Thursday, December 5. 2019

Today's schedule is DCBA

D & C Blocks Environmental and Social Sciences - Today we start with Young in 115. We'll get back into Sacred Mountains Sources of Indigenous Revival and Sustenance by Edwin Bernbaum. He argues that:

Mountains are sacred for a variety of reasons, depending on the various ways people view them. In my research on sacred mountains around the world, I have found ten views or themes particularly widespread: mountain as high place, deity or abode of a deity, place of power, center, symbol of identity, ancestor or abode of the dead, garden or paradise, temple or place of worship, source of water and other blessings, and place of revelation, transformation, or inspiration. 

Bernbaum also states that

The Kogi of northern Colombia view the Nevado de Santa Marta as the heart of the world, the central place from which the human race originated. Living there at the very center, the mamas, their priests, feel they have the authority and responsibility to warn their younger brothers elsewhere about the dangers of what they are doing to the environment and the climate around the world. 

This is reflected in the wahi kapu or sacred area that is Mauna O Wakea on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Remember, Maunakea is considered a piko, center, of the Hawaiian universe and all Kanaka Maoli descend from the piko of Wākea.

The Heart of the Hawaiian Peoples’ Arguments Against the Telescope on Mauna Kea By Doug Herman
A New Way for Stewardship of Mother Earth: Indigeneity by Doug Herman
Why Native Hawaiians are fighting to protect Maunakea from a telescope By Trisha Kehaulani Watson-Sproat

I am going to ask you to use your digital devices for good along with the paper articles I'm giving you and try to answer the following:

1. What is the history of the United States acquisition of Hawai'i?
2. What are the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) beliefs surrounding the mountain?
3. What is “ceded lands” or "crown land" and how has it played a role in this conflict?
4. What agreements over astronomical use of the mountain have taken place?
5. What is the astronomical value of the location?
6. What are the ecological, economic and scientific impacts of currently operating telescopes at Mauna Kea?
7. What is the current proposal for construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope?
8. Summarize the arguments for and against the construction of the TMT
9. In a perfect world, what is the "best outcome" solution to the conflict? Explain why you have that opinion

In C Block with Benton, you'll be in the library looking at mountains on Google Earth.

B Block Human Geography - Just a reminder...you have a test on your culture unit next Wednesday. Today we'll look at the key question Where Are States Distributed? “Old School” geography often required you to memorize countries and their capitals. Human geographers now emphasize a thematic approach. We are concerned with the location of activities in the world, the reasons for spatial distributions, and the significance of those arrangements. Despite this change in emphasis, you still need to know the locations of countries. Without such knowledge, you lack a basic frame of reference—knowing where things are. From the 90's (including countries that don't exist anymore):


We'll look at the United Nations, then three examples of places that test the definition of a state Korea (North and South), China (Taiwan/Chinese Taipei), and Western Sahara (Sahrawi Republic) and finally we'll examine Arctic sovereignty. You'll have some questions to answer for me




A Block Physical Geography - Today we'll look at atmospheric moisture, humidity, and the four atmospheric mechanisms that cool a parcel of air to its dew point & cause precipitation (orographic, convectional, frontal, and radiative cooling). You will complete questions 9 from page 211 and 21 & 23 from page 212 of your Geosystems textbook. While you are working on the questions I'll have the BBC DVD The Weather on for us to watch the WET episode. The Weather is a major BBC documentary exploring the extremes of the world's climate with the engaging presenter Donal MacIntyre and in WET we ride with the rain from the wettest place in Europe to the wettest place in the world, with a stop under the parched Texan skies, where farmers hope to harness the power of nature to create rain. From the first drop of a monsoon to the floods that kill millions each year, water brings life and death in equal measure.

Don't forget that every day we are going to start by looking at the synoptic forecast along with weather maps.
Data Streme
Envrionment Canada: Weather Office Comox