A protest was held recently infront of the white house by a group who oppose the keystone pipeline. According to protesters, record temperatures have been seen all over the world, and emissions will only make the situation worse. TransCanada has said that the pipeline will create over 9000 much needed jobs, but the protesters say that it is not worth it and there is a much better way to create jobs and boost the economies of both Canada and the US. I think that the pros of the pipeline do not outway the environmental effects. The pipeline will destroy many environmentally sensitive areas in BC and the US, and there are many better ways that the government can create jobs.

Protesters outside the White House

In a recent lecture on environmental sustainability, we discussed Vancouver being the greenest city in Canada, and one of the greenest cities in the world. I thought this was quite interesting, and decided to do a little research on the topic, which is when I found an article on a recent project by the City of Vancouver to become even greener. The city uses its plastic waste, which is diffficult to recycle, and develops a material to add it to asphalt, saving on the cost to lay the asphalt, since it does not have to be heated up as much, and reducing greenhouse gas emmissions. The material is developed in Ontario, but Vancouver soon hopes to develop it locally.

This is a great way to use recycled materials that otherwise may not have had any use, and also reducing on fuel emmissions. This is something that would be especially useful in cities with harsh winters, that require a lot of construction on the roads once the snow melts. I think the City of Vancouver is doing an excellent job in becoming greener, and should pass on its techniques to other cities to help make the entire world a greener and more sustainable place.

I recently read a business blog from www.canadianbusiness.com on RIM’s recent marketing strategies. In response to Blackberry’s recent decline in popularity, RIM has decided that they need a new marketing strategy, and have taken the slogan “Blackberry by choice”, a slogan originally coined by the website www.crackberry.com, a fan site and forum for Blackberry users.

crackberry.com is even selling apparel with the slogan

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The blog describes, and I agree, how this is not the best marketing strategy, and if this is how RIM expects to increase sales, it’s probably not going to happen. The slogan pokes fun at the fact that most Blackberry users have switched to iPhone or some other smartphone, and I think it is a successful slogan for publicity and marketing for the fan site and forum, but I do not think that it is a slogan that RIM itself should endorse. The slogan alludes to the fact that there is a reason most Blackberry users have now switched, and implies that the Blackberry users by choice are ill-informed and that is the reason they did not switch. I don’t think that this is a successful marketing strategy for RIM, and will not boost their sales.