Beyond the Text 

This week the class has been discussing the effects of climate change in Canada because of our seminar book reading having to do with this issue.  From just looking into the recent news, it is obvious that this problem continues to remain a huge issue.  One article that really caught my attention was that of my own province of New Brunswick.  Premier David Alward traveled to Alberta to discuss the placement of moving Alberta’s oil towards eastern Canada.   There has been questioning if this is actually a beneficial plan.  For one it would create more work in Eastern Canada that is greatly needed.  However one of the opposing factors is he fact that the process could effect the environment severely by greenhouse emissions.  Is it really worth causing potential damage to our environment that has not already been done?  It is uncertain what the outcome will be for this potential plan, although from the words of other leaders of Canadian provinces it does not look hopeful. 

Research Quest - "Two-Eyed Seeing" 

Cheryl Bartlett works in Cape Breton University as a Biology Professor and also the Director for Integrative Science & Health.  In her research, she is analyzing the knowledge of Aboriginal individuals and their knowledge and how it can be merged with science today.  She wants to help others to understand how indigenous knowledge can be beneficial to people who do not come from Aboriginal decent.

Cheryl is working with a Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall in the principle of “Two-Eyed Seeing”.  This principle is trying to draw attention to the learning of both “mainstream” knowledge and as well as indigenous knowledge.  The two-eyed concept is that one eye you see the western or mainstream knowledge and with the other you see the indigenous side. 

This relates back to what we are discussing in class concerning climate change.  Many books being read are introducing the thought of Indigenous knowledge and how they perceive weather and climate change.  If non-indigenous peoples took a look at the way they respect and consider nature, this could perhaps help immensely with climate change.

http://www.integrativescience.ca/uploads/files/CRC-Integrative-Science-Bartlett-research-statement.pdf

BONUS

This week there was a bonus opportunity given to those who wanted to watch the documentary on CBC fifth estate, You Should Have Stayed Home.  I took the time to watch this, and I'm very glad I did.  This documentary was about the untold stories of the G-20 protest. It first starts out with video of all the peaceful protests that were being held in Queen's park, the free zone.  Violence then soon started up, which lead to several police to move in a take control.  They tell the story of one man named Dorian Barton who was beat-up, brought to detention centre that was organized to hold all people arrested that day.  It was five hours later that a medic saw him and was told nothing could be done. The next day he was charged and came to find out that his arm was severely broken.  Another story told was that of Jason McDonald, another mad who was beaten for doing nothing.  And this was the case with many others as well.  You could see this because video was taken of many of these beatings and arrests.  After the weekend was other there was 1100 arrests made, yet 709 were never charged with anything.  There were still nine investigations from that weekend still taking place.  After watching this documentary, it really opened my eyes to what actually happened.  I know that in many other countries it is severely worse and we are lucky to live in a safe country. Yet all of it still makes you think and wonder.

Beyond the Text

This week in class we had spent a good deal of time talking about poverty in children in Canada.  I came across this drawing, which I thought was very suiting.  The problem I see with this issue is that even though it is a huge issue, and there a plenty of organizations like UNICEF, World Vision, Child Care Canada and others that are trying to do something to change this; the one thing missing is that of the government of Canada.  It is here where we should be starting.  More emphasis on education, support for those children that are in a unprivileged home.  The thing about giving money and other things to the parents of the house hold, it's not always, actually rarely going to the children, the ones in need.  There needs to be more aware of this.  And I understand it's hard to do this, yet I believe it all starts with education.  There needs to be more social workers that unprivileged children can go to, so that some way they can figure out what to do that would make each one of those children a better childhood and in the long run, life. 

Research Quest

http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/newsrelease/7215

This week we were also asked to find out the best source for the Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice taking place in Lincolnville, Nova Scotia.  After doing a simple search, I came across several documents that had mention the issue of this issue, a lot of which were taken place in 2006 and the years to follow.  One of the most recent articles I found was that of the Halifax Media Co-op.  This article talks about how the Town of Lincolnville had had a productive meeting with the Municipality of Guysborough, however they had agreed to have a second meeting to follow.  It was a year after the meeting was said to be organized, and there was yet a second meeting.  This caused tension and a protest in Lincolnville.  The whole reason for this conflict is the landfills that are situated in this town, which are cause plenty of problems, especially environmental issues.  I question that there isn't much new information on this issue since May 2011, has the problem had any success or does it still prissiest?

Research Quest

http://www.gpiatlantic.org

This weeks research quest was regard to the Genuine Progress Index and it's regard to the Atlantic.  The best website I came across was the one stated above.  This website has many different links provided on the website, for example the research being done in Atlantic Canada.  Yet one thing about this website it is not quite up to date.  The one thing I came across and found quite interesting was in the youth section of the website, it was an attached website about the Project Colors International.  This website was about how youth are trying to make a difference around the world, mainly for this cause in South Africa. This is something I am very interested in, if I could simply do volunteer work for the rest of my life, that would lead to a very happy life.  Yet getting back to the website found, I would have never known what the GPIAtlantic was or actually did if it weren't for this quest, learn something new everyday through this class.