Tuesday, February 24, 2009

4-Latin America Current Event


While I was searching for a current event I ran into a very interesting article. This article can be found on the following site, http://xrl.us/beg3c6. I found this article interesting, because it deals with the drug usage that is occurring all over Latin America. In this article, Bolivia and Peru are defending their use of the coca plants, which are a source for cocaine. Since, cocaine gets distributed to the U.S; these coca plants serve multiple purposes. The people of Peru and Bolivia use the coca plants for both medical and religious reasons. The coca plants supposedly prevent hunger and tiredness, which is why the people take this plant seriously. The plants were first used by Indigenous people and are still being used by these people today. The main situation regarding this plant is that the UN has listed the coca plant as a dangerous controlled substance as well as the cocaine that comes from it. One interesting fact I found, was that Peru and Bolivia are the second highest producers of cocaine after Columbia.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

3-Species At Risk


The worldmapper map I chose shows where there are species at risk. I chose this map, because it has meaning to me. I have been a member of the St.Louis Zoo family club for several years and its purpose is to protect species that are endanged and threatened. I feel that animals should be allowed a certain amount of territory to live and thrive in. One thing I find interesting is that the United States has one of the highest counts of species at risk. With all the destruction of forests and countryside many of the creatures are having a hard time finding a place to live. With all the construction of houses and restaraunts several species homes are destroyed on a daily basis. Next time a new building is proposed we as a nation should consider the lives of all the other creatures we share our country with. They should have a right too.

Monday, February 2, 2009

2-LDC versus MDC



Uganda, a poorly developed country dealing with starvation and mistreated children. Most of the children suffer from HIV/AIDS. Uganda is considered to be one of the most known carrier countries of these viruses. That is probably one of the main reasons why the population is much higher on the bottom of the pyramid than it is on the top. Children hardly have time to live after having the virus for so long. Even despite all thing, Uganda stills is showing a growing population. In fact, Uganda's population growth is threatening poverty reduction. So many people in one place can cause a whole lot of problems when it comes to poverty. Even though Uganda is an LDC, there are still hope for it in the future.


On the opposite end of the scale, there is Russia. Russia has pretty sufficiant resources and a large territory. Russia has been averaging a growth rate of 7% annually since its great financial crisis of '98. That means that Russia is growing and as you can see it has a large group of people living well into their sixties and seventies. Russia is home to many men, women, and children who have been abused in their lifetimes. In fact, Russia is known as a place of safety for these people. That is also a factor for why Russia has had a growth spurt over the past 10 years.