Room 611: Friday, June 13. 2025

Today's schedule is DCBA

B Block Criminology - Today we'll do some prep work before our Casey Anthony true crime media analysis. If Casey Anthony was the most hated mom in America the most hated husband in America was Scott Peterson (who was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci, and unborn child in 2004). A&E TV did a retrospective six part series called The Murder of Laci Peterson and you can stream the six episodes on the link by signing in to your Telus, Shaw or Bell service provider. From A&E

The mystery of Laci Peterson’s disappearance on Christmas Eve 2002 captivated the nation. Eight months pregnant, she vanished without a trace. Her body and that of her unborn child, Conner, appeared four months later on the shores of the San Francisco Bay causing a media frenzy on both a local and national level. To this day, no one knows exactly when, where or how she died, only that her husband Scott Peterson was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, despite the absence of DNA evidence or eyewitness testimony. Scott Peterson’s conviction was less a tribute to the efficacy of the legal system than it was a case study for the overwhelming power of modern media to deliver the facts of news in a way that creates irresistible tabloid fodder.

Today we'll watch part 2 of the retrospective "The Murder of Laci Peterson". Pay special attention to Nancy Grace and her explanation of why she does what she does. This case was the bridge between OJ Simpson and Casey Anthony. I mean who doesn't like a good witch hunt in today's society...really? 😳

A Block Physical Geography - Today Anthropogenic Climate Change. 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. You have two questions to answer (links and videos below will help)

Burning fossil fuels emits CO2 to the atmosphere via reactions like this one: CH4+ O2 → CO2 + 2H2O. Describe some of the other ways that our extraction, transportation, and use of fossil fuels impact the climate. (Pages 194-5 Geosystems Core)
Which is the most powerful positive climate forcing agent? Which is the most powerful negative radiative forcing factor? (Pages 196-7 Geosystems Core)