Canada Not so Green Anymore

Article/Link: "Canada makes Kyoto climate strike" by Richard Black
Published: Nov. 28, 2011 ; accessed: Nov. 28, 2011

Summary: Canada may withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol next month. This is angering poor countries who believe that the rich countries are taking advantage of their position. South African President Jacob Zuma strongly disagreed with this. Four years ago Canada said they were not join got meet their existing goals; in fact their emissions rose by one-third (since 1990). Canada wants to align its stance with the US, as US did a similar thing under George Bush. Other countries such as Russia and Japan have also said they will not make further cuts. India and Brazil agreed with the US with their idea to delay talks on a new global climate agreement until 2015, while the EU wants to have an agreement reached by that time. Many environmentalists have also been angry with the UK for supporting Canadian oil sands

Response: Countries are starting to put their economies over the environment again, and this is a classic case of short-term versus long-term benefits and detriments. However, this is a lot more difficult, because it's no use saving the world if it has descended into total bankruptcy and anarchy. It is also no use having a good economy for fifty more years and then dying of pollution. It's a balancing act, but most of the countries seem to be putting the short-term benefits in front of the long-term. Also, Canada is once again trying to keep healthy relations with the USA. Even though Canada has a fairly good reputation as being green, it is slowly falling apart with their oil sands trading with the UK and this recent backing out of the Kyoto Protocol. Canada should keep good relations with the US as they share the longest unbroken border between any two countries, but it is its own country so it might be beneficial (and good for its reputation) to stop trying to copy everything that the US is doing.

Vocabulary:

Word 1: delegate
a) "In the main conference hall, delegates heard South African President Jacob Zuma call for meaningful progress."
b) A person acting for another (as a representative to a convention or conference). Middle English delegat, from Medieval Latin delegatus, from Latin, past participle of delegare to delegate, from de- + legare to send. First Known Use: 15th century.
c) The Model UN delegates successfully participated in the Dehra Dun Model UN.


Word 2: secession
a) "But with 12 months notice needed to withdraw, and the current set of targets expiring at the end of next year, the timescale for a formal secession would make sense and would then put Canada in the same bracket formally as the US, which withdrew under President George W Bush."
b) Formal withdrawal from an organization. Latin secession-, secessio, from secedere. First Known Use: 1604.
c) The reason for the student's secession from Honor Council was clear; he had cheated on three biology tests.


Word 3: prairie
a) "Extracting oil from the tar deposits that spread across Canada's prairie provinces is much more energy-intensive than conventional oil drilling, and also uses huge amounts of water."
b) Land in or predominantly in grass. French, from Old French praierie, from Vulgar Latin *prataria, from Latin pratum meadow. First Known Use: circa 1682.
c) The student claimed to be from the prairies, when in fact he was from the mountains.

College Essay #4

Talk about how a person may change his direction

In the average person's life, they will most likely finish school, have kids, get a job and learn to drive a car. For most people, changing their direction in a car is a simple task; click on the blinker, turn the steering wheel, and hasta la vista baby! But there are sometimes crossroads presented that create a much more difficult situation. Take the example of coming to a fork in the road on the way to work; one way is your working place and the other leads to Starbucks, where they are having a special sale on your favourite brand of coffee. This is where it may become difficult to change your direction, as stopping at Starbucks will provide you with short-term satisfaction, but cause you to be late for work. This is where most people are divided; the ones that choose to change their direction to left to go to work, and the others that do not and continue straight on to Starbucks. While the left direction is most certainly the more difficult decision to make, it is altogether the more beneficial, as your boss will appreciate your punctuality and you will not develop an unhealthy addiction to caffeine. After you make that first turn, it will be much easier to make it in the coming days. Anyone who has ever driven a car will know that the very first time is always the most difficult; pulling up to that light, flicking the blinker on, frantically scanning the road as if for wild coyotes and darting across to the security of the left direction. It's always in the moment of changing direction that everything is most difficult; is the old direction or the new one better? What if I overdo it and end up going the wrong way? But once you are in the new direction, life is regularly bliss (of course, there are the moments of, "Help, I'm lost!") and it feels excellent to be pulling away from those crossroads.

Dehydration

Article/Link: "South Asia's water: Unquenchable Thirst" by The Economist
Published: Nov. 19, 2011 ; accessed: Nov. 20, 2011

Summary: Water sources in South Asia are starting to be disputed as they seem to be running out. A dam in northern India is generating massive amounts of power for the power-starved region, but it is diverting water from Pakistan, which is causing tension between the countries. Certain newspapers in Pakistan are even calling for war, although many people are writing it off as Pakistan just trying to cause trouble. However, what is true is that this gives India the ability to stockpile water. India is also having trouble, however, but from a different country; China. There were rumours that China was trying to divert one of India's largest rivers into its own land, but the Prime Minister of India assured the people that these were false. All these countries may be in trouble in the future, as their combined populations are growing faster than the water can keep up with. The governments have two options; manage their water better or try to get as much water as possible.

Response: It seems that people will go to war over anything, be it expensive and rare, or common and free. Even one of, if not the most, abundant resources in the natural world is causing tension between countries. Previously it was oil, but now it's simple water; soon we'll be fighting over oxygen. Luckily things have not come to a head yet, but if they do start escalating they are going to be very difficult to stop, as water is so necessary. We can survive without oil; we can't survive without water. As well, if we have gotten to the point where we are losing our supply of water, one of the bases of life, then we need to change our ways. Our planet is struggling with 7 billion people, so with it still increasing we are going to have to be extra careful with our resources. At least the Pakistani's are still getting water, India could have kept all the water for itself.

Vocabulary:

Word 1: arbitration
a) "When Pakistan objected to the dam's design, India accepted international arbitration, the first case in the treaty's history."
b) The act of referring a case to a person with power to decide a dispute. Middle English arbitre, from Anglo-French, from Latin arbitr-, arbiter. First Known Use: 14th century.
c) The honour council acts as an arbitration committee; they settle disputes between students and the moral code.

Word 2: cumulative
a) “The cumulative effect of [many dam] projects could give India the ability to store enough water to limit the supply to Pakistan at crucial moments in the growing season.”
b) Formed by the addition of new material of the same kind. Latin cumulatus, past participle of cumulare, from cumulus mass. First Known Use: 1604.
c) The cumulative amount of unfinished homework, from four nights of watching television for three hours, was massive.


Word 3: torrent
a) "Cool heads point out that speculation about China channelling the torrent from near the border, at a spot known as the Great Bend, looks fantastical, at least at present."
b) a violent stream of a liquid (as water or lava). Middle French, from Latin torrent-, torrens, from torrent-, torrens, adjective, burning, seething, rushing, from present participle of torrēre to parch, burn. First Known Use: 1582.
c) The student of short stature was no match for the river's torrent; she was swept off her feet as soon as she stepped in.

College Essay 3

Explain how your experiences as a teenager significantly differ from those of your friends. Include comparisons. (University of Puget Sound)


At 9:00am this morning, I woke up to find a monkey staring at me from outside my window. Instead of taking out my camera like the normal Canadian tourist I used to be, I ignored it and tiptoed past my sleeping Korean roommates (both three years older than me and with names I still had trouble pronouncing) to gather my cross-country gear and begin the twenty minute hike up the mountain to where my school was located. I was quickly joined by my Punjab friend, and we had enough time to debate the existence of God before we reached the summit and began warming up. The sun had almost broken over the top of the Himalayas as we jogged through the small Indian villages, nodding hello to the villagers as they set about their bustling lives. I felt like a piece of polished tin, the sunlight reflecting blindingly off my white skin, painting me as an outsider to this close community. I pondered this as my friend was complimenting me on my anti-homophobia speech I had given in assembly, giving advice that I should expect different treatment from the teachers now that they knew I was gay. As we arrived back at the school, I mentally ticked off another day, as I realized I would be back home in the cramped community of Bermuda within a month. I told my friend to go on and shower without me, hearing my strange British-Canadian accent caused by (surprise!) living in England and Canada for long periods of time. Sitting down, with the monkeys chattering in the trees and the low buzz of two germans gossiping in the corner, I stared out in the distance where I would soon be, once again, at my boarding school in Canada. Most kids find being openly gay extremely difficult or trying, and I wish I could write about the difficulties I've overcome in my journey. But the fact is I've only ever encountered homophobia once, and that was in seventh grade just after I came out. Personally, you couldn't really call it coming out, as I simply didn't realize there was anything different before that point. Even at the number one international school in India, a country where being homosexual was taboo, I had found no trouble at all. It was so different from all the stories I'd read about gay teenagers, and even different from my gay friends back at my school (of which there were few). As I was swimming in my thoughts, one of the germans noticed me and yelled, "Ryley! Est-ce que tu viend a notre classe de francais?" "Oui," I replied, wondering why I had agreed to only speak French with him to help us improve our speaking skills, "juste un moment." I took one last look at the peaks in the distance dusted with icing sugar, then scurried to get my bag and headed off to learn "le futur simple."

The Syrian Freeze

Article/Link: "Outside pressure builds on Syria as violence continues" by Jon Leyne
Published: Nov. 13, 2011 ; accessed: Nov. 13, 2011

Summary: Violence is continuing to build in Syria, as the Arab League has frozen Syria's membership. This has caused numerous pro-government riots. France has also condemned President Bashar al-Assad's government, questioning the ambassador in Paris about the activities. Embassies were stormed in Syria, and Turkey has even begun to withdraw non-essential diplomats and families. The UN has said that more than 3,500 people have died since the protests began. The suspension of the Syrian membership was described as historic, and the secretary general of the Arab League has called for "international protection for civilians." A total of 18 states out of the total 22 voted for the suspension, showing that a clear majority is in favour. A counter-protest was held in response to the pro-government marches, which resulted in a  further eight deaths. Furthermore, a schoolboy was beaten to death in front of his classmates, with footage being released showing the body

Response: Even seven or eight months after the protests started, consequences are still resounding throughout the Middle East and even the entire world. The fact that Syria has been suspended from the Arab League is excellent news for human rights groups, as it shows a major step forward in recognizing violations made by the government. What is worrisome, however, is that citizens are still losing their lives after seven months of protests. Quite a few of the other countries involved in the Arab Spring have had successful results, but it would be incredible if every single country managed to achieve what their protests were aiming for. It is a good sign that the world is putting more pressure on Syria though, as the government will soon be forced to give up or face the entire world.

Vocabulary:

Word 1: volition
a) "Jon Leyne, reporting from Cairo, says it is unclear how many of the protesters are there of their own volition."
b) an act of making a choice or decision. French, from Medieval Latin volition-, volitio, from Latinvol- (stem of velle to will, wish) + -ition-, -itio (as in Latin position-, positio position) First Known Use: 1615
c) The students were so excited to write their essay, they started of their own volition.


Word 2: dissent
a) "Meanwhile, opposition sources said the repression of dissent continued on Sunday, with nine people reportedly killed by security forces."
b) difference of opinion. First known use: 1585.
c) There was dissent among the teachers as to whether the student should be suspended or not.


Word 3: regime
a) ""The Syrian regime is held entirely responsible for these excesses and will have to give an explanation," it said."
b) a form of government; a government in power. French régime, from Old French regimen, regime, from Late Latin regimin-, regimen. First Known Use: 1776.
c) The Canadian regime has been mostly successful so far, with little protesting and rioting.

College Essay 2

Find X


X is a key component of our lives. It is the differentiating factor between the male chromosome and the female chromosome, and it gives us the greatest differences between ourselves.

For most men, finding the extra X is their life goal, it is what they were put on Earth to do. Once they find their extra X, they can settle down and give the world more little XX's and XY's. However, there are some men that search for the exclusive Y; they won't simply be content with finding a regular X. The common pairing of XX and XY is fairly unbalanced and unstable, as there are three X's that outnumber the one Y.

It is becoming increasingly easier to break this bond in today's world, as the search for an extra X becomes easier and easier. You can now find X online, in the newspapers, on TV and even in the street. There is so much temptation now, with photos of X being plastered everywhere in newspapers and on TV, so the likelihood of the XX XY pairing remaining together is becoming less and less. The average break rate for this pairing is 50%, according to X Research, a significantly high number. But who can blame the Y when there are so many extra X's that are waiting in line?

However, the XY XY pairing is perfectly balanced, as there is one X for every Y. In math balanced equations are always the best, and in chemistry, balanced equations are the only equations that stick together. This is because the road is so much longer and more difficult to find the Y; it isn't just waiting on your street corner. The trials that you go through to get with Y make it much more worth it. This is why I do not want to find X; I want to find Y.

Forever Young

Article/Link: "Purging Cells in Mice Is Found to Combat Aging Ills" by Nicholas Wade
Published: Nov. 2, 2011 ; accessed: Nov. 3, 2011

Summary: Recent research has led to the discovery of a special category of cells named senescent cells. These cells are responsible for most of the deterioration of your body as it grows older, as they secrete agents that cause cataracts, muscle weakening, loss of fat (in a bad way) and more. Researchers Darren Baker and Jan van Deursen created a strain of mouse where they could destroy the senescent cells found in the mice's tissues by giving the mice a certain drug. Once the mice did not have these cells anymore, they improved in handling the aging ills. Aging research is fairly new in the scheme of things (only 20 years) so this is a major breakthrough in combatting age. In humans and mice, senescent cells are present in small amounts, but they have major effects. In another experiment, the mice were given the drug at middle age, and it was shown to help them with muscle and fat tissue.

Response: The fact that science has advanced so much as to provide a way to combat aging in mice is amazing, and the fact that they could potentially use this research to combat aging in humans as well is incredible. There are many pleasant effects of growing old, and if this drug is produced then it can take away most of the negative effects of aging, and probably extend the typical life span. However it raises the question of where we will stop. Will we continue to try to fight age until we can extend our lives to 200 or 300 years? Even if we achieve this, will that be a good thing? Personally, I do not think it will. We already have a population of seven billion, so first of all it would increase the rate that the population is growing, and we cannot afford that. Also, it would widen the gap even more between first-world and third-world countries, with some countries having triple or quadruple the average life expectancy compared to other countries

Vocabulary:

Word 1: cataract
a) "Senescent cells accumulate in aging tissues, like arthritic knees, cataracts and the plaque that may line elderly arteries."
b) a clouding of the lens of the eye or of its surrounding transparent membrane that obstructs the passage of light. Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French catharacte, from Medieval Latin cataracta, from Latin, portcullis. First known use: 14th century
c) The teacher was so elderly, even his cataracts had cataracts.


Word 2: tangible
a) "This line of research remains promising but has produced few tangible results so far."
b) capable of being appraised at an actual or approximate value. Late Latin tangibilis, from Latin tangere to touch. First Known Use: 1589
c) The student was at a loss: she could find no tangible evidence to support her thesis.


Word 3: inflammatory
a) "Drugs already exist to combat some of the inflammatory hormones secreted by senescent cells."
b) accompanied by or tending to cause inflammation (a local response to cellular injury that is marked by capillary dilatation, leukocytic infiltration, redness, heat, and pain and that serves as a mechanism initiating the elimination of noxious agents and of damaged tissue). First known use: circa 1711
c) "I cannot hear you," exclaimed the student, "as I have an inflammatory disease that blocks my hearing!"

College Essay 1

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Why? Did you follow it?

Everyone in the world has problems, and many of these people like to share these problems with their friends and consult them for solutions. My seeming lack of personal problems has created a persona that draws people to ask for my advice; whether it be on how to bake the best pies (a passion of mine) or on their newfound crush. However, although I give what I consider reasonably sound advice, it tends to not help the person in the long run, sometimes leaving them in an even worse position than when they began. One of these people once came back to me after her pie-baking turned out to be a fiasco and told me, "Your advice sucks, you should stop giving it." I was about to argue back, saying that my advice was perfectly acceptable, when I realized that she was right. Potentially not about my advice "sucking" but about not giving it out freely anymore. This had put me in the position of being a scapegoat; if my advisee's wondrous plan to learn French went haywire, then they could blame it on the fact that I reccommended the wrong French tutor. He or she might not follow my advice at all; I could be casting pearls before swine and have absolutely no effect on the outcome of their goal. This is actually what I find to be the most common case, where you give someone crystal-clear advice and they change even one small part and the entire piece is rendered useless. All this I thought about after she told me, and realized just how true it was. However, I quickly dismissed it; if my advice was terrible, then hers must be even worse.

A Surprise for the Chief?

Article/Link: "National Survey Reveals 45.1 Million Adults in the U.S. Experienced Mental Illness in the Past Year" by SAMHSA
Published: Nov. 18, 2010 ; Accessed: Oct. 18, 2011

Summary: A national survey in 2009 revealed an alarming number of new statistics about mental health. In total, 45.1 million adults experienced mental illnesses in the past year and 11 million of the diseases were serious (strongly interfered with life activities). The study also revealed that most of these people had substance use disorders and were thinking of suicide at one point. Many of these people are not getting the help they need as less than 4 in 10 people with mental illnesses used resources available to them. Adults with serious mental illnesses were most likely to use the resources, with 60 percent using them, but that still left 4.4 million untreated. There is also a large difference between women and men (23.8 percent and 15.6 percent respectively) and between the employed and unemployed (17.1 percent and 27.7 percent respectively). Young adults had a high percentage compared to the elderly (30 percent compared to 13.7 percent)

Response: Because one fifth of all American adults have a mental disease (and one quarter of these are serious), it is not too surprising that the Chief has one. What is surprising is that he doesn't fit into any of the other statistics. The Chief is male and fairly old, which both have low percentages compared to their opposite, and he was born into a fairly well-off family at the beginning, being the son of the Chief of the tribe. As well, he served years in the army, which means that he wasn't totally unemployed. This helps the case that the Chief's mental illness wasn't serious at all and proves the fact that it was fairly easy to cure (he became more and more sentient as the novel progressed). However, the fact is that he does have a mental illness, and no matter how small the percentage, it is still possible to be one of the few

Vocabulary

Word 1: Illicit
a) "The survey also reveals that in many cases those experiencing mental illness, especially those with serious mental illness, also have a substance use disorder (abuse or dependence on alcohol or an illicit drug"
b) Not permitted, from the Latin illicitus, from in- + licitus (lawful). First known use: 1506
c) The students were put on probation for their use of illicit substances

Word 2: Discord
a) "If left untreated mental illnesses can result in disability, substance abuse, suicides, lost productivity, and family discord"
b) Lack of agreement or harmony (as between persons, things, or ideas). Also active quarrelling or conflict. Middle English descorde, discord, from Anglo-Frenchdescorde, from Latin discordia, from discord-, discors. First Known Use: 13th century.
c) There was discord among the students as they struggled to pick the best people to represent them.


Word 3: Scope
a) "The survey provides other insights into the nature and scope of mental illness, including information on those segments of the population who may be at greater risk of experiencing mental illness."
b) Extent of treatment, activity, or influence. Italian scopo purpose, goal, from Greek skopos; akin to Greek skeptesthai to watch, look at. First Known Use: circa 1555
c) The teachers tried to comprehend the scope of effect that the activity would have on their school's reputation.