So Thailand has been facing flooding for awhile now...The floods have claimed more than 300 lives since the heavy rains began in July and some 600,000 workers and 14,000 companies have had to shut down.
This is a pretty big deal and action needs to take place. It is said that it would take 40 days for the 12 BILLION cubic meters of floodwater to drain in to the Gulf of Thailand. Damages are estimated at $6 billion and could only be higher if Bankok isn't kept under control.
Thailand is one of the leading exporters of computer hard-disks and with this flood there might be a world wide shortage. But more importantly, there have been over 300 lives taken since July...I think even though that doesn't "affect" us, it is an important thing to think about. What happened if 300 students at UWEC just perished in a flood? It is hard to relate to disasters abroad, and that is the reason why it is hard for the US to get involved. This isn't just natural disasters, it also has to do with foreign policies and wars.
READ MORE AT: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/22/world/asia/bangkok-opens-floodgates-as-government-response-is-criticized.html?_r=1
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Keeping it Local
For this post I wanted to find some environmental hazard going on at our home soil. Today an article was posted at the Huffington Post regarding mining in Wisconsin. There is tons of iron ore along Lake Superior's shoreline. The article relates to job creation, but also addresses the impact on the environment.
Interestingly I found out we are the Badger state because of the lead miners who "were said to burrow like badgers". Wisconsin has been known to be a conservative state which was the first to ban pesticide DDT, the first to pass a law limiting acid rain, and also the first to enact an endangered species list!
The article is well written and you can tell there was tons of research put into in both the impact on the local area and the outcome that would happen with a new mine. Here is the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/wisconsin-mine-plans-jobs-environment_n_997909.html
Interestingly I found out we are the Badger state because of the lead miners who "were said to burrow like badgers". Wisconsin has been known to be a conservative state which was the first to ban pesticide DDT, the first to pass a law limiting acid rain, and also the first to enact an endangered species list!
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| Wisconsin Badger! |
The article is well written and you can tell there was tons of research put into in both the impact on the local area and the outcome that would happen with a new mine. Here is the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/wisconsin-mine-plans-jobs-environment_n_997909.html
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