secure itself, which makes it “totally safe, but an eyesore” after restoring the whole park.

The 14-year-old bridges “Functioned adequately to maintain pedestrian access, but were not considered an acceptable long-term solution,” said a state-issued design report. “The temporary bridges need to be replaced because they are not consistent with the character of the park…”

If the funding for the project is granted, it would take an estimated two-anda-half years of preparation for design, environmental reviews and marketing.

Berti also says the impact on tourism is also a concern, citing the 1969 dewatering for research and study on erosion that had a negative impact on tourism.

However, New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation is convinced that in this age of social media, the dewatered falls will gain more curiosity and attention.

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