May 5, 2009
A Reuters article says that a TV network showed footage of American soldiers in Afghanistan with stacks of Bibles translated into the local language. Some are alleging that the soldiers are proselytizing while on duty, which not only goes against US military regulations, but is against the law in Afghanistan. If someone converts from Islam in Afghanistan, they can be sentenced to death. Clearly, if soldiers are attempting to spread their faith to the locals it will cause not only division but upset. If conversion is such a sensitive and important topic to the local Afghans, it will be likely to be seen as a type of religious antagonism coming from the US forces.
Although the US denies the above allegations, and even evangelical clergy are reported to be telling the soldiers they cannot proselytize while on duty, this is still an issue that will cause untold unrest if not dealt with properly. The United States wants its troops to be seen as acting on its behalf; accordingly, the US does not want its troops to be seen as making religious attacks of Afghans.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
trade inbetween countries
Cory Mattson
May 5, 2009
Foreign trade is a big part of our economy these days. Trade can affect us in the United States, countries across the world, and even next door to us. Trade is able to help everybody and benefit the standard of living in the country. It helps people with jobs, getting new ones and keeping the same jobs that people have had for years instead of people getting laid off. With the foreign trade decreasing, jobs will start to become more unavailable which just helps increase the problems to our economy. Our dollar in the United States is looking cheaper to the other countries, and we are not able to buy as much from the other countries because no one is buying anything.We need to find some way in the United States to help out our economy to keep the foreign trade keep going. If there is no foreign trade not only will us in the United States suffer from the problem but the other countries will fall and their economy will be drowning because no one is buying the products that they usually trade with other countries.
May 5, 2009
Foreign trade is a big part of our economy these days. Trade can affect us in the United States, countries across the world, and even next door to us. Trade is able to help everybody and benefit the standard of living in the country. It helps people with jobs, getting new ones and keeping the same jobs that people have had for years instead of people getting laid off. With the foreign trade decreasing, jobs will start to become more unavailable which just helps increase the problems to our economy. Our dollar in the United States is looking cheaper to the other countries, and we are not able to buy as much from the other countries because no one is buying anything.We need to find some way in the United States to help out our economy to keep the foreign trade keep going. If there is no foreign trade not only will us in the United States suffer from the problem but the other countries will fall and their economy will be drowning because no one is buying the products that they usually trade with other countries.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Ethnic Divisions Delay Bosnia Transition Decision
The body overseeing Bosnia’s peace process has agreed to delay into 2009 a decision to end international supervision because ethnic division continues to prevent the country from meeting all necessary conditions. The OHR, which was created in 1995 to oversee implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, has been due to close in June 2007 but has already been extended amid the continuing tensions between Bosnia’s two parts.
I feel that it is unbelievable that Bosnia is still having issues this big just because of ethnic backgrounds. Something needs to be done soon before it is too late.
I feel that it is unbelievable that Bosnia is still having issues this big just because of ethnic backgrounds. Something needs to be done soon before it is too late.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Anatomy of an `inside' ambush in Iraq
On February 24th, 2009 United States soldiers and Iraqi police had sat down for lunch inside a police building in Mosul. Flak jacket vests and other protective gear were removed. A door to the same room was left open and open just enough for a barrel of an AK-47 rifle to be aimed through the opening. The person holding the rifle was an Iraqi police officer still in his teens. He opened fire during the meeting which killed one United States soldier and his interpreter. Five others were wounded in this attack. This was a inside job and the gunman and the vehicle that carried him away to safety are still at large. This single attack reinforced what many fear, insurgents and sympathizers possibly infiltrating the ranks of Iraq's security forces.
Another example was presented on Saturday. An Iraqi soldier killed two American soldiers and wounded three at a combat outpost south of Mosul. The attacker was a soldier who also served as a Sunni Muslim preacher for his unit.
This article is perfect for my final current event. This one article sums up what I have been trying to present as my main theme. I have been trying to show the insecurity, danger, and hostility our armed forces are going through. This just shows that you cannot trust anyone and also how corrupt the people are that our soldiers are trying to deal with. It is amazing the progress they have made so far but it shows there is a lot more to go. I personally hate reading articles such as this one. This is not a way to fight a war to me. We are limited in every way to what we can and cannot do. These people are relentless and have such a mentality that we may never break or change them. Hopefully in the future things will change.
Another example was presented on Saturday. An Iraqi soldier killed two American soldiers and wounded three at a combat outpost south of Mosul. The attacker was a soldier who also served as a Sunni Muslim preacher for his unit.
This article is perfect for my final current event. This one article sums up what I have been trying to present as my main theme. I have been trying to show the insecurity, danger, and hostility our armed forces are going through. This just shows that you cannot trust anyone and also how corrupt the people are that our soldiers are trying to deal with. It is amazing the progress they have made so far but it shows there is a lot more to go. I personally hate reading articles such as this one. This is not a way to fight a war to me. We are limited in every way to what we can and cannot do. These people are relentless and have such a mentality that we may never break or change them. Hopefully in the future things will change.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Education for Women in Afghanistan
Brittany Walker
May 2, 2009
11:08 pm
In rural Afghanistan, around 90 per cent of women and 60 per cent of men are illiterate. Most teachers in Afghanistan are male and traditionally many families do not allow wives or daughters to be taught by a member of the opposite sex. Under Taliban rule (1996-2001) it was illegal and a crime punishable by death for women to learn to read and write. The Taliban held that women’s education was forbidden in the Qur'an. Many families are too poor to send all their children to school, and it is usually the girls who are kept at home to help. Poverty also causes girls to be taken out of school to be married, as poor families so desperately need the dowry paid by the groom’s family. But things are slowly changing. Most of the women in the shura cannot read or write and use their thumb print instead of a signature. The adult literacy classes they have helped to set up will ensure that future generations are empowered through better education. Today in Afghanistan there remain many barriers to female education, including entrenched social opposition, lack of educational institutions and extreme poverty. Christian Aid is working with local Afghan organizations to challenge stereotypes and help families escape poverty, giving girls and women an opportunity for an education, and a better chance in life.
After reading this article it is clear that the women of Afghanistan are not the one’s to blame why they do not have the economical resources they need in order to receive a descent education. Afghanistan is the poorest country in the world next to Africa, and I think that it’s sad that Afghan women heave to sacrifice more in order to receive an descent education should be able to receive the same opportunity as if she was a male.
May 2, 2009
11:08 pm
In rural Afghanistan, around 90 per cent of women and 60 per cent of men are illiterate. Most teachers in Afghanistan are male and traditionally many families do not allow wives or daughters to be taught by a member of the opposite sex. Under Taliban rule (1996-2001) it was illegal and a crime punishable by death for women to learn to read and write. The Taliban held that women’s education was forbidden in the Qur'an. Many families are too poor to send all their children to school, and it is usually the girls who are kept at home to help. Poverty also causes girls to be taken out of school to be married, as poor families so desperately need the dowry paid by the groom’s family. But things are slowly changing. Most of the women in the shura cannot read or write and use their thumb print instead of a signature. The adult literacy classes they have helped to set up will ensure that future generations are empowered through better education. Today in Afghanistan there remain many barriers to female education, including entrenched social opposition, lack of educational institutions and extreme poverty. Christian Aid is working with local Afghan organizations to challenge stereotypes and help families escape poverty, giving girls and women an opportunity for an education, and a better chance in life.
After reading this article it is clear that the women of Afghanistan are not the one’s to blame why they do not have the economical resources they need in order to receive a descent education. Afghanistan is the poorest country in the world next to Africa, and I think that it’s sad that Afghan women heave to sacrifice more in order to receive an descent education should be able to receive the same opportunity as if she was a male.
MISSING GIRL AT BEACH
Andrecious Clark
7:42
The mother of a 17 year-old girl who disappeared while on spring break in Myrtle Beach South Carolina was seen on a surveillance camera in a hotel and confirmed by the mother’s eyes. The girl was last seen Sunday in Myrtle Beach. Dawn Drexel the girl mother told CNN she forbade her daughter to go in the first place. So forth the mother arrived in Myrtle Beach to assist the police in finding her daughter. The mother feels some of the stories don’t match, in the video she was seen leaving the hotel to go to another to meet up with friends, which was on Saturday, and then wasn’t seen anymore. The police did a 40 mile search, the check with restaurants and everything and still no signs of her daughter. No one knows where she could be, I don’t want to say she doesn’t want to be found by her mother, because before she got missing she was still talking to her mother, although she was forbidden to go and did not listen. I don’t want to come off wrong or wish anything bad on people, but children should listen more to their parents. Parents have gut feelings about things that may happen when their away from home. Some parents are over protective buts it’s in our best interest, but some of us fail to listen and things like this happen. My prayers go out to her family and friends.
Zippy electric motorcycle
Trey Brown
3:40pm
5/02/09
Energy efficiency and the lessening of Co2 output has been becoming more and more of a concern for the people of both this country and the world but finding a easy and fun way to do it has been an even bigger concern. Zero Motorcycles is a company based out of Santa Cruz, California that has made great steps forward by creating the Zero S electric motorcycle. Its electric engine ensures greatly lessened Co2 output by any concerned person willing to ride it. Also despite it being built around an electric motor the Zero S has great acceleration up to a top speed around 70 mile per hour and only weighs 225 pounds. There are a few draw backs to be found though. Because it is new technology it is still tagged with a fairly high initial price (near $10,000 before the in U.S. tax credit or Cali rebate) as well as a high prices for replacement parts (a new battery costs $5,000).
By entering low emission technology into an area like transportation that is a concern for people worldwide, Zero Motorcycles is ensuring the advancement of low emission environmentally friendly technology. The worry that electrical supplies will become more dependent on emission heavy fuels because of things like the growing electric motor craze isn’t unfounded. Yet it would seem that any technology that helps to wean the general public away from environmentally unfriendly behavior is a plus. More and more ways to create electricity are being found and maybe that combined with cleaner transportation will keep our environment safe and able to support future generations to come.
Link to Article
3:40pm
5/02/09
Energy efficiency and the lessening of Co2 output has been becoming more and more of a concern for the people of both this country and the world but finding a easy and fun way to do it has been an even bigger concern. Zero Motorcycles is a company based out of Santa Cruz, California that has made great steps forward by creating the Zero S electric motorcycle. Its electric engine ensures greatly lessened Co2 output by any concerned person willing to ride it. Also despite it being built around an electric motor the Zero S has great acceleration up to a top speed around 70 mile per hour and only weighs 225 pounds. There are a few draw backs to be found though. Because it is new technology it is still tagged with a fairly high initial price (near $10,000 before the in U.S. tax credit or Cali rebate) as well as a high prices for replacement parts (a new battery costs $5,000).
By entering low emission technology into an area like transportation that is a concern for people worldwide, Zero Motorcycles is ensuring the advancement of low emission environmentally friendly technology. The worry that electrical supplies will become more dependent on emission heavy fuels because of things like the growing electric motor craze isn’t unfounded. Yet it would seem that any technology that helps to wean the general public away from environmentally unfriendly behavior is a plus. More and more ways to create electricity are being found and maybe that combined with cleaner transportation will keep our environment safe and able to support future generations to come.
Link to Article
UK combat ops end in Iraq
Keyanna Spears
5/2/09
www.bbc.com
2:56
UK combat operations end in Iraq
After six years, the UK has decided to call it quits and pull out of Iraq. The 20th Armored Brigade took part in a flag-lowering ceremony with the U.S brigade to honor their efforts in the Iraq War. John Hutton (the secretary of defense) was quoted saying “I think when history is written of this campaign, they will say of the British military: We did a superb job.” There were ceremonies held to honor the soldiers from the UK as well as a memorial wall that “featured the names of the 234 UK and foreign troops and civilians who lost their lives under British command in Iraq.” Lt. Col Chamberlin mentioned how he and his battalion have been working on how to leave Iraq secure, and happy. The president of Iraq thanked the UK and said that they have helped liberate his people from the worst type of dictatorship. The UK began their official pull put last month in southern Iraq in Basra. The soldiers who have been pulled out of Basra was said to have left Basra in a different state than it was when they came. The city’s population has severely declined and their infrastructure is severely devastated. Also, the Iraqis left in Basra are afraid that the American troops who will take place of the UK soldiers will be more aggressive towards them.
I am glad to see that the UK has taken the initiative to pull out. This gives the American people more hope and motivation that our troops will be coming home soon.
5/2/09
www.bbc.com
2:56
UK combat operations end in Iraq
After six years, the UK has decided to call it quits and pull out of Iraq. The 20th Armored Brigade took part in a flag-lowering ceremony with the U.S brigade to honor their efforts in the Iraq War. John Hutton (the secretary of defense) was quoted saying “I think when history is written of this campaign, they will say of the British military: We did a superb job.” There were ceremonies held to honor the soldiers from the UK as well as a memorial wall that “featured the names of the 234 UK and foreign troops and civilians who lost their lives under British command in Iraq.” Lt. Col Chamberlin mentioned how he and his battalion have been working on how to leave Iraq secure, and happy. The president of Iraq thanked the UK and said that they have helped liberate his people from the worst type of dictatorship. The UK began their official pull put last month in southern Iraq in Basra. The soldiers who have been pulled out of Basra was said to have left Basra in a different state than it was when they came. The city’s population has severely declined and their infrastructure is severely devastated. Also, the Iraqis left in Basra are afraid that the American troops who will take place of the UK soldiers will be more aggressive towards them.
I am glad to see that the UK has taken the initiative to pull out. This gives the American people more hope and motivation that our troops will be coming home soon.
THE POST TO END ALL POSTS
Alex Sayre
12:08
May 2nd
This just in! Co2 clogs our lungs our trees our atmosphere! What shall we do? Recent discoveries have found that semi-porous rocks in the North Sea can actually hold Carbon Dioxide! I have yet to use a period! Do you guys think I can keep it up? I DO! This semi porous rock has the potential to hold millions of tons of the gas in what is known as saline aquifers. Well that didn’t last very long… Oh man I just used three in a row! This process of storing the CO2 in rocks would create tons of business for countries nearest to the area mainly for Scotland. Professors at Edinburgh discovered this process to store the greenhouse gas emissions where these saline aquifers hold them for years.
I am actually really skeptical about this relief on the huge load renewable energy has to cover. For one what major problems would occur when the carbon dioxide is placed into the rock? Would it have a chemical reaction with so much of the material affecting possible sea life (small stuff like zooplankton) and exactly how long would it stay down there. This method of helping our planet definitely needs some heavy research if it hopes to be successful.
And that ends my story telling. Thanks for reading and I enjoyed the class and everyone’s (mostly) ideas and comments. Haha.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/39827
12:08
May 2nd
This just in! Co2 clogs our lungs our trees our atmosphere! What shall we do? Recent discoveries have found that semi-porous rocks in the North Sea can actually hold Carbon Dioxide! I have yet to use a period! Do you guys think I can keep it up? I DO! This semi porous rock has the potential to hold millions of tons of the gas in what is known as saline aquifers. Well that didn’t last very long… Oh man I just used three in a row! This process of storing the CO2 in rocks would create tons of business for countries nearest to the area mainly for Scotland. Professors at Edinburgh discovered this process to store the greenhouse gas emissions where these saline aquifers hold them for years.
I am actually really skeptical about this relief on the huge load renewable energy has to cover. For one what major problems would occur when the carbon dioxide is placed into the rock? Would it have a chemical reaction with so much of the material affecting possible sea life (small stuff like zooplankton) and exactly how long would it stay down there. This method of helping our planet definitely needs some heavy research if it hopes to be successful.
And that ends my story telling. Thanks for reading and I enjoyed the class and everyone’s (mostly) ideas and comments. Haha.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/39827
Friday, May 01, 2009
Strip mining policy overturned
Matthew Supple
Long overdue in a long list of undoing former president bush's mistakes, Obama has overturned a ruling allowing for unchecked, incredibly destructive form of mining. Strip mining has seen a huge resurgence over the bush era because his policy was always to put economic gains over environmental, as seen with oil. The prior allowance let the mining companies face nearly no resistance in the Appalachia chains in search and aquisition of coal deposits.
As I said, this is long overdue. Bush's primitive policies of focusing on big industry and completely disregarding the environmental ramifications. There is no room in todays modern society for this kind of backward, self serving, inhuman policy making. This, to me, marks another nail in the coffin of the old era and another window into the next, hopfully brighter chapter in our nations story.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/mountaintop-removal-mining-47042801
Long overdue in a long list of undoing former president bush's mistakes, Obama has overturned a ruling allowing for unchecked, incredibly destructive form of mining. Strip mining has seen a huge resurgence over the bush era because his policy was always to put economic gains over environmental, as seen with oil. The prior allowance let the mining companies face nearly no resistance in the Appalachia chains in search and aquisition of coal deposits.
As I said, this is long overdue. Bush's primitive policies of focusing on big industry and completely disregarding the environmental ramifications. There is no room in todays modern society for this kind of backward, self serving, inhuman policy making. This, to me, marks another nail in the coffin of the old era and another window into the next, hopfully brighter chapter in our nations story.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/mountaintop-removal-mining-47042801
Women And Men Take Part In China's High-Heeled Running Festival
Kenya Satchell
May 1, 2009
7:00 P.M.
Men and women in China are putting on their pumps for two weeks of intense competition. According to China's "Wuzhou Daily," the town of Nanning is holding their annual high-heeled running festival. Male racers are required to wear heels at least eight centimeters in height, while the women's shoes must be at least ten centimeters tall. The competitors, who are aged between 18 and 55, have to run along a track over 20 yards long while making their way over hurdles. Winners of each event win nearly 150-dollars as well as shopping vouchers. A spokesman for the event says the men more than hold their own in the competition, stating, quote, "Their technique was quite amazing, as despite wearing high heels there were no sprained or twisted ankles."
Since everything else I reported on this semester was so serious, I decided to give you a little entertainment for the last blog. I have no idea what the point of this race is other than $150, shopping vouchers, and a little exercise, but I guess whatever floats their boat! Another reason I chose this as my blog entry is because this week, for some reason, I couldn’t find anything on women! Let’s see if I can tie this into Sociology some kind of way. Well, we know that Chinese women use mushrooms and green tea to keep breast cancer down, so maybe this is a way they celebrate that. They want the men to join in with wearing heels because obviously they can’t get breast cancer, so they experience a little of a woman’s pain in another way.
http://mystateline.com/content/fulltext/?cid=63361
May 1, 2009
7:00 P.M.
Men and women in China are putting on their pumps for two weeks of intense competition. According to China's "Wuzhou Daily," the town of Nanning is holding their annual high-heeled running festival. Male racers are required to wear heels at least eight centimeters in height, while the women's shoes must be at least ten centimeters tall. The competitors, who are aged between 18 and 55, have to run along a track over 20 yards long while making their way over hurdles. Winners of each event win nearly 150-dollars as well as shopping vouchers. A spokesman for the event says the men more than hold their own in the competition, stating, quote, "Their technique was quite amazing, as despite wearing high heels there were no sprained or twisted ankles."
Since everything else I reported on this semester was so serious, I decided to give you a little entertainment for the last blog. I have no idea what the point of this race is other than $150, shopping vouchers, and a little exercise, but I guess whatever floats their boat! Another reason I chose this as my blog entry is because this week, for some reason, I couldn’t find anything on women! Let’s see if I can tie this into Sociology some kind of way. Well, we know that Chinese women use mushrooms and green tea to keep breast cancer down, so maybe this is a way they celebrate that. They want the men to join in with wearing heels because obviously they can’t get breast cancer, so they experience a little of a woman’s pain in another way.
http://mystateline.com/content/fulltext/?cid=63361
Pollution, Pollution, Pollution
Juan Miranda
On April 29, the American Lung Association released a report that informed the public that air pollution doesn’t only affect the environment adding to the problem of climate change, but in fact it affects humans directly. The report states that air pollution endangers the life of six out of every ten Americans, which is a total of about 186 million people. This problem does not seem to slow down, since even with the progress by agencies like the Environment Protection Agency and other governmental organizations. In some areas of the country, the conditions of the air have worsened since last year. "This should be a wakeup call. We know that air pollution is a major threat to human health," said Stephen Nolan, American Lung Association National Board Chair. "When 60 percent of Americans are left breathing air dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to shape how kids' lungs develop, and to kill, air pollution remains a serious problem." This report should increase the urgency in which the issue of pollution and the search of alternative energy because its not only going to be a problem in the long run, but its already killing us today. We need to realize that the way we have been treating the environment is obviously not efficient and we have to hurry up and find ways to reverse all the damage that we have caused. It is no longer an issue that will affect us in a thousand years, it is affecting us now.
http://www.reuters.com/article/mnCarbonEmissions/idUS335768782520090430
On April 29, the American Lung Association released a report that informed the public that air pollution doesn’t only affect the environment adding to the problem of climate change, but in fact it affects humans directly. The report states that air pollution endangers the life of six out of every ten Americans, which is a total of about 186 million people. This problem does not seem to slow down, since even with the progress by agencies like the Environment Protection Agency and other governmental organizations. In some areas of the country, the conditions of the air have worsened since last year. "This should be a wakeup call. We know that air pollution is a major threat to human health," said Stephen Nolan, American Lung Association National Board Chair. "When 60 percent of Americans are left breathing air dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to shape how kids' lungs develop, and to kill, air pollution remains a serious problem." This report should increase the urgency in which the issue of pollution and the search of alternative energy because its not only going to be a problem in the long run, but its already killing us today. We need to realize that the way we have been treating the environment is obviously not efficient and we have to hurry up and find ways to reverse all the damage that we have caused. It is no longer an issue that will affect us in a thousand years, it is affecting us now.
http://www.reuters.com/article/mnCarbonEmissions/idUS335768782520090430
Pipe Leak at Nuclear Plant Raises Concerns
Amanda WorleyThe one-and-a-half-inch hole caused by corrosion allowed about 100,000 gallons of water to escape from the main system that keeps the reactor cool immediately after any shutdown, according to nuclear experts. It has raised concerns about the monitoring of decades-old buried pipes at the nation’s nuclear plants, many of which are applying for renewal of their operating licenses. Indian Point 2, whose 40-year operating license expires in 2013, already faces harsh criticism from New York State and county officials who want it shut down.
“This leak may demonstrate a systemic failure of the licensee and the commission to inspect critical buried pipes in a manner sufficient to guarantee the public health and safety,” was writeen to the commission’s chairman, Dale Klein, in a letter on Thursday. The congressmen said they were “shocked” that a leak that big could develop without detection and called the system for detecting such problems “profoundly inadequate.”
At a nuclear plant, a central water system takes heat from the reactor in the form of steam and turns it into electricity. During a shutdown at Indian Point 2, that system often turns off and a pipe measuring 12 inches in diameter carries water from the tank into the cooling system to carry off excess heat. The buried portion of neither the eight-inch supply pipe nor the 12-inch pipe connecting the tank to the reactor cooling system has been visually inspected since the reactor began operating in August 1973, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Nor does the commission require such inspections.In conclusion, the buried pipes are emerging as an endemic problem as reactors age, although so far most of the attention has been to the substance that is leaked — not to a pipe’s role in ensuring the reactor’s safe operation over all. As we explore alternative energies, we must consider the alternatives that are still being used out there that need scientific advancements as well as those yet to be discovered.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/nyregion/02nuke.html?ref=science
U.S. bill to create clean energy investment agency
Samuel Dalzell
Friday, May 1, 2009
4:22 PM
Energy/Alternative Energy
In Washington this week, lawmakers in Congress introduced new legislation that would create an independent agency to oversee government clean energy investments, such as those included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The bipartisan bill would establish a Clean Energy Deployment Administration within the Energy Department; this agency would provide various forms of credit including loans and loan guarantees to support new green energy technologies in an attempt to diversify America's energy supply and help curb the human environmental impact. A clean energy investment fund created from collected payments and fees would be used to start the agency. The lawmakers who introduced the bill hope that it will lead to further development and diffusion of green technologies by ensuring that commercial financing for new projects will be available in the future. The main goal of the agency is to support new projects that are considered too risky by private companies. The Energy Department was recently allocated $6 billion in the stimulus package, and is currently going through applications for clean energy loan guarantees. This new bill is widely supported by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
This is terrific news that we've been waiting for in this country; a concrete legislative solution that simultaneously addresses the energy crisis, the environmental crisis, and the economic crisis, and that doesn't create needless mandates and regulations. And the fact that it has overwhelming bipartisan support is a great thing as well---it proves that people on both sides of the aisle are ready to start implementing ideas that will radically change the status quo. It's good to finally see some federal action on these issues---issues that have been pestering us for far too long. And it's great that the agency will support projects that are supposedly "too risky" according to private companies who are too concerned about their overhead. Hopefully we will now see some federal support for some radical new ideas that will totally change the way we create and consume energy.
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE5406CY20090501
Friday, May 1, 2009
4:22 PM
Energy/Alternative Energy
In Washington this week, lawmakers in Congress introduced new legislation that would create an independent agency to oversee government clean energy investments, such as those included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The bipartisan bill would establish a Clean Energy Deployment Administration within the Energy Department; this agency would provide various forms of credit including loans and loan guarantees to support new green energy technologies in an attempt to diversify America's energy supply and help curb the human environmental impact. A clean energy investment fund created from collected payments and fees would be used to start the agency. The lawmakers who introduced the bill hope that it will lead to further development and diffusion of green technologies by ensuring that commercial financing for new projects will be available in the future. The main goal of the agency is to support new projects that are considered too risky by private companies. The Energy Department was recently allocated $6 billion in the stimulus package, and is currently going through applications for clean energy loan guarantees. This new bill is widely supported by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
This is terrific news that we've been waiting for in this country; a concrete legislative solution that simultaneously addresses the energy crisis, the environmental crisis, and the economic crisis, and that doesn't create needless mandates and regulations. And the fact that it has overwhelming bipartisan support is a great thing as well---it proves that people on both sides of the aisle are ready to start implementing ideas that will radically change the status quo. It's good to finally see some federal action on these issues---issues that have been pestering us for far too long. And it's great that the agency will support projects that are supposedly "too risky" according to private companies who are too concerned about their overhead. Hopefully we will now see some federal support for some radical new ideas that will totally change the way we create and consume energy.
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE5406CY20090501
Families to be Relocated
Trisha Butterworth
5-1-09
There are 700 Chitsa families located at Zimbabwes Gonarezhou National Park, and authorities want them moved out so they can start their Transfrontier park. Most of the families have valid letters from the government to stay there, but the transfrontier park will be one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries. The director of the park said that they would help find relocation for theses families. They had plans to relocate the families from the beginning, but did not realize that the government gave them letters saying they were to stay there. Apparently they are going to find a way to work through that. They need to get the park finished by soccer finals next year, because South America is the host and there will be lots of tourism. The families are fighting to stay because many of their ancestors owned the land that the park is on.
I am confused on how the government allowed people to stay on a park site, but the park is going to fight them staying there. I wonder if the park will win over the government. It seems like a big deal for the families to stay on the land their ancestors belonged to. But the park wants tourism, and I could see them convincing the government that tourism will only help, and expansion will improve it. It seems like a bad situation for the families. I wonder what will happen to them, and where they will go.
5-1-09
There are 700 Chitsa families located at Zimbabwes Gonarezhou National Park, and authorities want them moved out so they can start their Transfrontier park. Most of the families have valid letters from the government to stay there, but the transfrontier park will be one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries. The director of the park said that they would help find relocation for theses families. They had plans to relocate the families from the beginning, but did not realize that the government gave them letters saying they were to stay there. Apparently they are going to find a way to work through that. They need to get the park finished by soccer finals next year, because South America is the host and there will be lots of tourism. The families are fighting to stay because many of their ancestors owned the land that the park is on.
I am confused on how the government allowed people to stay on a park site, but the park is going to fight them staying there. I wonder if the park will win over the government. It seems like a big deal for the families to stay on the land their ancestors belonged to. But the park wants tourism, and I could see them convincing the government that tourism will only help, and expansion will improve it. It seems like a bad situation for the families. I wonder what will happen to them, and where they will go.
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