Tuesday, January 7. 2020

Today's schedule is CDAB

C/D Blocks Environmental & Social Sciences - So we have the learning commons/library booked for you to continue work on your Inquiry however today we start in 115. Break down your Inquiry Question by listing the Need-to-Knows that will help to answer it. After you have listed your Need-to-Knows that make up your Inquiry Question, look back at each Need-to-Know and write the specific data you will need to answer it. Now where will you get that data from and is the source reliable? How can you determine the reliability of resources?

Use this guide to help:

As always keep a track of all the resources you use to include in your Inquiry. Now let's get at it.

A Block Physical Geography - Today we'll begin our look at resources, resource use, and management issues. We'll talk about renewable and non-renewable resources along with the four ethical views on resource use (economic/exploitation; preservationist; balanced-multiple use; and ecological or sustainable). We will focus on consumption. From Unnatural Law: Rethinking Canadian Environmental Law and Policy By David Richard Boyd:

In Canada, over-consumption is the root cause of our environmental woes. As the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation points out, our “prevailing emphasis on consumption – with high levels of waste, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions – jeopardizes the capacity of natural resources and systems to support future generations.” Consumption in this context refers not only to the energy and resources consumed by individual Canadians but encompasses the use of energy and resources by the entire industrial economy. Most Canadians see only the tip of the iceberg of the resources consumed to supply the goods and services required by current lifestyles. We are largely blind to the industrial activities that consume vast amounts of resources and cause extensive environmental damage.

So what is the material throughput industrial economy?


Humanity can’t recycle its way out of consumption problems

Our focus tomorrow will be on water consumption (I'd like you to track your water consumption for the week). Today we'll watch the first few sections of Human Footprint. We'll get through scenes 1-6 today (from birth up to early 20's) and this will take about 45 minutes of class time. If there's time, we'll finish the DVD tomorrow and I'd like you to answer the following:

1. How much do you consume? Try to examine all of your daily habits (clothing, heating, transportation, eating, schooling, and leisure pursuits to name a few) to determine what impact on natural capital you make on a daily basis (how big your ecological footprint is).  How could you reduce your impact on the environment?
2. Why do different cultures use and consume things at different rates? What do the numbers and facts in the video say about North American society?
3. In some areas of the world people are already in conflict over a limited amount of natural resources. How will a growing population affect people’s access to food, potable (safe drinking) water, and fuel? What affect might the population increase have on pollution and encroachment on wildlife habitats?

B Block Human Geography - Today you'll look at Genetically Modified Organisms (connected to food). Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are living organisms that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained using modern biotechnology. US agricultural scientist  Norman Borlaug successfully bred what became known as miracle seeds of high-yielding dwarf wheat varieties. He and others launched what is known as the "green revolution"; yields could be doubled or even trebled with heavy doses of synthetic chemical fertilizers and other inputs. On the back of his discoveries, countries such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are said to have averted famines and started to export grains

Until last year, only four GM crops have been grown in Canada: corn, canola, soy and white sugar beet (for sugar processing). In 2016, GM alfalfa was planted for the first time and in March 2016, a GM potato was approved. The potato is genetically engineered to have less asparagine, an amino acid that oxidizes into acrylamide (a probable carcinogen) at high-temperatures (e.g. frying). Source Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN). Also AquaBounty Technologies has indicated that it sold GM salmon filets here in Canada where Atlantic Salmon have been endowed with a growth hormone taken from Pacific chinook salmon that makes it grow faster. GM is especially widespread in the United States. Three-fourths of the processed food that Americans consume has at least one genetically modified ingredient





You have some questions to answer for me:

1. There is little new land available for farming.  In fact, the current trend is to reduce agricultural land rather than increase it.  Identify and briefly describe three reasons why land is currently being removed from agricultural use.
2. Why do you think Europeans generally avoid genetically modified food while Americans generally do not? Does your family avoid foods made with GMO seeds? Why or why not?
3. Describe the characteristics of the “miracle wheat seed”.
4. Describe the characteristics of the “miracle rice seed”.
5. What specific problems do farmers in LDCs have which might prevent them from taking full advantage of the Green Revolution?
6. What three crops are often genetically modified?
7. Approximately how much of major crops in the US are genetically modified?
8. What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified foods?