Chernobyl Disaster

DAVID HOLT, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On this date in 1986, in what is now the Ukraine, what was then part of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl Disaster began. This was the world’s worst nuclear power plant accident, resulting in incredible environmental destruction, hundreds of lives lost in the immediate disaster, and untold thousands of humans deaths as long term consequences unfolded over the years.

Find out more:

International Atomic Energy Agency

UNSCEAR (United Nations)

Chernobyl: National Geographic

World Health Organization

United Nations Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance

Let’s Talk Science

YaleEnvironment360

Wired: Nuclear Power

Greenpeace

Is nuclear power a feasible alternative to fossil fuels? The contribution of the burning of fossil fuels to the crisis of climate change must be accounted for, but are the risks associated with nuclear power too great? Check out the websites and books listed above, and then look for more resources to dig deeper to find out where scientists stand on these issues. Get informed and be a positive part of the decisions that will affect our future.

April is Earth Month at your School Library. Visit us to find out more.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare, arguably the greatest writer in the English language, was born on this day in 1564.

Maybe. We are not sure. In fact, there is much we don’t know about Shakespeare. Some don’t think that he wrote the plays that are attributed to him, or that he even existed,. This might not even be a picture of him. 

Learn more about Shakespeare and the debate surrounding his identity.

More importantly, take the opportunity to enjoy the plays that he wrote, (maybe?) . You can read the plays in school, but to really enjoy them to need to see them performed. Best of all, go to see the plays live and in person, to fully experience the wonder and joy of Shakespeare.

Book Spotlight: Earth Day

Come down to your School Library to find out more about Earth Day and all the issues that we face in terms of protecting life on this planet.

If you are looking for a quick introduction to the scientific understanding of the issues of climate change, this is a great place to start: This is Climate Change: A Visual Guide to the Facts: See for Yourself How the Planet is Warming and What it Means for Us, by David Nelles & Christian Serrer.

What they (the authors) were hoping to find was a book that explained the nuts and bolts of climate change and presented the scientific evidence in a way that was concise and enjoyable to read. After a long and fruitless search, they eventually gave up and instead decided to write it themselves.

“Who’s Behind the Book”, Nelles and Serrer, 128)

An excellent feature of the book is the comprehensive bibliography that can be reached by QR code or by using the given URL. Go here to see the Bibliography.

Eid al-Fitr

The month of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer, comes to and end this week. Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Fitr, literally the “holiday of the breaking of the fast.”

As is the case with many religious and cultural holidays that are based on lunar calendars, the date of Eid varies from year to year, as the Islamic calendar is not in sync with the Gregorian calendar. Also, according to Islam the new month doesn’t officially begin until religious authorities confirm the sighting of the moon. As such, we can only predict the start of Eid. In 2023 it is predicted that Eid al-Fitr will begin on April 21.

We wish “Eid Mubarak” to the more than one million Muslims in Canada, and to the almost two billion Muslims around the world.

Yom HaShoah

Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is the day that Jews around the world remember the six million who perished in the Holocaust.  In Israel it is a national day of observance known officially as Yom Hazikaron laShoah ve-laG’vurah, in English “Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.” In addition to remembrance of the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, the day is also used to celebrate acts of resistance and heroism on the part of survivors and allies.

This year Yom HaShoah begins on the evening of April 17 and continues until sundown on April 18.

Valley2city, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Find out more about the Holocaust, the systematic mass-murder of more than 6 million Jews, and other groups, targeted by the Nazis and their allies:

Happy Vaisakhi

Sikhs in Canada and all over the world celebrate Vaisakhi today and in different ways over the coming week. Sikhs mark Vaisakhi as a celebration of the founding of the Khalsa, the establishment of the Sikh religion. Sikhs also join with many South Asians, and people with South Asian heritage, in celebrating the New Year. Sikhs will attend the Vancouver Vaisakhi parade on April 15, and what is expected to be even bigger, possibly the biggest Vaisakhi parade in the world, on April 22 in Surrey. Vaisakhi Mubarak: Have a blessed Vaisakhi.