Greetings on the eve of election night.
Thank you to the tireless efforts of our team in Vancouver Point Grey and across our province. Thank you to my family, friends and colleagues in Kits and Point Grey and around the world for your words of encouragement disregardless of the long odds we face. We embraced the underdog role in Vancouver Point Grey and do see rays of hope for tomorrow’s election.
Adrianne Carr and Dennis Perry are leading strong campaigns and are challenging for their seats in Powell River Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Garibaldi.
Janek Kuchmistrz has emerged as a Green contender in Vancouver Burrard with Stuart McKinnon, Raven Bowen, Lorrinda Earl and Ian Gregson running strong campaigns in their respective ridings. The future looks bright for the Green Party as we drew a number of articulate and empassionate youthful leaders like Ashley and Cody.
The Green Party of BC continues to mature and history could demonstrate that the 2005 Election will be remembered by the province as the election where Greens demonstrated their electability.
Our campaign in Vancouver Point Grey has been a whirlwind of activity. As predicted, Gordon Campbell maintained his Invisible Man shtick and insulted the ideals of democracy by failing to participate in any all candidates meeting. We were able to capitalize on his absence with events and releases that helped build awareness of the Green Party in Vancouver Point Grey. We have had over 80 stories published on our campaign some calling us vigourous and others calling us savy. We complemented this enhanced public awareness with grass root activities like door knocking and main streeting and the sum of these actions will translate into votes tomorrow.
Surprisingly Mel Leehan was an Invisible Man of sorts as he missed two opportunities to participate in candidate meetings in the riding (April ~ UBC Law School, May ~ Vancouver Real Estate Forum, Planetarium). I do respect Mel for his local community track record and his absence at Candidate Meetings was likely dictated by NDP head quarters who wanted to provide profile to other more electable candidates. Appreciated the kind words of the Georgia Straight but for some reason they failed to grasp the depth, professional credibility and youthful vision of sustainability within a generation that our campaign presented. I must digress briefly and say that the Georgia Straight's editorial critique of STV from a poverty perspective is hard to grasp considering that homelessness has doubled in Vancouver in three years under the current First Past the Post Electoral System.
Certain community leaders continued to lobby us to align with the NDP to ensure Gordon Campbell’s eviction from Vancouver Point Grey. Unfortunately, for the NDP and fortunately for the Liberals this time, the Green Party is a growing global party that thinks globally and acts locally. Interactions with elected Australian Greens and German Greens only cemented my belief that it is not a matter of if but a matter of when the Green Party of BC will be a major elected force in this province.
So after all the sweat, aches and tears of the campaign what will it equate to tomorrow?
Our goal since November 27, 2004 has been to double our vote total and crest the 10,000 vote mark. We entered this race to assume David’s role and remove Goliath from Vancouver Point Grey. If the youth demographic (18 - 40) has a record turnout, if enough of the elders of Vancouver Point Grey vote for their grandchildren and vote Green and if the stars are aligned we just might be able to surprise the public and pundits in Vancouver Point Grey.
Thank you to all those supporters and media outlets that have followed our campaign. We are the little campaign that could and it has been an honor to represent the Green Party of BC in Vancouver Point Grey.
We believe in long term social change and are focused on making history!
Remember to vote Yes for electoral reform and Yes to the Citizens Assembly and STV.
Damian & “The Green Machine” (Metro News, May 16, 2005) of Vancouver Point Grey
Monday, May 16, 2005
Monday, May 09, 2005
Community Outreach, Cambell 2.0, Making History
Greetings from the campaign trail. Apologies on the long absence. Please see our media and events page. We have been working hard to make history.
The Greens in Vancouver Point Grey are building voter coalitions and using an innovative communications strategy to engage with our competitors. What does that mean in plain language? Well, we are taking chances and looking for unlikely voting friends.
We need to double our vote total and are being outspent approximately 44 to 1 by the Liberals and 7 to 1 by the NDP. Thus, we are taking some calculated risks with a goal of drawing attention to our visionary Green Party Book and its policies. Residents in Vancouver Point Grey desire an MLA that is focused on sustainability, preventative health care, renewable energy, electoral reform and innovative economic policy. The Greens can deliver on these policy goals.
To put it on the table, I am multi-faith, pro choice and pro spousal benefits for same sex partners. Our community outreach efforts to the Christian community is an multi-faith based initiative that identifies cross over environmental values. We believe that reverence for environmental values crosses religious lines. Senator Bob Brown did point out that the Greens do have an element of natural spirituality in our personality. I will say as much at the Multiculturalism Debate tomorrow night at the Jewish Community Centre.
Now, you may have heard of our Campbell 2.0 launch. The demand for innovative political strategies in dealing with Gordon Campbell seems to be high considering that 12+ news outlets showed up on 3 hours notice. Gordon Campbell has not attended an all candidate’s debate since 1996 thus slighting the ideals of democracy and upsetting the electorate. Campbell 2.0 will return unless Gordon Campbell starts to engage with his constituents. Look forward to hearing about your response Mr. Campbell, Mr. Jiles and / or Mr. Brown.
The bottom line is that we simply want to debate Gordon Campbell and Mel Leehan.
Marty Brown is ensuring that Gordon Campbell remains the invisible man in Vancouver Point Grey. Gerry Scott and the NDP head quarters have been shielding Mel Leehan from debates. I missed engaging with Mr. Leehan in April at the UBC Law School Debate and two weeks ago at the Vancouver Real Estate Board Debate. Mel is a well know guy in Vancouver Point Grey. He certainly isn’t well know for his debate attendance record.
Well, all the door knocking, events and speeches are coming down to this final eight sleeps.With Adriane’s strong performance at the leaders debate the Greens in Vancouver Point Grey can feel the wind at our backs. Our campaign team can realize the Perfect Storm, obtain 10,500 votes and thus likely elect a Green MLA.
Why will it happen you say? The residents of Vancouver Point Grey desire an MLA that is grounded in ethics and blossoming with a vision for sustainability.
The Greens in Vancouver Point Grey are building voter coalitions and using an innovative communications strategy to engage with our competitors. What does that mean in plain language? Well, we are taking chances and looking for unlikely voting friends.
We need to double our vote total and are being outspent approximately 44 to 1 by the Liberals and 7 to 1 by the NDP. Thus, we are taking some calculated risks with a goal of drawing attention to our visionary Green Party Book and its policies. Residents in Vancouver Point Grey desire an MLA that is focused on sustainability, preventative health care, renewable energy, electoral reform and innovative economic policy. The Greens can deliver on these policy goals.
To put it on the table, I am multi-faith, pro choice and pro spousal benefits for same sex partners. Our community outreach efforts to the Christian community is an multi-faith based initiative that identifies cross over environmental values. We believe that reverence for environmental values crosses religious lines. Senator Bob Brown did point out that the Greens do have an element of natural spirituality in our personality. I will say as much at the Multiculturalism Debate tomorrow night at the Jewish Community Centre.
Now, you may have heard of our Campbell 2.0 launch. The demand for innovative political strategies in dealing with Gordon Campbell seems to be high considering that 12+ news outlets showed up on 3 hours notice. Gordon Campbell has not attended an all candidate’s debate since 1996 thus slighting the ideals of democracy and upsetting the electorate. Campbell 2.0 will return unless Gordon Campbell starts to engage with his constituents. Look forward to hearing about your response Mr. Campbell, Mr. Jiles and / or Mr. Brown.
The bottom line is that we simply want to debate Gordon Campbell and Mel Leehan.
Marty Brown is ensuring that Gordon Campbell remains the invisible man in Vancouver Point Grey. Gerry Scott and the NDP head quarters have been shielding Mel Leehan from debates. I missed engaging with Mr. Leehan in April at the UBC Law School Debate and two weeks ago at the Vancouver Real Estate Board Debate. Mel is a well know guy in Vancouver Point Grey. He certainly isn’t well know for his debate attendance record.
Well, all the door knocking, events and speeches are coming down to this final eight sleeps.With Adriane’s strong performance at the leaders debate the Greens in Vancouver Point Grey can feel the wind at our backs. Our campaign team can realize the Perfect Storm, obtain 10,500 votes and thus likely elect a Green MLA.
Why will it happen you say? The residents of Vancouver Point Grey desire an MLA that is grounded in ethics and blossoming with a vision for sustainability.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Green Candidate ~ Published in "Business in Vancouver" May 3 - 9, 2005
Business in Vancouver ~ May 3 - 9, 2005
Damian Kettlewell: Podium
B.C. firms weigh in at Hannover fuel cell exhibit
Hydrogen and fuel cell commercialization from a B.C. perspective
I just returned from the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Trade Exhibit in Hannover, Germany, where from April 11 to 15 I was a forum moderator interviewing European, North American and Asian business leaders from the hydrogen sector.
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Trade Exhibit was in its 11th year, and had more than 100 exhibitors from 20 countries presenting the entire value-added chain from hydrogen production to components and services all the way to complete fuel-cell systems.
The exhibition encompassed fuel-cell applications ranging from powering portables such as camcorders and laptops, to mobiles (vehicles, forklifts), to stationary power plants.
This year, commercialization moved more to the forefront, said exhibit producer Arno Evers: "We will see that the expressed desire to now also make money with this technology will play an ever increasing role."
Investors have reason to be optimistic, considering the costs of setting up a hydrogen infrastructure in Europe have been over-estimated in the past. Linde AG released a study that showed a complete European hydrogen infrastructure will cost $5.6 billion, significantly lower than previously estimated. "The results of the study are a clear signal to us," noted Linde CEO Wolfgang Reitzle. "Entry into the hydrogen economy is feasible."
A sumary of Linde AG's study can be found at www.fuelcells works.com/Supppage2138.html. The study points to the centralized production of hydrogen and distribution in highly populated areas. To propel the implementation of a hydrogen economy infrastructure, European companies are calling for the elimination of taxes on hydrogen until 2020.
This European scenario is similar to B.C.'s Hydrogen Highway and its seven refuelling stations, which are expected be operational in southwestern B.C. by 2010.
Among B.C.-based companies at the exhibit were Greenlight Technologies and FuelCon Systems, which are capitalizing on the plethora of fuel-cell companies that require equipment to test fuel cell components. Quest Air Technologies of Burnaby exhibited its hydrogen purification technology and representatives spoke about opportunities in Japan.
Hydrogenics of Ontario was the most prominent Canadian exhibitor as it demonstrated its stationary and mobile fuel cells in the same booth as Greenlight Technologies, one of their subsidiaries. Hydrogenics is evolving into Canada's largest and most stable hydrogen and fuel-cell company after acquiring Stewart Energy and its hydrogen manufacturing and refuelling technology.
Noticeably absent from the exhibitor list this year was Ballard Power. Ballard did send a number of representatives to the exhibit, but there was speculation that it is trying to contain cash burn levels until it has new technology benchmarks to demonstrate.
Two market opportunities that exist for B.C.'s hydrogen economy companies include fuel cells as auxiliary power units for long-haul trucks and technologies that capture waste hydrogen and re-integrate it into a separate manufacturing process.
The high cost of fuel and anti-idling regulations are making fuel cells attractive as a means to power the "hotel" units of long-haul trucks.
Currently, these long-haul trucks idle their diesel engines through the night to power their heating and internal appliances. A 5-kilowatt fuel cell would meet all the power requirements for long-haul trucks while they are parked.
Netherlands-based Nedstack is developing a niche application for hydrogen fuel cells in the production of chlorine that captures waste hydrogen and feeds it to a fuel cell. North Vancouver's planned hydrogen refuelling station in the Hydrogen Highway would operate from a similar waste-hydrogen model.
In an interview that covered the global state of the hydrogen economy, David Jollie, editor of Fuel Cells Today, called for "cautious optimism." The Japanese are setting the most aggressive goals, and now plan to have 50,000 fuel-cell cars on the road by 2010.
North American hydrogen economy companies are known for over-promising their technology achievements, as Ballard Power and Plug Power have consistently failed to meet technology performance benchmarks. European fuel-cell companies have been more cautious in their goals, and, as a result, the valuation of their publicly traded companies has been relatively consistent.
Earlier expectations about fuel-cell cars are still limited by technology challenges. Fuel cells must have an operational life of at least 5,000 hours (it is currently around 1,500 hours). And costs must be contained: platinum, one of the critical raw materials for fuel cells, costs between $1,600 and $3,200 per vehicle.
The hydrogen economy's classic "chicken and egg" challenge persists: to ensure long-term viability, a hydrogen production and distribution system needs to be built, even while the search for an economically sustainable fuel-cell vehicle goes on.
Research and development dollars continue to rise every year, and it is not a matter of "if," but simply "when" fuel cells will be integrated into our daily lives. Niche opportunities in the hydrogen value chain are present for those entrepreneurs who understand the relationship between the regulatory, taxation and energy drivers in North America, Asia and Europe.
Damian Kettlewell (hydrogenmedia@telus.net) is a Vancouver-based consultant specializing in renewable energy.
Damian Kettlewell: Podium
B.C. firms weigh in at Hannover fuel cell exhibit
Hydrogen and fuel cell commercialization from a B.C. perspective
I just returned from the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Trade Exhibit in Hannover, Germany, where from April 11 to 15 I was a forum moderator interviewing European, North American and Asian business leaders from the hydrogen sector.
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Trade Exhibit was in its 11th year, and had more than 100 exhibitors from 20 countries presenting the entire value-added chain from hydrogen production to components and services all the way to complete fuel-cell systems.
The exhibition encompassed fuel-cell applications ranging from powering portables such as camcorders and laptops, to mobiles (vehicles, forklifts), to stationary power plants.
This year, commercialization moved more to the forefront, said exhibit producer Arno Evers: "We will see that the expressed desire to now also make money with this technology will play an ever increasing role."
Investors have reason to be optimistic, considering the costs of setting up a hydrogen infrastructure in Europe have been over-estimated in the past. Linde AG released a study that showed a complete European hydrogen infrastructure will cost $5.6 billion, significantly lower than previously estimated. "The results of the study are a clear signal to us," noted Linde CEO Wolfgang Reitzle. "Entry into the hydrogen economy is feasible."
A sumary of Linde AG's study can be found at www.fuelcells works.com/Supppage2138.html. The study points to the centralized production of hydrogen and distribution in highly populated areas. To propel the implementation of a hydrogen economy infrastructure, European companies are calling for the elimination of taxes on hydrogen until 2020.
This European scenario is similar to B.C.'s Hydrogen Highway and its seven refuelling stations, which are expected be operational in southwestern B.C. by 2010.
Among B.C.-based companies at the exhibit were Greenlight Technologies and FuelCon Systems, which are capitalizing on the plethora of fuel-cell companies that require equipment to test fuel cell components. Quest Air Technologies of Burnaby exhibited its hydrogen purification technology and representatives spoke about opportunities in Japan.
Hydrogenics of Ontario was the most prominent Canadian exhibitor as it demonstrated its stationary and mobile fuel cells in the same booth as Greenlight Technologies, one of their subsidiaries. Hydrogenics is evolving into Canada's largest and most stable hydrogen and fuel-cell company after acquiring Stewart Energy and its hydrogen manufacturing and refuelling technology.
Noticeably absent from the exhibitor list this year was Ballard Power. Ballard did send a number of representatives to the exhibit, but there was speculation that it is trying to contain cash burn levels until it has new technology benchmarks to demonstrate.
Two market opportunities that exist for B.C.'s hydrogen economy companies include fuel cells as auxiliary power units for long-haul trucks and technologies that capture waste hydrogen and re-integrate it into a separate manufacturing process.
The high cost of fuel and anti-idling regulations are making fuel cells attractive as a means to power the "hotel" units of long-haul trucks.
Currently, these long-haul trucks idle their diesel engines through the night to power their heating and internal appliances. A 5-kilowatt fuel cell would meet all the power requirements for long-haul trucks while they are parked.
Netherlands-based Nedstack is developing a niche application for hydrogen fuel cells in the production of chlorine that captures waste hydrogen and feeds it to a fuel cell. North Vancouver's planned hydrogen refuelling station in the Hydrogen Highway would operate from a similar waste-hydrogen model.
In an interview that covered the global state of the hydrogen economy, David Jollie, editor of Fuel Cells Today, called for "cautious optimism." The Japanese are setting the most aggressive goals, and now plan to have 50,000 fuel-cell cars on the road by 2010.
North American hydrogen economy companies are known for over-promising their technology achievements, as Ballard Power and Plug Power have consistently failed to meet technology performance benchmarks. European fuel-cell companies have been more cautious in their goals, and, as a result, the valuation of their publicly traded companies has been relatively consistent.
Earlier expectations about fuel-cell cars are still limited by technology challenges. Fuel cells must have an operational life of at least 5,000 hours (it is currently around 1,500 hours). And costs must be contained: platinum, one of the critical raw materials for fuel cells, costs between $1,600 and $3,200 per vehicle.
The hydrogen economy's classic "chicken and egg" challenge persists: to ensure long-term viability, a hydrogen production and distribution system needs to be built, even while the search for an economically sustainable fuel-cell vehicle goes on.
Research and development dollars continue to rise every year, and it is not a matter of "if," but simply "when" fuel cells will be integrated into our daily lives. Niche opportunities in the hydrogen value chain are present for those entrepreneurs who understand the relationship between the regulatory, taxation and energy drivers in North America, Asia and Europe.
Damian Kettlewell (hydrogenmedia@telus.net) is a Vancouver-based consultant specializing in renewable energy.
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