Blog Topic #7

Global warming...is it actually happening? This question has been quite a "hot" topic and one of personal interest to me. My father and I have had many arguments on whether or not global warming is a real issue. Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether or not global warming is taking place. While the climate is cyclical, I do think global warming is having an effect on our planet's climate. According to an article in Science Daily, the changing climate is expected to shift climate zones and possibly even eliminate some of them by the year 2100. Tropical highlands and polar zones would be the first to disappear. Many other climate zones would grow warmer. These changes in temperature could alter where crops are grown and possibly lead to the extinction of certain species of plants and animals who can't handle the rapid change. Global warming has the potential to change many aspects of geography.

There is also evidence of increasing temperatures where carbon dioxide emissions are high. The emissions are the result of human air pollution from cars, factories, homes, etc. There are ways to prevent pollution. Among these ways include "going green", which includes recycling, cutting down on electrical use, and using energy saving devices and automobiles. Researchers also state that conserving forests and planting new trees are two of the best ways to remove carbon dioxide from the air.

Many people have their own thoughts and opinions about global warming. I personally think that humans do contribute a large amount of air pollutants and waste to the environment, which plays a role in raising temperatures due to carbon dioxide that is released into the air. However, I do not think it is the sole reason for the rising global temperature. Climate change is cyclical and I think ultimately this is the explanation for global warming.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0902-our_changing_climate.htm

Blog Topic #6

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS 2010



Africa is home to some of the poorest countries in the world. They rank very low on the Human Development Index due to poor quality of life and low income. Despite these things, many Africans find time to play soccer and support their favorite teams. Soccer is a large part of African culture and other cultures all over the world. While baseball is referred to as "America's pastime", soccer could be referred to as the "World's pastime". Soccer is the world's most popular sport, and in a country where the future seems uncertain for many people, soccer is something to look forward to and something people share in common. This particular video is about the Africa Cup of Nations 2010. The year 2010 is a big year in terms of soccer for the continent of Africa. South Africa will be hosting the 2010 World Cup later this year, but before the World Cup is the Africa Cup of Nations, which will plot the best teams from the continent against one another in the hopes of claiming the title of best team in Africa. The Africa Cup of Nations is played in Angola this year. The country of Egypt is home to the best team in the whole continent, the Pharaohs of Egypt. Egypt is seeded first in the tournament. If they win, it will be three titles in a row for the Pharaohs. They have won the most Africa Cup of Nations titles with a total of six. However, they did not qualify for the World Cup this year and will be missing out on South Africa 2010. Winning the Cup of Nations will possibly serve as a means of redeeming themselves since they will be missing out on the World Cup later this year.

Blog Topic #5

The human development index measures three aspects of human development. These three aspects include living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and gross enrollment in education) and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity, PPP, income). There are several things the index does not measure including gender and income inequality. The HDI is meant to show the relationship between income and well-being. To be included in the HDI, a country must be a member of the United Nations. Not all United Nations members are included. There must be enough data from a country in order for it to be included in the index. However, there are some information gaps for some of the included counties. The HDI geographic pattern shows most of the medium to low developed countries to be in Africa and Asia. Sub-Saharan Africa is probably ranked so low in HDI because life expectancy is low, their standard of living is low, and the literacy rate is low. Also, many of the countries in Africa are less developed countries and that probably plays a part in why they are ranked so low on the index.

Blog Topic #4

This article is about Venezuela. Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, has threatened to cut off oil supplies to the United States. Venezuela's state oil company has stopped selling crude oil to Exxon Mobil Corp. as of Tuesday, February 12 and has suspended commercial relations with the U.S.-based oil company. According to the article, Exxon Mobil attempted to seize Venezuelan assets through U.S. and European courts in a dispute over the nationalization of its oil ventures in Venezuela. President Chavez says the suspension of commercial relations with the U.S.-based oil company is an act of reciprocity for the United State's actions. Exxon Mobil is apparently no longer welcome to to business with Venezuela. Venezuela relies heavily on its oil production for income. The U.S. relies on Venezuela for its imported oil. It is unclear how either country will be affected in the long run. It is likely that the Venezuelan economy will suffer slightly with out American business, due to the fact that Exxon Mobil is a major partner and the United States is so dependent on foreign oil.