Things are getting crazy....

So I'm not sure how I'll make it out of these next two weeks. In that time I have to write 5 midterms, do a project & two labs. Oh yea, and not go crazy. I swear the purpose of university sometimes is to try and kill you, and the ones who make it out get the jobs. I also am going over to the mainland (ahh! I have to leave my island!) because my dad and brother are down visiting. It should be an fun trip, I just hope I can get some studying done on the ferry!

So I'm applying for 4 co-op jobs, so far. One's up on the Queen Charolotte Islands, which would be SO cool! It's organizing a work experience for high school students, and pays $21/hr! Yes- a student (hopefully ME!) for work experience organizing work experience for other students. Don't ask me- it's the government, I didn't vote them in. None of the other jobs are quite as cool, nor pay quite as much.

Oh, and would you like a taste of an essay I wrote?? Yes, you say? Here:

There is little debate left to the issue that anthropogenic forces have cause changes to our climate. The massive amounts of greenhouse gases that have been emitted to our atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels have disrupted the fragile balance that provides life on Earth. This global problem has united countries, political groups, and average citizens to conquer the greatest problem that humankind has faced – our ability to exist on Planet Earth. The most well known treaty to combat climate change has been the Kyoto Protocol. This is a legally binding agreement committing industrialized nations to reduce six of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the most well known of these is carbon dioxide (CO2), and also includes methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs and PFCs (Faure, 2003, p.25). The Kyoto Protocol sets an individuals countries reduction target at 5% below their 1990 levels by 2008-2012. To date 168 countries have ratified the protocol, and of these, there are 35 industrialized nations are required to reduce their greenhouse gases (Faure, 2003, p.25).
Within Canada, the Kyoto Protocol has been one of great controversy, first during the negotiation of the treaty, and now with the admission that Canada will not reach their goals. Why is it that Canada cannot fulfill the targets set at reducing greenhouse gas emissions 5% below the 1990 levels by the years 2008-2021? There has been numerous other Annex I (industrialized) countries that have taken the steps in reduction and succeeded (see figure 1). The purpose of this paper is to explore what actions Canada has taken in reducing the greenhouse gases emitted, what steps are needed, and where we may be headed.
... ... ...
After briefly examining some steps which Canada has taken on a domestic and international level, this raises the question: have the hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars, and hundreds of people involved in the actions against climate change been worth it? Seeing from figure 2, Canada stands 30% above the Kyoto target one year before the goal (Kyoto Protocol), leads one conclude that no, addressing climate change not been successful. With the newly elected Conservative governments non-commitment to Kyoto, this leaves little hope for change - except climate change - to happen. After a year in government the Conservatives have yet to release a climate change action plan, except to say that it is up to the people of Canada to all do their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They have tried, but failed, to introduce a Clean Air Act, which aims to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, with a target of halving emissions by 2050 from 2003 levels (CTV News Staff, Oct. 20, 2006). The opposition says targets like that will be too little – too late (CTV News Staff, Oct.20, 2006).
Perhaps the fight against global climate change has been too focused on strategy groups, and developing frameworks for success, but not enough about action and actually achieving the set goals. Hopefully with the newly elected leader of the Liberal Party, Stephane Dion, Canada will again be a leader in reversing anthropogenic climate change. In a press release dated January 16th 2007, he says, “countries that embrace the environment as a core priority will lead the global economy in the 21st century. I want Canada to be one of those countries.”

So that's what paying $5000 a year in tuition gets you.

Watch out for the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes report tomorrow! It's going to be great, and hopefully we'll see more of a global movement in protecting the only home we have.