Monday, September 17. 2018

Today's schedule is ABCD

A & D Blocks Human Geography - Today to help answer the Key Question: Why Are Some Human Actions Not Sustainable? we'll examine the concept of possibilism connected to sustainability and cultural ecology. Yesterday we looked at the United Nations Sustainable Development goals and today we'll examine two examples of how human beings have altered the physical environment in the Netherlands and in Florida. From the text...

Few ecosystems have been as thoroughly modified by humans as the Netherlands and Florida's Everglades. Because more than half of the Netherlands lies below sea level, most of the country today would be under water if it were not for massive projects to modify the environment by holding back the sea. Meanwhile, the fragile landscape of south Florida has been altered in insensitive ways.

So I'd like you to identify in point form the problems in both these locations and explain what have humans done (Describe the human modifications and adaptations to these two environments).







At the bottom of the page in our week 2 package I'd also like you to answer the following:

Both the Netherlands and the Florida Everglades face threats to sustainability. Which is better positioned to face future challenges? Explain your answer.    


B Block Criminology - Today we will be in the library working on our second journal / blog entry. I would like you to tell me what you think about crime trends here in Canada / B.C. Specifically, I want you to tell me what you think about drug related crime. Violent and property crime patterns are generally decreasing however the one area that is on the rise is drug possession, trafficking, importing, and exporting (specifically possession of marijuana - up 4% since 2002 - and cocaine - up 19% since 2002 see Stats Can CSI here).

In addition to this Stats Can states, "British Columbia has consistently had a relatively high rate of police-reported drug offences. Regardless of the type of drug or the type of offence, the rates of drug crime in British Columbia have been among the highest in Canada for 30 years. In 2007, the total drug crime rate in this province (654 incidents per 100,000 population) was more than double the rate in Saskatchewan, the next highest province. In accordance with the province as a whole, relatively high rates of drug offences are found in the census metropolitan areas (CMA) of Vancouver, Victoria and Abbotsford. Along with Trois-Rivières and Gatineau, these cities have reported the highest rates in Canada for the past five years. The rates in Vancouver and Victoria have been among the highest in the country since 1991".

So....Today you will need to write your thoughts on the following: Why has British Columbia consistently had high rates of police reported drug offences? Use what you've learned about crime theories and your own thoughts on crime theories to answer why. Once you've done this, then find an article about a recent drug crime here in B.C., make a link to the news article on your blogsite and then write how crime theories explain the crime (Look at this news about a 35 kilogram cocaine bust off in the Kootenays or this news about six people arrested in Saanich for 26 litres of GHB gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid a date-rape drug, 100 grams of crystal meth, four ounces of heroin, 16 grams of marijuana and $20,000 cash). Don't forget excellent crime news websites are the CANOE CNews Crime site...or the Toronto Star Crime site...or  Global News Crime site...or the Huffington Post Canada Crime ...or the Vancouver Sun Crime Blog