US circling China with anti-missile bases

US circling China with anti-missile bases
http://complex.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/20/surrounded_how_the_us_is_encircling_china_with_military_bases

A lot going on in Palau

A lot going on in Palau. Where's Palau again? It's a country of Pacific islands between the Philippines and Indonesia.



-huge coral reefs
-US has rights to build military bases
-sea level rise
-huge EEZ

Paradise Lost? PBS - Need to know
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/video/video-paradise-lost/14421/

Deep sea mining controversy in Pacific islands

Deep sea mining controversy in Pacific islands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnmT-Y_rGQ

Mekong Diaries - Mekong Ký sự

Mekong Ký sự is a documentary about the diverse cultures that have lived on the Mekong River for centuries. It was made by Pham Kac a Vietnamese director during 10 trips along the river in 2001.

It is really long with many parts, each one over an hour. They are on YouTube.

Mekong Ky Su by Pham Khac - Vietnamese

Part 1: Tibet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UazJ39Orb00

Part 8: Laos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ks6IJGdKGw

Part 10: Thailand/Laos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwp2W5ri1nc

Part 12: Cambodia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4mkXyeBamk

Part 17: Vietnam - Mekong Delta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aQT3bQaARE

Part 19: Vietnam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaruqq4pvas

This site explains about the film.
http://vietnamnews.vn/print/187942/a-photographic-journey-along-the-mekong-river.htm 

South Africa's Kruger National Park "Ground Zero" for poachers

"South Africa's Kruger National Park is ground zero for poachers," says Crawford Allan, spokesman for the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) crime technology project. "There are 12 gangs in there at any time. It's almost like a war zone."

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28132521

Greece's port of Piraeus could be China's gateway to Europe

Piraeus has been Athens' main port for thousands of years. During the Peloponnesian Wars, Athens built the "long walls" to guard the route between Athens and Piraeus and secure sea trade.

Today, Piraeus has become one of China's worldwide array of port investments. China wants to transform Piraues into the best port in the Mediterranean and its gateway to Europe, some say part of a new "silk road" into Europe.

Greece is essentially bankrupt, making it receptive to Chinese investment.

China wants port of Piraeus to become its gateway to Europe - DW
http://www.dw.de/china-wants-greek-port-of-piraeus-to-become-its-gateway-to-europe/a-17723942

Not enough trade to fill up the world's ships

In this video, Transport Geography expert Jean Paul Rodrigue explains how there is not enough world trade to fill up the enormous capacity of the world's shipping industry, leading to "overcapacity."

Jean Paul Rodrigue on the global shipping industry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiOGKaj5uAM

Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel is holy to three great religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back to 3000 BC, over 2000 years before Roman times.

-In Islam, Jerusalem is where Mohammed ascended into heaven in the 600s AD
-In Judaism, Jerusalem was the capital of the Jewish kingdom since 1000 BC.
-In Christianity, Jerusalem is a place where Jesus lived and also where he died, was resurrected and ascended into heaven.

Jerusalem is "contested space" in Geography, meaning that multiple groups claim it as theirs to govern. Both Jews and Muslims claim to have rights to govern Jerusalem and the city actually was split into two halves, Jewish and Muslim, until boundaries were redrawn after the 1967 war between Israel and its neighbors.

Four quarters of the Old City The Old City of Jerusalem has four quarters: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Armenian. Each quarter contains many holy sites including those of other religions ex. Christian holy sites in the Muslim quarter and vice-versa. Take a look at the map below of the four quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem.

This video shows a tour of the Islamic quarter. See if you can spot some of the mix of Christian and Islamic elements found in the Islamic quarter.

Islamic market in Jerusalem's Old City - ITravel Jerusalem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Kj5xl8A_8



Jerusalem was often placed at the center of the world on medieval maps. Jerusalem also changed hands between Muslims and Christians many times during the Crusades, and thousands of Christians traveled to Jerusalem to fight Muslims there. Many Crusaders never made it to Jerusalem, having other adventures and wars along the way.
Clover leaf map, 1581, Heinrich Bunting

Jacksonville,FL - largest city by area in the lower 48

Jacksonville, FL is the largest city by area in the lower 48 states. Like San Antonio and other cities, Jacksonville became huge by "consolidation," annexing many smaller surrounding towns and suburbs into the official city limits.

The Jacksonville Historical Society describes how in 1967 Jacksonville instantaneously became the "biggest city in the world" by annexation.

http://www.jaxhistory.com/journal11.html

Jacksonville is also ranked #1 in cities to start a business due to low tax rates and real estate costs.

Living bacteria a half-mile deep in the Arctic ice

"Teeming" living bacteria were found a half-mile deep in the Arctic ice. The WISSARD team drilled down to 5-foot-deep, 23-square mile Lake Whillans and pulled up samples which had bacteria living in them.

Project site
http://www.wissard.org

Good video and article
http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/2014/09/06/2014-09-06-2/

Scientists Find Life in the Cold and Dark Under Antarctic Ice

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/science/living-bacteria-found-deep-under-antarctic-ice-scientists-say.html?_r=0

Water on Europa

Evidence shows the possibility of pockets of water the size of the Great Lakes inside the icy shell of Europa, one of Jupiter's many moons. With water comes a potential habitat for life, but no life has been found yet.

Great animation
http://www.utexas.edu/know/2011/11/16/europa_great_lake/

Great lakes algae blooms causing havoc with water supply

Great lakes algae blooms are causing havoc with water supply in surrounding states. Most algae blooms are not toxic, but some algae secrete toxins are are therefore classified as "HABs" i.e. harmful algae blooms. The U of Michigan article below explains

"The most dominant blue-green algae in the Great Lakes is Microcystis which can produce Microcystin, a liver toxin and skin irritant."

This site gives a good explanation. It explains that toxic algae blooms occur both naturally and also due to a variety of factors including excessive fertilizer runoff and invasive species.

Harmful algae blooms in the Great Lakes
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/explore/coastal-communities/harmful-algal-blooms-in-the-great-lakes/

A branch of NOAA called the Great Lakes environmental research Laboratory is working on the problem and surrounding states have passed legislation.
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/waterQuality/

Nicaraguan canal moving forward, built by Korean firm and much longer than Panama canal

Nicaraguan canal moving forward

The new Nicaraguan canal would be built by Korean firm and much longer than Panama canal. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Americas and the canal would bring a huge increase in jobs.

Nicaragua canal plans - Al Jazeera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEMxvQnTgjY
|
Interviews with Nicaraguans scroll about halfway down
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2523188/Chinese-waterway-Nicaragua-thatll-longer-Panama-Canal.html

How Mexico's change in party leadership increased drug cartel violence

How Mexico's 2000 "revolution" indirectly led to drug cartel violence

Mexico was governed by one party the PRI for 71 years until they lost an election in 2000 to Vicente Fox. During those 71 years individual drug cartels had established strong territories protected by close relationships to regional police departments all over Mexico so that there was relative peace. Everyone knew which cartel had which territory and the police backed them up. Then when the PRI lost, a whole new set of police leaders came into power and the old ties between police and drug cartels were cut, leading to a free-for-all among cartels to establish territories, which continues today.


Midnight in Mexico
by Alfredo Corchado
http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Mexico-Reporters-Countrys-Darkness/dp/159420439X

US-Mexico border

Here's a video showing how US Border Patrol agents patrol the Rio Grande, the river which makes up 1,255 miles of the 1,969-mile US - Mexico border, the most frequently-crossed border in the world. When I show it to my face-to-face classes and ask "who would want to do that job?" hands usually shoot up.

US-Mexico border security has vastly increased recently with doubled manpower manpower, ATV patrols, drones (probably the least effective new tool), and helicopters. Just a decade ago crossing illegally over the US-Mexico border via the Rio Grande was pretty easy; now it is much harder.

CBP Video: Patrols of the Rio Grande River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylqyCmn_DR0

In the news recently has been a huge surge in the numbers young children from Central America reaching the US-Mexico border alone, sent by their parents who believe they will receive asylum. However, most are detained and often end up staying in temporary housing centers for months, waiting to be transported back to their home countries.

This page has two videos: one shows how easy it is to find a human smuggler known as a "coyote" while the other shows a Mexican town with an economy that revolves around illegal immgration.
http://www.kpho.com/story/25793017/children-face-particular-dangers-crossing-border

Border Trends
It is amazing to think that the US Border Patrol apprehended over 400,000 undocumented people in 2013, even though it is down from over 1.5 million in 2000. 

The percentage of non-Mexicans apprehended shot up 50% from 2012-13, mostly Central Americans specifically from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras the "Northern Triangle" of Central America which is being torn up by drug trafficking originating in South America. Also, the number of Border Patrol agents has leveled off after a big buildup which doubled the number of agents between 2005-2011.

What new border patrol statistics reveal about changing migration to the United States
by Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)
http://www.wola.org/commentary/what_new_border_patrol_statistics_tell_us_about_changing_migration_from_latin_america

Videos on Islam

Ramadan in the UK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8qlCEASwL4

Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUkyOjl4YJ4

Jersualem's Muslim Quarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Kj5xl8A_8

The fate of the US Midwest?

The fate of the US Midwest?

The fate of the US Midwest is a major topic of debate today. In the last 50 years, millions of people have moved out of the Midwest as farming became more mechanized and fewer people were needed. This "brain drain" of emigrants has often left behind elderly people. Today there are many Midwestern towns where populations are so low the town has nearly disappeared.

There is actually a school of thought that believes the US should create a "Buffalo Commons" (Frank Popper 1987) by allowing the Continental Interior to return to its natural state, like a giant park or reserve. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Commons

But the Buffalo Commons idea is highly unlikely. In fact, one famous Geographer Joel Kotkin believes the Midwest will make a strong comeback because it offers a lot of space and lower housing prices that are attracting immigrants, and has the core of former farm towns that can be re-purposed into towns of businesses including high tech companies because Internet companies can really be anywhere. He says these revitalized towns will form a network across the midwest. He is talking about towns like Sioux Falls, Idaho, Fargo, North Dakota, and Oklahoma City. He sees these revitalizing cities as like an archipelago, a constellation of "islands" in the vast sea of the Great Plains which in the future will be connected by highways and telecommunications.

Kotkin also looks at the Midwest as a "zone of sanity" -- in a world of unaffordable housing and urban poverty, he sees immigrants and lower-income folks moving to the Midwest where they can find affordable housing, good schools, good business climate.

Midwest: Coming back?
http://www.joelkotkin.com/content/00365-midwest-coming-back

Midwest: A zone of sanity
http://www.csgmidwest.org/policyresearch/Kotkin-AM-Meeting.aspx

I live in Northern Virginia and am looking for any opportunity to get out... and actually was looking at Boise, Idaho which seems to be a good midsize city with lots of outdoor activities nearby.

Notes on the Americas

Notes on the Americas

President Ronald Reagan said after a trip to Latin America "Well, I learned a lot....I went down to find out and learn their views. You'd be surprised. They're all individual countries."

While probably not the ideal choice of words, his basic point was true - Latin America is much more diverse than many people realize. Some countries are mostly Amerindians, others mostly Black African, others more European and white than many European countries, some with thousands of Hindus and above all millions of mestizos i.e. mixed race people of all types. You may be surprised at the ethnic and cultural diversity of Latin America.

The 21st century is already seeing a dynamic rise of Latin America. The World Cup was played in Brazil this summer. As a whole, Latin American is emerging from long eras of historical chaos, civil wars and strife to become new countries and economies.

Socialism in Latin America
In Latin America the "Socialism" movement has a special meaning: it is a movement in based in the goal of reversing Latin America's historical inequality and elitism and empowering the common people, including millions of Amerindians who have been disenfranchised for centuries.

This elitism is now starting to crumble (slowly) in favor of more democratic and socialist governments who claim they want to give power to the people. There are at least six openly Socialist leaders today in Latin America; many regard Che Guevara, Cuban Revolutionary, and Simon Bolivar, hero of the independence movement, as their heroes and model. These leaders are by no means all the same: Evo Morales is Boliva's first Amerindian president and has an 8th grade education. Meanwhile, Rafael Correa of Ecuador is also Socialist but has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Ilinois. Hugo Chavez, now deceased, turned Venezuela into a Socialist country and left it in turmoil.

Dynamic US and Canada
The US and Canada are trying to find their way and their role as global leaders in a fast-changing world. In just a few decades, the US has become the world's only superpower and the world's top economies transitioned from industrial base (making cars, steel) to a high-tech base (making software and computer chips). Many North American cities were devastated by the loss of industrial jobs, like Detroit and Cleveland. Other regions, like Silicon Valley (near Stanford U and San Francisco), Austin, TX, Northern Virginia and other "Technopoles" or "Nerdistans" have hit the jackpot.

North America is also in the midst of the world's largest fracking boom--new techniques of extracting oil and natural gas. Believe it or not, the US is now the world's leader in producing oil and natural gas due to fracking, higher than Saudi Arabia and Russia. In the longer term, the US would like to move to cleaner forms of renewable energy, but this is taking time.

Many older North American industrial regions are re-inventing themselves in a post-industrial age. Abandoned Midwestern farms towns like Fargo and Sioux Falls are now attracting software companies and some of the young people who historically have moved away are coming back home for jobs. The southern Sun Belt like Phoenix and Houston is exploding with cheap suburban housing. Meanwhile downtown urban areas like New York City, Boston, and DC are gentrifying (turning slums into high-end neighborhoods) to attract younger adults. Some say the "millenials" today are looking for more urban places to live than the suburbs they grew up in.

The US has the most mobile population in the world, with many new "megaregions" growing around places like Las Vegas, Denver, the Gulf Coast, and Houston-Dallas-Austin. In the US, regions decline, change, and grow quickly as industries and jobs come and go.

The Americas as a whole will play a key role for the US due to its proximity and location in the Western Hemisphere. Strong trade agreements like the US treaties NAFTA and CAFTA and the South American economic alliance MERCOSUR are evidence of the massive trade that goes on within the Americas.

Socialism in Latin America
In Latin America the "Socialism" movement has a special meaning: it is a movement in based in the goal of reversing Latin America's historical inequality and elitism and empowering the common people, including millions of Amerindians who have been disenfranchised for centuries.

This elitism is now starting to crumble (slowly) in favor of more democratic and socialist governments who claim they want to give power to the people. There are at least six openly Socialist leaders today in Latin America; many regard Che Guevara, Cuban Revolutionary, and Simon Bolivar, hero of the independence movement, as their heroes and model. These leaders are by no means all the same: Evo Morales is Boliva's first Amerindian president and has an 8th grade education. Meanwhile, Rafael Correa of Ecuador is also Socialist but has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Ilinois. Hugo Chavez, now deceased, turned Venezuela into a Socialist country and left it in turmoil.

Dynamic US and Canada
The US and Canada are trying to find their way and their role as global leaders in a fast-changing world. In just a few decades, the US has become the world's only superpower and the world's top economies transitioned from industrial base (making cars, steel) to a high-tech base (making software and computer chips). Many North American cities were devastated by the loss of industrial jobs, like Detroit and Cleveland. Other regions, like Silicon Valley (near Stanford U and San Francisco), Austin, TX, Northern Virginia and other "Technopoles" or "Nerdistans" have hit the jackpot.

North America is also in the midst of the world's largest fracking boom--new techniques of extracting oil and natural gas. Believe it or not, the US is now the world's leader in producing oil and natural gas due to fracking, higher than Saudi Arabia and Russia. In the longer term, the US would like to move to cleaner forms of renewable energy, but this is taking time.

Many older North American industrial regions are re-inventing themselves in a post-industrial age. Abandoned Midwestern farms towns like Fargo and Sioux Falls are now attracting software companies and some of the young people who historically have moved away are coming back home for jobs. The southern Sun Belt like Phoenix and Houston is exploding with cheap suburban housing. Meanwhile downtown urban areas like New York City, Boston, and DC are gentrifying (turning slums into high-end neighborhoods) to attract younger adults. Some say the "millenials" today are looking for more urban places to live than the suburbs they grew up in.

The US has the most mobile population in the world, with many new "megaregions" growing around places like Las Vegas, Denver, the Gulf Coast, and Houston-Dallas-Austin. In the US, regions decline, change, and grow quickly as industries and jobs come and go.

The Americas as a whole will play a key role for the US due to its proximity and location in the Western Hemisphere. Strong trade agreements like the US treaties NAFTA and CAFTA and the South American economic alliance MERCOSUR are evidence of the massive trade that goes on within the Americas.

Good analysis of one-child policy issues and changes in China

China recently relaxed its One-Child Policy so that if a parent is an only child they can have two children.

The article explains how establishing that a parent is an only child has proved easier said than done.

Also the video in the same page gives a good analysis of why China, after decades of shrinking, needs more young people to support the older generation in the future.

China Struggles to Implement Relaxed Policy on Family Size
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304732804579422500427133302

Foreign fighters in Ukraine war

The war in Ukraine is attracting foreign fighters from a wide gamut of nationalities fighting for both sides.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28951324

Great map of US military in the Sahara region

Great map of US military in the Sahara region. The US made a deal with Niger to establish drone bases only recently, in 2013. The first base in Niger was finished in 2013 and the second is opening as we speak in Agadez.

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world so a deal with the US brings great benefits both in terms of income and also security and stability. Like its Saharan neighbors, Niger has the difficult spatial problem of protecting immense stretches of land, largely desert and semi-desert, from Islamic militants including AQIM (Al-Quaeda in the Mahgreb) who are largely composed of native tribes of the Sahara like the Tuareg. Niger has very few people relative to its vast size and a minimal government. In short, it needs all the assistance it can get.

Military footprints in the Sahara - Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/military-footprints-in-the-sahara/2014/09/01/2ffa5d2c-321b-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_graphic.html?hpid=z2