Derek!

What Happened?

Three children aged 3, 4, and 5 died in a fire in Bahrain. They were two sisters and one brother. Their cause of death was smoke inhalationm, trying to light a candle. They tried to light a candle because their parents couldn’t pay their rent and utility bills, cutting off the electricity. “They lived and died off of candle-light”. 

My Opinion

I think it is very sad. A vague statement, but I am pretty speechless after finding out about it. It just makes me think of how lucky I am that my parents pay the bills. I’m also thankful that this didn’t happen to anybody close to me. I just can’t imagine how their parents must feel right now. I hope this doesn’t happen again.

REST IN PEACE CHILDREN

Today, I was supposed to go to The Pas to get my eyes checked. Then at the last minute, I had heard from my father that there was supposed to be a blizzard in The Pas today. So, we didn’t go. My dad is going to book another appointment for Saturday, and I am very happy about it :).

The strange thing is, though, is that I want glasses. I would really like the responsibility of taking care of glasses. Plus, I would want to know how I looked in my own glasses. My parents say I shouldn’t get my hopes up, but that’s kind of too late.

I think I need glasses because ever since grade 6 I have been having trouble seeing the white board. Also, I have been told that I need glasses by some of my closest friends.

Just in case you are wondering, this is why i changed my backround on my blog :lol:. Well, I guess that’s it for now!!

Introduction

In a couple of my posts, I have mentioned the movie trailer for “An Inconvenient Truth”. Now, I have decided to show you guys the video. I hope it shows you that global warming is really a big issue.

The Video

[youtube]4QhOBhI-bpk[/youtube]

^{I apologize if the video doesn’t work.}

A Little Bit About Al Gore

Al Gore was born on March 31, 1948 on Washington D.C. He is a teacher, a businessman, an American politician, and an environmentalist. He served as the 45th Vice President of the United states during 1993 to 2001.

He is currently the president of the American channel “Current”,an unofficial adviser to Google’s senior management, chairman of Generation Investment Management, and a director on the board of Apple Computer. He is also talking global warming (as you saw in the video). He actually appeared on the MTV Music Awards on August 31,2006 and talked about global warming. To find out more about Al Gore, CLICK HERE.

My Opinion on the Video

Did you like the movie trailer? I know I did. I think this is one of the most excellent movie trailers i have ever seen. It really caught my eye on how serious global warming was. To tell you the truth, I thought that global warming would happen in 100 years. Now that I have seen the video, now I know I am wrong. I find it amazing that the Patagonia glacier is almost melted because of global warming. Same with Mount Kilimanjaro. Now that I think about it, it is really scary that if we don’t stop global warming, land would be covered in water.

Global warming, as i have said in many other posts, is a very important issue. I know I keep on saying this, but please do what ever you can to prevent global warming from happening. Thank you.

Introduction

First of all, I would like to thank Toni for giving me this idea for a post. Check out her view on natural disasters.

Natural disasters are, well, natural. Nothing can stop them. There are many different types of natural disasters. Some are hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes.

What is a Hurricane?

^{The picture above is Hurricane Ivan, which hit the gulf coasts of the United States on September 14,2004.}

A hurricane is a tropical storm that usually occurs in June through November (hurricane season). A hurricane usually hits the coasts of the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. There are many parts of hurricane like:

• Eye - The center of the hurricane

• Eye wall - The area around the eye and has the post wind power

• Rain bands - Bands of thunderstorms that circulate from the eye

Also, a hurricane has wind speeds greater than 74 mph.

^{The picture below is what you would see in a hurricane.}

What is a Tornado?

^{The picture above is a tornado.}

A tornado is a huge, swirling, 200-mph beast of a storm that appears when nobody expects it. Tornados are also described as beasts that appear to have a mind of their own. In certain places, tornadoes appear often.

^{The picture below shows what is in a tornado.}

What is a Flood?

^{The picture above is the Agnes Flood.}

A flood is when there is so much water, it floods just about everything. Floods can overturn cars, demolish houses and even kill. Floods come in at unexpected times. Did you know that flooding has killed millions of people in the last 100 years?

^{The picture below is the flood of Davenport, Iowa in 2001.}

What is an Earthquake?

^{The picture above is a chart of four major types of seismograms.}

An earthquake is a vibration in the ground that moves through the Earth’s crust. Earthquakes are caused by many things like:

• volcanic eruptions

• meteor impacts

• underground explosions
• collapsing structures

But, the majority of Earthquakes are caused by movements of tectonic plates.

^{The picture below is a road after it has been hit by an earthquake.}

Conclusion

All natural disasters can kill millions of people and destroy many homes. They are sudden and fierce. The most frightening thing, though, is that because of global warming, there are going to be even more powerful storms. As I keep on saying, please do anything you can to stop global warming. It helps a lot.

If you want to find out more about natural disasters and other topics, CLICK HERE.

Introduction

In my last post, I described an issue that is going on in the environment. I think I should now tell you a little bit of what the environment is, and show that it is important to at least care about the environment and try to protect it.

What is the Environment?

In my opinion, there are many different definitions of the environment. It could be where you live and what you are used to. For example, your home can be your own environment. Another definition of the environment is the ecosystem you are in, or learning in school. For example, a rainforest can be an environment. In most cases, the environment is an ecosystem.

What is an Ecosystem?

“An ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit.” That’s the definition of an ecosystem. It means that it is an ecological community that works with its environment and functions as a unit. An ecosystem consists of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) things. Also, different ecosystems are very different with each other. For example, all ecosystems don’t have the exact same climate or the exact amount of plants and animals.

Different Ecosystems

Here below are pictures of different ecosystems. Below each picture, there is a description of what it is.

Rainforest

Rainforests are very beautiful as you can see in this picture. The climate in the rainforest is very humid because of all the rainfall. There is an estimate of 25cm of rainfall each year. Some animals you might find in the rainforest are butterflies(morpho,swallowtail,etc.), apes, monkeys, toucans, alligators, toads, frogs, fruit bat, and more. There are also many plants and trees. CLICK HERE to find out more. 

Desert

In the desert, there is very little rainfall (250mm) each year, causing its very hot climate. Some animals you might find in the desert are camels, armadillos, kangaroos, bobcats, black widow spiders, iguanas, hedgehogs, and more. As you can see in this picture, there is lots and lots of sand. Very few trees grow in deserts. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Ocean

 Doesn’t this picture remind you of Finding Nemo? Well, that’s what it reminds me of. In oceans, the climate depends on where the ocean is located. If the ocean was located near the equator, it would be warmer. Some biotic things you may find underwater are coral, sharks, clown fish, starfish, snails, angel fish, crabs and other crustaceans, eels, whales, turtles, and more. Some abiotic things you will find in an ocean are basically sand and rock. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Arctic

Looking at this picture, living in the arctic looks great. It’s private and there are good views of everything. In reality though, it would be horrible. The climate is just to cold. Animals you might find in the arctic are arctic foxes, arctic hares, arctic wolves, moose, puffins, polar bears, and more. The most abiotic things you can see in the arctic is snow and ice. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Conclusion

Imagine all these ecosystems just disappear. Think of what you could have done. Think of what could have prevented it. Luckily, we are not at this point yet, but we are getting close. There is still time to protect these ecosystems. There is still hope. Please, do what ever you can, even if they are the littlest things. They still make a difference.

Introduction 

Before I talk about a serious issue, I would like to start off with something a little funny. Some viewers may find this offensive, but remember, it’s only a joke.

CLICK HERE TO SEE IT BIGGER

Now that we’ve had our laughs, it’s time to get serious. Global warming is a serious issue, especially in society today. If you look at the movie trailer for the movie “An Inconvenient Truth”, you will learn that we still can stop global warming before it’s too late.

What is Global Warming?

Global warming is when the Earth gets warmer and warmer. Since the Earth is getting warmer, the polar ice caps are going to melt. When it melts, it creates more water. Eventually, land would be covered in water. Scientists say that the land will start to flood within 50 years.

What is Causing Global Warming?

Global warming is being caused by greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases consist of pollution from vehicles and factories. Since there are so many greenhouse gases, the ones in the atmosphere are blocking the ones that are coming out, making the Earth warmer.

The hole in the ozone layer doesn’t help much either. The rays from the sun go through the hole, and since the greenhouse gases block the sun’s rays, the rays can’t get out, causing the Earth to get warmer.

What Can We Do?

There are many things we can do,but we would have to work as a globe, kind of like a team. In fact, exactly like a team. Here are some things that I think we could do to at least control global warming

• Use less fossil fuels

• Use solar energy

• Don’t burn coal

• Don’t use factories

• Try to use hybrid vehicle technologies

There are many other things that we could do to try to stop global warming from happening. For example, people could educate others on global warming and how we could stop it.

Do you have any ideas on how we could stop global warming?

This is why I think Global Warming is an Issue…

What are Solar Powered Street Lights?

Solar powered street lights are street lights that are powered by sunlight. These have been seen around the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. CLICK HEREto visit their blog. After all, I did get my information for this post off of there. Also, the Environment and Ethics Officer of the Guild of Students at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, talks about the environment and ethics around the university.

How Do They Work?

These solar powered street lights work by using photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. This means that it uses sunlight, not sunshine.The solar radiation coming from the sunlight is converted into energy. Then, I’m guessing, energy is turned into light.

These solar powered street lights are stored in a battery during the day and they kick in when it gets dark outside.

Is the Solar Powered Street Light a Good Thing?

Of course this is good thing. For one, solar energy is 100% renewable. This means that there would be no fuel costs. The only costs would be for purchasing, installing, and the maitenance for the product. Secondly, it fights off global warming and climate change because over the lifetime of the solar powered street light, it would be more than recovered with the electricity savings. This means that there is no use taking power from coal-fired plants.

What Do the Solar Powered Street Lights Do for the University?

Unfortunately, the impact of these solar powered street lights are small compared to carbon emissions of the university. At least it’s a start though, right?

My Opinion…

First of all, I would like to congratulate the Environment and Ethics Officer of the Guild of Students at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth on such a well written post. The solar powered street light is an awesome idea. It helps fight off global warming and climate change, which is great! If every city/town had these, it would help fight off this “inconvenient truth”. This isn’t the only thing we need to do to save our planet, though. We have to work together not only locally, or nationally. We need to work as a globe. I wish I could tell you guys out there how to stop this, but I can’t. After all, I’m only just a kid.

Introduction

This is a response to a post by Moussa Bachir, who writes for Global Voices. Global voices is a website that hosts blogs that have to deal with many different countries and different subjects. For example, I am subscribed to “Jamaica”, “Racism”, and “Disaster”. Are you subscribed to anything from Global Voices? Moussa Bachir has written about Lebanon politics and how it is so uncertain. She also wrote about how men can be described like an animal.

Lebanon Politics

Before I explain Lebanon’s politics, I will tell you a little bit about Lebanon. Lebanon is a small country located in the Middle East. CLICK HERE to find out more about Lebanon. Here is a map, flag, and the coat of arms of Lebanon below.

Lebanese blog posts have mostly bickering about political views. This is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty of Lebanon. Many of the posts this week are bleak with little hope for the future of the country. Moussa says that this is strange for people who take pride in being life-lovers. She also states that this might be a phase the the Lebanese people might be going through.

Here are some links to websites and blogs that talk about this issue:

• LINK#1 Shows quotes that describe the situation.

• LINK#2 States the situation by saying “this is a country hanging in a void”.

• LINK#3 Tells about gun silencers caught by security forces at the airport in Beirut.

• LINK#4 Describes the cylce of crumpling and rebuilding the Lebanon society by comparing it to the myth of the Sisyphus.

• LINK#5 Tells us that the political situation getting worse with little hope for the future.

• LINK#6 Tells us that more victims of the Israeli war on Lebanon are falling almost daily more than two months after the cease fire was announced.

• LINK#7 Points out to findings that point to the use of uranium bombs by Israel against Lebanon.

• LINK#8 Reports about unprecedented traffic jams around the city.

• LINK#9 Discusses the initiative for consultation that the President of the Parliament proposed to the different Lebanese parties.

• LINK#10 Explains how Lebanonesque sees Lebanon experiencing in the near future what Iraq experienced in the near past.

• LINK#11 Tells that the past week witnessed incidents involving Germany in Lebanon and the Israeli army.

• LINK#12 Shows how Mustapha hears about these skirmishes in the news and points in another direction.

My Opinion on Lebanon Politics

I think that what is happening in Lebanon is horrible. I hope that it doesn’t come to Lebanon experiencing what Iraq did. Well, I say good luck to the Lebanese people. Don’t give up on hope!

Men-Metephors

CLICK HERE to go to Maya[at]NYC. She is the one that used metephors to describe men.
Here are her metephors:

Some men are Lions. Majestic, handsome and successful. As the lions of the jungle, they rule in their kingdom, make their women do the work, wait for food to come their way, while looking over affairs with affected grace. They are feared and admired by everyone who crosses their path. A woman feels special just being able to say “I once knew a Lion.”

Some men are Tigers. Energetic, forceful and never take no for an answer. Natural born hunters, they hide, they lock on their prey, attack, and then leave satisfied. Ruthless and selfish. Some women will say “I survived being with a tiger”.

Some men are Dogs. They sit around, faithfully waiting their master. They cry when she cries, laugh when she laughs. They will tolerate mistreatment, they will accept treason. For them, their master is their life. A woman, bored, once said “I was stuck with a dog”.

Some men are Cats. Elegant and agile. They can adapt to any situation. Although they love to feel your touch, adore to be pampered and spoiled, they can forget you in a flash, if once, their dinner is lost. Smart and selfish, territorial and possessive, they make you attached and remained unattached. You serve their purpose. And one day, they decide to move elsewhere. A lucky woman can proudly say “I was once loved by a cat”.

Some men are Rats. Small and dirty, they feed on other people’s lives. They live in the dark, hide from the light, carry diseases and scare the frail of heart. No woman wants to say “I once fell for a rat”.

Some men are Gorillas. Hairy and big, their presence is obvious. Loud and heavy, their movements are slow, their voices harsh, their manners unrefined. Make them angry and they stomp their chests, bang the doors, pull their hair. But they have a heart of gold. And their happiness can be bought simply with a banana peel. A woman will fondly remember “I used to swing with a monkey”.

Some men are Roosters. They scream their achievements, they strut in their field, parading their comb, splashing their noise on the neighborhood chicks. Useless and pretentious, they don’t think too often. They spread their seeds like a sewing machine. Until one day, they get slaughtered by the farm’s thug. A woman will look down as she admits “I once believed a rooster”.

And some men are just Men. The real Men. They walk with you, run for you, cover your back, light your way, carry your sorrow, hold your fears, share your joys, wipe your tears. They pray for you, talk to you, open their hearts for you. Some can even cook for you. They come in all colors and shapes. Sometimes loud and unrefined, often insecure and possessive, for them you accept to play the prey. You might even let them win. Because, from the beginning of time, every woman wanted to say “I am His. And He is Mine.”

My Opinion on Men-Metephors

I think that it is very neat that somebody can just put the personalities of men in to metephors of animals. It also shows how women would look at the men in the metephor. Great job Maya[at]NYC!