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Coming Up for Air
THE FOURTH ELEMENT
» Thursday 22 October 2009 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing ideas
and people in the Okanagan creative economy. Join us as Nicole Marzinzik, air quality coordinator for the Regional District of the North Okanagan and Rick West of Quantum Wind Power explore the relationship have with the air we breathe.
» $2 at the door. Refreshments are available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
All I Need is the Air That I Breathe
It's one of the most ignored, and yet, vital and vibrant part of our world the air that surrounds us. Not a day goes by when every one of us has a very personal experience with air. In a way we're obsessed with it. As winter begins to close in, we monitor its temperature. And when the wood burning stoves fire up, we monitor the air quality and some say it's not getting any better.
But one thing we haven't done in North America is truly grasp the power of air that is until recently. Wind power is whipping up an frenzy of interest when it comes to clean energy.
On Thursday, October 22nd at 5 pm the ongoing weekly Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café presents Coming up for Air: The Fourth Element. The presentation marks the concluding chapter to the four-part series that revealed the Okanagan's relationship with earth, water, fire and air. Speaking at the event will be Nicole Marzinzik, air quality coordinator for the Regional District of the North Okanagan and Rick West, president of Quantum Wind Power Corp., a wind turbine manufacturing company based in Peachland.
 Nicole Marzinzik is responsible for developing and implementing programs that support the Regional District of North Okanagan's Air Quality Action Plan. This includes initiatives such as the Great Okanagan Woodstove Exchange, Anti-idling programs, the BC Scrap-It program and a Burn/Don't Burn advisory and education program.
Nicole also works in conjunction with the Air Quality Stakeholder Committee and the Okanagan Airshed Coalition as their staff liaison, researching and preparing reports and other materials regarding all aspects of air quality as it relates to air quality management.
Nicole has ten years of experience in the environmental field, working on air quality, waste reduction and water conservation issues. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Royal Roads University.
Marzinzik says the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys is in need of strong air quality management measures - particularly in light of an expected 50 per cent increase in the Valley population by 2020 a mere decade from now.
 Rick West been highly involved in the American and Canadian Wind Industry for nearly 20 years, developing, testing and demonstrating wind systems. He's speaking at numerous conferences such as the Canadian Wind Energy Association, Leading Edge BC, and the Premier's Technology Counsel. In 2008 OSTEC named Quantum Innovative Organization of the Year.
Currently the regional districts throughout the valleys are working to coordinate their efforts with the understanding that political boundaries mean nothing when it comes to air.
When it comes to what we can do with the wind, Rick West has been working to develop the industry from here in the valley. He says B.C. is among the slowest regions in North America when it comes to capturing the wind for energy purposes, and yet there are many parts of the province that are perfectly situated for wind power.
He counts the Okanagan as home to a significant wind corridor - think Keremeos and along the Connector above Peachland. That's where Quantum successfully erected the 5 kW Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine. The turbine was tested high in the hills along a crest overlooking Okanagan Lake, the District of West Kelowna, and Kelowna.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE
Coming up for Air: The Fourth Element takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 112th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007.
Express has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, distinguished editor and author Jim Taylor, poet and professor John Lent, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, community activist Don Elzer, dancer David LaHay, architect Jim Meiklejohn, culinary artist and writer Heidi Noble, broadcaster Marion Barschel and others from a wide range of creative fields.
Special Events coming up in November (Click on image for more information.)
  
The Okanagan Institute is a group of creative professionals that has gathered around the goal of providing events, publications and services of interest to enquiring minds in the Okanagan. We partner with individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses to achieve optimal creative and social impact.
Our mission is to ignite cultural transformation, catalyze collaborative action, build networks and foster sustainable creative enterprises. We invite the participation by all members of the creative community.
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