In "Mali’s Lush Wetlands Drained by Foreign Agribusiness" (Nov 30 2012 , www.natgeo.com), National Geographic's correspondent in Mali, Fred Pierce, talks about the struggle of the people living in delta of the Niger River,
The district of Deboye, in the heart of Mali, is seeing the water of the Niger being diverted to favor foreign enterprises: Chinese sugarcane plantations, Libyan rice fields or German, French and American agricultural endeavors. This reduction in water flow deeply affects the ecological balance and the communities living by the river. Not only fishing and foresting is changed, but the Delta's topography is suffering dramatic mutations. Experts warn against the blind and ambitious actions of the Government that could lead to a second Aral sea (inland Russian sea that was turned into a desert after its water was over-used to grow cotton).
Water, once free, abundant and ubiquitous, is starting to become a key element in today's sociopolitical landscape. Water is now being denied to the poor and sold to corporations. In the next few decades, we may see how this trend becomes a common practice, pushing the least favored communities to fight for what was once theirs: water.
Link to article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121214/mali-wetlands-drained-foreign-agribusiness-water-grab/?source=hp_dl4_news_mali_water_20121214
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Lion Killers: From Heroes to Foes
Culture is sometimes a major obstacle in solving many of the problems of modern society, but when the culture in question is the culture of an aboriginal African community, the challenge is even bigger. Emily Fitzherbert works with communities in Western Tanzania to reduce lion hunting as part of cultural practices ("Explorers: Locals Rally to End Lion Killing", www.natgeo.com).
The Sukuma people, who inhabit the Katavi National Park, see people who kill lions as heroes, because, because the installed belief is that lions attack cattle. The killer is given gifts and is able to tour the different towns performing a dance that tells the story of how he killed the animal. The work of Fitzherbert is a very difficult one because it deals with a tradition that is generations old. It is also a challenging task because it also deals with the commercial interests of lion hunting in general. If natives celebrate lion killings, it is easier for tourists to kill lions without a strong local resistance.
Like in any deeply-rooted cultural believe, change does not happen overnight, but once the Sukuma people understand the logic of change and the benefits of a more modern philosophy, they will become the strongest ambassadors for lion conservation in the world.
Link to video: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/specials/in-the-field-specials/fitzherbert-lion-killings/
The Sukuma people, who inhabit the Katavi National Park, see people who kill lions as heroes, because, because the installed belief is that lions attack cattle. The killer is given gifts and is able to tour the different towns performing a dance that tells the story of how he killed the animal. The work of Fitzherbert is a very difficult one because it deals with a tradition that is generations old. It is also a challenging task because it also deals with the commercial interests of lion hunting in general. If natives celebrate lion killings, it is easier for tourists to kill lions without a strong local resistance.
Like in any deeply-rooted cultural believe, change does not happen overnight, but once the Sukuma people understand the logic of change and the benefits of a more modern philosophy, they will become the strongest ambassadors for lion conservation in the world.
Link to video: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/specials/in-the-field-specials/fitzherbert-lion-killings/
School Shootings: Why US?
Once again, an American school proves to be the perfect spot for a couple of maniacs to test their machine guns. As the New York Time reports ("18 Children Killed in Grade School Shooting in Connecticut", by Joseph Goldstein, Dec 14 2012), two unidentified shooters entered the a small school in Newton, Connecticut, and started shooting at kids.
Since the famous Columbine event, this type of massacres have been making the news quite often. Some people blame the NRA while others criticize the second amendment of the Constitution, which gives every citizen the right to buy arms and defend themselves. Even if the second amendment was written in a totally different context in history, in which it made much more sense for people to have guns, the main issue behind these shocking crimes is the anxiety in today's society, an anxiety impelled by consumerism, competition and the hunger for material success. This vile trident generates a dehumanization of people and it highlights failure in a strong way. The pressure and psychological burden can be too much for a lot of youngsters, and it alienates some of them to the point of committing the most brutal crimes.
What is intriguing is why do these crimes disproportionally occur in the US? Is the exaltation of materialism and a glorification of wealth the cause for such behavior in people? Could this be a product of the totally different and liberal entertainment scenario, in which violence is the absolute star (movies, series, games, etc)? Could it be that war, an ever present element in American society, has marked society in such a way that we experience second-hand psychological effects of it? Wherever the problem is rooted, we know it has to do with values and the way the American Dream has evolved into something else.
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/nyregion/shooting-reported-at-connecticut-elementary-school.html?hp&_r=0
Since the famous Columbine event, this type of massacres have been making the news quite often. Some people blame the NRA while others criticize the second amendment of the Constitution, which gives every citizen the right to buy arms and defend themselves. Even if the second amendment was written in a totally different context in history, in which it made much more sense for people to have guns, the main issue behind these shocking crimes is the anxiety in today's society, an anxiety impelled by consumerism, competition and the hunger for material success. This vile trident generates a dehumanization of people and it highlights failure in a strong way. The pressure and psychological burden can be too much for a lot of youngsters, and it alienates some of them to the point of committing the most brutal crimes.
What is intriguing is why do these crimes disproportionally occur in the US? Is the exaltation of materialism and a glorification of wealth the cause for such behavior in people? Could this be a product of the totally different and liberal entertainment scenario, in which violence is the absolute star (movies, series, games, etc)? Could it be that war, an ever present element in American society, has marked society in such a way that we experience second-hand psychological effects of it? Wherever the problem is rooted, we know it has to do with values and the way the American Dream has evolved into something else.
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/nyregion/shooting-reported-at-connecticut-elementary-school.html?hp&_r=0
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Rethinking Life in the Cities
With a very engaging and revealing introduction in which he tells the storyof how cities have developed through time, designer Kent Larson shares a few good ideas to solve the problems of space and transportation in modern cities ("Kent Larson: Brilliant designs to fit more people in every city", June 2012, www.ted.com).
From a foldable car to an apartment that changes shape and functionality for different needs, Larson's ideas are utterly revolutionary and strongly rooted on city insights. Larson suggests that all this projects are ready to become reality, but I wonder how difficult will it be to overcome the barriers laid by aging industries and lobbyists that depend on old practices and an obsolete way of thinking in order to maximize profits. Will Larson's products suffer the same destiny of the first electric car?
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/kent_larson_brilliant_designs_to_fit_more_people_in_every_city.html
From a foldable car to an apartment that changes shape and functionality for different needs, Larson's ideas are utterly revolutionary and strongly rooted on city insights. Larson suggests that all this projects are ready to become reality, but I wonder how difficult will it be to overcome the barriers laid by aging industries and lobbyists that depend on old practices and an obsolete way of thinking in order to maximize profits. Will Larson's products suffer the same destiny of the first electric car?
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/kent_larson_brilliant_designs_to_fit_more_people_in_every_city.html
Stuck in Traffic, and Charged!
Swedish traffic expert Jonas Eliasson explains how he was able to solve Stockholm's rush hour nightmare ("Jonas Eliasson: How to solve traffic jams", Sept 2012, www.ted.com) by charging drivers a congestion fee.
Incredibly enough, the smart idea of charging people for actually congesting the roads, made 20% of the cars disappear overnight. That somewhat little decrease in vehicles was big enough for traffic to flow beautifully, without any major congestion. Throughout the years, people's support of the congestion charge grew to 70%.
I'm trying to imagine how an initiative like that would work in Miami, where rush hour is suffered by millions. How would the Latino culture that dominates the city react to this?
I believe that the congestion charge is a smart move, but the opposite should also be considered. What if the City gave you a tax discount for every minute you are trapped in traffic. In many cases, congestion are the product of poor State or City planning.
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/jonas_eliasson_how_to_solve_traffic_jams.html
Incredibly enough, the smart idea of charging people for actually congesting the roads, made 20% of the cars disappear overnight. That somewhat little decrease in vehicles was big enough for traffic to flow beautifully, without any major congestion. Throughout the years, people's support of the congestion charge grew to 70%.
I'm trying to imagine how an initiative like that would work in Miami, where rush hour is suffered by millions. How would the Latino culture that dominates the city react to this?
I believe that the congestion charge is a smart move, but the opposite should also be considered. What if the City gave you a tax discount for every minute you are trapped in traffic. In many cases, congestion are the product of poor State or City planning.
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/jonas_eliasson_how_to_solve_traffic_jams.html
Middle-Easterners Do Laugh
Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani delivers a funny speech ("A Saudi, an Indian and an Iranian walk into a Qatari bar…", April 2012, www.ted.com) about the similarities and differences of Middle-East people and also about the image of Middle-Easterners in the US.
With a very cosmopolitan audience in Doha, Jobrani is able to make everyone laugh about the number of kisses that people use to say hello in the different countries of the Middle East. Beyond his comic routine, Jobrani has a strong point: the image of Middle-Easterners is not necessarily the one of happy people who love to laugh.
I like Jobrani's style because he takes the heaviness out of being Middle-Eastern, a Muslim, and finds common places for people of different countries, sometimes at war with others, to share a good moment of humor.
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/maz_jobrani_a_saudi_an_indian_and_an_iranian_walk_into_a_qatari_bar.html
With a very cosmopolitan audience in Doha, Jobrani is able to make everyone laugh about the number of kisses that people use to say hello in the different countries of the Middle East. Beyond his comic routine, Jobrani has a strong point: the image of Middle-Easterners is not necessarily the one of happy people who love to laugh.
I like Jobrani's style because he takes the heaviness out of being Middle-Eastern, a Muslim, and finds common places for people of different countries, sometimes at war with others, to share a good moment of humor.
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/maz_jobrani_a_saudi_an_indian_and_an_iranian_walk_into_a_qatari_bar.html
Water on Mercury
Star Struck, Nat Geo's astronomy blog, posted n article about the discovery of important ice deposits in Mercury, the planet closest to the sun ("Ice, Ice Mercury", by Luna Shyr, Nov 30 2012, www.natgeo.com).
I think that there are several ways of understanding the importance of this finding. You could either think this is a great way to understand where we came from (compare Mercury with an earlier stage of planet Earth). But you could also think that Mercury could be a good provider of extra water in the near future, when access to drinking water here will not be that easy. Or even further, there might be some apocalyptic readers who would see this as our next home.
Looking at the comments people left below the article, I see a lot of theoretical thinking, skepticism and mild amazement. I even see people who are still pushing the idea that if there's ice up there it is because God planned it; no need to ask further questions. I am actually surprised to see people with rather linear religious views reading astronomy articles.
Link to article: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/11/30/ice-ice-mercury/
I think that there are several ways of understanding the importance of this finding. You could either think this is a great way to understand where we came from (compare Mercury with an earlier stage of planet Earth). But you could also think that Mercury could be a good provider of extra water in the near future, when access to drinking water here will not be that easy. Or even further, there might be some apocalyptic readers who would see this as our next home.
Looking at the comments people left below the article, I see a lot of theoretical thinking, skepticism and mild amazement. I even see people who are still pushing the idea that if there's ice up there it is because God planned it; no need to ask further questions. I am actually surprised to see people with rather linear religious views reading astronomy articles.
Link to article: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/11/30/ice-ice-mercury/
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