The Seventh Night

In his final night, Balram explains that after commiting the murder, he decided to travel by train in order to reach Bangalore with his nephew, Dharam. He gets away with a police poster with his image by telling a man that most of the men in India look like the person in the image and  lives in fear for the first four weeks in Bangalore. Overcoming his anxiety, he bribes a police to get rid of other taxi service companies and establishes his own company, White Tiger Drivers. He celebrates his success through various means and claims that “White men will be finished within [his] lifetime,” and “yellow men and brown men [will] rule the whole world.” (305) Apologizing to the family who lost its son by Balram’s driver when the victim was riding his bicycle, Balram gave 25000 rupees to the family and a job for the surviving son. Lastly, he states that  “[He’ll] never say [he] made a mistake that night in Delhi when [he] slit [his] master’s throat.“ (320)

The book reflects the negative aspects of India: corruption, murder, unacceptable conditions of work and stagnation. As Balram tries to warn all the faults of the nation to the Premier, it gives a horrible impression on India. Despite all the pessimistic facets of the country, the positive and optimistic features ,such as the preservation of cultures and traditions and hospitality of people, cover the defects. Balram underwent great hardship and experienced extreme cases; nevertheless, he stays confident and employs his past experiences to become a successful entrepreneur. In addition, his reference to the fact that yellow and brown people will dominate the world is true as Chinese and Indian economy is drastically improving. With development in multitude fields, globalization will aid the country to thrive. 

The Sixth Night

In Delhi, Balram decides to cheat on Mr. Ashok by getting extra cash by using the several techniques to steal money. With the money, he went to meet a blonde prostitute in Vitiligo-Lips; however, realizing that she was not blonde, Balram slapped her and was ejected from the hotel. Angrily, he encounters Mr. Ashok dissatisfied with his life and is forced to have dinner with his boss. As Balram observes all the actions that take place and the more he thinks about his life, he becomes more miserable and struggles to stay focused in his life. Hence, he takes action. One day, he takes Mr. Ashok to the banks as he gets money and fills it in his red bag. Pretending that the wheel broke down, he grabs a glass bottle and “[rammed] it three times into the crown of his skull.” (284) He did it to “[get his] revenge in advance.” (285) After hiding the body in the bushes, he picks up Dharam, his nephew, and leaves.

Balram was confident and knew what was the right thing to do in order to gain his freedom and his desired fulfillments. He knows that getting rid of Mr. Ashoka was a desperate need and taking Dharam with him was necessary to achieve happiness for himself. His determination to commit crimes in such risky situations show his extreme wants of independence and wealth. Such unpleasant incidents and corrupt actions depict the life of a nation that he is living in; however, the defects aren’t all that it contains. It comprises of pleasant and acceptable traits that people admire. 

The Fifth Night and Sixth Morning

In the fifth chapter, Balram compares the Rooster coop to the situation that the servants are in. In the Rooster coop, chickens dont try to escape, although they know that they are in terrible condition; And “the very same thing is done with human beings in [the] country.” (174)

Balram was nervous and anxious about going to jail. Fortunately, nobody reported the accident and he did not have to go to prison. Guilty about the incident, Pinky Madam was the one who informed him with the news. Then, she decides to leave the place and when Mr. Ashok finds out that his wife left, he blames Balram. Even though he considers the opportunity to be intimate with his master, not because of his concern but for his own sake of money, the feeling disappears as soon as the Mongoose arrives. He then suddenly stops writing the letter due to an “emergency.” In the sixth morning, he explains that there has been an accident and the victim has been killed. Looking at the Murder Weekly with other drivers, he talks about his wish. Then, he finds Mr.Ashoka with Ms. Uma, who was Mr. Ashoka’s old lover. Later that evening, Mr.Ashok goes to get a blonde prostitue from Ukraine. As Balram drives back home, he finds a strand of hair and keeps it with him.

The comparison of the Rooster coop to the servants is precisely done: both contain a myriad of victims who know that they will have unpleasant outcomes, but who do not dare to betray or leave. These chapters show how the servants are subservient to their masters and they are expected to respect as well as laud them no matter what. The “human beings” (174) ought to be freed or at least granted with fundamental rights and necessities that they require. Although the servants feel worried about their masters, they are not recognized and the disrespect towards servants create rage or schemes that they make for revenge. 

The Fourth Morning and Night

In the fourth morning, Balram goes on to explain that democracy in India is the reason why he got his birth and remembers the time he got to vote at the legal age, 18. Also recounts how a Great Socialist visited the company and he eavesdropped the Stork and his sons talking about the Great Socialist. As he was working as the secondary driver, he got to disclose a big secret about the primary driver, Ram Persad. Balram figured out that Ram Persad was a Muslim and he decided to threaten him with it. Anxious and conscious, Ram Persad leaves the place and Balram gets promoted to the primary position. He then drives Mr. Ashok, the Mongoose and Pinky Madam to Delhi. In the next chapter, Balram is used to the customs and atmosphere of Delhi. One night, he drives with Mr. Ashok and Pinky Madam who are drunk. Then, Pinky Madam stubbbornly gets the handle and starts driving the car. Unfortunately, she hits a boy riding his bicycle and kills him. After removing all the traces and driving back home, Balram is obliged to sign a paper that says he is guilty for the death.

The votes received are all by the darkness of the government; this clearly shows the corruption that is present in India. Also it exhibits the cruel treatment that the servants in India are receiving. As explained in the book, “ drivers who are there behind bars because they are taking the blame for their good, solid middle-class masters” (169) struggle. No Basic rights or any authority to live independently and properly. We can relate to real-life servants or drivers who are not granted with basic necessities or any freedom. This chapter depicts the negative aspect of India’s government despite being called the world’s largest democracy. 

The First and Second Night

In the first night, Balram writes to Wen Jiabao, the Premier, who wants to visit Bangalore in search of entrepreneurship culture. Balram writes in order to give some background of India, and he conveys his own experiences that led to success. Explaining how he got the nickname “The White Tiger”, he describes his life how he worked for Mr. Ashok and how he is “half-baked” because he was not educated properly and did not go to a proper school. It delves more into his struggles in his childhood. In the second night, admitting his murder of Mr. Ashok by saying that  “[he is] not just any murderer, but one who killed his own employer,” (45) Balram goes on to how his life as a servant was terrible. First working in a tea shop, he eavesdrops customers that drivers make high salary. He eventually learns how to drive and gets hired as the secondary driver by the Stork. There he meets Mr. Ashok and he elaborates on the difficulties he faced.

Balram’s thorough description of his life and the way Balram vividly reflects into his past show how memorable his experiences were and how essential it is to him. Also he conveys his feelings expressively on how much he hated to be treated badly by his boss. It depicts the harsh conditions he had to face and undergo as a servant. These hardships and cruel situations condemn the current conditions and status of the country. Living in India, I have seen many people working in tea shops and earning an extremely low wage and drivers who hate to be looked down by others. 

What in the World (22/4)

Questions:
1) http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/22/world/asia/south-korea-ship-sinking/index.html?hpt=wo_c1
- Who got arrested from the survivors of the sunken ferry and why weren't most of the people able to be rescued?

2) http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/20/world/asia/pakistan-unicef-staff-missing/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
- Who went missing in Pakistan?

3) http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/21/world/asia/nepal-everest-avalanche/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
- Why are expeditions for Mount Everest getting cancelled and which deadly accident occurred recently?

Article:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/21/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nigerian-parents-say-234-schoolgirls-kidnapped-by-extremists/

- Last week on Monday, heavily armed militants went to a girls dormitory in the middle of the night and kidnapped 230 of them. Currently 190 are still missing and no one knows where they are. More surprisingly, the people are not worried, concerned or shocked by this news. Unlike Barack Obama who visited Boston after the bombings and three met their demise, the Nigerian president did not appear or visit any of the regions. The Boko Haram have caused numerous disastrous attacks and violence on the country; nevertheless, even the military is not taking action and they are not preventing these incidents. Luckily, 28 students escaped the the scene and 16 were day scholars, who returned home before the attack. The fate of the 190 kids that have been kidnapped is uncertain.

What in the world (15/4)

Articles:

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/10/world/un-world-murder-rates/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
• http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/10/uk-latam-crime-idUKBREA390IK20140410

Honduras has world's highest murder rate. 
There are 90.4 homicides per 100,000 people in Honduras. Homicide rates in Honduras have been five to eight times higher than in Europe or Asia since mid 1950's.  This phenomenon was said to be " the legacy of decades of political and crime-related violence." The weapons that they use to commit crimes are mostly firearms and sharp objects. Nearly 40 percent of the 437,000 murders that happened in 2013 took place in the Americas, mostly in Central and South America. With a long history of gang violence, drug issues and public discrimination, stricter laws are being enforced and introduced to the countries, especially Honduras.

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/13/world/americas/chile-wildfire-homes-destroyed/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
• http://www.50report.com/2014/04/14/12-dead-in-chile-wildfire-2000-homes-consumed/#

Chinese wildfire leaves 12 people killed, 2000 homes destroyed. 
After the fire consumed about 2000 homes, 8000 people have been left homeless. More than 1200 fire-fighters worked to get rid of the fire and many say that it was one of the worst fires in history. People that live in the area where the fire occurred are fleeing and seeking for a home to stay. 17 aircraft and additional police were called for help. However, the fire is still igniting and the officials are doing their best to put out the fire.

5 Articles on the conference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_advertising
- Wikipedia defines tobacco advertising as "the advertising of tobacco products or use of by the tobacco industry through a variety of media including sponsorship." It gives a little history and background of tobacco advertising all around the world and the campaigns that were held in the US and Europe. One of the targets that the tobacco industry aimed to were the youth. It also lists out the countries that have banned the advertising of tobacco and those that haven't. Zimbabwe, Philippines, Indonesia, etc. are countries that have banned the advertisements and the countries that have outlawed the advertisement are most countries in Europe, South Africa etc.

http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/tobacco-advertising
- Tobacco advertising is referred to as the promotion of tobacco products in the media and at retail outlets. In the UK, the Tobacco advertising and Promotion Act 2002 banned the direct as well as indirect advertising or promotion of any tobacco products. As a controversial topic, some believe tobacco advertising encourages all group age and every people to smoke while others believe it only affects the brand decisions of existing smokers and informed adults. It is shown that most of the regular smokers started smoking regularly before they were 16.

http://www.oxygen.org.au/hardfacts/tobacco-and-the-law/tobacco-advertising
- In Australia, Tobacco advertising was banned on TV and radio since 1976 and newspapers and magazines since 1992. In some states, only advertising of cigarettes in the cash register is banned while in other states, cigarettes are not even allowed to be displayed at the register. Tobacco companies no longer sponsor sports or arts and they might be fined for false or misleading statements on health effects. For instance, on the cigarette box, it might be labelled "light and mild."

http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/facts-figures/tobacco-industry-marketing.html
- In the US, Tobacco products are one the most heavily marketed consumer product and in 2006, the five largest cigarette manufacturing companies used over $ 12 billion to promote and advertise their products. This site answers how the advertising of tobacco products affect the youth, who their main target is, if women are being influenced as well and which states have enforced laws to restrict such acts.

http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/main.php
- This site gives many images and advertisements of tobacco products that were made in the past. Each picture/advertisement is given with an explanation of when, where it was made and the purpose as well as the target of each advertisement. For instance, the picture below was advertised in the year 1946. The brand "Camel" is promoting their cigarettes by reassuring the worried public by incorporating physicians in their image. As there are many more of the ads, it also gives a brief explanation of how the tobacco industry convinces the citizens to buy their product.

(http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/images.php?token2=fm_st001.php&token1=fm_img0002.php&theme_file=fm_mt001.php&theme_name=Doctors%20Smoking&subtheme_name=More%20Doctors%20Smoke%20Camels)

Conference - Government official

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_advertising
http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/tobacco-advertising
http://www.oxygen.org.au/hardfacts/tobacco-and-the-law/tobacco-advertising
http://www.ash.org.uk/current-policy-issues/advertising-and-promotion
http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/facts-figures/tobacco-industry-marketing.html
http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/main.php

Government official

Topic: Firstly, we will be introducing what tobacco advertising is and some background/history of it. Then the controversies of tobacco advertising will be brought up and we will show the information on which countries have banned tobacco advertisements and which countries currently are still promoting it. Also, the statistics on the percentage change in the number of people smoking and how many tobacco products hhave been sold will be mentioned. The Tobacco marketing industry have grown for the past decades and there have been numerous debates on it whether advertising tobacco products affect the youth, what the main target is towards and if the government is taking action and enforcing laws on the advertising and promotion.

3 Interviews on the case study

My father (Byung Don Jung) -
Translate Korean to English : " When I went to Mexico for the first time, I struggled to speak english and spanish. Luckily my Korean work buddies were with me ,so they could translate what I said. However, I was called 'Chinese' and 'chinky' many times. First I was very mad and I even thought of going back to Korea just because I was having a hard time. But later i realized racism is everywhere. Even in Korea, we look down on certain people from different countries. To overcome such struggles in life and trying to change people's perception of prejudice or bias minds will bring a better society..."

• My dad has been switching his job many times and we lived abroad for a long time. 5 years in Mexico and 2 years in India. Sometimes I could see how much he wanted to return back to Korea, but he never complained and worked hard, which really inspired me. Although he confronted racism, he took it in and faced the reality knowing that it exists everywhere.  

My sister (Yuna Jung) -
"I hated Mexico and India in the beginning. I went through such a hard time and all the hardships were pain in the a**. But I got used to it and overcame all the problems. Look at me now. I am such a beast."

• My sister and I faced the worst discrimination in Mexico. However, we ignored that and enjoyed the most we could and had a fantastic time in Mexico. 

My friend <who goes to school in Canada> (Kyle Kim) -
Translate Korean to English: " ... I always wished to go abroad since I was in elementary school and when my dad sent me to this school in Canada when I was 15, I don't know how excited I was. But after a semester, after all the english I had to learn and discrimination i faced, I hang out only with Koreans. I've always wished to wear Korean school uniforms for some reason. Racism is everywhere, but you gotta love your school..."

• Many of my friends have lived abroad and he did not know that he would face racism since he lived in Korea before his whole life. He thinks such multicultural countries are racist countries. 

5 Articles on the case study topics

• http://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/may/28/equality.raceintheuk

- This article talks about how multiculturalism could be seen as a factor of racism but does not actually redress inequality. It claims that the real argument whether it causes racism or not depends on how we manage the process of integrating migrants. Integration or blending of cultures works the people accept the newcomers and believe in complete equality, while ignoring inequality and appreciates diversity in a single terrain. However, just by people accepting the newcomers will not cease racism; the newcomers will have to change and adapt to the new environment that they need to inhabit in. Respecting the ethnic minorities and changing our attitude towards them will bring multiculturalism as a positive aspect. In conclusion, what matters is what people do than what people think.

• http://www.quebecoislibre.org/021109-6.htm

- In this article, it talks about multiculturalism as a controversy of whether it is racism in disguise or actually a beneficial factor in improving the culture educational and political terms. Although we have prejudice and bias about different religion, gender, place of birth, race and ethnicity, this will not vanish unless "collectivism is not eliminated." To get rid of racism, we should respect for the rights and prosperity of each and every individual irrespective of skin colour, nationality and favoring a specific group. It gives examples of racism that occur between the asians, black and white people in America. The mixture of these cultures does not seem to be very cooperative since all the crimes and issues occur between each race; however, the news only show the extreme and small part of the country. If it is looked in a wider perspective, many people live in harmony and respect each other. Therefore, saying multiculturalism causes racism is very controversial.   

• http://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/racism-hate-speech-and-multiculturalismhttp://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/racism-hate-speech-and-multiculturalism

- As immigrants come into their new habitat and get their occupation, the percentage of immigrants constitute a higher proportion of people in highly skilled jobs compared to those who are native to the country. Instead of racism, multiculturalism will lead to development and enhancement in the general skills of manufacturing goods and services and improve on their economic and social status. Nevertheless, racism or bias towards a certain race of a group or individual exists no matter what and as more newcomers immigrate, people will comment on their racial background. Stereotypes of a certain culture or tradition of a nation may be offensive to the people and discrimination could lead to huge issues.

• http://www.renthomas.ca/attitudes-and-behaviour/modern-racism-in-the-most-multicultural-city-in-the-world

- Countries that deny they are a racist country are Canada and Australia. Although the multiculturalism act encouraged people to retain their own language and culture while integrating their lives in other countries, prejudice and discrimination continues to be visible. As more people of different race, ethnicity and nationality blend and interact, racism in society becomes more common. White immigrants are tend to be treated better than the black immigrants and Asians are getting mocked and discriminated due to their names. Racism can be seen in workplaces as well. They are excluded from the natives and are blamed for incidents that they have not caused. racism is seen to be worse between children who are are in their adolescence. For instance, kids will be teased for liking Indian food or movies and following a certain tradition. Place like Canada and Australia consist of racism even though it is considered as one of the most multicultural countries.

• http://www.gwb.com.au/gwb/news/watch/racism.htm

- This article argues that we can not be taught about diversity and multiculturalism just by seeing other people from different race, nationality and ethnicity. Judging people and viewing people as evil or handicapped due to their different and distinguished features becomes more common as respect for human identity is vanishing between each other. We need to be taught that the difference between people is not about the racial or species difference. Uneducated people tend to be separatists as they only feel the comfort and safety near their "own" people. Hence, multiculturalism is the "New Racism."

What in the world (March 25th)

Article: 

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/22/world/asia/north-korea-rockets/index.html?hpt=ias_c2
• http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26703821

According to CNN, it is informed by South Korea that North Korea has launched 30 short-ranges missiles into the sea on Saturday. The estimated range of the missiles are 60 KM and North Korea did not give any navigational warning to the ships before launching in the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula. It is the fourth time that North Korea has launched this week. This incident has provoked South Korea and the US, so they have been conducting a military drill since february and North Korea responded by saying the missiles are just defensive reactions to the drills that they are doing. BBC also states that the launching of rokcets is an invasion preparation. South Korea claims that they have been firing Frog rockets, which are "unguided Soviet developed devices" that North Korea had in its armoury since 1960's. US asked UN to take action on the missile projects of North Korea and under UN resolutions, they are required to cease their launching.

Questions: 

1. Why did the first prime minister of Spain die and why is he considered "great"? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/23/world/europe/spain-adolfo-suarez-obit/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2)

2. How many died in Pakistan after an oil truck and two buses crashed? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/22/world/asia/pakistan-deadly-crash/index.html?hpt=ias_c2)

3. What happened to the boat in Uganda and how many died? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/22/world/africa/uganda-boat-capsized/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2)

Integration and multiculturalism

Integration and multiculturalism

• Identify 5 places where multiculturalism is said to be accepted but people are expected to integrate into society.

1. South Korea - It hasn't been long since Korea has accepted multiculturalism. They wanted to preserve their culture and traditions and it was common for those who did not have similar features to be discriminated. However, the concept of multiculturalism has changes and they accepted foreigners as well as other cultural characteristics to blend in their own culture. There are many immigrants and there are also many foreigners who come out in various television broadcasts and  

2. Philippines - In Philippines, multiculturalism is not common, but due to all the invasion that has happened in the past and the historical events made a mixture of various cultures. Philippines have a mixture of many ethinic groups and the government of the country is trying to preserve the way it is to keep their culture and tradition. 

3. Singapore - In Singapore, english is the main language, but it is a multilingual country as well. They speak Mandarin, Tamil, Malay, and these three are the main ethnic communities. When the British conquered the country, there were areas which contained a large population of foreign people like chinatown, geylang, and little india. Although multiculturalism is allowed and present, many are integrated into society already. 

4. UAE - Even though Arabic is the official language of the country, other languages such as english, hindi, malayalam, bengali, and tagalog are widely spoken and understood by the majority of the people. Foreigners make up 85% of the country and most of the workers are foreign as well. However, since the immigration policy is not open for them, the foreigners need to stay as temporary workers. 

5. Mexico - Mexico, especially Mexico City, is a place where it is integrating very quickly. It has always and will always be a multicultural country with all the historical backgrounds of how different ethinic groups got together and blended. The Europeans, Africans and small Asian groups were mixed and conducted a multicultural country. 

• Explain the difference between assimilation and integration and use it in context of a place / culture

Assimilation is when an individual or group's culture is lost and adopt other cultures as part of your own. This happens especially to ethnic minority groups as they lose their cultural characteristics and take on the dominant group culture's characteristics.  Language can assimilated by people. This term is usually used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. Full assimilation occurs when those who adopt new culture become indistinguishable from those who are currently in the society. 

While assimilation is when new members adjust themselves into a new culture, Integration refers to the interaction of a lot of people from different cultures all around the world. They have different skills and professions, from various religions, and from different ethnic groups. It is also seen as the behaviour that is in harmony with the environment of an individual. As many cultures blend and become a "global culture", many argue that this leads to a reduction of the cultural differences and remove the existence of local cultures. 

What in the world (March 18th)

Article: 

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/12/world/europe/spain-lebanon-mayor-organ-allegations/index.html?hpt=imi_c2
• http://www.netkafa.com/2014/03/12/804496/mayor-arrested-accused-of-attempted-organ-trafficking

·         A wealthy mayor from Lebanon offered $55,000 to poor people for liver tissue. The mayor, 61, was arrested on January 30 at an airport in Valencia, Spain. Authorities would not name the mayor because of an ongoing court investigation. Accomplices allegedly recruited nine people to have liver compatibility tests at a clinic. Spain is considered a world leader in legal organ transplants, and under its rules, human donors must do so only for altruistic reasons and must be family members or close friends of the recipient. The mayor eventually got his liver transplant in Barcelona, using tissue donated by his son, who had earlier been turned down as a donor in Lebanon. The combines tests cost $16,000 , which the mayor's aides allegdely paid. Some of the nine people also received small sums of money for taking part. 

Questions: 

1. What happened in Peru? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/15/world/americas/peru-earthquake/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)

- A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck about four miles from the coastal city of Sechura in northern Peru on Saturday. No damage or injuries were reported in the quake, which happened at a depth of six miles. The quake happened in a region that marks the boundary between two tectonic plates, where the oceanic crust of the Nazca Plate moves under the South American Plate. 

2. Why did six people die in china? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/13/world/asia/china-knife-attack/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)

- The incident took place in Changsha city, the captial of the province. According to an official statement fro the city's police department, at around 10.15am, local time, two vendors got into a fight after a quarrel inside the Shahuqiao wet market in the Wuijialing neighborhood of Kaifu District in Changsha City. One person was hacked to death The fleeing perpetrator then stabbed at four innocent bystanders two of whom died on the scene. Police quickly responded and killed the perpetrator upon arrival at the scene. The two injured later died after being sent to the hospital. The two vendors were Hebir Turdi and Memet Abla. It is said Turdi killed Abla before stabbing four people as he fled, adding that he eventually shot dead by police. They used kitchen knives. 

3. Who and how many were arrested in Spain? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/14/world/europe/spain-militants-arrested/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)

- Police in Spain and Morocco arrested seven suspected Islamist militants who recruited and sent fighters for al Qaeda terrorist organizations in Syria and Mali. 

What did I learn from everyone else's presentation?

Tseki - Solar power
From Tseki's presentation, I learned that solar cells require photovoltaic cells in order to operate. Also, solar power panels are good because they have no gas emissions, are a good investment and it is easy to find space accommodations on a small scale. On the larger scale, it creates more jobs because a solar project requires people to build the plants. However, solar power also has some disadvantages. It is an intermittent source because the solar panels can only absorb the sun's heat during the day. Large scale solar power projects can also destroy animal habitats. Not everyone can afford solar power because the materials to make the solar panels are rare and expensive. Even buying batteries to store the energy prove to be expensive.

Saw - Solar power
Photovoltaic is required in solar cells and it is one of the most common renewable energy source. It is cost efficient, meaning it is very cheap to maintain since it only need sunlight and once the solar panels are made, it just needs sunlight to be stored and converted to energy. As there are no space limitations, as many can be made and it will just be more beneficial. However, when the construction of the solar cell and panel is taking place, it will produce global warming and it might damage some natural habitats. Also it is very expensive to make them. Solar power is getting cheaper each year and we are improving its efficiency with technology.

Sonam - Wind energy
Through her presentation, i learned that wind is caused by the rotation of the earth, uneven heating of the atmosphere of the sun and irregularities of the earth's surface. There are two types of turbines: the horizontal axis and the vertical axis wind turbine. Although beneficial, it can be a threat to wildlife and the wind is unpredictable, so it is hard to capture and store amount of energy constantly everyday. By 2040, wind energy will exceed hydropower and be the most used renewable energy source.

Freddie - Wind energy
There are many sorts of objects that can produce energy. Turbines that make electrical energy, wind pumps which makes energy by pumping water, windmills that make mechanical power and sails which use propelling ships. Wind power is solar energy. The turbines use sophisticated technology to catch the wind's energy. There is small, intermediate and large wind turbines. They all produce different amounts of energy per year according to their size. This adds up to the country's GDP and is 100% renewable. However, it disturbs many wildlife creatures like birds. the solutions are that the turbines could be manufactured in isolated areas such as in oceans or in the middle of nowhere.

What in the World (March 11th)

Article:

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/07/justice/florida-mother-minivan-ocean/index.html?iref=obinsite
• http://news.yahoo.com/mother-drove-van-waters-off-florida-beach-charged-190647710.html

According to CNN, in Florida, a woman named Ebony Wilkerson, was accusedof attempted murder for trying to murder her children. She tried to kill them by driving into the Atlantic Ocean. She told the kids to close their eyes and go to sleep in order to make the children not notice what she was doing. While they were in the minivan, lifeguards and other spectators helped the victims and after they were rescued, the mom just silently walked away. Yahoo News have added that the mom was pregnant and the oldest sibling, who was 10 and a girl, was fighting over the steering wheel while they were headed to the ocean. The mom told the children that they were going to a 'safer place'. She was supposedly running away from an abusive marriage and it was found that she has been to hospitals and the results showed that she had mental problems which she always denied.



Questions:

1. What was found by the Serbian scientists? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/world/europe/siberia-giant-virus-discovered/index.html?hpt=wo_mid)
- scientists have found a giant virus more than 30,000 years old from the frozen soil in a remote region in Serbia. They say it is not harmful to humans, but if the virus is active and many are together at once, it can be a threat to us. The name of the virus is Pithovirus sibericum.

2. How old is the ancient crystal found in Australia? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/24/world/oldest-earth-fragment/index.html?hpt=wo_mid)
- In western australia, a crystal called zircon was found and it is 4.4 billion years old. It is translucent red but glows blue and is about 400 cm long.

3. What is Drybath and what is the purpose of it? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/10/business/drybath-how-to-keep-clean/index.html?hpt=iaf_t4)
- It is a germ-killing gel which allows us to take baths without a single drop of water. They say Ludwick Marishane, the inventor, thought of the idea in 2007 when his friends complained about taking showers and wished there was something that you could just put on without having to take a shower. It replaces water, soap and body lotion.

Return for investment

For each of the 6 alternatives to oil find out and write down how much energy do you get back for the energy that is put into creating/ harnessing or storing the energy?

1. Human/animal corpse/organs/waste - 
It is said that treating the corpse/organs/waste of humans or animals can produce a fairly large amount of gas and this can be converted into energy. With the daily wastes, it can produce 1.5 million cubic feet of gas and it can fill 1250 tanker trucks. 

2. Wind power - 
A modern wind turbine has a maximum capacity of around 2000 kilowatts or  2 megawatts and it can generate enough energy and electricity for the average annual need for 1000 houses. Each house needs about 4700 kilowatts of electricity consumption. The wind turbines could produce more energy if it functions in full capacity, but it only operates 75% ~ 90% of the time. 

3. Solar power - 
If the solar paints that are 100 million square meters of a steel building are used to consvere energy for a year, it will produce 4500 gigawatts of electricity through the solar cells and this is equivalent to the production of energy of 50 wind farms. The cost of a solar panel that is 3Kw costs 6500 pounds. 

4. Coffee grounds - 
16 billion pounds of coffee is produced each year and with the amount of coffee grounds it produces, 340 gallons of biodiesel can be produced. It is said that starbucks wastes 210 million pounds of coffee grounds annually and this can produce 3 million gallons of biodiesel and 90000 tons of fuel pellets. 

5. Cows - 
Methane gas from cows can provide the drivers in a single country with a daily amount of 138,000 cubic feet of energy to run a car. Researches by Argentinian scientists have revealed that a single cow that  weighs 550 kg lets out 800 to 1000 litres of methane each day. Also, cow wastes produce 250 to 300 kilowatts of electricity daily which is enough to power 300 to 350 houses. A herd of cattle emits an average of 275 litres of pure methane and this can easily keep a refrigerator running for 24 hours. 

6.Hydropower - 
Hydropower is generated from falling, flowing or running water. With the pressure that water creates, it is converted to electrical energy. Dams are made to create such mechanical energy to electricity. The average power that a turbine creates is about 97 megawatt and a dam produces 2969640 kilowatt hours.

Why do we use fossil fuels?

If fossil fuels are so bad why do we still use them? 

• The guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/apr/17/why-cant-we-give-up-fossil-fuels)

The author of this article in the guardian argues that even though we use renewable energies or any other "green" alternative, it will emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide that will affect the climate. There have been researches and proven that the temperature of the Earth increases and changes throughout the years and despite using an enormous amount of fossil fuel, the rise in temperature has been constant since the Ice Age. Everyone will need to prioritize and use fossil fuels because using reusable energies take up only a small portion of the world's contribution in helping the environment. Also, the difference in cost is extremely noticeable.

• The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/04/opinion/the-poor-need-cheap-fossil-fuels.html?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry32%23%2Ffossil+fuels&_r=0)

According to the New York Times, many people in the world are poor and they are in desperate need to heat their homes and cook and both of them require fossil fuels or coal or any sort of objects that emit carbon dioxide and exacerbate global warming. More than 1.2 billion people in the world live without access to electricity and in order to lift them out of the smoke and darkness of energy poverty, the low-cost fossil fuels should be utilized. By using the cheap resources, it can build on and the poor can use it until we make a global transition into a greener energy future.

• Climatecentral.org (http://www.climatecentral.org/news/fossil-fuels-to-dominate-world-energy-use-through-2040-16284)

Andrew Freedman, a science writer for climate change mentions that carbon dioxide emission and global energy consumption increases and will increase every year. Especially for developing countries, using cheap fossil fuels instead of costly renewable resources can really contribute in their enhancement of their city and and in the nation's economy as well. China and India are two main examples. Even though fossil fuels are limited and finite, after the country is developed and is financially stable to acquire foreign products or expensive things, they can use renewable energy to prevent global warming. Hence, using fossil fuels can be very beneficial to specific areas and can affect the world positively.

What in the world (March 4th)

Article: 

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/china-railway-attack/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
• http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/02/china-train-station-knife-attack-police-suspects

According to CNN, in a Southwest city in China called Kunming, men who were armed with long knives attacked a train station and killed dozens and wounded hundreds. Kunming railway station is one of the largest in China.  Experts believe it was a terrorist attack and the ones who assaulted were members of a separatist group from Xinjiang. The police have killed four of the attackers and one of them were a female suspect who was part of the massacre. Theguardian mentioned that 5 of the assailants who killed at least 29 people and injured more than 130 people are still being searched. It happened on Saturday, at 9pm. The scene was a bloodshed and there were a couple of footage that contained vigorous scenes, but it was all deleted that were uploaded in the internet. Chinese president, Xi Jinping, told security officials to have no mercy and kill the guilty criminals.

Questions: 

• How and how many people died in the Pakistani court? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/03/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)
• Who did North Korea free and why was he captured? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/north-korea-australian-missionary/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)
• Who killed civilians in Nigeria and how were they killed? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/02/world/africa/nigeria-blasts/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)

Pros and Cons of methane gas

Pros:

• Burning methane gas only emits half the amount of carbon dioxide compared to burning fossil fuel or oil. 
• Unlike oil or fossil fuel which is very limited, there is an abundant amount of methane gas available since cows let out a lot of fart and manure. 
• A new process was invented to remove the carbon from the methane gas and the leftover, carbon black, could be used for other purposes like tires, printer inks and other products. 
• Methane gas can be transported through pipelines very easily and it is very cost effective. 
• Unlike coal or oil which pollutes the ground and underground liquid, burning methane gas will not affect land and water negatively.
• It is very beneficial to the economy since the country does not have to acquire foreign oil. 

Cons: 

• Methane gas is 21 times more effective in trapping heat than carbon dioxide so there is a high percentage of the tank or container to explode and cause great damage. 
• If it is exposed to humans and is inhaled by us, it can pose a great threat to our health and cause various problems and even death. 
• In order to detect the methane gas, carbon monoxide is added, but this makes it more dangerous and hazardous to our health.
• Once the pipline carrying the methane gas explodes, leaks or breaks, it is very expensive and difficult to repair it. 
• Even though there is a sufficient amount of it, it will not last long and is not profitable in the long-run term. 

5 articles of reusable energy

• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/business/businessspecial2/24farmers.html

- Some states in the US have already started using this method. In Vermont, Green Mountain Dairy is one of the four farms that use the methane gas from cow manure and fart and convert it to electricity. They are supplying electricity to 158,000 people in the state. Cow waste produces 250 to 300 kilowatts of electricity daily which is enough to power 300 to 350 houses.  Not only does it help to produce electricity, but it can also be used as a fertilizer and cow bedding. If the waste is pumped through a separator, the manure then can be used efficiently and it saves thousands of dollars by not having to purchase sawdust.

• http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/11/26/big-methane-burp-cows-refineries-spew-gas/

- It has always been an obstacle to overcome problems of global warming caused by all the methane gas produced by cows and other domestic livestock. By reusing the wasteful products, it can double the prevention of pollution and improve the sanitation and hygiene in our lives. The amount that cows emit methane gas was the double the amount from the previous amount that scientists have calculated, so they are trying to find ways to reuse it efficiently. 

• http://www.carbonfund.org/renewable-energy-and-methane

-  Methane projects could be an extremely effective way to make a clean energy future. It can soothe extreme climate change, reduce various pollution and it also triggers us to develop new technology as well as increase employment. Since it is cheaper than other resources like coal, it can be purchased by many people without having to worry either about the price or global warming. The use of methane is basically the destruction of methane, where all the harmful substances are used to make electricity or other energy sources and the rest that is emitted to the atmosphere does not have any destructive effects. 

• http://blogs.worldwatch.org/revolt/is-%E2%80%9Crenewable-methane%E2%80%9D-energy-storage-an-efficient-enough-option/

- Unlike many renewable resources, like wind and solar, that cannot provide steady and sufficient energy, methane gas can provide the drivers in a single country with a daily amount of 138,000 cubic feet of energy to run the car. Hence it can alleviate extreme climate changes, reduce any pollutions and it also triggers us to develop new technology as well as increase job opportunities to the citizens. The effects of methane on Earth's resources are a lot more hazardous and harmful than what people usually think. Just by reducing the methane emission and reusing it can be very beneficial. 

• http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-03-cow-power_x.htm

- Many families that own a farm are marketing and earning money by cows. Their business lately have been somewhat successful and the new laws that were enforced in restricting harmful gas emissions required them to use renewable energy through the methane gas that their livestock produce. It improves the life of its neighbors as well as reduce pollutants that farms produce. Since it is an unlimited resource and quantity, it can constantly supply the farm and other areas with constant energy or electricity.  Even though they have to pay for the electricity used, they produce more than they use so they can sell and run a business that helps them financially and economically. 

Summary:

- It has always been an obstacle to overcome problems of global warming caused by all the methane gas produced by cows and other domestic livestock. By reusing the wasteful products, it can double the prevention of pollution and improve the sanitation and hygiene in our lives. Some states in the US have already started using this method. In Vermont, Green Mountain Dairy is one of the four farms that use the methane gas from cow manure and fart and convert it to electricity. They are supplying electricity to 158,000 people in the state. Cow waste produces 250 to 300 kilowatts of electricity daily which is enough to power 300 to 350 houses. Unlike many renewable resources, like wind and solar, that cannot provide steady and sufficient energy, methane gas can provide the drivers in a single country with a daily amount of 138,000 cubic feet of energy to run the car. Hence it can soothe extreme climate change, reduce various pollution and it also triggers us to develop new technology as well as increase employment.

Reusable form of energy

Methane gas: Cow fart and maure

I chose this topic because it is interesting. I would have never found out that fart or manure from certain animals cause global warming and it has such power that it can be converted to usable energy. To reuse such wastes can be beneficial to the environment and prevent any diseases or contamination of any resources that we need. Even though i do not know how it is properly used or how it is stored and converted to energy, just by knowing the fact that it can help the future, the knowledge of reusable energies will grow and everyone could apply it that could shape a better world.

It is a well known fact that greenhouse gases cause global warming and this can lead to serious issues, such as destroying several habitats and can jeopardize all animal kind as well as our lives. One main greenhouse gas that is contaminating our environment is methane and this is mostly emitted by cows. Cow fart and manure mainly consists of methane gas and scientists nowadays are baffled by the incredibly large amount of methane emission caused by most domestic livestock. Luckily, many found ways to generate energy from the methane gas. According to the New York Times, a farm in Vermont called Green Mountain Dairy convert the greenhouse gas to electricity. Although it is not common, if the way of use and all that are spread all over the world, we could prevent global warming as well as have more abundant and sufficient energy that we could use without having to worry about the shortage of it.

What in the world (Feb/25)

China smog

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/24/world/asia/beijing-smog-solutions/index.html?hpt=ias_c2
• http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/13/us-china-pollution-idUSBREA1C02D20140213

People in Beijing, also known as Beijingers, are suffering from an intense air pollution that had conquered their atmosphere since last winter. The smog levels are getting worse and heavier each day. The cause of this was seen by China's aggressive economic growth and the factories that has been operating for a long time. According to CNN, China is going to allocate 760 billion yuan ($124.64 billion) to improve the city's air quality by 2017. With their advanced technology, China is trying to get solutions by inventing giant vacuum cleaners to clean the air and skyscraper-mounted sprinklers. Reuters.com announced that China is a "barely suitable" place to live due to smog. By next year, China would have used 3 trillion yuan ($494 billion) and shut 30 most pollution-making factories.


Questions:

1. Where and who passed the anti-homosexuality bill? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/24/world/africa/uganda-homosexuality-interview/index.html?hpt=hp_c1)
2. Who is the missing and wanted man in Ukraine and why is he such a big deal? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/24/world/europe/ukraine-politics/index.html?hpt=wo_c1)
3. how was the most wanted drug lord in the world caught?(http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/23/world/americas/el-chapo-capture/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)

Alternatives to oil

- What types of alternatives to oil do you know exist? List and write a basic definition of how it creates energy for 6 different alternatives.
- For each of the 6 alternatives to oil find out and write down how much energy do you get back for the energy that is put in to creating/ harnessing or storing the energy?

1. Human/Animal waste- The feces we let out of our body and the used diaper by babies can come in handy. They can be used to make fuel and renewable energy. Not only from the humans but with animal waste, also, could be used to make energy. Their feces can be used as well as guts that are thrown away. For instance, turkey gut can be collected and used to make fuel oil to replace diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel. The guts, head and feathers should be mixed with water and heated for an hour with 500 F at 600 psi to make the alternative fuel.  

- It is said that treating these wastes can produce a fairly large amount of gas and convert it to energy. With the daily wastes, it can produce 1.5million cubic feet of gas and it can fill 1250 tanker trucks.

2. Jellyfish- Many researchers have found out that jellyfish could be used to make alternative fuels. The green fluorescent protein which makes them glow can be used to activate a car. By adding a few chemicals in to the luminescent protein from jellyfish, biological fuel will be created that is beneficial to us as well as the environment.

3. Solar power- The solar paint captures the energy of the sun. Many are inventing a paint-on solar panel that can be put onto a steel panel and cover buildings. Although it is expensive and only covers a limited surface area, it is said by many experts and scientists that solar power is the easiest way to obtain and most effective source of energy provided. It is also calculated that a square foot of solar paint that is used produce the energy of 50 wind farms.

- If the solar paints that are 100 million square meters of a steel building are used to conserve energy for a year, it will produce 4500 gig watts of electricity through the solar cells and this is equivalent to the production of energy of 50 wind farms. The cost of a solar panel that is 3Kw costs 6500 pounds. 

4. Coffee grounds- Coffee been contain a high percentage of oil and this might be a benefit to us in the future. It takes a long to bio degrade, so many countries in Europe like Germany and Switzerland have companies to collect coffee grounds and use it for an efficient energy source: fuel. It consists of significant amount of oil that is in the form of biodiesel. 

- It is said that starbucks wastes 210 million pounds of coffee grounds annually and this can produce 3 million gallons of biodiesel and 90000 tons of fuel pellets.

5. Cows - Octane gas- Researches by Argentinian scientists have revealed that a single cow that weighs 550 kg lets out 800 to 1000 litres of methane gas each day. Cows have 4 stomachs that are active and they let the cow fart and burp to emit methane. Methane is a gas which burn quickly, unlike carbon dioxide, and it is a much more reactive greenhouse gas. Not only from cows but other domestic animals like sheep, goats and llamas, if the methane was captured by these animals into some tank, it could be an alternative fuel and help run machines and be an effective energy source. 

- A hard of cattle emits an average of 275 litres of pure methane and this can easily keep a refrigerator running for 24 hours.   
6. Urine- Many researchers are trying to develop microbal fuel cells by using specialized bacteria and breaking down products of various types and create energy. British researchers have figured out that urine is rich in nitrogen, chemically active, has compounds that make very good microbal fuel cells. The fuel cells in the urine could also produce electricity as well as clean water.
- Compare two different types in depth and decide which you think is a ‘greener’ solution and why

- Solar power has been considered one of the best alternative energy and is currently used by many countries. Although it is quite costly, it is very helpful to the environment and uses the sun to produce its energy, which we consider as an infinite resource. It could be used anywhere, anytime during the day since the sun provides with unlimited sunrays. It has been long known that cow farts, which most consist of methane, can harm our global climate and many domestic livestocks emit greenhouse gases. If they are used as an alternative to fuel or any other energy source, it can prevent global warming and from damaging the ozone layer. The amount of unwanted gas they produce is deadly and enormous that by using it efficiently could really be beneficial to the Earth as well as out health.
I personally believe that the solar power will be a much more eco-friendly and greener solution than collecting cows' emissions. If we were to use the methane gas, there should be ways to gather the gas without exposing it to the air and try to get the minimum amount of gas triggering global warming; however, there aren't many ways to do it and it could be very risky if the tanks that holds the methane gas explodes. Unlike that, solar panels are just expensive to make and it has no harm to any environment. As it can be used anywhere with the help of sun rays, I think solar power is a 'greener' solution. 

What in the world (Feb 18th)

CVS stores to stop selling tobacco products

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/05/health/cvs-cigarettes/index.html
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/05/271906167/cvs-to-stop-selling-tobacco-products
• http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/05/cvs-us-drugstore-stop-selling-cigarettes-tobacco

Starting from October 2014, the CVS pharmacy, the largest pharmacy chain in the United States, will stop selling cigarettes and any tobacco products. The CEO of the company believes that ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products is the right thing and right path to better health as well as a better community. Even the president Barack Obama, who was a former smoker, praised this move and claimed it will reduce various deaths, cancers and bring down health care costs to the nation. If the selling of cigarettes is ceased, CVS will lose 2 billion dollars every year and the revenues will fluctuate and eventually decrease. However, for a better nation and less health care costs, tobacco products should not be sold. In the mid-20th century, 42%of the population smoke in the United States, whereas only 19% do today. The cessation of selling tobacco will encourage and motivate more people to quit smoking. There have been many advertisements of the cigarettes and cigarette companies have used more than 8 billion dollars on advertising. Therefore, if tobacco is not sold in pharmacies, then they would not have to spend so much money on advertising and increases the sales in other convenience stores.

Ukraine Protests

• http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/03/news/economy/ukraine-currency-politics/index.html?iid=SF_BN_Lead&hpt=ibu_c2
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25182823
• http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/16/us-ukraine-idUSBREA1F05G20140216

Ukraine’s currency has hit the lowest point in over four years as the central bank is unable to support hryvnia (Ukraine’s currency) due to political turmoil. The government of Ukraine is unstable because of protests against the president, who refused to agree on a trade pact with the European Union and the agreement which would have strengthened their cooperation with the EU and build stronger ties with Russia. However, the reason that the president did not sign the contract was simply because they could not afford to. If he did sign the deal, Ukraine would have had massive discounts on natural gas imports and 15 billion dollar worth support package that Russia offered. Since the pact was not concurred, the country has debt and their political as well as economic situation is jeopardizing. This leads to the fall of the price and value of their currency. Also, the central bank is running out of foreign currency reserves. If the value keeps falling, it will be a huge threat to the economy and the unstable currency will hit the banking system, which will affect the wages of the citizens and consumers then increase the cost of debt repayment and servicing. This led the citizens to protest and take violent actions against the government.