Friday, April 16. 2021

Today's classes are:

9:15 - 11:50 A Block Physical Geography

12:30 - 3:05 D Block Legal Studies

A Block Physical Geography - Today, we'll finish Home. The narrator (Glenn Close) says,

"Must we always build walls to break the chain of human solidarity, separate peoples and protect the happiness of some from the misery of others? It's too late to be a pessimist. I know that a single human can knock down every wall. It's too late to be a pessimist. Worldwide, four children out of five attend school. Never has learning been given to so many human beings. Everyone, from richest to poorest, can make a contribution" 

Good Planet Foundation President Yann-Arthus Bertrand (the film maker for Home) says "I think it’s too late to be pessimistic. There’s no way to think optimistically or not – we need actions. Everybody has a mission and everybody can do something. The way you live is very important, in your private life.


After the documentary we'll talk about natural climate forcing and climate feedbacks...so stuff on
1. Milankovich Cycles (eccentricity, or orbit; obliquity, or tilt; and precession, or wobble)
2. the Thermohaline circulation system, and
3. Climate Feedbacks (including the PETM - Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum)



A rapidly rising population, the escalating level of industrialization and mechanization of our lives, and an increasing dependence on fossil fuels have driven the anthropogenic climate change of the past century. The biggest anthropogenic contributor to warming is the emission of CO2, which accounts for 50% of positive forcing. CH4 and its atmospheric derivatives (CO2, H2O, and O3) account for 29%, and the halocarbon gases (mostly leaked from air-conditioning appliances) and nitrous oxide (N2O) (from burning fossils fuels) account for 5% each.






Also because we might have to confront climate refugees check out the Climate Trail. From the game website:

The game is about climate refugees fleeing ever worsening conditions after inaction on climate has rendered much of the USA (and the world) uninhabitable. The game combines the adventure and play of the journey north with visual novel elements, where characters reveal how and why this climate apocalypse unfolded.

D Block Legal Studies - Today we start in the class, continuing our look at family law as a subject. Our focus will be on support obligations. We'll look at: spousal support and self sufficiency; and the types of child guardianship, access, and child support and we'll look at the Federal Child Support Guidelines (schedules/tables) and BC's Family Maintenance Enforcement Act. 

Spousal Support assists a spouse based on the “self-sustaining” principle. If a former spouse can look after themselves and is not adversely affected financially by the divorce then no spousal support is necessary. Spousal support is not guaranteed and it is taxable. How much spousal support you should get and how long it will last depends on the following: if you worked outside the home during the marriage or relationship; how long you lived with your spouse; if you're able to support yourself; if you are or were at home with the children; whether you earn a lot less than your spouse; and if the spouse being asked to pay is able to pay.  Under the Family Law Act, same sex couples and common law couples who are in a marriage like relationship for a period of two (2) years can apply for an Order of spousal support from the other party (yesterday's blog entry had details about the 3 models of support: contractual support, compensatory support, and non-compensatory support).  If a person is applying for spousal support under the Family Law Act, they must do so within 2 years after they have ceased living together in that minimum 2-year relationship.

In BC the Family Law Act deals with guardianship, access and support and its guiding principle is: 

“What is in the best interest of the child?” 

• Needs (emotional, physical, mental) 
• Stable home 
• Keeping siblings together
• Maintaining parent-child relations
• Religious issues
• Parenting ability / conduct
• Extended family
• The wishes of the child (depending on age – must be over 12 but at 16 you can make the decision on your own) 

Guardianship is the term we use rather than custody and a judge’s decision is NEVER final – guardianship is fluid – a custody order can be changed at any time. There are two types of guardianship:  

1. Sole – one parent maintains all responsibilities for the child(ren). 
2. Joint – also known as shared parenting where both parents share the responsibilities for the child(ren) 

 Access refers to the visiting rights of parents with their child(ren): reasonable (flexible); defined (set in stone); supervised. Parents have a duty under the law to support their children, even if one parent doesn't see or take care of the children. The money one parent pays to the other parent to help provide for the daily needs of the children is called child support or maintenance. The parent who the child lives with most of the time is entitled to child support from the other parent. If a child spends equal (or almost equal) time with both parents, the parent with the higher income will usually have to pay child support.  

When a child lives with a payor 40 percent of the time or more, that parent can argue that they don't have to pay as much support as the guidelines say. The judge or master may agree and order lower support amounts. This includes the time that you're responsible for the children, even if they're not physically with you. For example, if one parent has the children during the school week, the children are considered to be under that parent's care and control even when they're physically at school. 

Child support orders made in British Columbia are based on the Federal Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines contain clear rules that courts use to set child support as well as tables that list the amount of child support the payor has to pay. Support is based on both spouses Gross Income (total before deductions and taxes) also on how many children there are from the marriage, these amounts are based on how much they earn and how many children the payor must support. It is a monthly stipend that is paid by one parent to another up to the age of 19.

After, I have the library/learning commons booked for you to continue your work on the major civil law project that is due this Wednesday.