Complete an Information Paragraph on one of the following two articles:

1) Is the Law Too Soft on Youth Crime:Is the Law Too Soft on Youth Crime Card

Is the Law Too Soft on Youth Crime? Do young people get away with murder? Why does the law treat young offenders differently from adults? Why should young offenders get lighter sentences? Despite what you might hear or read in the media, there are no simple answers to these questions. The roots of youth law are embedded deep in Canadian history. Youth Law in the Past Two hundred years ago, the justice system treated children over the age of seven just like adults. A 10-year-old child could be whipped, sent to prison, or even hanged for stealing a few potatoes. Does this approach sound reasonable to you? Well, it didn't to the reformers of the day, either. They said there are good reasons for treating young people differently in the criminal justice system. First, young people lack the experience needed to understand the consequences of their actions. Second, because they can be easily influenced, teens are often led into crime by adults whom they trust. Third, some young offenders may not have had the direction they needed to become responsible citizens. The reformers also believed that more lenient sentences for young people just made sense. Most young offenders aren't "hardened" criminals. With guidance, they can become productive citizens. The reformers thought that judges sentencing a delinquent youth should balance the need to punish with the goal of rehabilitation. Youth Law in Transition The Juvenile Delinquents Act, 1908, was the first Canadian law to grant young people specific rights. By the 1960s, however, many politicians and concerned citizens felt that youth were still not receiving adequate legal representation and fair treatment under the law. So, in 1984, the Is the Law Too Soft on Youth Crime? Young Offenders Act (Y.O.A.) replaced the earlier Act. The Y.O.A. was significantly different in two respects. First, young offenders, those aged between 12 and 17, were guaranteed anonymity if charged with a crime. Second, youth were guaranteed a maximum sentence of three years for violent crimes, such as murder. Nearly 20 years later, the Act was revised again, mainly due to criticism that it was not tough enough. This revision led to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, 2003. Youth Law in the Present The stated goal of the new Act is the "long-term protection" of society. The Act recognizes that young people should have special rights under the law, but that they should also be accountable for their actions. To achieve both of these goals, the Act distinguishes between serious and less serious crimes. Serious offences, such as murder and assault, are those that hurt other people. Less serious crimes are non-violent ones, such as vandalism. For less serious crimes, the Act says judges should sentence youths to something other than incarceration. If a youth vandalizes a park, for instance, then the 1992 200 150 100 50 0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Number of Youth Charged (per 10 000 youths) Year Youth Crime Rate in Canada by Offence, 1992-2002 Crimes of Violence Breaking and Entering Theft In 1997, 14-year-old Reena Virk was beaten to death by two teenagers in Victoria, B.C. The case received a lot of coverage in the media, leading many people to think that youth crime was on the rise. Statistically, the overall youth crime rate in Canada had been declining for five years. The Youth Criminal Justice Act lists 18 sentencing options that are available to a youth court judge. Seven of the options are new. These range from a reprimand to a prison term followed by a period of supervision. sentence might consist of spending weekends cleaning up and revitalizing the park. For serious crimes, such as murder, young people can now be tried as adults, publicly named, and sentenced to a maximum of 10 years imprisonment for murder. Even in prison though, there is an emphasis on reform. The framers of the Act believed that reform is good for the offender and also ensures "the long-term protection" of society.

2) Simple Technology, Super Potential:Simple Technology, Super PotentialCard

Simple Technology Simple Technology + + = Simple Technology: Super Potential Hydrogen: Fuel of the Future One source of non-polluting, renewable energy available now is hydrogen gas. In fact, automakers are already producing vehicles that burn hydrogen and leave nothing behind but clean water. Ballard Industries, located in Burnaby, British Columbia, developed the hydrogen fuel cell. Today, Ballard Industries is one of the leading fuel-cell manufacturers in the world. However, while hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it is always found in combination with other elements. Water, for example, is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. There are many processes that can be used to isolate the hydrogen needed to fuel the cell. For example, electrolysis separates water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O), but this process requires enormous amounts of electricity. What we need is an efficient, affordable way to extract large quantities of hydrogen. Solving the Problem Jim Andersen, an inventor from New Brunswick, has patented an inexpensive method of producing hydrogen gas. Andersen's method uses water, aluminum, and caustic soda, an ingredient in common household products such as Drano. Here's how Andersen's method works. The caustic soda is dissolved in a tank of tap water. Aluminum pellets are dropped on the surface of the solution, causing a chemical reaction. The oxygen in the water attaches itself to the aluminum, forming dense matter called alumina. The alumina sinks to the bottom of the tank, and what remains is hydrogen. Scientists already knew that hydrogen could be produced this way. They believed, however, that they had to keep replacing the caustic soda to get the chemical reaction. This method made the process very expensive. Andersen showed that the caustic soda acts as a catalyst, something that causes a reaction but does not get used up itself. He found that as long as the water and the aluminum are replaced, the caustic soda would not run out. Garbage InHydrogen Out Andersen's method not only creates clean fuel, but it might also create a market for some of our undesirable garbage. Old pop cans, aluminum foil, and shavings from steel mills are sources of aluminum. Contaminated water or waste water can be used because the quality of the water does not affect the reaction. The alumina that collects on the bottom of the tank can be recycled back into aluminum to make more pop cans. The prospect of getting clean fuel from garbage is pretty exciting. So fasten your seat belts and hang on to your pop canshere comes the future! Fossil fuels are on the way out. Scientists predict that Earth's resources of oil and gas will be depleted by the year 2035. The fact is that we rely on fossil fuels for almost every aspect of our lives: in our homes, for our economy, and to fuel our cars. Although there is a finite amount of this kind of energy, we continue to overload our roadsmore people are driving cars today than ever before! The second concern about our consumption of fossil fuels relates to the health of our planet. Almost 25 percent of human-generated greenhouse gases comes from transportation. As more vehicles take to the streets, harmful emissions (carbon dioxide) add to the greenhouse effect and affect climate change. Furthermore, it is estimated that, worldwide, nearly one billion people living in urban areas die from complications due to air pollution. Cars are a major contributor to those deaths. Clearly, we need an alternativeand fast. Hydrogen gas produced by the reaction between aluminum and caustic soda can be used to create clean energy. The alumina can be recycled to make more aluminum. water aluminum caustic soda Jim Andersen's method of producing hydrogen gas is simple and effective.