A Beautiful Week Yet Again

Thomas Berry

March 31, 2010

International Relations

Professor Sean

Afghanistan

Created in 1747 through the unification of the Pashtun tribes by Ahmad Shah Durrani, Afghanistan has had a colored past. In 1919, the country gained independence from Britain and tried to start a democracy that ultimately lead to a coup in 1973 and 5 years later lead to a Communist counter-coup. In 1979 the USSR entered the country to aid the Afghan Communist regime that began a ten yearlong destructive war. Because of fierce international pressure, the USSR withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989. Between 1989 and 1996, Afghanistan went through numerous civil wars that ultimately ended up with the Taliban gaining control. Following September 11, 2001, a US, allied and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military force overthrew the Taliban. Following the Bonn Conference, in 2004 Afghanistan held a presidential election and the following year held national assembly elections. In 2009, president Hamid Karzai won re-election, but despite hard efforts on his part and that of the new Afghan government, Taliban resurgences have continued to make the country unstable.

Afghanistan is in the continent of Asia and the area known as the Middle East. It has a total land area of 652,230 sq km and it the 41^st largest country. In relative size, it is slightly smaller than Texas. It borders six other countries including, China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It has an arid to semiarid climate with cold winters and hot summers. The terrain is mostly rugged mountains with plains in both the southwest and north. It has the highest point of just less than 7,500 m. Afghanistan has many natural resources ranging from natural gas and petroleum to precious stones, coal, copper, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore and salt. Out of all the land in Afghanistan only 12.13% is arable land and only .21% has permanent crops. Only 27,200 sq km of land is irrigated and has limited sources of adequate fresh water. Earthquakes, flooding and droughts also occur in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s population is roughly 28,395,716 with a life expectancy of 44.4 years. Men slightly out numbered the women and the median age in the country is 17. Only 28.1% of the population is literate. The main ethnic groups are Pashtun with 42% of the population, Tajik with 27%, Hazara with 9%, Uzbek with 9%, Aimak with 4%, Turkmen with 3%, Baloch with 2% and other being 4%. The main religion is Sunni Muslim with 80% followed by Shia Muslim with 19% and 1% being other. The official languages are Dari and Pashto but many other languages and dialects are spoken.

Some of the main international problems facing Afghanistan are the number of refugees. Due to both instability and drought nearly 133,000 people are displaced. Another huge problem is the illegal drug trade with opium, which is used to make heroin. Afghanistan is the largest producer of opium in the world due to the climate they have that is perfect for growing opium. Overall, Afghanistan is very diverse in many aspects from ethnic groups to natural resources to terrain and thus must be studied closely in order to properly simulate the country.

Nothing happens to anyone that he is not fitted by nature to bear - Gladiator

A new study done by funded by NASA, shows that the rainforest may be more resilient than previously thought. Prior knowledge and thought was that climate change would make rainfall in the amazon less, killing of many plant and therefore animal species and allowing for tropical grasses to take over. But this new study by Boston University researchers, shows that the worst drought in written history in the Amazon, the drought of 2005 that caused rivers and lakes to drive up and towns to move out, had to concrete damage to the vegetation. This report rebukes the WWF's claim that global warming would cause 40% of the Amazon to be lost. Overall, this new data shows vaguely that global warming might possibly not change the rainforest, it does not mean that climate change will have no effect, it will and we must continue to help our rainforest thrive.

The United States this weekend declared that it wants to list polar bears as endangered. The US states that with increase in global warming and melting polar ice, the bears need all the protection they can get so as to keep their numbers from going to helpless numbers. As of right now, polar bears are allowed to be hunting and the trade for these bears goes throughout the world, the US believes that this has to be stop so that the bears can have a fighting chance in the future. This proposal will be brought up in the 12-day Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species(CITES). 175 countries will discuss the fate of the future of earth's biodiversity, also up for talk is the ban on fishing for bluefin tuna.

Coming soon to the London skyline will be the first building to incorporate wind turbines into it's fabric. The building, nicknamed "the Razor" will have three wind turbines built into it that will account for 8% of it's energy needs. The London government has stated that all new buildings by 2019 must be zero-carbon, and this apartment complex is the first step it this goal. This building also does not have air-condition, instead it uses a natural ventilation system.

Well have a good one guys and remember, never let the fear of striking out stop you from playing the game - BR

-Thomas

A Beautiful Week

The same team that produced the Academy award winning documentary The Cove, is at work again. At a popular sushi restaurant in Santa Monica, one thing on the menu is whale meat. It is illegal to sell and trade whale meat of any kind. The crew took clandestine photos of the operation and went to the restaurant and order the whale meat. The waitress came back with a plate of "thick pink slices" of what the waitress said was whale meat. The crew took a few bites fore putting the rest in a bag and sending it off to be tested. Their suspicions proved true and the results were that the meat came from an endangered sei whale. The restaurant can now face prison time and up to a $20,000 fine that is due this week. The documentary The Cove unveils Japan's dolphin slaughter where the fisherman confuse the dolphins and then kill them by beating them with clubs or stabbing them with harpoons.

China and India today both agreed to be "listed" as parties on the last-minute Copenhagen accords, of which the US strongly back. these accords were put together last-minute when no deal was reached. India and China being "listed" falls just shorts of being in "full association" but is better then not being in connection with the accords at all. There is still much debate over a legally binding treaty on cutting carbon emissions and the newest release shows that another meeting will not occur till late 2012. There is still much controversy and debate on the whole issue foreign and abroad, but hope may come when we least expect it.

By 2011, washing machines might no longer be all "Wash". A UK company, Xeros, has developed a washing machine that uses 90% less water than traditional machines. This new washing machine uses only enough water to get the clothes wet and then fills the chamber with nylon-beads, that at the right humidity absorbs stains and clean the clothes. These beads can reused hundreds of time. The annual household bill would be cut by 30% when water, electricity and detergent are taken into consideration AND if all people in the UK were to switch to these washers, it would be the equivalent of taking 1.4 million cars off the road in terms of carbon footprint!

Well have a good week guys and always think positive!!!

Your Heart Is Free, Have The Courage To Follow It

This Saturday showed once again the destructive force of nature with an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hitting central Chile. Not just does this earthquake effect Chile, the quake has cause Tsunami waves out through the Pacific, causing for the evacuation of many islands in the danger zone of the potential wave. An estimated 200 million people were effects by the quake and as on Saturday had a death toll of over 300 people. Over a half-million homes were destroy or extremely damaged. This quake follows the occurrence of the horrific quake that struck Haiti.

Up for proposal this year in the UK is what species to reintroduce to the Highlands. On the board currently are wolves, bear, lynx, beaver, elk, the common crane and many more. The reintroduction of these species ecologists say will help the ecology of the area and also add as a tourist attraction and icon to the area. many of these species have gone extinct from the UK many hundreds of years ago due to deforestation and hunting. A reintroduction program into one of the UK's largest parks would allow for these species that once thrived to repopulate the area and improve the ecosystem while bringing in money from tourism and being a new global icon. The proposal is still in writing and will be brought up at the end of the year for approval.

In the year of the tiger, the first Siberian Tiger found in China in 20 years was found. A 9-month old tiger was found and captured and then died two days later. Though the tiger died, this is very good news for the tiger that they are breeding in the wild. recent reports estimate only 20 wild tigers left, so wild breeding is a big positive sign for the species. The Chinese government, world bank and conservation groups around the world plan on making this year the biggest year for saving the tiger. With this great news of the finding, the tiger shows that there is still hope for the future of this magnificent animal.