Formula Photographic - Action, Adventure, and Automotive Photography & Video

China's Thirst For SUV's

Maybe I'm naive, but I thought China was going to try and be environmentally conscious and forward thinking regarding their exploding automotive and fuel demand.  Without China taking some leadership in this issue, we're going to be in a world of hurt! Time to start charging those electric cars folks!

Today only 24 out of 1,000 people in China own a car, one-fifth of the rate of the rest of the world. If China's fuel consumption were at the same rate per capita as the U.S., they would require all of the petroleum that is currently consumed annually per year, according to the book Lives Per Gallon by Terry Tamminen. And just imagine what that would do oil prices and CO2 emissions.

Link: Autopia.

Woodwards Building Demolition!

The Woodwards building was demo'ed this morning in Vancouver.  The old department store was over 100 years old, and only a portion of it has been kept for the upcoming redevelopment.  I totally forgot about it and should have stayed in the city over night...alas, I have to watch it vicariously through all the YouTube and Flickr images.  Here's video of the demolition from a nearby rooftop - caution: language alert

Partially De-Gridding

So, I'm off to Montreal tomorrow for the first leg of a 15-day work trip.  First stop is the Rally Defi St-Agathe Duhamel where I will be continuing my work as DP (Director of Photography) for the Canadian Rally Championship television show.  As soon as the champagne pops Saturday evening, we have to high-tail it to the airport to catch a flight to St. John's, Newfoundland.  I'll be switching roles there, exchanging the video camera for my Nikon still camera and documenting the 6-day automobile adventure called Targa Newfoundland.  Fellow rally photographer Andrew Harvey and I have teamed up to shoot photos for some of the top teams entered, including Subaru Canada, Mini Canada, Team VDG, and more.  This event takes us all over Newfoundland - from Gander to Marystown to St. John's!  I've never been east of New Brunswick (in Canada) so I'm looking forward to it.  Pass the Screech!

Back on the 20th...till then, I'll be partially "de-gridding" as I go in and out of cell and internet coverage depending on my location.

Crikey! Stingray Kills 'Crocodile Hunter'

Steve Irwin, the Australian TV presenter known as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died after being stung in a marine accident off Australia's north coast. :(

See ya later, Alligator.

 

Link: CNN.com - Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' - Sep 4, 2006.

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I'm Done Flying

Oh Great.  Two words for the reaction to the latest terror threat.  Knee.  Jerk.  The terrorists have acheived the reaction they were looking for....mass panic and arbitrary "security measures" that have no effect on true passenger safety.

So now we can't take laptops, water, ipods, etc onto flights into the USA, and Canadian flights are only a little less restrictive.  Air Canada will probably start charging for water now because they've got us captive.

What happens now if I'm flying for business, taking my camera pack with $15,000 worth of gear?  I NEVER check this equipment in, and I'm not about to let the baggage handlers have their way with it.  Does this mean I have to drive everywhere or forgoe work that involves flying?  Are the airlines prepared to pay for damage to expensive electronic devices suchs as laptops that are getting broken in checked luggage?  Are the airlines going to let us check in more than 2 bags, or at least increase the weight restrictions?  Probably not.

After my recent hassle at US Customs, I'm getting bitter about the whole process of travelling - especially across borders.

Link: CBC News: Canadian airport restrictions to stay for a while.

The Mayor Who Wowed the World Urban Forum

Link: The Mayor Who Wowed the World Urban Forum :: thetyee.ca.

Enrique Penalosa presided over the transition of a city that the world--and many residents--had given up on. Bogota had lost itself in slums, chaos, violence, and traffic. During his three-year term, Penalosa brought in initiatives that would seem impossible in most cities, even here in the wealthy north. He built more than a hundred nurseries for children. He built 50 new public schools and increased enrolment by 34 percent. He built a network of libraries. He created a highly-efficient, "bus highway" transit system. He built or reconstructed hundreds of kilometers of sidewalks, more than 300 kilometres of bicycle paths, pedestrian streets, and more than 1,200 parks.

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CBC's Foreign Correspondents Forum

CBC Newsworld has been showing a fantastic feature over the past couple of days called "The Foreign Correspondants Forum". It follows a Q&A format with a panel of Canada's top foreign journalists.  It is a refreshingly "un-media" view of journalism and world politics straight from the people who are on the ground in warn torn parts of the world.  The discussion ranges from how the journalists deal with safety in the field, to their personal & professional opinions about current affairs across the globe.  No script writers, no news hype...just straight up answers to honest questions.  There certainly seems to be some concern amongst the correspondants about how the new Canadian government is aligning our country's foreign policy more in line with the Unites States.  If you get a chance to check these shows out, I highly recommend it.  This sort of programming is what the CBC should (and occasionally does) excel at.

Link: CBC.ca - Program Guide - Foreign Correspondents Forum.

Reporting from the front lines of breaking news stories around the globe, the CBC’s renowned foreign correspondents often risk their lives to offer Canadians a unique perspective on world events.

On June 5th and June 6th Canadians will be given a rare look at the realities of covering these events in CBC NEWS: FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS, a series of two one-hour forums featuring award-winning CBC foreign journalists.

Broadcast from The Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, the correspondents will share the fears, struggles and triumphs of foreign reporting. From the rise of the Chinese economic empire to the rampant violence in the Middle East to the wars in Europe and Asia, CBC’s seasoned journalists have been there and will share their personal experiences with Canadians.

CBC News chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge will anchor the first forum, which will focus on war, particularly the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the politics surrounding them. Forming the panel will be Adrienne Arseneault, Nahlah Ayed, Patrick Brown, Margaret Evans, Bill Gillespie, Neil Macdonald, Michael McAuliffe, Don Murray and Paul Workman.

The second panel, which will be an open forum, will be anchored by CBC Radio’s Anna Maria Tremonti. Panellists will include Nahlah Ayed, Patrick Brown, Michael Colton, Margaret Evans, Laura Lynch, David McGuffin, Alison Smith, Nick Spicer and Connie Watson.

CBC NEWS: FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS can be seen on CBC Newsworld and heard on CBC Radio One on:

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS FORUM PART 1
CBC Newsworld:
June 1, 10 p.m ET
June 3, 9 a.m. ET
June 4, 4 p.m. ET

CBC Radio One: June 6, 8 p.m. local, 30 minutes later in N.L.

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS FORUM PART 2

CBC Radio One:

June 5, 8 p.m. local, 30 minutes later in N.L.

CBC Newsworld:
June 2, 10 p.m ET
June 4, 12 p.m. ET