A quick news flash of the world today!! By Sophia Fairweather

Many people expected the pandemic or COVID 19 to have settled down, or that the curve would have flattened, which is a phrase that's been going around. In some places around the world happily it has gotten better, sadly though in some places it has gotten to be more of an issue. 

Less Exciting and More Serious

On April 30 2020, the Alberta Government announced three ideas of what was going to happen when the schools opened. This made it pretty clear that the schools in Alberta would most likely be opening, which many people had different opinions on. On July 21 2020, the Alberta Minister of Education announced that they would use the third idea, which was the “closest to normal” plan without being normal and still being safe!! The plan includes an option for kids to attend school online or in-person. 

The Edmonton Public School Board has decided that for kids going in person, grades 4-12 will have to wear masks. The younger grades, masks won't be mandatory, but of course if they want to wear masks they can! The Calgary Board of Education “requires all staff and students (kindergarten to Grade 12) to wear a mask at school. This includes classrooms and public spaces such as hallways, learning commons, bathrooms, etc. Masks are also required for staff and students travelling on Calgary Transit or a yellow school bus.” These plans mean that kids will be going back to school in September in Alberta, and we can all start back to school shopping!! ????

Talking about masks being mandatory and not mandatory, there have been even more requirements for masks. In Edmonton, masks were made mandatory in public spaces starting August 1st, and people who violate the rule will be fined 100$. The people that don't need to wear masks are people that can't take masks on and off, also children 2 and under!! Calgary also on August 1st made it mandatory to wear a mask in public spaces, as well as adding public vehicles in the city. Mayor Naheed Nenshi said "bold action now if we want schools to reopen, if we want kids to feel safe," and to hopefully keep the economy from closing again. 

from calgary ctv https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/lethbridge-school-division-says-regular-classes-in-2020-21-not-looking-likely-1.4973300

Across the sea, they have had some pretty scary and unfortunate disasters, like the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Which killed 154 people and injured around 5,000, and there are over 100,000 homeless. What happened though? There was a fire on the Port of Beirut at 6pm that was in Warehouse 12. Warehouse 12 was beside a grain silo that stored aluminum nitrate that was taken from the MV Rhosus, a ship that broke down and was confiscated by the port authority because of unpaid bills. Aluminum nitrate is used in fertilizer and to make bombs, and was stored with a stash of fireworks. At 17:55 local time (14:55 UTC), a team of nine firefighters and a paramedic was called to look after the fire. When they got there, they reported hearing strange sounds and noises. 

The first explosion was at 18:07 local time (15:07 UTC). It started with the fireworks going off that were stored at the grain silo, and witnesses would remember the sound of fireworks. The second explosion was from the aluminum nitrate that was stored with the firework, which caused the mushroom cloud. This one was the one that caused the most destruction and loss. Afterwards, on 10 August 2020, Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the Lebanese cabinet resigned because protesters pointed out that they should have moved the aluminum nitrate to somewhere safe, so this disaster wouldn't have happened.

from bbc

Exciting and Good

Because we ended in something not so fun, and has probably gotten many to feel sad and concerned. Why not talk about things that have helped rebuild, and are helping all living things!! So one of them is there is a 3D printer in Europe that made a 2 story building, with a kitchen, bathroom, and a foyer! Even more amazing the house was made in only 3 weeks!!! Which was made by a construction company from Belgium called Kamp C , and it was a 32 x 32 foot gantry printer. The house was created with cement that was squirted out just like any other 3D printer, but bigger!! Then workers added things like plumbing, the roof, doors, and windows etc, when the shell was done being made. This is something that would be fairly expensive you would think, but shockingly it was actually cheaper and cuts the amount of materials down! 

from Kamp C & Jasmiens Smets

Two other things that are more cheerful and are pretty exciting that's saving lives, are that rhino poaching and greenhouse gas emissions have gone down!!! So I will talk about the rhino poaching first, that has been going down while COVID 19 law enforcements have been around! Happily the amount the creatures have been poached in South Africa has gone down in the last six months while COVID 19 has been around, and so much that it was more than half, going all the way to being 53%!! This is something that is fantastic and can hopefully help the species survive, and hopefully thrive as well! Shown at Kruger National Park where in April there was no poaching in the park's Intensive Protection Zone, which was the first time in 10 years! The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Barbara Creecy this week said “After a decade of implementing various strategies… efforts are paying off.” So that is amazing and it is great that rhinos are safer now, and now rangers and WWF have a foot up!

from redcharlie

 Know how the atmosphere has benefited from COVID 19 outcomes\laws. When April came around gas emissions went down by 17% which was the average in 2019, Which shows just how much the greenhouse gasses have jumped in only one year! Which is the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions that were being pumped out in 2006. The reason for the decline is pretty obvious, that it's from the fact many manufacturers, transportation, and other things shutting down. Though sadly it won't be for too long that it stays like this, and scientists say it's temporary, because things will open up again. But at least it has helped slow the process, and it has shown that humans consume a lot of energy. With us being in quarantine it's also thought that with how long we may or may not be in quarantine, the emissions will still be lower for a little while!!

Like how many things will not change if we don't work at it. For instance when the Minister of beirut screwed up big time the people were upset and they protested and protested, until finally he and the cabinet left for someone new to come in! Proof that if you work at something it sometimes will actually change things! As well as the rhino poaching going down, you can help by donating to WWF and raising awareness once and awhile. Not as in hard core protesting on the streets, just posting something on social media and using the right tags can help.

So what can we do!! It's possible to change and to help change especially now because during the pandemic, there has already been a lot of protests and certainly a lot change during the last six months. Just because we're quarantined doesn't mean the world has stopped or nothing is happening, it actually has given us more time and a different way to do and look at things!! So we have to use this time and treasure it and I believe that everyone is able to do that!!!

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/3d-printer-completes-the-largest-3d-printed-home-in-europe-with-2-stories-and-980-square-feet-in-just-3-weeks/ Aug 24 2020

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/rhino-poaching-down-53pt-in-south-africa-continuing-positive-trend/ Aug 24 2020

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0797-x Aug 22 2020

https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/19/21262259/greenhouse-gas-emissions-carbon-drop-climate-change-coronavirus Aug 22 2020

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53668493 Aug 1st 2020

https://open.alberta.ca/publications/2020-21-school-re-entry-plan#summary Aug 14 2020

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/mandatory-masks-required-in-all-edmonton-public-indoor-spaces-starting-aug-1-1.5043504#:~:text=EDMONTON-,Mandatory%20masks%20required%20in%20all%20Edmonton%20public%20indoor%20spaces%20starting,1&text=If%20approved%2C%20the%20bylaw%20would,in%20all%20indoor%20public%20spaces.&text=EDMONTON%20%2D%2D%20Edmonton%20city%20council,public%20indoor%20spaces%20starting%20Aug.Aug 14 2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/city-of-calgary-mandatory-face-coverings-need-to-know-1.5658842 Aug 14 2020

https://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/re-entry-update-for-families-august-14-2020.aspx Aug 15 2020

          https://globalnews.ca/news/7244807/coronavirus-calgary-mandatory-masks-day-1-aug-1/ Aug 14 2020

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53668493 Aug 14 2020

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/world/middleeast/beirut-explosion-what-happened.html Aug 14 2020