7.5 I don't always drink tea but when I do...

Just kidding I don't drink tea so this doesn't really apply to me but I do enjoy food and world crop production is being greatly affected by global warming.  Check out the article and think:
1) How is this going to affect you?
2) What can we do about this issue?
3) How is this going to affect other crops?
4) Who is going to get hurt the most if this trend continues?

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26754121

Friday's links for the computer lab

Here are the two links that you are to complete:

http://footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/

http://myfootprint.org/en/your_carbon_footprint/

Have fun, I will give you more info in class

7.4 Hungry?

We are heading into the Food unit of this course (I am pretty excited) and we will talk a lot about world food shortages.  However, we often forget that people right here in Canada need food too.  In Northern Canada this problem is higher than in other places but it still happens right here in Barrie.  Take a look at this article and think:
1) What can we do to help the aboriginals in the North?
2) Why are the numbers so high?
3) Why have the numbers remained so high?
4) How can this happen in a developed nation? Why is Canada's rate the highest?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/inuit-go-hungry-more-than-any-other-indigenous-group-report-1.2588107

7.3 Subway - Eat Fresh?

Subway bread is always known for it's delicious fresh bread but how do they do it?  What makes that bread so fresh and bouncy?  A new survey has found that ADA is the ingredient that helps keep their (and many other places) breads fresh. What is ADA you ask? It's a compound also found in yoga mats and sneaker soles!  Awesome, so think?
1) Why is this product in the foods we eat?
2) Why is it allowed in our foods?
3) What other elements are in there that we are not aware about?
4) If this is happening in countries where the food standards are very high what about the other parts of the world where this is not the case?  What are they eating?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/27/us-usa-food-chemicals-report-idUSBREA1Q08420140227

ISU DATES - Very important

Here is some very important information for your ISU.  I will go over the details in class but so far this is what I have:

Computer Time: 
Friday April 4,
Friday April 25,
Friday May 9,
Friday May 16,
Tuesday May 20.

DUE DATE:
Thursday, MAY 22, 2014 3:30pm - no exceptions!

Submitted through:
Turn it in - http://turnitin.com/

Citation Style: 
APA - http://www.apastyle.org/

Meetings:
I will randomly meet with you to make sure you are on track.  Please see me if you are having trouble with any part of your project.

Topics:
Please post to this thread so that we can see who is researching what and so that we don't get 15 reports on the Tar Sands.

7.2 Ebola...what?

So this isn't biology class but still interesting enough and there were reports that a man in Saskatchewan could possibly have this virus (which turned out to be false) but this is an issue because it could possibly affect global travel, economics and population.  I mean this could be a way to help the population control its numbers.  Anyway, read and think about this:
1) How does this impact the world?
2) Why is this virus prevalent in areas known to be poor economically and with high population growth rates?  Is there a correlation?
3) What can we do to help people in this situation?
4) How would you react if this was found in our area?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/ebola-outbreak-in-guinea-5-things-you-should-know-1.2584439

7.1 If the black box is indestructible why isn't the whole plane made of it?

What a tragedy this is...imagine not knowing where your family members are for such a long period of time and not knowing the cause of the disappearance.  Truly sad.
1) Why is this a world issue?
2) Why are so many countries getting involved? Like Australia why do they care?
3) What does this do to the flying industry and people's perception of flying?
4) Is there something hidden here?  Missing information that is being withheld?
Read and post if you like.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-mh370-search-planes-spot-objects-in-indian-ocean-1.2583761
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-ended-in-southern-indian-ocean-pm-says-1.2584000

6.5 Back in the USSR

So again imagine France invaded Quebec and held a referendum to determine if they should separate and become part of France.  I mean they already speak the language and have many social and cultural similarities.  Moreover, many Quebec residents are descendants of the French so it makes sense.  What do you think the reaction would be like worldwide?  Would sanctions be put on France and Quebec?  Well read this and think about this:
1) How similar is this scenario to Hitler's reign?  Hitler hosted an Olympics prior to WWII (just saying)
2) What is Putin's next move?
3) Why should we care?
4) How impressive is it that Putin has been able to consistently pull this kind of stuff off, remain high in the popularity vote, and bring Russia back to it's glory days of the USSR?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/why-vladimir-putin-s-crimea-victory-may-be-the-end-of-russia-s-ukraine-blitz-1.2577873

6.4 March Madness...no it's not some midnight sale extravaganza

American and Canadian Citizenship

Now an American citizen

It's not just a brain drain that is happening in Canada.  We have the talent drain as well where athletes are heading to American schools to compete at the university level of athletics.
1) Given the chance would you go to a US university to play/perform?
2) What does this do to our education system in Canada?
3) How many Canadian athletes/actors/actresses who go to the states actually come back?
4) What can we do here in Canada to combat this issue?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/ncaa-basketball-tournament-highlights-canadian-talent-drain-1.2575762

6.3 Gold in your pocket?

Hunting and deforestation caused the Caspian Tiger to become extinct in the 70s.

Did you know that right now you have gold, silver, platinum and other precious metals in your pocket?  Yup you are a rich person who is using up some of the rarest minerals on earth and they are all in your phone.
Read this article and think:
1) and most importantly according to Thomas Graedel, director of the Center for Industrial Ecology at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. We have never completely run out of a natural resource...do you agree? Explain.
2) What connection to population does this have?
3) How can we slow down our use of rare metals?
4) Do you think we are doomed?
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140314-the-worlds-scarcest-material

6.2 Moving back in with ma' and pa'

The water in Chicago rivers are dyed green on St Patty's Day
New York , Boston and Montreal hold massive parades as they have huge Irish settlements

We talked about the "Brain Drain" that happens in Canada well look at what some other countries are doing to help combat the problem.
1) What do you think of this idea in Ireland?
2) How could this impact the local job market?
3) What kind of brain drain happens in Canada?
4) If you chose to leave a country in the first place why would you want to return?


http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140310-from-expat-to-repat

6.1 I can see clearly now the smog is gone

With and without smog!

Beijing China has long been known to have bad air pollution as does some other large urban centers like Los Angeles but Paris?  Common it's the city of love not smog.  Read the following two articles and answer this:
1) Why is this happening in these densely populated cities?

The daily commute to work...gross

2) Why did it get to this point?  Couldn't they have done something sooner?  They must have seen this coming?
3) How does this affect us in Canada?
4) What can we do about it?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/france-curbs-paris-car-drivers-to-combat-dangerous-smog-1.2574747

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-03-03/how-to-lift-china-s-smog

5.4 Do blog post 5.3 it's fun

I didn't get to see you before the break so...have a great March Break and spend some time relaxing. Remember you do have a post due for the Sunday before we come back and if you have to pick one 5.3 is probably the best.  Check it out and see for yourself.
Have a good break.
Mr. Lahaie

5.3 Where in the world is...Carmen Sandiego?

This is a really cool game that looks at places around the world using google maps and asks you to determine where you are.  It reminds me of a game I used to play as a kid called Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Play the game, get your score and post it.  See who can beat my score of 9417 points.  While playing think about this?
1) What stereotypes or clues are you using to get your answer?
2) How worldly are you?  Was this hard or easy?
3) If you could travel to a different country where would you travel to and why?
4) What influences travel?

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20131206-how-well-do-you-know-the-world-play-geoguessr-to-find-out

5.2 Canada at 35 Million People

With all this talk about population around the world we sometimes forget about Canada and looks like we have reached the 35 million mark.  Read this article and think:
1) Why is the growth happening in the west and not in the east?
2) Why is their little variation in growth rates in the last 30 years?
3) Why is net migration our largest source of population increase?
4) What impact does this have on our government policy?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadian-population-surpasses-35-million-1.1869011

5.1 Russia the bully

Let's pretend that Quebec wants to seperate from Canada and Quebec goes to France and says "hey we speak the same language and we want to be a part of your country can you help us here" and France is happy to help because they need/want the land that Quebec is offering.  So France brings in troops and acts very aggressively toward the rest of Canada.  How do you think the rest of Canada would react?
This is kind of what is happening right now in Ukraine.
Read this article and think;
1) Why does Russia care about Ukraine?
2) Is this a political, environmental, economic or social issue? Explain
3) Is the rest of the G8 right to protest the meeting in Sochi?
4) If this happened to us like the example in the write-up how would you feel/react?

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/03/03/russians_seize_ukraine_ferry_terminal_raising_fears_of_wider_invasion.html