Five Cent Bag Fee Proposed by City

Toronto shoppers may have to start paying five cents for every plastic shopping bag that they get from stores. This is under a new proposal worked out between the the city and big grocery companies. Industry officials from he Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors which represent the major grocery chains, have called a conference today to announce what they are billing as an alternative proposal the stop the use of plastic bags. The hopes of this is to cut plastic bag use by 70% by 2012. Retailers had complained that under the city's proposal it would be hard to know how many throwaway bags have been saved if customers brought their own bags. Also they complained that the previous ten cent refund on plastic bags would drive up their costs and increase grocery prices. :Negotiations over the past 10 days produced a revised plan: Instead of refunding money for bags saved, shoppers will have to pay a nickel every time they walk away with a non reusable bag. Some discount stores like No Frills already charge for grocery bags."

I think that charging people for bags can be used positively in grocery stores in Toronto. Charging people for bags will in turn cause people to want to bring their own bags, most likely being reusable. This can benefit Toronto by reducing the amount of plastic bags used therefore bettering our environment.

Source:http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/543376

Remains of Copernicus Found

Researchers in Warsaw, Poland believe that they have discovered the remains of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolaus Copernicus is famous for identifying the Sun and no the Earth as the center of the universe. His remains were identified from he skeleton they found with hair they retrieved from Copernicus' books. Jerzy Gassowski, an academic at archeology school in Poland says that facial reconstructions of his face resemble portraits of him in a cathedral in Poland. Marrie Allen a Swedish DNA expert, told reporters that the DNA of the bones and teeth match the DNA of the hair found in the books.

I believe that this discover is very important to the world, including Canada. I think that it is so important because it may reveal many things about a man who created a theory that is so important to our studies today, as well as it may illuminate more about the past in the terms of how Copernicus lived and actually looked.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/540328

Legislation Proposed to Limit Driving Priveleges

A proposed Ontario legislation is set to limit driving privileges for anyone under the age of 22. These restrictions include a zero blood alcohol limit for all Ontario drivers under 21 as well as sanctions for young drivers who speed, starting with a 30-day license suspension. Drivers between 16 and 19 will also be limited to having only one teenage passenger in the vehicle. The legislation is set to be tabled today and already many people are in protest against it. “How does it make sense to try and teach us about saving gas by carpooling and buying hybrids and things such as that when it is illegal for teenagers to carpool if this passes?” one person wrote on a group against the new laws on facebook. Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory said he likes the idea of new rules for younger drivers, but worries the restrictions on teenage passengers could be unworkable, especially in rural Ontario.

I personally am against this. I do not think that this law will be effective at all and that it discourages many of the benefits of being able to drive. This law proves to discourage carpooling, which means that it is discouraging saving on gas and saving the environment. I think that regardless of the law many teens will drive with more passengers either way. I also think that since you cannot carpool this means that teens at parties will drink and drive either way, since they can't have a designated driver to take them all home. In conclusion I think that this law is a bad idea and will not be beneficial to the safety of roads in Ontario.

Resource: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081118.wyoung_drivers1118/BNStory/National/home

World Leaders Gather to Discuss Financial Crisis

World leaders are meeting today in Washington for a two-day emergency meeting to discuss ways to turn the global financial crisis around. The meeting was called by US President George Bush, and will look at ways to reform financial markets. The group that is meaning is of 20 countries and represents about 85% of the world's economy and two-thirds its population. The countries included int his are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United States and the European Union. Leaders at the summit, which will include officials from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, are expected to discuss the causes of the crisis and review the progress that nations have already made. Prime Minister Stepehen Harper, who will be attending the meeting said that he wants to see the leaders of the 20 countries put forward regulations that ensure that this crisis will never happen again.

I think that this crisis is very prominent in our day to day lives. I also think that this meeting is most necessary to help ensure that the world will not go through such a strong financial crisis again. I think that Canada will play an important role in this meeting and will be a good model to follow in hopes of ending the Crisis.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/11/14/g20-summit.html

Obama 44th President of the USA

Barack Obama made history on November 4th as he is now the first ever African-American to be the president of the United States. He promised hope and change for the country, always with his calm and cool attitude. Millions of African-Americans who could remember lives of oppression due to job discrimination, segregated drinking fountains and lunch counters in the USA aided to Obama's victory, joined by many millions more across the racial spectrum who through voting decided race could be no barrier to electing a president in 2008. One important message was displayed that night and it was that discrimination due to race may no longer be such a strong factor today as it has been in the past. "We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," he said. "I promise you – we as a people will get there." - Obama.

I think this is truly one of the most important and greatest events that we as Canadians may witness in our lifetimes. To be alive to see the very first African-American president is showing that our nation may finally be moving from racial discrimination to a post-racial era, where everyone can finally live together with equality. I think that Obama will change the US greatly as well as affect Canada, for we are their neighbors. I think that he will change the way the world looks at the US, changing the very beliefs of the government and the beliefs that people have about the US.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/News/USElection/article/530804