The Vargas Landslide 1999 - what happened?

This video will tell you all about this event in 1999:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Vr2Nh3oA8

What happened in Tiananmen Square in 1989?

You can find an outlin of the Tainanmen Square protests of 1989 here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989

Here is one news report of the events:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyj-3S_ulvI&feature=related

Here is some footage of the famous “Tank Man”, who single-handedly stopped a column of tanks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-nXT8lSnPQ

Chilean volcano erupts - May 2008 - How will local people cope?

A volcano known as Chaiten has erupted in Chile, having been dormant for 9000 years. Local people have been evacuated, but will they be able to return:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7386050.stm

The eruption is part of ongoing activity along the Andes of South America, there is more information about this volcanic event here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chait%C3%A9n_%28volcano%29

See NASA’s satellite photos of the event here:

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14815

You can see some footage of the eruption and how it has affected people here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqdKZuTKZMo

 

How is China’s influence spreading around the world?

There are many examples of China’s growing economic influence around the world, including islands in the South Pacific:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7380375.stm

Cyclone Nargis hits Burma - May 2008 - how will they recover?

Cyclone Nargis hit the closed state of Burma on Friday the 2nd of May 2008. Initial reports suggest that the dfamage has been severe:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7384858.stm

There is more detail on the growth of the storm here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Nargis

There is argument over whether the authorities could have given a better warning to it’s people:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7386695.stm

Given that Burma’s militarty government has closed itself off to the West and usually spends much of its effort oppressing its people, the ability of the government to help its people is under question:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7384552.stm

Will international aid agencies be able to work as effectively as possible under the Burmese regime?

What sort of aid was organised to provide relief?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7385148.stm

The loss of mangrove forests has again been highlighted as a factor increasing the vulnerability to flooding of coastal areas in tropical regions:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7385315.stm

 

What’s your water footprint?

Many of us don’t realise how much water is required to produce the food and other goods that we take for granted. For example it takes 140 litres of water to make one cup of coffee and and 16,000 litres to make 1kg of beef. Find out more about your water footprint here:

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/home

What’s your traveller IQ?

Try your hand at spotting places around the world:

http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq

Why is there a food price crisis?

There are growing concerns that poorer people around the world may suffer as the price of foodstuffs continues to rise. As the world’s population continues to climb, the increasing number of mouths to feed is catching up with our ability to produce food. Some previously productive land has been over-farmed and is less productive or barren now. Poor harvests are more frequent due to the growing  unpredictability of the world’s weather, possibly made worse by man-made climate change. Demand to use land for producing non-food crops for fuel is also having an effect. Whilst some commentators think that increased efficiency and more productive farming techniques in the less economically developed world will solve the problem, others predict that the problem will only get worse until the global human population is reduced.

You can investigate the issues further here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/world/2008/costoffood/default.stm

How can the food price crisis be solved?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7365798.stm

The UN has set up a task force to deal with the problem:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7372393.stm

Are our seas at risk?

They are according to a European pressure group called Seas At Risk. Visit their website to explore some of the issues that they judge to be facing our seas and coastlines:

http://www.seas-at-risk.org/

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is also worried about the state of our seas and coasts:

http://www.mcsuk.org/

The MCS holds an annual “beach watch” litter survey to explore whether our beaches are getting better or worse. You can find out about it and see the results here:

http://www.mcsuk.org/

What’s happening in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe is a country in turmoil. Once a British colony known as Southern Rhodesia, it’s last white government declared Independence (UDI) from the UK, rather than allow a transition to a representative democracy. The UDI sparked a period of civil war, from which energed the new nation of Zimbabwe, led by Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe was a prosperous country, with plentiful resources. Over the years, Mugabe centralised power and became more dictatorial, favouring particular individuals and tribes. Today Zimbabwe is ravaged by hyperinflation, political violence and poverty. White-owned farms have been confiscated and redistributed, often leading to decreasing yields. Combined with years of poor harvest through drought, death now stalks Zimbabwe in the form of hunger and rampant HIV. Those who stand up to the regime risk imprisonment, torture and murder at the hands of the government.

But there is still hope. In the latest election the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) looked to have won a majority. Robert Mugabe has refused to hand over power and may be trying to rig the recounts in contested seats. Meanwhile international pressure is being brought to bear on Mugabe to step down. A ship carrying arms and ammunition from China, bound for Zimbabwe is neing turned away from coastal ports. Activists fear that Mugabe is readying himself for a fight for power. The country stands on the brink of civil war. Neighbouring South Africa, which holds that balance of power in the region, favours a “quiet diplomacy” approach, but other nations think that a much stronger line needs to be taken.

Meanwhile the people of Zimbabwe struggle to survive. Obout one quarter of the population have fled the country. The remainder face life in a country where the average life expectancy has dropped to 37 year for men and 34 for women, the lowest in the world.

You can find out more about Zimbabwe in general here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe

An overview of the recent election can be found here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/africa/2008/zimbabwe/default.stm

International pressure may be forcing the shipment of arms to be returned to China:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7360438.stm

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) website is here:

http://www.mdc.co.zw/default.asp

The Zimbabwe government’s opinion can be found here (but it takes a long time to download):

http://www.gta.gov.zw/

Amnesty International’s independent view on Human Rights in Zimbabwe can be found here:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/africa/southern-africa/zimbabwe

Study these resources and others to develop your own opinion on the situation in Zimbabwe.