The Effects Technology Has On Our Environment

Author: Brock Bourgase

The Effects Technology Has On Our Environment

by Nicolino

Air and Water pollution

The Effects Technology has on our environment. Air pollution happens once harmful or excessive quantities of gases comparable to carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, gas, and alkane series are introduced into the earth’s atmosphere. This air pollution is caused by producing and using technology. Water pollution is also caused by technology most electronics include non-biodegradable substances, heavy metals, and poisonous substances like cadmium, lead, and mercury.

Over time, those poisonous substances can leak into the ground, which could contaminate the water we drink, the flora we devour, and the animals that stay across the area.

Depletion of natural resources

Resource depletion is some other poor effects technology has on the environment. It refers to the intake of a useful resource quicker than it can be replenished. Natural assets include the ones which are in lifestyles without people having created them, and that they may be both renewable and non-renewable. There are numerous styles of useful resource depletion, with the maximum excessive being aquifer depletion, deforestation, mining for fossil fuels and minerals, infection of Assets, soil erosion, and overconsumption of assets. These especially arise because of agriculture, mining, water utilization, and intake of fossil fuels, all of that has been enabled with the aid of using improvements in Technology.

To keep producing this technology, we all use it daily, it takes lots of materials from all over the world, and to get most of these materials they come from mining. Mining comes with a high carbon cost, huge machinery usually powered by fossil fuels leading to the use of water and is massively polluting. In conclusion, If we stopped relying on technology so much, we would not have this need to constantly keep producing new tech, maybe we could find a new way to produce this technology without having so many effects on the environment.

Billionaire Space Race

by Sofia & Leah

The biggest billionaires of the biggest companies in the world, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson, are racing to see who can profit from space the fastest. Bezos and Branson have already had trips into space, only lasting a few minutes each and costing several billion dollars. The end goal of this race is to see who can get suborbital space tourism the fastest. Maybe someday we will all be taking vacations in space.

Each billionaire has its own space company. Musk’s company is called  SpaceX, Bezos has BlueOrigin and Barson is VirginGalactic. The highest rocket in space right now is from Bezos and is 100 kilometres in altitude. Branson and Bezos have been to space on short trips, making them the first private space tourists. So how much money did they spend? Well, the amount of money that just Bezos spent on a 4-minute trip could have saved 37.5 million people from hunger (the approximate population of Canada). Or he could fully fund COVAX and vaccinate two billion people.Space tourism

The US Government helped these massive corporations with the race and the large-scale capitalism through grants. This impacts local citizens because some of these massive companies don’t pay their share of taxes and are spending tax money on things that might not benefit them. Billionaires are also known for not paying as much in taxes as they should. 

 Rockets in general use a lot of fossil fuel which turns into carbon dioxide. That carbon dioxide goes to the atmosphere and speeds up global warming. It’s our world that these companies are changing for their profits.

This race has not ended yet, there is still no winner clear and determined. There is still no idea when this race will end and what is going to happen after or during the race. The winner since it is not clear and determined it could be any of the three men, what do you think? What is your opinion about the space race?

Positive & Negative Effects of Technology

by George

During the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic devices were used more often which has positive and negative effects.

Teenagers learned in a quadmester system in the 2020/2021 school year which was created by the Toronto District School Board. The students had two classes each semester and they were in class every other day. Teachers would assign virtual activities or require the children to work on a project when they were not at school. On the other hand, the mode of instruction in the 2021/22 school year is beginning to resemble pre-COVID-19 years. However though Mrs. Wolfe has something else to say. “The pandemic made phones and computers, iPhones and iPads critical to our social and academic connections and learning and so the habits and practices that kids learned through the pandemic remain with them now but because we are back in the classroom whether being able to pay attention and be present in the discussion and studies in the classroom is so important and so children right now are on their phones too much in the classroom. It is distracting them from immersing themselves in the learning experiences. They are missing a lot.”

This shows us the importance of a strong academic background when children and teenagers are not receiving them and are suffering the consequences which will impact them negatively in three ways. Firstly, some students may not be able to study properly in their post-secondary courses and be able to understand the material and apply it effectively in real life. Secondly, soft-skill such as collaboration, motivation and problem solving will not be life skills and will also not be developed which means that these future employees will have difficulty relaying information in a company which can cause delays in a project and lost money. Finally, the health effects of uncontrolled exposure is beyond calculation because children might not be able to tolerate not being on their devices which will impact every part of their body including the eyes. All this will create opportunities for businesses.

Many companies that offer blue light glasses such as EssilorLuxottica (EPA: EL) will benefit by having an increase in their income. This could allow them to raise the salary for their employees which could act as an incentive to be motivated to work more and better in order for the company to prosper. Furthermore, the increased income will drive the price of a stock upwards which will please those who have invested in the company and it will also give it a good reputation that could motivate others to look into it.

Though, there are ways to reduce the number of hours on your phone. One of them being that you can stop notifications from social medical websites that distract you from working which leads to staying up late in the evening. Rather, you can call the person that you would like to connect with. This way, you can also improve your social skills. This is one way to reduce time on a device.

Suez Canal: The most expensive or cost-effective?

by Varshini & Ziva

In a time where COVID-19 has made our economy fluctuate every day, the last thing we needed was a supply chain disturbance. In the Suez Canal, that issue was delivered by a 200,000 tonne Ever Given Ship carrying 18300 containers blocking the slim canal. This overall, created a massive impact globally, creating a challenging obstacle to business while also creating learning experiences we can put to use today.

On March 23 – 26, the world was shocked as the massive Ever-given ship was lodged diagonally in the Suez Canal. With the Suez Canal being a large trading route with almost 19,000 ships passing by, an incident like this caused a major setback in our supply chain. As the blockage slowly carried on over the 3 days, the global trading industry was hit hard as $5.4 billion in the trade were we’re lost. With this, it could be felt even through the biggest companies such as IKEA. For Ikea, they had almost $100,000 of product stranded on the Ever Given, even working paired as during the time of the. In the end, it showed how even the biggest business we’re not spared. 

Looking back now from the present, we continue to see the rise and fall of businesses. Now as young business students looking towards the future, we started asking “how is the incident relevant if it took place almost 10 months ago?”. Well, in short, it gives us an important lesson on the inconsistency of the business industry. As stated before, the Suez blockage was a huge deal, creating a stoppage of transportation holding millions of essential goods. With this, for those looking into starting a business or helping manage one, it is important to not be dependent on a singular supply chain. Instead, diversifying sources of supply will better provide backups during problems such as these. Not only that but having additional supplies in your community will add to your corporate social responsibility. From this, it allows a better reflection on your company while still helping others stay afloat in these tough times.

Now although this type of problem happened a while ago, a spitting image of this today can be found in the BC floods happening in Canada right now. In this situation, BC has been damaging impacts on their infrastructure such as their highways, railroad tracks and regional oil pipeline, all-important to both Canadians and Us businesses. These floods have disrupted supply chains, specifically towards the farmer business as many livestock were lost to floods. In total the entire situation cost an estimated 1 billion dollars, along with a shortage of food such as Freshslice Pizza in Calgary and Owl’s Nest Books. Overall, it goes to show how one supply chain issue can have a massive effect if only focusing on that supply service.

In short, it teaches us a valuable lesson about the business industry’s unpredictability. As a result, it is critical for people considering starting a business or helping in its management to not be reliant on a single source of supply. The total cost of the crisis was about 1 billion dollars. Diversifying supply sources, on the other hand, will better provide backups when difficulties like this.

How students have gained a deficient addiction to technology

by Ore, Emilie & Maddy

65.5% of junior high school students belong to the internet addiction-risk group. Why is this happening? Approximately a year and a half of online learning and periodical lockdowns are to blame. Students from all schools, especially North Toronto, have gained a deficient addiction to technology significantly affecting their mental health and quality of school work this year.

Approaching the end of the 2019-2020 school year, school abruptly went online due to the excessive transmission COVID-19. For the rest of the year, students participated in mandatory online learning.

Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, students began participating in in-person-learning. Due to the rapid increase in cases at times, students shifted from in-person to online learning a total of three3 times. They participated in online learning for about half of the school year. When they were online, they’d spend an average of 6 hours online daily. This time was spent attending a class wide Zzoom or google classroom call, or completing online work.

The significant amount of time spent in front of a screen, created unhealthy habits affecting mental health and an addiction to technology. This addiction was caused by relying on technology for necessary tasks. It is even said by Newport Technology that “Numerous studies over the past decade have shown that tech dependence has the same effect on the brain as drug addiction”.

The reward system in the brain releases dopamine in reaction to a joyful experience or hyperarousal, video games can be immensely addictive. When a person is overly engaged when playing video games, the brain correlates the activity with the release of dopamine. Video games are addictive because they cause a person to acquire a strong desire to seek out that same pleasure over and over again.

A North Toronto grade 10 student, Ray Macaulay, shared his thoughts regarding technological addiction.  His response was, “The reason why I think the internet is so influential and inspiring is because I can make positive elixir trades in Clash Royale which I find to be quite satisfying” He also mentions that he has an addiction to technology.

Despite many positives that come with modern technology, it can also lead to addiction and overpower one’s life causing it to be harder to focus on more important tasks like school work. This would partially explain why numerous students’ grades are decreasing during and after online learning. 

Another North Toronto grade 10 student, Chloe Nakamura, shared how she feels influenced by technology and if she believes she has an addiction. She answered as follows, “It definitely influences my daily life because it makes life a lot easier, but also has some negative impacts on my mental health, and yeah.”  Technology addictions can go either way, making a positive impact on one’s life or being detrimental to one’s mental health. 

Technology is tailored in a way, as Chloe and Ray have stated, that makes tasks in our everyday life more efficient and enjoyable, with potential negative impacts. Tasks as small as contacting a friend or searching facts on the internet become second nature, further influencing us to develop an addiction. 

How Sales and Discounts Influence Us

by Jack

Who doesn’t love a discount? For those unaware, discount pricing is a promotional pricing strategy where the original price of a product or service is reduced. Discounts can be a heavy influence on what products one buys. Let’s explore the world of discounts from all angles, both for sellers and buyers, and delve into why discounts influence us. 

First, let’s examine the seller or company’s point of view and reasoning. Companies place discounts on products for multiple reasons according to Profitwell, such as “increasing traffic, moving inventory, and driving sales.” For example, a food and beverage company might need to move its products as they may soon expire. A date code provides both sellers and buyers with a transparent process. But, they may also relocate these products to the front of the store, near the checkout counter, and try to increase buying with a discount like “Buy one, get another 50% off!” This discount marketing strategy is meant to catch your eye because it’s next to where one pays and seemingly a deal. The discount may cause one to also impulse purchase, something we will delve in a moment.

Pricewell identifies three types of discounts: “seasonal, clearance, and volume.” The seasonal discount occurs during “specific seasons or for seasonal products.” Clearance discounts are used to “liquidate what’s left in stock” by offering an unusually large discount. Ever heard “everything must go?” Volume discounts encourage buyers to purchase multiple products, with an example being bundling or bulk. Companies that most often use these discount strategies are retail (clothing, beauty, sporting goods and more) and ecommerce (online sales.)

But why would companies want to make their products cheaper? For one, to appeal to their target buyers, especially first time buyers. However for companies, discounts can be a double-edged sword as they can result in increased revenue, but can also lower profitability. When pricing and volume are predictable, one can project the growth of a company. But with discounts, one must factor them into the income statement. Yet discounting creates activation energy. This means, according to Campbell, that a consumer may place less focus when thinking whether to buy a product. 

Enter buyer psychology. A brief way to sum up why we can be influenced by discounts is simply psychology and especially the feeling of “scoring a good deal”. Let’s consider the perspective of the everyday person. Some people buy because “it was on sale”. Others buy on impulse. However in a recent 2021 Black Friday Survey, 75% of the North Toronto Students we surveyed did not buy on impulse during this triple discount holiday. But discounts may not always bring pleasure to consumers, for example, one may be introduced to a company’s product through a sale, but when price returns to normal, one may become disinterested.

In the end, discounts are a crucial part of the world of business, and are a primary factor of why people buy and how people sell.  

Girls Field Hockey Posts 2-0 Record This Week

The Girls Field Hockey team continued their winning ways with two wins at home this week. On November 3rd, the team shutout the University of Toronto Schools 3-0. The next day, the team finished their back-to-back with a 2-1 win vs. Sir John A. MacDonald.

North Toronto 3-0 U.T.S.

  • Goals by: Sophie Cockett, Inara Ezers, Daisy Kaiser
  • Goalkeepers: Kalah Christopher, Samantha Pollock, Jasmine Muruve

North Toronto 2-1 Sir. John A. MacDonald

  • Goals by: Kalah Christopher and Mackenzie Ball
  • Goalkeepers: Janna Kazerani and Kalah Christopher

A Very Successful “Red & Grey” Inter Squad Game

On Thursday Nov. 4th, 23 players, many new to field hockey this year, enjoyed a 0-0 tie game and continue to improve their skills.

Special thanks to community coach and NT parent, Ms Vilde, for her help and expertise on Thursday. Also a huge NT cheer for Grade 12 student Jack Vanek. Jack is our “umpire in training” as well as providing valuable assistance before and after games with equipment needs.

Anyone who has been around our program knows that Grade 12 player and captain Daisy Kaiser has been a “Rock” for us combining managerial assistance with on field leadership. Veterans and rookies alike thank you, Daisy, for your dedication.

Last but not least, special thanks to Coach Johnston and our retired NT coach, Mr Russell for their great coaching.

Fall Investment Contest Winners

The Finance Club held its first investment contest of the year as part of Junior Achievement’s Investment Simulation Program.

Andrew T. won with a 24.4% return on investment in the month of October. Nikola K. finished second with a return of 11.0%.

To join the next contest in December-January, contact the Finance Club.

Field Hockey 2021 Season Opener

The Girls Field Hockey team returned to the pitch Thursday after school.

The team defeated Sir John A. MacDonald C.I. & Harbord C.I. by scores of 1-0 each. In a third game, Sir John A. MacDonald beat Harbord 3-0. Thank you to Coach Johnston and the athletics department for organizing the games.

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