JAPAN AND THE NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE
JAPAN AND THE NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE
YV Introduction
Note to Teachers: Discussions of natural disasters may provoke emotional responses from students such as fear, anxiety, and hopelessness. Care should be taken before the lesson to ensure that the learning environment is safe and supportive. Journal writing and partner or small-group discussion are some ways in which teachers can ensure that students have appropriate time to process their feelings.
Focus
In early March, a massive earthquake rocked a large area of northern Japan. The quake was followed by a huge tsunami that killed thousands of people and badly damaged a nuclear power plant. In this News in Review story we’ll look at the quake aftermath and the desperate attempts to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.
Introductory Activity
1. Do you have personal knowledge about Japan (you were born there, have visited there, have friends/family living there)? If yes, share what you know about the March events, the landscape of Japan, and/or the potential risks of volcanoes and earthquakes.
2. List words that you associate with the term nuclear meltdown.
3. Do you think nuclear power is a good energy source? Why or why not? What information do you need before making your decision?
On Friday March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m. a massive 9.0 earthquake hit northeast Japan. The offshore quake occurred at a depth of 24 kilometres, about 125 kilometres off the coast. Aftershocks of considerable strength (7.1, 6.5, and 6.4) continued days after the first earthquake. The earthquake was so powerful that it rocked the Earth’s axis, shifting it 25 centimetres, and shortened the length of the day by a fraction of a second.
The quake also caused a series of massive tsunamis that swept in to the northeastern coast of Japan, destroying boats, cars, buildings, power lines, trees, rocks, earth, and people. Massive fires, a byproduct of the quake and aftershocks, burned in many northern communities. Buildings collapsed and landslides began. An oil refinery was badly damaged as were the country’s nuclear power plants. The world held its breath as massive search-and-rescue efforts began, although the death toll was already estimated to be over 25 000.
Just as problematic was the fact that damaged nuclear reactors looked like they might melt down—and a full-scale nuclear disaster might occur. At the time this story went to press, there had been some progress on cooling the reactors and reducing the nuclear threat, but it was clear that radiation had been leaked, and that water, farms, and food had been poisoned.
To Consider
View a photo essay on the destruction caused by the March 11 earthquake-tsunami in Japan. Write down as many single words or phrases that you can that express what you see and feel when looking at the pictures. Share your responses with a partner and note similarities and differences. Together, create a mind map that notes the short-term and long-term social, economic, and environmental impacts of this multi-faceted disaster.
Photo essays to explore include:
• National Geographic: “Japan tsunami: 20 unforgettable pictures”
• The New York Times: “Satellite photos, Japan before and after tsunami”
• CBC News Interactive Video Map: “Japan quake, tsunami cause ‘major damage’”
JAPAN AND THE NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE
YV Video Review
Focus for Viewing
After discussion with a partner or in a small group, record your responses to the following questions.
1. To what extent can nations prepare for natural disasters?
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2. To what extent can people prepare for natural disasters?
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3. Predict why this disaster is of global concern.
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Did you know . . .
The total number dead in Japan is expected to climb to over 20 000, with another 500 000 people left homeless.
Questions for Viewing
As you watch this video, record your responses to the following questions in the spaces provided.
1. How powerful was the earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011?
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2. What did workers at Fukushima nuclear plant do to try to prevent a nuclear meltdown?
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3. List three hardships faced by survivors.
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Did you know . . .
On April 3, 2011, workers in the Fukushima nuclear plant discovered a crack in a maintenance pit that is believed to have been the conduit for contaminated water that leaked directly into the sea.
4. What challenges are the self-defence forces facing in assisting survivors?
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5. a) Why are people scrambling to leave cities near Fukushima?
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b) Who are the “Fukushima 50”?
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6. How much time did the inhabitants of Noda have to evacuate when the tsunami alarm sounded?
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7. What are the prized possessions that one survivor shows the reporter?
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8. What is the damage estimate of this disaster?
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9. What evidence is there that radiation has leaked from the damaged reactors?
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10. Why has there been a run on purchases of seaweed in Canada?
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11. What is the predicted timeline to the end of the nuclear emergency?
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Post-Viewing Activity
1. Predict the possible impact of the Japanese earthquake-tsunami on Canada.
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2. What can we learn from this disaster?
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3. What additional questions do you have regarding the disaster?
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4. Do you know someone who has witnessed a natural disaster, or have you ever witnessed a natural disaster? Share these stories.
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5. Consider two or three ways in which you can become an active citizen versus a passive observer of this world event.
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JAPAN AND THE NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE
YV Double Tragedy: Earthquake and Tsunami
Focus for Reading
As you read the following information about the earthquake and tsunami, ask yourself if you would be willing to live on an island as vulnerable to natural disasters as Japan.
The Geological Reality of Japan
Japanese people have always faced risk. Their nation is located in one of the most volatile regions of the world, known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. There are 75 active volcanoes in Japan, as well as four intersecting tectonic plates. Japanese people have long lived with the knowledge that an intense earthquake could occur at any time. With more than 300 tiny earthquakes rattling Japan each day, it’s difficult to forecast when a big one will hit.
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March 11, 2011: A Fateful Day
The devastation the Japanese feared came on Friday March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m. with a massive 9.0 earthquake that hit northeast Japan. The offshore quake occurred at a depth of 24 kilometres, about 125 kilometres off the coast. Aftershocks of considerable strength (7.1, 6.5, and 6.4) continued days after the first earthquake. This quake is the most powerful to ever strike Japan. Despite scientifically based government disaster planning and societal readiness for emergency situations, the earthquake and resulting tsunami were beyond the scope of what was anticipated. The quake was so powerful it rocked the Earth’s axis, shifting it 25 centimetres, and shortened the length of the day by a fraction of a second.
The quake caused a series of massive tsunamis to sweep in to the northeastern coast of Japan, carrying boats, cars, buildings, power lines, trees, rocks, earth, and people away in its four- to seven-metre-high waves. Japanese officials urged people near coastlines to move to higher ground. Embankments that had been built to protect the coastal regions from tsunamis were crushed, causing the destruction of several communities and triggering a massive oil-refinery fire. A state of emergency was declared near a damaged nuclear power plant, prompting the evacuation of people living in that area. Massive fires, a byproduct of the quake and aftershocks, burned in many northern communities. Buildings collapsed and landslides began. The coast guard was called to search for ships that were swept away from shipyards, and several trains were derailed or missing. It was difficult to comprehend the extent of the destruction that had occurred—but more challenges awaited.
Did you know . . .
The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake in Tokyo killed more than 100 000. It registered 7.9 in intensity.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Hundreds of aftershocks with a magnitude of 5.0 or more occurred in the days following the earthquake. The official death toll was 27 000 on April 1, but Japanese officials predicted that final numbers would be much higher. More than 2 000 shelters housed more than 400 000 people who faced extremely cold and dire conditions. Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered military, police, and fire personnel to work in communities across the affected areas, sifting through debris in search of survivors and the dead. More than 13 nations assisted in Japanese relief efforts, providing everything from bottled water, boil-in-the-bag rice to blankets and power generators.
The destruction was both personal and economic. A major fire broke out at the Cosmo Oil Company refinery in Ichihara. Automotive industries such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Honda ceased operations. A major steel plant also stopped operations, as did Sony, the giant electronics company. Property damage estimates alone ranged from $35-billion to $100-billion.
Activity: Eyewitness Accounts
As you carefully read the following eyewitness accounts, think about the emotional and personal impact of the earthquake-tsunami on the Japanese people. Predict some of the short-term and long-term psychological effects of a natural disaster of this magnitude.
“The only thing left standing in this area is the plant—you don’t know where your family [is], you don’t know what’s happened, but you have a job to do and you have to stick on it.” — Mr. Hawthorne, worker at the Fukushima nuclear facility (BBC World News, bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12711152)
“We were in our second floor office when the first shocks hit. They were relatively gentle, the kind of thing that I’ve already felt since my arrival and that seem pretty commonplace for Tokyoites. It didn’t take long to register that this was not the normal passing tremor though, and as the force gradually built, my colleagues’ looks of acknowledgement started to look a bit more like panic. Then there was what seems like a few seconds of stunned silence. At this point the thought of getting under the desk ran through my mind, this being the one piece of advice I remember from my wife giving me some basic emergency drilling. It was when we were outside that the most powerful tremors began to hit. Seeing our relatively old building visibly shake from the outside, the external spiral staircase we had all just run down loudly rattling against its side, I was glad to be outside. It was at this point that panic started to turn to fear, as we looked around at the surrounding skyscrapers visibly swaying, like trees blowing in the wind. It was only talking to people later that I learnt that this bendiness is part of what makes them resistant to quakes. At the time I was genuinely scared that one of these 100-story buildings could come down on top of us.” — Nicolas Roberts (“Japan earthquake eyewitness,” The Christian Science Monitor, March 11, 2011)
“I have never felt such a strong quake in my life. My flat is on the fifth floor, and the building shook slowly at first, then more and more violently. It was really scary. TV is showing a fire in a tall building in the Odaiba area in Tokyo, and also tsunami waves carrying lorries and cars. It looks like there are more fires breaking out in Sendai, a major city in northern Japan. Until a few minutes ago I was with neighbours who jumped out of the building and shared what little information we had and consoled each other. Lifts have stopped in our building, and I guess have in most buildings. There are still aftershocks every few minutes.” — Yukiko, resident of Tokyo (BBC World News, bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12711152)
“We stood amid the silence of Otsuchi and looked from horizon to horizon. They were picking over the remains of a town that no longer exists. As if earthquake, then tsunami were not enough, no sooner had the water retreated than fire engulfed this town. Fuelled by kerosene from cooking stoves and the wooden remains of thousands of houses, it burnt for two days and left nothing. Walking through it now, the stench of smoke is still everywhere. On Friday morning of last week, this was home to 17 000 people. Only 5 000 have been accounted for. They’re now calling this town ‘the lost town.’ And it’s very easy to see why. Anything the water left behind, the fire has completely consumed. There is nothing that tells you how Otsuchi once looked. Where streets ran, where houses stood, it is a shattering sight. We found Taka Akigoto, a town counsellor here, clambering back over the ruins. He had been looking for his home. ‘It’s all gone,’ he told us. Then he said, with a wry smile: ‘It was supposed to be earthquake-proof. But my family is OK.’ Every few minutes, the rescue teams were pulling bodies out, four here left for collection, another covered with plastic sheeting and a simple note attached saying where and when it was found. They do their best to give dignity to the dead, but there are simply too many to stand on ceremony. Juniichi Sendate had been at work elsewhere, and that’s why he is alive today. He knew why this disaster had been so deadly. ‘After the earthquake, the waves began almost immediately,’ he told us. ‘It was only about 15 minutes, so there wasn’t enough time.’” — James Mates (PBS News Hour, March 15, 2011)
Follow-up
There is a psychological phenomenon known as desensitization that often occurs when we hear of large-scale human suffering or tragedy. When a problem is very large—like poverty in Haiti or HIV/AIDS in Africa—we sometimes turn away because the news is depressing and because we feel that there is nothing we can do to help. One of the ways we can overcome this tendency to become desensitized is to consider the personal stories of those affected.
1. Indicate which one of the quotes that you just read had the most impact on you. What was it about that particular story, or the details in the quote, that stood out for you.
2. Surf the Internet to locate other first-person accounts of the earthquake-tsunami. Select one or two that you find to be the most powerful. Be prepared to share those stories within a small group or with the larger class.
JAPAN AND THE NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE
YV Nuclear Meltdown
Focus for Reading
If nuclear power plants have been proven to be unsafe, why do we use them? Read carefully to understand more about the science of nuclear power and radiation to decide if the risks of nuclear power outweigh the benefits.
Japan’s nuclear crisis remains a serious global concern. What will be the extent of the damage caused by radiation leaking into the ground, water, and air to Japan and the world? Two previous nuclear plant accidents that panicked the world include Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Three Mile Island was ranked by the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale as a Level 5 event, Chernobyl a Level 7, and the Fukushima reactors damaged by the earthquake-tsunami in Japan a Level 6.
Further Research
Find out the causes and resulting impact of the nuclear disasters at Three Mile Island (1979, Pennsylvania), and Chernobyl (1986, Ukraine).
Why Nuclear Power?
The demand for power continues to rise worldwide. Even with significant conservation efforts it will be impossible to meet increased demands. The world’s fossil fuels are running out, and our understanding of the adverse environmental effects of burning fossil fuels is increasing. Hydroelectric sources alone cannot meet the world’s demand for energy. Alternative power sources are needed—and these include nuclear, solar, wind, and geothermal. To date, solar, wind, and geothermal provide only a very small part of the world’s energy. Nuclear energy can, and does, provide a great deal more energy than these other sources combined.
Advocates of nuclear energy point to the fact that nuclear power plants cause little pollution and are reliable and safe. They also argue that there are no real alternatives to nuclear energy, pointing out that humans continue to consume staggering amounts of energy. Unless humans are willing to drastically change the way they live, nuclear power will be required.
Those who oppose the use of nuclear power plants claim that they are not safe; they produce radiation, and there is risk of serious accidents, including the possibility of reactor meltdowns. Opponents also point to the production of toxic nuclear waste—the byproduct of nuclear processing—which must be safely disposed of. Current storage facilities are not large enough to store the world’s nuclear waste, which limits the amount of nuclear fuel that can be used per year. The transportation of this waste on roads and waterways is very risky. Plus, there are questions about whether this toxic waste can be safely stored for any period of time.
Did you know . . .
Nuclear power provides about six per cent of the world’s energy and 14 per cent of the world’s electricity.
How Nuclear Power Works
Nuclear power is created when radioactive uranium bundles heat water into steam. The steam produced in a nuclear reactor turns giant turbines attached to generators that produce electricity for homes and businesses.
This process is not much different from a typical coal-burning power plant except for one important factor—the method of heating the water. While older plants burn fossil fuels to generate heat, nuclear plants depend on the heat released during nuclear fission, the process by which one atom splits into two, releasing heat and radiation. Uranium is used to induce the fission process.
Fuel rods are used to store uranium pellets; multiple rods are combined into a bundle. Bundles are submerged in water. Control rods made of a material that absorbs neutrons are lowered and raised in the uranium bundles to control the temperature.
Since harmful levels of radiation are a concern, a nuclear power plant is lined with concrete that acts as a radiation shield. The concrete is surrounded by a steel containment vessel. This vessel contains the reactor core and acts as a barrier to prevent leakage of radioactive gases or fluids from the plant. An outer concrete building serves as the final protective layer, protecting the steel and the containment vessel. This concrete building is designed to withstand earthquakes and/or crashing planes. Many safety features go into the building of a nuclear power plant to reduce the danger of releasing harmful radiation into the environment. But at this point it seems impossible to completely contain radiation leaks.
Did you know . . .
The first time atoms were successfully split was during The Manhattan Project—the U.S. military program to develop an atomic weapon to be used during the Second World War.
Radiation: What is it?
Radiation is part of the natural world and refers to the disintegration of atoms. Radiation arises from the Earth itself and from outside the Earth in the form of cosmic radiation. Radiation can also be created by humans as X-rays, treatments for cancer, fallout from nuclear testing, and materials released from coal and nuclear power plants.
Although we cannot see or feel the presence of radiation, it can be detected and measured in very small quantities. A radiation unit is called a sievert (Sv). One sievert is a large quantity, so radiation is typically expressed in millisieverts or microsieverts. For example, one chest X-ray is about 0.2 millisieverts of radiation.
|Comparing Radiation Doses |
|Chest x-ray |0.2 millisieverts (mSv) |
|A yearly dose of exposure to radiation from natural sources (food, water, | |
|cosmic rays) |2.4 mSv |
|Exposure from a single coast-to-coast plane flight |0.01-0.6 mSv |
|Limit of exposure for those working in nuclear power plants over 5 years | |
| |100 mSv |
|Dose that would cause immediate illness and subsequent death | |
| |10 000 mSv |
What happens when the human body gets a dose of radiation? There is still considerable uncertainty about the overall effects of low doses of radiation. Some scientists argue any additional amount of radiation beyond natural sources is harmful, while others contend that this hypothesis has not been conclusively proven.
The effects of radiation at high doses are better known. A very large dose of radiation will result in death within days. Much has been learned by studying the health records of the survivors of nuclear bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War.
Did you know . . .
The creators of comic-book heroes are fond of imagining that radiation exposure could cause mutations that create superhuman powers. Examples include Spider-Man, The Hulk, Doctor Manhattan, and the Japanese monster Godzilla.
Follow-up
Review the notes you took while reading this section on the pros and cons of nuclear power. Write a two-paragraph summary that synthesizes your position and supporting points. Be prepared to share your summary with other students in a small group, or with the entire class.
JAPAN AND THE NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE
YV Focus on Fukushima
As a result of the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011, nuclear reactors located in Fukushima were critically damaged. Days and weeks after the disaster the situation continued to deteriorate, with cooling systems failing, explosions rocking several of the plants, and nuclear fuel rods being exposed to the air. The Nuclear Regulatory Agency evacuated people living within 30 kilometres of the plants, and further evacuations were planned if required.
Radioactive materials were detected beginning March 12. Detection of radiation prompted the nuclear safety agency to admit that the reactor had been melting, the first time such a dangerous situation has occurred in Japan. People, pets, food, water, and air were checked for radiation levels. The worst-case scenario was that multiple fuel rods would melt further and tonnes of melting uranium could get released, causing widespread damage to human health and the environment.
Did you know . . .
Potassium iodine pills prevent or reduce the absorption of radioiodine, a byproduct of nuclear fission, through the thyroid gland. In British Columbia, the pills quickly sold out of pharmacies as people panicked about the possibility of airborne radiation from Japan reaching Canada.
The Chain of Events
Despite the multiple precautions that were in place at the Fukushima reactors, a series of disastrous events led to the nuclear disaster. Here are the events in chronological order:
1. The nuclear power plants structurally withstood the earthquake. However, electrical power to the plants—necessary for the cooling pumps—shut down.
2. The backup power grid became unstable and shut down as well.
3. Back-up generators were not located high enough off the ground to withstand the tsunami. The crisis might have been averted if the back-up diesel generators had been designed to withstand submersion in water.
4. Batteries were the last line of power in this emergency. The batteries performed as expected but ran out of power after a few hours.
5. New generators were brought in but could not be hooked up in time.
6. The coolant pumps ran out of electricity. There was no longer a fresh supply of water in the boiler, and the fuel rods were exposed and overheated.
Fixing the Damage
Teams of workers, heralded by Japanese people for their bravery in volunteering for this dangerous task, attempted to avert a reactor meltdown. Water was pumped from hoses and dropped from helicopters to keep the reactor fuel rods cool. At the same time, radioactive water had been discovered in numerous places around the Fukushima nuclear complex. Japanese workers at the plant faced the choice between continuing to douse the plant’s stricken nuclear reactors with water to keep them cool and preventing the highly radioactive water that had flooded the reactors from spilling into the ocean.
Impact
Japan lost a significant portion of its electrical generating capacity because of the tsunami. Approximately a third of Japan’s electricity comes from nuclear power plants, and about half of that capacity had been lost (approximately 20 per cent of total generating capacity). This energy source will have to be replaced.
Radiation levels detected outside the plant were also found to be elevated. The seawater near Japan’s Fukushima plant contained radioactive iodine at 3 355 times the legal limit, according to the Japanese nuclear safety agency. Officials found plutonium in the soil samples around the plant. Harmful radioactive steam prevented the workers at the plant from completing repairs.
The Japanese government announced that the four Fukushima reactors will be decommissioned and that safety procedures will be overhauled. Depending on the level of contamination, the land around the plants will not be inhabitable for years, or possibly decades. The events in Japan may stop growth in nuclear power plants globally. Or they may spur research into other, possibly safer, nuclear technologies.
The Canadian Connection
Health Canada issued a release on March 31, 2011, that stated “the amount of radiation reaching Canada is miniscule and does not pose a health risk to Canadians” (cbc.ca, April 2, 2011). Despite the fact that there was no imminent health risk for Canadians, it is clear that the Japanese and international community must work together to minimize the extent of this nuclear accident, to monitor its long-term effects, and to further debate and strategize on the safety of nuclear facilities.
Follow-up
1. Research the first-ever accident at a nuclear reactor, which occurred in Chalk River, Canada, in 1952.
2. Find out the extent of other nuclear accidents in Canada as tracked by Greenpeace.
3. Summarize the most current research on the impacts of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster on Japan, Canada, and the world.
4. Find out more about Japan’s nuclear history, especially about the lives of the Hibakusha (survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki). You can read the testimonies of the Hibakusha at hibakusha/.
5. Research and analyze the disaster management plan for nuclear accidents in Canada.
JAPAN AND THE NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE
YV Activity: In Canada: Is the risk acceptable?
Your task is to send a letter or post a detailed comment to a news site or to a member of Parliament or to an environmental organization that defends your answer to the question: Is the use of nuclear power plants in Canada an acceptable risk? Use the chart below to gather your evidence, rank the criteria, and make your judgment.
Background Information
In 2011, there were five nuclear power plants in Canada, located in Bécancour, Quebec; Lepreau, New Brunswick; Tiverton, Ontario; Bowmanville, Ontario; and Pickering, Ontario. Eighteen CANDU nuclear reactors throughout Canada account for 14.6 per cent of Canada’s electricity generation, including 51 per cent of Ontario’s power needs.
Is the use of nuclear power plants in Canada an acceptable risk?
|Criteria |Source: detail the point of view of the |Evidence presented in source |Acceptable or not acceptable risk? |
| |source | | |
|Environmental benefits | | | |
|Environmental threats | | | |
|Economic benefits | | | |
| | | | |
|Economic threats | | | |
| | | | |
|Ability to withstand natural | | | |
|disaster | | | |
|Ability to withstand human error| | | |
|Ability to withstand acts of | | | |
|terrorism | | | |
Some helpful sites for your research include:
• Industry Canada: ic.gc.ca/ic_wp-pa.htm
• Greenpeace International: international/en/
• CBC News: cbc.ca
• Natural Resources Canada (for a calculator of earthquake hazard values):
• Nuclear Safety – Government of Canada:
THE UPRISING IN LIBYA
Introduction
Focus
This CBC News in Review story focuses on the popular uprising in Libya against the 40-year reign of leader Moammar Gadhafi. The uprising has sparked a violent civil war and a military response from other countries, including Canada.
The winds of revolution that swept across North Africa and the Middle East in the early months of 2011 suddenly reached Libya in mid February. Unarmed protesters, emboldened by the success of similar uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, took to the streets demanding the end of the leadership of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi and his replacement by a democratic government. It quickly became apparent that Gadhafi would not yield to the demands of the protestors, as he ordered his secret police and elite military units to quash the uprising.
For their part, the rebels—who were now armed with weapons captured from Gadhafi’s troops—were able to consolidate their position in the eastern city of Benghazi and spread their armed rebellion westward toward Tripoli, Libya’s capital city and the seat of Gadhafi’s power. Many were killed as Gadhafi’s men brutally slaughtered the rebels. Many of Gadhafi’s troops were killed, too.
The uprising also spawned a huge humanitarian crisis as hundreds of thousands of people—mainly foreign workers in Libyan oil fields—fled the violence and overwhelmed the borders of neighbouring Tunisia. International relief agencies struggled to cope.
The world watched in admiration as the brave but poorly armed and ill-trained rebel forces stood their ground against Gadhafi’s vastly superior military machine. In the initial phases of the uprising, the rebels pushed Gadhafi’s units from a number of important centres in both the eastern and western parts of the country. Meanwhile, Gadhafi’s denunciations of the rebels became increasingly shrill and almost incoherent, alleging among other things that they were supporters of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and that they were intoxicated with alcohol and drugs. Despite the high morale of the rebel forces, they soon found themselves outgunned and losing ground. By mid-March Gadhafi’s forces were poised to strike at the gates of the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, where he had vowed he would show “no mercy” to its inhabitants.
It was at this crucial point in the Libyan crisis that the international community finally decided to act. Right from the beginning of the rebellion, world leaders had called upon Gadhafi to stop using force against his people and leave office immediately. When these demands went unheeded, and with a bloodbath looming in Benghazi, the United Nations on March 17 passed a resolution authorizing a no-fly zone to be imposed on Libya. This would prevent Gadhafi from using his superior air power against the rebels and unarmed civilians. The U.S., France, Britain, and other countries—including Canada—were soon launching air strikes against various military positions inside Libya while the rebels took advantage of this new development to push back against Gadhafi’s army in towns where they had earlier been forced to withdraw. But with the UN resolution expressly ruling out the deployment of foreign ground troops, the rebels appeared to be facing a long uphill struggle in their quest to defeat Gadhafi.
To Consider
1. Why do you think Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has refused to leave office despite a major uprising against his regime? Should he have to?
2. Do you think Western countries, including Canada, have a duty to become involved in the Libyan crisis, or is it none of our business? Explain.
3. Do you think that the anti-Gadhafi rebels will eventually achieve their goal? Why or why not?
THE UPRISING IN LIBYA
Video Review
Pre-viewing Questions
With a partner or in a small group, discuss and respond to the following questions.
1. How much do you know about Libya and the fighting that was occurring in early 2011?
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2. Why do you think the uprising in Libya has become an international crisis involving a number of countries, including Canada?
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3. Do you think that the Canadian government is right to be participating in the international coalition involved in the fighting in Libya? Why or why not?
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Viewing Questions
As you watch the video, respond to the questions in the spaces provided.
1. What are Libya’s two most important natural resources?
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2. When did Gadhafi come to power in Libya?
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3. What actions did Gadhafi take in the 1970s and 80s to anger Western countries such as the United States?
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4. What happened in Libya in February 2011? How did Gadhafi respond to this?
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5. What warning did Gadhafi’s son give to the rebels fighting against the regime?
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6. How have Libya’s oil exports been impacted by the fighting?
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7. What action did the United Nations authorize regarding Libya on March 17, 2011? Why did it take this step?
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8. What was the impact of the first air strikes against Gadhafi’s forces?
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9. What accusations has Gadhafi made against the countries participating in the military actions against his regime?
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10. What military assets has Canada contributed to the fighting in Libya? What has been their role in the operation so far?
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11. What questions have been raised in Parliament regarding Canada’s participation in military operations in Libya?
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12. What questions about the scope and ultimate goal of the military operations in Libya have been raised in the U.S. and other countries?
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13. What options may be available to Gadhafi as he faces such strong international efforts to assist the Libyan pro-democracy rebels in driving him from power?
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Post-viewing Questions
1. Now that you have watched the video, revisit your responses to the Pre-viewing Questions. How has watching the video helped you to respond to the questions in greater depth?
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2. Why do you think Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is so determined to hang on to power?
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3. Do you think the United Nations was right to authorize a no-fly zone over Libya to help protect civilians from attacks by Gadhafi’s troops? Why or why not?
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4. Do you think that Canada should be participating in the military operations in Libya? Why or why not?
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5. What do you think the future holds for Libya?
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THE UPRISING IN LIBYA
The Battle for Libya
Focus for Reading
As you read this section, focus on the developments that transformed an internal uprising against the Libyan regime of Moammar Gadhafi into a full-scale international crisis. Highlight some of the events that you think were crucial in this process.
Vocabulary
Moammar Gadhafi has been called a megalomaniac. This is someone who is totally convinced he or she is in possession of the unconditional love and loyalty of those around him or her.
Background to a Revolution
The uprising against the entrenched 41-year-old leadership of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, which broke out in the eastern city of Benghazi on February 17, 2011, caught that North African country and much of the world by surprise. Although similar protests demanding democratic reform had successfully toppled autocratic leaders in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt, few observers inside or outside Libya believed that Gadhafi’s regime faced a similar threat. This was because, unlike those other rulers, Gadhafi was known to be a tyrant, and delusional about the support of his people. Moreover, his internal state security forces, in operation since shortly after he seized power in 1969, had imposed a virtual reign of terror inside Libya, cracking down harshly on any opposition and reducing most of its citizens to a passive state of submission to Gadhafi’s rule.
Ordinary Libyans were denied access to reliable information about the dramatic events taking place on their borders. This was because the state television network was controlled by Ghadafi, and because other Arabic-language news outlets were heavily censored. In addition, few foreign journalists were permitted to file reports from inside Libya. Social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter were also severely restricted. And unlike their fellow activists in Tunisia and Egypt, Libyans did not have the same degree of Internet and e-mail access.
Nonetheless, the successful pro-democracy revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt were unquestionably an inspiration for the protesters who defied Gadhafi’s security forces during the early days of the uprising. Despite a virtual international news blackout, amateur videos taken from personal cell phones of protesters being shot by Gadhafi loyalists soon made their way onto television screens around the world, provoking a reaction of horror and solidarity with the rebels. Within days, Benghazi was liberated, and the opposition, buoyed by its initial success, began to press westward in the direction of Tripoli, where it was hoped Gadhafi would be driven from power.
Did you know . . .
Gadhafi made a number of odd television appearances claiming that the rebels were Islamic fundamentalists being paid by Al Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden, and that they would threaten Europe with terrorism and set off a flood of illegal immigrants from Africa.
From Uprising to International Crisis
Gadhafi and his government were initially caught off-guard by the scope and seriousness of the revolt, leading some to predict that it would all be over in a matter of days. But Gadhafi was able to regroup and began to fire back against any rebels who approached Tripoli and other areas still under his control. He staged numerous television appearances where he ranted against the rebels. He claimed they were misguided young people high on drugs and being used as dupes by outside powers determined to gain access to Libya’s oil wealth. These speeches were broadcast live on Libyan state television and included scenes of pro-Gadhafi crowds waving banners and chanting slogans in praise of him.
By early March, the rebel forces’ initial advances were stalled, as their ill-trained and out-gunned fighters proved to be no match for Gadhafi’s professional army and paramilitary units. Coastal towns lying between Benghazi and Tripoli—which are home to Libya’s economically vital oil production—were retaken after heavy aerial bombardments and relentless shelling of rebel positions. Calls from U.S. President Barack Obama and other Western leaders for Gadhafi to halt his attacks on his own people and leave office proved futile, while the increasingly desperate rebels appealed to the international community to assist them.
For their part, the United States and European nations were reluctant to act, fearing that any Western military intervention in Libya would be viewed unfavourably in the Arab world. But when Gadhafi publicly boasted on March 16, 2011, that his advancing troops on Benghazi would go “house to house” showing “no mercy” to those who had supported the rebellion, world leaders finally determined that the time to act had come.
Did you know . . .
The Arab world grew increasingly hostile to the U.S. after that country invaded Iraq in 2003.
The United Nations Takes Action
On March 17, the UN Security Council met in emergency session and passed a “no-fly” resolution to take effect immediately over the skies of Libya. This meant that France, Great Britain, the United States, Canada, and some Arab states such as Qatar would be authorized to use their air power to disable Libya’s anti-aircraft and communications systems and bomb Gadhafi’s military installations and troop positions on the ground.
The purpose of this action was to defend Libyan civilians and prevent a looming humanitarian catastrophe. The UN said that the measure would not signify direct foreign military intervention on behalf of the rebels in a developing civil war in Libya, nor was it meant to result in Gadhafi’s overthrow. No foreign troops were to be dispatched to Libya. Nonetheless, by most accounts the UN’s decision was clearly aimed to assist the rebels and defeat Gadhafi.
Vocabulary
The code name for the coalition’s military operations in Libya was Operation Odyssey. An odyssey is a long, eventful journey.
Backlash
The coalition of nations that assumed responsibility for enforcing the UN’s “no-fly” resolution over Libya was a broad one, including Western powers and some Arab and African states. It had the backing not only of the UN and the European Union, but also of the African Union and the Arab League. All seemed united in their determination to prevent a humanitarian disaster from unfolding inside Libya. But within days of the onset of air strikes against Gadhafi’s forces, some strains in the alliance began to emerge.
There were alarms raised in Arab capitals that the bombardment of military targets in Tripoli and other places might result in unintended civilian deaths. In addition, some congressional and military leaders in the United States were questioning the basis on which Obama’s decision to use military force against Gadhafi had been formulated. Was it wise, for example, for the U.S. to assume the leading role in an attack against an Arabic-speaking Muslim country after its unpleasant experience in Iraq? What was the ultimate goal of the campaign, and how would military and political leaders know when it had been achieved? What was the exit strategy for coalition forces operating against Libya, and how could a long, drawn-out military involvement be avoided?
Within a week of the imposition of the no-fly zone, the military situation on the ground had shifted dramatically in favour of the rebels. Secure of their position in Benghazi, opposition forces were beginning to make real progress westward toward Tripoli. It was believed that operatives from the U.S.’s CIA and Britain’s Special Forces were at work training the rebels in the use of sophisticated weaponry and military tactics. But by late March the situation on the ground remained fluid, with Gadhafi’s forces proving that they were still willing and able to put up stiff resistance, stalling the rebels’ advance.
At the beginning of April it was unclear how long Gadhafi could remain in power, defying the military might of the most powerful countries in the world and an increasingly confident and well-armed opposition. But many had made the mistake of underestimating the ruthlessness and cunning of this leader and the staying power of his regime. For this reason, few were willing to predict a transition to a new, post-Gadhafi era of democracy, stability, and peace in Libya anytime in the near future.
Follow-up
1. With a partner or in a small group, compare your responses to the Focus for Reading at the beginning of this section. What do you think were the key events and developments that transformed the uprising in Libya into an international crisis?
2. a) With a partner or in a small group, prepare a scenario of events that you think will follow from the current situation in Libya. Do you think the actions of the Libyan opposition and the international coalition will finally result in the overthrow of Gadhafi? Why or why not?
b) If he is driven from power, what might the future of Libya look like? If he remains, what might Libya look like?
THE UPRISING IN LIBYA
Spotlight on Gadhafi
Focus for Reading
As you read this section, consider the following question: Assuming that the armed rebellion against Gadhafi, aided by NATO air power, is ultimately successful in toppling his regime, what do you think his legacy will be for Libya and the world as a whole?
From the Desert to Power
Ever since Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi seized power in a bloodless coup on September 1, 1969, at the young of age of 27, he has fascinated and rattled the world with his bizarre, unpredictable, and sometimes violent actions. Gadhafi was born into a poor family of nomadic Bedouin camel herders. As a teenager, he was inspired by Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser’s resistance to Britain, France, and Israel during the Suez Crisis of 1956 and became a strong advocate of pan-Arab nationalism. After rising to the rank of captain in the Libyan air force and attending a military training school in Greece, he returned to Libya and assumed a leading role in the plot to overthrow the monarchy. After the coup, he quickly installed himself as “Brother Leader” and “Guide of the Revolution,” but never assumed any official government position. However, he did bestow on himself a military promotion to the rank of colonel.
Under Gadhafi, Libya’s vast oil reserves were nationalized and the profits used to benefit Libya’s people. In the early years of Gadhafi’s revolution, the government spent large sums on improving the health care, education, and living standards of average Libyans. As a self-styled socialist revolutionary, Gadhafi also quickly allied Libya with other countries that opposed U.S. and Western foreign policies in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
But Gadhafi did not stop at verbal denunciations of what he called “American imperialism.” His regime secretly channeled funds and weapons to a number of violent revolutionary organizations worldwide, including the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Irish Republican Army (IRA), Peru’s Shining Path guerrillas, and even terrorist groups such as Germany’s Red Army Faction. He also permitted some of them to use Libya as a base of operations and for training camps.
Although he claimed to place all decision-making power in the hands of the people, it was clear that the real power lay firmly with Gadhafi himself, his family, and a few favoured cronies. No opposition parties were allowed to organize, press freedom was non-existent, and even the slightest criticism of Gadhafi or his regime could land one in a torture chamber, jail, or cemetery.
International Terrorist
In 1985, after a series of terrorist attacks on Westerners were linked to Ghadafi, U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly labelled Gadhafi a “mad dog.” Reagan then authorized an air strike against Tripoli and Benghazi, in which 101 people, including Gadhafi’s adopted daughter, lost their lives. Gadhafi himself, the ostensible target of the U.S. bombs, survived the attack and vowed he would take revenge.
Three years later, he made good on this threat, with perhaps his most evil deed: the bombing of Pan-American Airlines flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988. All 259 passengers on board were killed, along with 11 people on the ground. Despite its denials, Libya was held responsible, and in 1992 the UN imposed trade sanctions against the country, demanding that Gadhafi turn over two Libyan secret agents who allegedly planned the bombing.
Western Ally
The events of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 caused Gadhafi great alarm and led to a radical policy shift. Realizing that his regime was considered part of U.S. President George W. Bush’s “axis of evil” and a potential target, Gadhafi took measures to improve his relations with the United States, Britain, and other Western countries. He handed over the suspects in the Lockerbie bombing to an international court of justice and agreed to pay USD$2.7-billion in compensation to the families of the victims. In return, the UN lifted its sanctions against Libya.
Gadhafi went even further by announcing that Libya was destroying its weapons of mass destruction and offered to assist the U.S. and other Western countries in the “war on terrorism.” His rapid about-face soon attracted the favourable attention of Western leaders such as Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair, who paid a state visit to Libya in 2004, the first of any British leader since 1943. Soon after, the U.S. also decided to resume trade and diplomatic relations with Libya, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meeting Gadhafi in 2008 and stating that “a new page” had been turned in her nation’s relationship with him.
The “Desert Fox” Fights to Survive
Gadhafi’s new opening to the West was a master stroke for his regime and its standing in the international community and earned him the grudging respect of many observers. His wiliness and ability to change his policies in a chameleon-like fashion earned him the nickname “Desert Fox.” Both Gadhafi and the West had much to gain from their new friendship. The Libyan leader was now free of any worries that he might be the target of armed efforts to promote regime change, such as had befallen his fellow dictator Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, in 2003. The Libyan economy revived as a result of increased trade and oil exports to the West. For their part, Washington and London were able to champion Gadhafi’s radical change of heart as proof that their carrot-and-stick policy in dealing with rogue states was successful, while their intelligence agencies eagerly devoured the lists of alleged international terrorists handed over to them by Gadhafi’s security henchman and foreign minister, Moussa Koussa. However, they failed to notice that most of the names on the list were those of anti-Gadhafi activists operating inside Libya or abroad, not Al Qaeda operatives.
The unexpected uprising against Gadhafi that broke out in February 2011 and quickly spread throughout Libya was a dramatic demonstration of the unpopularity of his regime. But his determination to hold on to power by violently suppressing the revolt, and his wild claims that he was the victim of an international conspiracy and continued to enjoy the support of most Libyans were also clear indications that while the “Desert Fox” might have a tenuous grasp of reality, he was determined to go down fighting no matter how many of his people he took with him.
Follow-up
What nickname do you think best applies to Gadhafi: “mad dog” or “Desert Fox”? Or do you think some elements of both are appropriate? Explain your choice.
THE UPRISING IN LIBYA
Libya: A Profile
Focus for Reading
In your notebook create an organizer like the one below. As you read the following information on Libya, record key points in your organizer. You should be able to enter at least two or three points in each section of your chart. You will be using this information in the activities that follow the text material.
|Key Facts |
|• Libya is located in North Africa. It is a large country in land area, but sparsely populated. |
|• It possesses significant reserves of high-quality oil. |
|Early History |
|• |
|Contemporary History and Current Situation |
|• |
Key Facts
Libya is a vast but sparsely populated country in North Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the north, Egypt on the west, Tunisia and Algeria on the east, and Chad and Niger on the south. Its total land area is 1.77 million km2, making it the fourth-largest country in Africa. However, its population is only 6.5 million and is mainly concentrated along the northern coast. The two largest cities are Benghazi in the east, and Tripoli, the capital, in the west.
Most Libyans are a mixture of Arab and indigenous North African Berber and Tuareg peoples, sometimes known as the “Blue Men” of Africa because of the light blue robes they favour. Arabic is the official language, and most Libyans belong to the Sunni branch of the Islamic faith. Libya is the only African country besides Algeria and Nigeria that possesses large reserves of oil and natural gas. The oil is of very high quality, requiring little refining, and is mainly exported to European countries such as Italy.
Did you know . . .
Libya controls approximately four per cent of the world’s total petroleum supplies.
Early History
Libya has a long history, beginning with the establishment of colonies by the Phoenicians, a sea-faring people who came from Lebanon in the 7th century BCE. Their settlements were called Tripolitania, and were concentrated in the western part of the country. During the 6th century BCE, Libya was conquered by Carthage, a powerful state based in what is now Tunisia, and by the fourth century BCE the Greeks were settling in the eastern areas, which they called Cyrenaica. Rome assumed control in 74 BCE under the great general Pompey, and Libya became a major supplier of agricultural products such as oil and grain to Rome and its empire.
The magnificent Roman ruins at Leptis Magna, located on the seacoast east of Tripoli, are a major archaeological site. Along with the country’s beautiful beaches, such attractions could form the basis for a thriving tourist industry in Libya, but to date have not been successfully developed or promoted. In 643 CE, Libya was conquered and made part of the rapidly expanding Islamic empire that began in Arabia following the death of the Prophet Mohammed. Roughly a millennium later, Libya fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, based in Istanbul.
Did you know . . .
During the early decades of the 19th century, pirates operated out of Tripoli. U.S. President Thomas Jefferson sent the U.S. Navy to the area to eliminate the pirates.
Contemporary History
During the Second World War, Libya became a central theatre of conflict. Allied troops fought against Italian and German troops commanded by Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, who was nicknamed “The Desert Fox.” After their victory at Tobruk in eastern Libya, the Allies liberated the country, dividing it into two parts, under British and French control. In 1951, Libya finally gained its independence, and a few years later granted control of its newly discovered petroleum reserves to American and British oil companies. In 1961, a pipeline linking the interior oil fields to the Mediterranean was opened, making exports to Europe possible.
As a result of its oil wealth and the economic reform policies introduced in the first years of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime in the 1970s, Libya became one of the most developed countries in Africa. Its life expectancy and infant mortality rates, along with GNP per capita and educational indexes compare favourably with a number of developed countries—and far exceed those of most of its African neighbours. But despite their relative prosperity, many Libyans resented the repression and lack of personal freedom they experienced under Gadhafi’s rule and were quick to join the uprising against him that broke out in Benghazi in February 2011.
Analysis
1. With a partner or in a small group, compare the information in your summary chart. Help each other to complete any missing information.
2. Based on the information on Libya’s history in this section, what do you think has been the impact of foreign invasion and occupation of this country over the centuries?
3. Why have some Libyans been unhappy during Gadhafi’s rule, given that they have a higher standard of living than other African citizens?
THE UPRISING IN LIBYA
Activity: Gauging the Impact of the Crisis
The Libyan uprising that began in February 2011 has become a major, multi-dimensional international crisis. The crisis will impact that country, other Arab states, and the rest of the world. The direct military involvement of a number of powers, including the United States, Britain, France, and Canada, has raised serious questions in diplomatic circles about the wisdom of this exercise. Most criticism is directed at the fact that outside countries have become involved in the internal conflict of another country.
The mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers from the Libyan oil fields to the neighbouring countries of Tunisia and Egypt, themselves only just emerging from their own revolutionary upheavals, has created a major humanitarian crisis. The spike in world oil prices, coming at a time when many Western countries were only beginning to recover from the effects of the recession of 2008, threatened to have serious economic repercussions. And finally, with the military conflict between pro- and anti-Gadhafi forces within Libya approaching a virtual stalemate by early April 2011, it was not at all clear what the future held for both the dictator himself and the people who had suffered for so long under his regime.
Your Task
As the culminating activity for this CBC News in Review story, form groups to investigate and report on one aspect of the uprising in Libya, such as:
• the NATO military operation to enforce the UN’s no-fly zone
• the refugee and humanitarian crisis
• the economic impact of the crisis in Libya
• the future of Libya with or without Gadhafi
With your group, research the aspect you have chosen and prepare and present a report on it to the class. In your report, be sure to provide background information on why this aspect of the crisis in Libya is significant, not only for that country itself, but also for the rest of the world.
After the reports have been presented, discuss as a class the various aspects of the crisis in Libya that you have investigated. Which of them do you think has the most significant and long-term consequence for Libya and the world, and why? As a concluding activity, write a short reflection paper on the aspect of the crisis in Libya that your group investigated, making predictions about how you think it is likely to be resolved, or not, in the months to come.
The following Web sites provide up-to-the-minute in-depth coverage of the developing crisis in Libya.
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: cbc.ca
• British Broadcasting Corporation: bbc.co.uk
• Cable News Network:
• Al Jazeera:
• YouTube:
HOCKEY AND THE CONCUSSION DEBATE
YV Introduction
Focus
Hockey concussions have figured significantly in the news over the last two years, but even more so since the injury to superstar and Canadian hero Sidney Crosby. This News in Review story examines what we are learning about the causes and consequences of concussions, and the response of the entire hockey community to the dangers they pose to players.
For real hockey fans, few sights are more upsetting than seeing a favourite player, after a major hit, lying motionless on the ice.
Over the last few seasons that sight seemed a much more common one. Despite attempts by the National Hockey League (NHL) to reduce the number of hits to the head, more and more players seem to be sidelined by injury—some of them for months at a time. For many, that injury is a concussion—a condition in which the brain is shaken or twisted during a hit, sometimes, but not always, causing a loss of consciousness.
There was a time when it was not uncommon for players to shake off a concussion and return immediately to play. A concussion was considered to be an accepted aspect of the game. You toughed it out and returned to play as soon as possible. There are grounds to suspect that, during this period, concussions were under-reported.
In recent years, however, medical science has taught us a lot about concussions. We now know that there is really no such thing as a minor concussion. We know that immediate proper diagnosis is difficult but critical. We know that there is no treatment for a concussion other than rest. We know that the brain is extremely vulnerable to severe injury if players return to their sport too soon. We know that one concussion makes an athlete much more susceptible to further concussions. And we know that repeated concussions can result in permanent, debilitating brain damage.
Hockey concussions made the news big time after Sidney Crosby was hit twice in January 2011 and forced to withdraw for a large part of the 2010-2011 season (at the time this is being written, he has not played for three months). This incident, as well as injuries to several other players, has led to many calls for the NHL to take strong measures to curtail the kind of play that causes severe head trauma and concussion. The league remains resistant to any rule change that will undermine what it calls the “physicality” of the game.
In minor hockey circles, however, increased awareness of the dangers of concussion is having an effect. Rules against violent hits are being tightened. Some leagues are not allowing body checking until players are at least 13 years of age.
As awareness of the dangers of brain concussions continues to grow, pressure will likely increase on the NHL to find a way to reduce the risk to players. What that way will be remains a subject for debate.
To Consider
Like any professional sport, the NHL is a business. Bearing in mind that, like any business, the NHL is out to make money, what arguments or methods might be used to convince the team owners to improve player safety in its approach to concussions?
HOCKEY AND THE CONCUSSION DEBATE
YV Video Review
Before Viewing
In a small group, preferably with one hockey player in the group, discuss the following questions and make notes based on your discussion.
1. Have you or has anyone you know ever suffered a concussion? If so, how did the injury occur?
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2. How was the diagnosis of concussion made?
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3. What were the consequences of the injury? How did the injury affect daily life, sports play, school, etc.
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Further Research
Find out more about the NHL’s position on concussions by visiting the league’s Web site at .
Further Research
Visit the Web site of Hockey Canada to review their position on checking in hockey and concussion at hockeycanada.ca.
Viewing Questions
Respond to the following questions in the spaces provided.
1. Briefly describe the root cause of concussions.
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2. How effective are helmets in preventing concussions?
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3. How are concussions diagnosed? Are there special tests to assist in diagnosis?
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4. Michael Serapio reports that experts say there are two reasons why more isn’t being done to prevent concussions in hockey. What are these reasons?
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5. According to the NHL, how many concussions occur annually in the league’s games?
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6. Earlier studies indicated that concussions occurred in about six per cent of junior games. What did Dr. Paul Echlin’s new study indicate was the real percentage?
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7. Describe the treatment Brad Madigan is undergoing for his series of concussions.
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8. A number of the people interviewed in the video blame a variety of individuals for the tendency to downplay the seriousness of concussions. Whom do they blame?
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9. What support has Echlin received for his study’s results from Hockey Canada?
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Post-viewing Discussion
In your small group, makes notes on the following questions. You will use these notes for a class discussion, or a discussion with another group.
1. How do you respond to the argument that the “physicality” of hockey makes concussions almost a byproduct of the game? What would you list as the fundamental aspects of hockey?
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2. When it comes to ensuring that a young hockey player’s possible concussion is correctly assessed and diagnosed, who bears the ultimate responsibility? The player? The coach? The trainer? The parent? Someone else?
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3. What is the responsibility of the league to its players when it comes to concussions? Is there a difference in responsibility between professional and amateur leagues?
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HOCKEY AND THE CONCUSSION DEBATE
YV Why the Uproar?
Focus for Reading
As you read this article, make notes to summarize:
• Why concussions in hockey are in the news
• What incidents, reports, and individuals have been responsible for making hockey concussions newsworthy
• How the NHL and other hockey leagues have responded to the dangers of concussion
Did you know . . .
Women are much more prone to concussions than men.
Hockey is very much a physical game. As in any contact sport, player injury is always a possibility. Concussions, in particular, have always been a threat to players. Why have they recently become a major subject of debate?
Increased Awareness of Consequences
The simple truth is that, until recently, not all that much was known about how and why concussions occur or their often ongoing, life-long effects. Some of the things recent research has taught us include the following:
• Concussions are far more serious than simply “having one’s bell rung.” Doctors now insist that there is no such thing as a “minor” concussion, and that the term “mild traumatic brain injury,” or MTBI, should no longer be used when referring to concussions.
• Once a player has suffered a concussion, he or she is four times more likely to suffer a second one.
• There is no treatment for a concussion other than rest.
• Untreated and/or multiple concussions can lead to permanent brain damage, and ultimately to a permanent condition called chronic post-concussive encephalopathy.
• In hockey, as in many other sports, the number of concussions is under-reported. This seems to be true at all levels.
• After a severe hit, athletes are often allowed to resume play without a proper assessment for concussion.
Harder Hits, More Concussions?
Hockey observers note that the game has changed. Players are bigger, heavier, and faster than in the past. Thanks to modern equipment, they are also better armoured.
Basic rules have also changed. Following the 2004-2005 player lockout, new rules came into effect to increase the speed of the game. With that increase in speed came an increase in player contact; hits are now up about 50 per cent over the pre-lockout period. Many players believe that this has made the game far more dangerous for the players and that some way has to be found to slow the game down.
Evidence from the Pee Wee Leagues
How and why concussions happen is the subject of a recent (2010) study that examined concussions in 11- and 12-year-old hockey players in the Alberta and Quebec hockey leagues. Alberta allows body checking; Quebec does not.
The results: Out of 1 000 athletes in each province, there were 73 concussions in Alberta in 2007-2008, but only 20 in Quebec. “The researchers found that Alberta players in the study were three times more likely to suffer either a concussion, a severe concussion or a severe injury that resulted in more than a week away from the rink” (The Globe and Mail, June 9, 2010).
Studies have also shown that young players know very little about concussions. They do not realize that they can suffer one without being knocked unconscious. In one study, half the players questioned couldn’t identify any of the symptoms associated with concussions.
But the research in youth league play, combined with educational outreach, has made many more parents, coaches, and fans aware of the dangers of concussions. As Dr. Charles Tator, the founder of ThinkFirst Canada—a brain and spinal cord injury prevention foundation—has said: “Most people are now aware of what a concussion is. It’s really quite amazing, the turnaround I have seen in the past 12 months that parents, referees, coaches, and trainers are more aware of concussions. The majority of people now actually know what a concussion is, whereas before very few really labelled concussion correctly. You know, they were using terms like “having your bell rung” (Toronto Star, February 8, 2011).
So, it appears that more people are aware of the consequences of concussions. But the question remains: why is there currently such uproar in the media about hockey and concussions?
Raising the Profile
The new attention is the result of a series of particularly vicious hits during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 NHL seasons. And one of these hits caused a severe concussion in hockey’s highest profile player. Four incidents seem to have resonated most with fans and sports commentators. Each incident focused public attention on the consequences of severe hits in hockey.
The Incidents
• A deliberate head hit to Mikael Tam of the Quebec Remparts by Patrice Cormier of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on January 17, 2010. Cormier left the bench, skated directly at Tam and hit him with an elbow to the jaw. Footage of Tam lying on the ice in convulsions was replayed over and over on the news and on the Internet.
• Matt Cooke’s brutal blindside head hit to Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins in a game against Pittsburgh. Savard lost consciousness and was taken to hospital. Cooke was not penalized; the hit was considered legal.
• In the 2011 New Year’s Day Winter Classic, Dave Steckel, then of the Washington Capitals, drove his shoulder into the chin of Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby. Crosby shook off the hit and returned to play. A few days later he was driven head first into the boards by Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Crosby subsequently began to experience symptoms associated with concussion and is generally believed by doctors to have suffered a concussion as a result of the first—Steckel—hit. No penalty was awarded to Steckel; Hedman received a minor boarding penalty.
• On March 8, 2011, Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens was ridden into the boards by Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, his head driven into a metal post holding up the glass. Pacioretty was hospitalized with a broken vertebra and a serious concussion. Chara received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.
The Aftermath
• Mikael Tam recovered from his concussion and was back on the ice by the end of the season. He continues to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and hopes to someday play for the NHL or in a European league. Patrice Cormier—who had just returned to the Quebec league after serving as captain of Canada’s silver-medal-winning junior world team—received the toughest sentence ever handed out by the QMJHL. He was suspended for 20 games and for the playoffs. He now plays for the Atlanta Thrashers.
• Marc Savard returned to hockey in time for the 2010 playoffs. Unfortunately, he suffered another concussion on January 22, 2011, when he was hit by Matt Hunwick of the Colorado Avalanche. The hit did not target his head, but his concussion symptoms did return. As a result, he will be out for the remainder of the 2010-2011 season.
• Sidney Crosby was having a dream season until the hit on January 1 that left him with a concussion. He was leading the NHL in points, having scored 32 goals and 66 points in 41 games. Crosby resumed skating with the Penguins on March 30, 2011, but expects it will be some time yet before he is able to play.
• Max Pacioretty was released from hospital two days after the hit. It is unclear when he will be able to return to hockey. Chara did not receive a suspension from the NHL. Quebec prosecutors have asked the Montreal police to see if evidence exists to lay criminal charges against Chara.
The NHL Responds
Under considerable pressure because of hits like the ones against Tam and Savard, in March 2010 NHL general managers recommended changes to rules dealing with punishing hits to the head. The result was a new rule—Rule 48—calling for an automatic review by the league of any hit to the head from behind or from the blindside. The review includes the possibility of fines and suspensions even if a penalty was not called during the game.
But the current season has demonstrated that concussions remain a problem, and Crosby’s injury—more than any other—has aroused public interest and sharpened the debate.
On February 24, 2011, Roy MacGregor wrote in The Globe and Mail: “The hit on the Pittsburgh Penguins star—the player, as well, who scored the overtime goal that gave Canada the gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Games—has had a most profound effect on the heated debate concerning hits to the head at the NHL level as well as hits that are occurring in minor-league hockey. It has captured the attention of a lot of people who weren’t paying attention to this point.”
Eric Lindros, for years one of the game’s top players, suffered a series of up to eight concussions before finally retiring in 2007. Lindros believes that some of the better players become targets: “What happens is you get tagged as being concussion prone, and there’s a huge decline in the respect you get because of it. It’s people trying to make their name, you know? It’s little things that occur after the play, like when it switches out of the corner and the play goes up the ice and you’re spinning around heading back up to back check and—bam! You know . . . where they kind of catch you” (The Globe and Mail, January 21, 2011).
What Next?
Will the NHL change its rule to eliminate all head shots? It seems unlikely at present. The result of the most recent spate of concussions, including Crosby’s, has been a new concussion protocol. It demands that any player suspected of suffering a concussion be subjected to a 15-minute physical examination by a doctor (rather than a once-over by a trainer). Many of the NHL general managers have already objected to this directive.
And always present is the fear that new contact rules will somehow affect the nature of hockey—making it less physical—and as a result, turn off a large portion of the fans. This fear is present despite recent surveys that show that two-thirds of Canadians believe the NHL is not doing enough to curb violence (aol.nhl/story/2011-03-19/head-hits-violence-anger-fans-survey-shows).
But some general managers, like Darcy Regier of Buffalo, remain convinced that not enough is being done to prevent concussions. They will continue to pressure league officials to explore ways to reduce concussions.
For Discussion
Consider the following statement by Roy MacGregor (The Globe and Mail, January 21, 2011): “Most lesser leagues and minor hockey have taken steps to cut down on head shots, several organizations banning them outright, but everyone in the game is acutely aware that youngsters take their lead from their NHL heroes and will attempt to copy whatever they see on television.”
1. Is the perceived imitation of NHL players by younger athletes a valid argument for changing NHL rules dealing with player contact? Why or why not?
2. Do you think there is any truth to the argument that cracking down on illegal hits that often result in concussions will slow down the game? Explain.
HOCKEY AND THE CONCUSSION DEBATE
YV Reaction
In determining one’s own position on an issue, it’s always helpful to hear what the experts have to say. As you read the following quotations, note at the end of the quote whether you agree or disagree with the assessment of the situation expressed in each comment. After you’ve completed this exercise, meet in groups of three or four to compare your responses with those of your classmates.
Views from Owners and Managers
The NHL is under considerable pressure to go beyond their ban on blindside hits and to make all head hits subject to penalty. Owners and league officials have responded in various ways.
“We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action. If the events relating to Friday night [a particularly violent game that included a blindside hit to a Pittsburgh player followed by a fight] reflect the state of the league, I need to rethink whether I want to be a part of it.” — Mario Lemieux, owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins (The Globe and Mail, February 14, 2011)
“We’ve made improvements to the game. Everybody agrees that the game is faster, the skill level gets shown on a nightly basis, we’re very happy with it. But the game evolves and one of the things that’s evolved is our collisions have gotten more intense. So you make little adjustments and tweaks to keep the players safe.” — Brendan Shanahan, NHL vice-president (The Globe and Mail, June 19, 2010)
After 33 players missed games in 2010-2011 because of concussions: “We had a candid discussion with how the rule is working, and I think people in the room [at the NHL Board of Governors meeting] were comfortable it’s working the way intended. It will continue to evolve, it’s a work in progress, but people were comfortable we’re on the right track.” — Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner (Toronto Star, December 15, 2010)
“The question is to what extent can we manage it? By this I mean where are most of these hits happening? Where on the ice? Is it close to the boards? Is it a result of charging? Is it a result of the [back-of-the-net] trapezoid, meaning that the goalies don’t come out to play pucks anymore? Is it a result of having taken the centre line out?” — Darcy Regier, general manager of the Buffalo Sabres (The Globe and Mail, March 19, 2011)
“The players are so smart, that every time we establish a rule they figure out a way around it. We need to protect vulnerable players but there’s a fine line. In hits from behind, players started to turn their backs to protect the puck and draw a penalty. But they put themselves in danger.” — Jim Rutherford, general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes (The Globe and Mail, March 8, 2010)
“Every time a guy gets hit now you’re holding your breath. It’s affecting our sport. It’s paralyzing.” — Dave King, assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes (The Globe and Mail, January 19, 2011)
Views from Sports Columnists
As one might expect, the columnists (and at least one former player, now a politician) have had plenty to say on the issue.
“If any hit to the head resulted in a major, a game misconduct and a suspension, there wouldn’t be any debate, would there? You get caught knocking an opponent in the melon, it’s your fault. Sort of the antithesis of the ‘keep your head up’ mentality. But the only one that will truly work.” — Damien Cox, sports columnist (Toronto Star, January 11, 2011)
“The only fair and safe answer to ‘intent’ is to move beyond it to ‘result’—and for hockey to stop bickering about how something happened and turn its attention, instead, to what happened and how that might be prevented from happening again.” — Roy MacGregor, columnist (The Globe and Mail, March 12, 2011)
“Max Pacioretty was only the latest; he will not be the last. Arguments and explanations don’t matter any more. The NHL has to risk the big steps that are needed: If some of them prove wrong, they’ll still be far less wrong than what we have now. It is time to stop being stupid.” — Ken Dryden, MP and former hockey goalie (The Globe and Mail, March 12, 2011)
A Sponsor’s View
Finally, some people believe the only real way to guarantee a change in the culture of professional hockey is to threaten the owners’ pocketbooks. The following is a letter to the NHL from Denis Vandal, Air Canada director of marketing and communications.
“We are contacting you today to voice our concern over last night’s incident involving Max Pacioretty and Zdeno Chara at the Bell Centre in Montreal. This is following several other incidents involving career-threatening and life-endangering head shots in the NHL recently.
“. . . While we support countless sports, arts, and community events, we are having difficulty rationalizing our sponsorship of hockey unless the NHL takes responsibility to protect both the players and the integrity of the game. From a corporate social responsibility standpoint, it is becoming increasingly difficult to associate our brand with sports events which could lead to serious and irresponsible accidents; action must be taken by the NHL before we are encountered with a fatality.
“Unless the NHL takes immediate action with serious suspensions to the players in question to curtail these life-threatening injuries, Air Canada will withdraw its sponsorship of hockey” (report-on-business/see-air-canadas-letter-to-the-nhl/article1937106/).
Follow-up
1. A recent Angus Reid public opinion poll of more than 1 000 Canadians indicated that three-quarters of them felt that violence in professional hockey needs to be reduced. Do you feel this is a fair description of how most Canadians feel about the game?
2. What does a hard but safe player check look like? What constitutes an unsafe check? Are all unsafe checks ones that are also illegal?
3. Is Air Canada’s threat to pull its financial support of the NHL likely to have much effect in changing the rules and/or culture of the game?
HOCKEY AND THE CONCUSSION DEBATE
YV Concussions: A Primer
As you read the section, make a list in your notebook of the main points covered under each heading.
Causes
A concession can be the result of a direct blow to the head, but this is not a requirement. A concussion may also occur when another part of the body is suddenly hit hard and the brain is shaken and knocked against the skull. A concussion may also be the result of an impact that causes the brain to twist. During that action some brain nerve fibres may even be sheared.
Most concussions happen in collisions, when a person collides with another person or object, with one or both moving at high speed.
Definition
Concussion is defined as a traumatic injury to tissues of the body as a result of a violent blow, shaking, or spinning. The term is most commonly applied to such injuries when they happen to the human brain. In this section we will use the word concussion to mean a brain concussion.
Signs and Symptoms
It is extremely important to know that an individual does not have to lose consciousness to have suffered a concussion. In fact, most people who are concussed do not pass out. But loss of consciousness can be an indicator, and anyone so affected should seek immediate medical attention.
Signs and symptoms of concussion include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, headache, and inappropriate behaviour. Symptoms and their severity vary from individual to individual. Some symptoms may appear immediately, while others may show up at a later date. Sydney Crosby, for example, did not begin to notice symptoms from his concussion until five days after it occurred.
Further Research
Learn more about head injuries at the TeensHealth Web site, a U.S. children’s health network, at .
Diagnosis
In most cases of concussion there is no detectable physical evidence—bruising or bleeding in the brain—to indicate that damage has occurred.
A doctor’s examination usually begins with questions to determine the patient’s level of consciousness and ability to concentrate and remember basic information. He or she will review with the patient any or all of the symptoms in the above list.
A physical examination will concentrate on the nervous system, checking things like balance, co-ordination, and reflexes. If the possibility of serious brain damage is suspected, a brain scan will likely be required.
Further Research
To learn more about concussions and other brain injuries visit the ThinkFirst Web site at thinkfirst.ca/programs/concussionqanda.aspx.
Treatment
The only real treatment for concussion is physical and mental rest. It is absolutely critical that the patient not fully resume normal activities until the symptoms have completely disappeared. In fact, guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology recommend that any athlete whose symptoms do not clear within 15 minutes (or who loses consciousness for even a brief moment) be kept from competition for a minimum of one week after his or her symptoms are completely gone. Meanwhile, the resting patient may have to forgo even everyday activities—things as simple as watching television.
Finally, anyone who has suffered a concussion should be aware that research shows that he or she is now permanently at increased risk of another concussion; up to four times the risk of the average person. Every concussion also increases the risk of permanent brain damage, including serious conditions that reduce cognitive function and mimic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
HOCKEY AND THE CONCUSSION DEBATE
YV Activity: Cleaning Up Hockey
How would you reduce the number and severity of concussions in hockey? Is there a need for minor or major changes to the rules under which hockey is played? Can this be done without sacrificing what Canadians see as the necessary physicality of the game?
Many Canadians believe so. They point to the excitement and physicality of Olympic hockey, which manages quite well without the violence so common to the NHL. They point out how thrilling women’s hockey is when it is played with the skill of the athletes on the Canadian and U.S. national teams. And they also point out that young people begin playing hockey as a non-contact sport; that Quebec allows no contact before a player turns 14; and that non-contact leagues are growing in popularity in many parts of Canada.
In groups of four, develop a plan to make hockey safer while still retaining its appeal. Construct your plan as a series of recommendations.
Completed plans will be presented to the entire class. Be prepared to present the reasoning behind each of your recommendations.
To help you get started, you might like to take a look at an article by Globe and Mail columnist John Allemang, available online at sports/hockey/a-10-step-hockey-reformation-as-imagined-by-john-allemang/article1939534/.
Notes:
HOW FACEBOOK CHANGED THE WORLD
YV Introduction
Focus
It started in 2004 as a platform for sharing information and building friendships. By 2011 it had become one of the sites of choice for revolutionaries looking to oust their autocratic leaders. This News in Review story looks at the many faces of Facebook.
Wael Ghonim had seen enough. The graphic pictures of the disfigured body of fellow Egyptian Khaled Said prompted him to put his Web expertise to use. Said, a businessman in Alexandria, Egypt, got into trouble after he posted on YouTube a video of police dividing the spoils of a drug bust. Later the police tracked him down at a local café, dragged him into the street, and beat him to death. Official government reports maintained that he died of suffocation after attempting to swallow a packet of drugs he was trying to hide from police—a claim easily dismissed after pictures of his horribly beaten body went viral in Egypt. With those pictures in mind Ghonim, a marketing executive for Google, navigated to Facebook and created a group called “We are Khaled Said.” Using the pseudonym El Shaheed (literally: the martyr), Ghonim made the group’s Facebook page a hub for reporting police corruption. Eventually it became the online staging ground for the anti-government protests that led to the ousting of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
As the revolutionary spirit spread across North Africa and into the Middle East throughout the first months of 2011, government officials the world over could not ignore the pivotal role social media were playing in protest communities. Drawing on lessons learned in Iran’s failed “Twitter Revolution” in 2009, protestors in Tunisia used Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to go after the government of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In short order, Ben Ali, a national icon, was stripped of his power and sent packing. Then in Egypt, a country ripe for revolt, the same social media were used to put Mubarak and his cohorts in a vulnerable position. The Egyptian government was so concerned about the influence of social media that they shut down the Internet for a number of days. In the end, shutting down the Internet couldn’t stop the momentum and force of the protestors, and Mubarak was ousted from power within three weeks.
It is hard to imagine that when Mark Zuckerberg and his college friends hatched the idea for Facebook in a college dorm room at Harvard University in 2004, they could have anticipated that their social network would be used to topple governments. However, what has become clear is that Facebook, with a reported 500 million users and counting, is now a dominant player in global communications. While it may have been created to help friends stay connected, it has evolved into a media giant the relevance of which cannot be denied.
To Consider
1. Do you think that the protests that swept across North Africa and the Middle East in the first months of 2011 would have been possible without social media?
2. Many people claim that Facebook and other social media have created greater distance between people because they don’t meet as frequently face-to-face. What is your response to that claim?
3. Can you foresee a future that does not involve social media? That is, do you think that people’s interest in social media might decline and that social media might disappear?
HOW FACEBOOK CHANGED THE WORLD
YV Video Review
Pre-viewing Activity
Take a minute to complete the questions in the following table in your notebook.
|If you have a Facebook account: |If you don’t have a Facebook account: |
|• Why did you start a Facebook account? |• What factors influenced your decision to not start a |
|• What features of Facebook do you enjoy the most? |Facebook account? |
|• Are there any aspects of Facebook that have caused you |• Was maintaining your privacy a major reason why you |
|to consider deactivating your account? |decided that Facebook wasn’t for you? |
|• Do you use Facebook to organize events with friends and |• Were you ever a Facebook user and decided to deactivate|
|family? |your account? If so, why did you quit Facebook? |
| |• How do you organize social events with your friends and|
| |families? |
Then form a small group with others who are like yourself: either they have a Facebook account or not. Compare your answers and add any points that you did not consider to your notes.
Did you know . . .
At the age of 26, Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth was $13.5 billion. (Forbes, March 2011).
Viewing Questions
As you watch this video, respond to the questions in the spaces provided.
1. How old was Mark Zuckerberg when he created Facemash? How old was he when he and a few friends created Facebook?
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2. What did early Facebook users like about the site?
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3. What evidence surfaced that suggested students might be using Facebook too much?
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4. a) In 2007, Facebook had 17 million users. How many users did it have by 2011?
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b) What percentage of Canadians use Facebook?
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5. How was Facebook used when protests swept across North Africa and the Middle East?
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6. According to Mark Zuckerberg, what is the mission of Facebook?
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7. a) Describe the portrayal of Zuckerberg in The Social Network.
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b) Do the people interviewed in the documentary think that the somewhat negative portrayal of Zuckerberg in the movie will cause people to give up Facebook?
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8. a) What was screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s focus when he was writing The Social Network?
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b) What award did Sorkin win for his script?
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c) What did Sorkin say to Zuckerberg when he accepted his award?
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9. How did The Social Network “wildly miss the mark about a generation, the best and the brightest of whom have imagined the possibilities of a world when it’s wired in”?
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10. How were social media used to save people in post-earthquake Haiti?
11. How did relief volunteer Fred Michel manage to help a pregnant woman in Haiti?
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12. What donation did Zuckerberg make to the city of Newark, New Jersey? How might this donation affect his image?
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Post-viewing Activities
1. In the video, CBC reporter Keith Boag wonders if the movie The Social Network “short-changes a generation. These people [Zuckerberg and his Facebook colleagues] have done much more than build a tripped-up dating site. The world they’re creating with social media is full of possibilities. Possibilities the film never imagined.” How does the video support this claim? Does your own view of Facebook support this claim?
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2. Revisit the notes you made during the Pre-viewing Activity. Has your perspective on Facebook and other social media changed at all? Explain.
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HOW FACEBOOK CHANGED THE WORLD
YV The Story of Facebook
Reading Prompt
Consider these facts before you read this feature:
• If Facebook were a nation it would be the third largest in the world behind China and India.
• With over 500 million users, Facebook has become an Internet giant that has data processing capabilities that are arguably more powerful than those of the most advanced national governments in the world.
• Valued at USD$50-billion, Facebook is able to boast that one out of every 12 people on the planet uses the site, logging an incredible 700 billion minutes a month.
Did you know . . .
Facebook dropped the “the” in its name in 2005 and bought the domain name for a reported $200 000.
Facemash
It all started in a dorm room at Harvard University in the fall of 2003. Second-year undergraduate student Mark Zuckerberg used his computer abilities to hack into the databases of a number of university residences. He used photos of people living in the houses and created a site where two pictures would appear on the screen and visitors could vote on which person they thought was more attractive. He called the site Facemash, and it attracted over 400 visitors and more than 20 000 photo views in its first hour online. Facemash generated remarkable traffic. Within days, Harvard administration had the site shut down and threatened to expel Zuckerberg for hacking into their servers.
Facebook
Ultimately Zuckerberg survived his brush with expulsion and, in the wake of the ongoing controversy surrounding Facemash, teamed up with several classmates to create The Facebook. Launched in February 2004, became the social hotspot for Web users at Harvard, with over 50 per cent of students creating accounts within the first month. In March, The Facebook branched out to other Ivy League universities and eventually to almost every university in the United States and Canada. By the summer of 2004, Zuckerberg and his cohorts incorporated the company, moved to Palo Alto, California, secured millions of dollars in seed money from venture capitalists, and began making even more rapid inroads into the social media market.
The defining feature of Facebook was its openness, ease of use, and ability to meet the personal needs of its users. Driven by these guiding principles, Facebook steamrolled its competition and rapidly expanded, first into high schools in 2005 and eventually universally in 2006. Along the way, Facebook continued to gather members, reaching a staggering 500 million by the end of 2010.
Lawsuits
Facebook has dealt with its fair share of controversy since its inception in 2004. Shortly after its launch, three Harvard students claimed the idea for Facebook was theirs and that Zuckerberg had stolen it from them. Twin brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss along with business partner Divya Narendra say they entered into an oral contract with Zuckerberg to create a site called HarvardConnection. The three said that Zuckerberg took their idea and created Facebook—all the time leading them to believe that he had been working on HarvardConnection.
For his part, Zuckerberg, along with early partners Eduardo Saverin and Dustin Moskovitz, pointed out that their original site shared no similarities to HarvardConnection and the coding of was unique to their site. Ultimately the lawsuit was settled in 2008 with the Winklevoss brothers and Narendra being awarded USD$65-million (Facebook was valued at $15-billion at the time). However, the three men initiated a fresh round of lawsuits shortly after winning the award because they felt Facebook had misrepresented the value of their stock.
Zuckerberg was also sued by his original business partner, Eduardo Saverin. According to Saverin, he was muscled out of Facebook by the company’s first president, Sean Parker (of Napster fame), and Zuckerberg. He said the two men diminished his share of the Facebook fortune so he sued them and won an undisclosed settlement. Some speculate the payday was for as much as $1.1-billion (New York Daily News, September 24, 2010). Shortly after winning the lawsuit, Saverin’s status as a co-founder was restored on the Facebook main page.
Privacy
Facebook has also faced criticism about the way it handles the privacy of its members. Time reporter Lev Grossman wonders if the Facebook founder and his staff “have a blind spot when it comes to personal privacy” (December 15, 2010). Grossman points to the launch of Beacon in 2007 as evidence of this problem. Beacon was an application designed to track a person’s purchasing habits. If a Facebook user bought something online, a message would appear on their newsfeed telling all their friends what they just bought. Problems surfaced when Facebook friends were finding out about surprise presents like Christmas gifts before the purchaser could navigate the complicated steps to turn off the Beacon alerts. Members rebelled and let Facebook know that certain information was not for public viewing. The wave of controversy surrounding Beacon led to Facebook scrapping the application in September 2009.
Facebook also received criticism when members tried to deactivate their accounts. Members assumed that deactivation meant the deletion of all the information from their profile. However, some former members discovered that their profiles remained on Facebook servers in case they ever wanted to reactivate their account. When they challenged the site, one thing became clear: it was virtually impossible to quit Facebook. While provisions have been made to allow for the full removal of a profile, many critics still maintain that Facebook still has a long way to go when it comes to user privacy.
Analysis
1. Time magazine named Mark Zuckerberg its Person of the Year for 2010. Do you think awarding Zuckerberg such a high distinction is warranted? Use evidence from this feature to support your answer.
2. What controversies have plagued Facebook since its creation in 2004? Are these controversies of concern to you, or do you think the concerns have been exaggerated?
HOW FACEBOOK CHANGED THE WORLD
YV Facebook and the Downfall of Hosni Mubarak
Questions Before Reading
Work with a partner and answer the following questions. If you are not a Facebook member, work with someone who is.
How effective is Facebook when it comes to organizing events? What kinds of events do Facebook users organize online?
What would happen if Internet service were halted? What implications would there be for Canadians who rely on the Internet?
Did you know . . .
Emergency Law 162 was lifted for a brief time in 1981 but was reinstated after the assassination of then-president Anwar Sadat.
Ripe for Revolution
The citizens of Egypt were ready for a change. Hosni Mubarak had been in power since the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981 and had maintained a stranglehold for 30 years through intimidation and an uncanny ability to stack the balance of power in his favour. Eventually, in 2005, opposition to Mubarak grew enough to allow for contested elections. However, in what many claim was a rigged vote, the president was given another term.
Growing Discontent
With the next round of elections set for September 2011, Mubarak readied himself for another term in office. Meanwhile a growing wave of discontent was spreading across Egypt. Most of the nation’s anger was aimed at the police. Egypt had been ruled under Emergency Law 162—which extended police powers, suspended constitutional rights, and legalized government censorship—since 1967. The antiquated law, which many believed should have been lifted years earlier, had created a culture where police had virtually unlimited powers and the government was able to censor the media.
The Rise of Social Media
What Mubarak and his government did not anticipate was the rise in social media. It is difficult for governments to censor Internet-based services like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. And at the end of 2010 it was estimated that 21 million of Egypt’s 80 million people were regularly accessing the Internet.
The Death of Khaled Said
In June 2010, Khaled Said, a businessman from Alexandria, posted a video on YouTube showing police dividing the illegal drugs they had obtained from a raid earlier that day. When Alexandria police learned of the video they tracked down Said and viciously beat him to death. Images of Said’s badly beaten body went viral in Egypt. When people started to ask about his death, the government said he suffocated on a packet of drugs he had swallowed in an effort to conceal evidence from police. The claim was a slap in the face for most Egyptians because the pictures told a very different story.
“We are Khaled Said”
The beating death of Said inspired Google marketing executive Wael Ghonim to anonymously put up a Facebook page called “We are Khaled Said.” He used the pseudonym El Shaheed, which means “the martyr.” Ghonim’s goal was to use his anonymity to create one voice that spoke against injustice and for all those who had become victims of police brutality. It soon became clear he would achieve his goal. The page became a focal point for speaking out against police corruption and brutality in Egypt. Between its birth in the summer of 2010 and the start of the uprising in Egypt in January 2011, the Facebook page grew to 350 000 members.
Did you know . . .
Egyptians have dubbed February 4 the “Day of Departure” because that is when President Minister Mubarak resigned from office.
Facebook: A Protest Tool
As the page grew in size and importance, Ghonim (working as the unknown El Shaheed) put his marketing expertise to work. In a sense he knew that there was a market for revolution in Egypt. Drawing on the success of protests in Tunisia, “We are Khaled Said” invited its members to participate in a “Day of Revolt” on January 25, 2011. Over 50 000 members said they would take part. Facebook and Twitter were used to both organize protestors and throw off the police with false information. On the “Day of Revolt” it looked like “We are Khaled Said” had delivered almost all of the 50 000 protestors it had been promised, with
15 000 assembled in Tahir Square in Cairo and 20 000 taking to the streets in Alexandria. Dozens of other demonstrations occurred across Egypt as the protest movement took its first bold steps away from the desktop and onto the streets.
Internet Shutdown
Over the next few days the protests took on momentum. Chatter on Twitter and Facebook became bolder. A protest called the “Day of Rage” was scheduled for January 28. Government concern over the use of the Internet to organize the protest and mislead the police prompted officials to take an unprecedented move: they shut down the Internet. But they were too late; social media had done their job and the word was out. Shortly after Friday prayers, protestors took to the streets—first by the thousands and then by the hundreds of thousands. Egypt was awash in revolution.
The Day of Departure
For 18 days, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians repeatedly called on President Mubarak to step down. A defiant Mubarak stubbornly refused. He sent the military out to intimidate protestors, even ordering F-16 fighter jets to fly over Tahir Square. But the calls for his resignation continued unabated, and on February 4 he announced his resignation.
A Protest Without a Leader
For his part, Wael Ghonim maintained his anonymity until he was arrested on January 27. He was held in a Cairo jail—blindfolded and put in solitary confinement for 12 days while the revolutionary movement grew beyond the prison walls. The “We are Khaled Said” site was taken over by an associate until Ghonim was released. In an interview with Newsweek, Ghonim maintained that he was no hero. He described the revolutionary movement as “a protest without a leader” (Newsweek, February 21, 2011). Facebook gave the movement a collective voice and, by the time Ghonim was released by Egyptian authorities, Mubarak was on his way out.
To Consider
1. Why were Egyptians so unhappy with Hosni Mubarak and his government?
2. What role did Facebook and Twitter play in building Egypt’s protest movement?
3. Egyptian authorities shut down the Internet for five days. What social, economic, and political problems occur when you shut down Internet service?
4. In your opinion is Wael Ghonim a hero?
HOW FACEBOOK CHANGED THE WORLD
YV Profile: The Social Network
Questions Before Reading
When a movie is promoted as being based on a true story, what does this make you think? Do you assume that the movie will be as close to the truth as possible, or do you assume that parts of the movie will be true while other parts will be fictionalized? In your opinion, how factually accurate should a movie based on a true story be?
A True Story?
From the very beginning, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin made it clear that his new movie The Social Network was primarily concerned with telling a good story and not overly worried about being factually accurate. In fact, when asked about his take on the film’s truthfulness, Sorkin gave this cryptic answer, “This movie is absolutely a true story, but with the catch that people disagree about what the truth was and the movie takes no position on what the truth is. It presents everybody’s story” (Reuters, September 25, 2010). Sorkin’s script was drawn from court documents involving lawsuits filed against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and a book called Accidental Billionaires by journalist Ben Mezrich. Accidental Billionaires is a controversial book about the creation and rise of Facebook that reads more like a novel than a work of non-fiction.
The movie was released to critical acclaim in the fall of 2010. Sorkin’s script, combined with the skillful direction of David Fincher, resulted in nominations for best picture at both the Golden Globe and Academy awards.
The Social Network describes the emergence of Facebook from the dorm rooms of Harvard. An irritated Zuckerberg, dumped by his girlfriend at a local bar, returns to his room and creates Facemash by hacking into the databases of a number of Harvard residences. The site, which pitted student pictures against one another so viewers could vote on which one they thought was “hotter” overwhelmed Harvard servers and shut the university’s network down. Zuckerberg became a local legend and, within a year, launched Facebook, moved the site development operations to California, partnered with Napster creator Sean Parker, and slowly expanded the site’s membership from college campuses into the general population.
The Zuckerberg depicted by writer Aaron Sorkin is socially awkward, manipulative, and self-centred. While founding a Web site based on friendship and openness, Zuckerberg abandons friends and violates business relationships so he can advance Facebook. The movie encourages the viewer to see Zuckerberg as ruthless and egocentric. It also calls on the viewer to feel sorry for him as Facebook climbs to a million users while the founder finds himself utterly alone.
Zuckerberg Responds
The real Mark Zuckerberg was never overly concerned with Sorkin’s depiction of him. When aspects of the storyline began leaking to the press, Zuckerberg stoically wondered what the fuss was about. After all, The Social Network was just going to be a movie about Facebook. There was no way Hollywood would want to tell the real Facebook story because it would be far too boring to show audiences a bunch of programmers hunkered down in a room for hours on end writing code. He understood that the story belonged to the filmmakers because neither he nor anyone else who worked for him had co-operated in the making of the film.
When the movie was released, Zuckerberg took his Facebook staff to a local theatre for a viewing. No one knows for sure whether he was alarmed at how he was portrayed. What is clear is that Zuckerberg and his staff made a conscious decision to speak of the film as a work of fiction and to let anyone who would listen know that the Zuckerberg portrayed by actor Jesse Eisenberg was a construction of the filmmakers and not a true depiction of the real Zuckerberg.
In an interview with 60 Minutes a cool and collected Zuckerberg said of the movie, “It’s pretty interesting to see what parts they got right and what parts they got wrong. I think that they got every single T-shirt that they had the Mark Zuckerberg character wearing right. I think I actually own those T-shirts” (Forbes, December 5, 2010). But he also felt that what they made up was worthy of note. For example, pivotal scenes at the beginning and end of the film were completely invented by the filmmakers. The scenes deal with a girlfriend who breaks up with a narcissistic Zuckerberg after a dinner at a local bar. That same character resurfaces thematically throughout the movie, with the final scene showing a distraught Zuckerberg looking for his ex-girlfriend to add him as a Facebook friend—pressing the refresh button every two seconds to see if his status has changed. The real Mark Zuckerberg points out that no such girlfriend ever existed because he has been seeing the same woman since before he created Facebook.
Follow-up
1. After reading the article, do you think screenwriter Aaron Sorkin was being a bit misleading when he made his proclamations of truth in the first paragraph?
2. Using evidence from the article, demonstrate how the real Mark Zuckerberg wasn’t concerned about potential negative publicity after the release of The Social Network.
3. In your opinion, does the movie The Social Network have the right to say that it is based on a true story?
HOW FACEBOOK CHANGED THE WORLD
YV Activity: Facebook and My World
Canadians love social media. Overall our tech-savvy population posts, tweets, and texts more that any other group on the planet. Canadians have the highest per capita membership of Facebook in the world. According to some experts, over 80 per cent of Canada’s 20 million Internet users have a Facebook account, with the 18-29 age group having a 91 per cent membership rate (Abacus Data, January 13, 2011).
Did you know . . .
Overall, an estimated 65 per cent of Canadians are on Facebook.
Your Task
Form a group of three and put together a social media survey. Your survey will be focused on determining which social media applications people use and how often they use them. For the purposes of this exercise, the term social media refers any Internet or mobile-based technology that allows you to connect with other people.
Here are some guidelines:
• Make sure your survey is at least 20 questions long. Some sample questions might include: Which social media do you use? Of the social media you use, which one(s) do you use the most? How much time do you spend on Facebook or Twitter each week? What role do social media play in your life? Do you prefer communicating via text messaging or phone calls?
• Make sure that most of your questions have a clear-cut answer. For example, “how many text messages do you send and receive a month?” has a clear answer. Only ask a few “why do you like” questions so you don’t have to sift through too much writing.
• Survey at least 20 people. Whether you photocopy your survey or just informally ask your questions and record your answers is entirely up to you and your teacher. Just make sure you have a sample of at least 20 people.
Follow-up
Tabulate your results and work with your group to come up with three or four conclusions that demonstrate how social media are changing our world.
Planning Notes:
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