CLEAN WATER

CLEAN WATER

Water is a basic requirement to sustain any life form. Humanity's livelihood revolves around water. It is utilized everyday whether to water your garden roses or to hydrate yourself after a long football game. We rely on water to cook food, to fill your tiny backyard swimming pool, or even to generate electricity through damps. Heck, 60% of our bodies is made of water. However, the changing climate patterns and human's factors have put the Earth's clean water reserve at risk.


Today, "780 million people lack access to an improved water source, approximately one in nine people." Dirty water is one of the world's biggest health risk. Water from rain travels down your roof, carrying all the trash, chemicals, and other disease-carrying organisms along the way.

In many industrial region, factories neglect their obligation to protect the water supply and prevent from contaminating it. Toxic waste from industrial production is dumped straight into rivers or stream nearby. Big corporations spend million covering up their illicit pollution (Ex: watch "A Civil Action" with John Travolta).




Other activities such as fracking, or the process of producing natural gas, also contribute to the contamination of our drinking water. Moreover, with the lack of efficient sanitation systems, human wastes are processed perfunctorily and our reserve of clean water keeps plummeting.

In many areas, bodies of water are polluted. Here's an illustration:



1. Disease: drinking polluted water can make you sick. No kidding... Eating fishes that are poisoned by certain artificial chemical can cause Heppatietis. In isolated areas, locals would produce excrement at rivers and lakes. The consumption of this contaminated water can cause cholera and other fatal conditions.

2. Destruction to the ecosystem: in 2002, the Prestige Oil Spill off the coast of Galicia caused by the sinking of an oil tanker "polluted thousands of kilometers of coastlines and more than one thousand beaches on the coast of Spain, France, and Portugal".

Seabirds are affected most heavily due to their frequent contact with the water surface and  the coast lines, where many bird species congregate to breed. Seabirds' exposure to contaminated sediments or preys would cause many psychological conditions and in many cases, death. The long term effect is the decrease in the food supply, which are eradicated by the oil spill.


SINCE WATER IS SO IMPORTANT FOR EARTH'S EXISTENCE, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Many technologies are being develop to help recycle the heavily contaminated water for non personal uses, such as irrigation or usage for industrial productions.



Laws prohibiting the polluting of any water supply must be made and enforced on any individual, any factory, or any big corporation. No exception. Once the source of contamination has been drastically reduced, then will any effort toward water purification be effective.

YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS WATER SAVING CAMPAIGN AS WELL!!! 

By reducing the amount of water being wasted on unnecessary activities, you are helping to conserve our limited water supply. Stop taking baths, and shower instead. Turn off your faucet when you are brushing your teeth. Try and limit the water needed to wash your dishes everyday. These little things can be quite influential when every single individual on Earth is participating in this campaign.
TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!!!






BIBLIOGRAPHY:
http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/
http://www.nrdc.org/water/
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9142.aspx
http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/water-pollution/effects-of-water-pollution.html
http://enviropol.com/index.php/effects-of-water-pollution
http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/library/archives/water-crisis/
http://www.drinking-water.org/html/en/Overview/Why-Is-There-a-Problem.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/biggest-oil-spills-in-history#slide-1

Deforestation

DEFORESTATION

What is deforestation? Deforestation is the removal trees and other plantation from a designated area for other purposes. This phenomenon is more common comparing to contemporary beliefs. Brazil has the lead in the "Top Ten Highest Deforestation in The World" competition, with a surprisingly high 3,466,000 hectares of forest cut annually.  Worldwide, we are losing 80,000 acres of rain forest daily. What an alarming rate, considering the world's total forest takes up only 31% of the total land area, amounting to 4 billion hectares.




Whether There are 3 top causes of deforestation:

1) Commercial Agriculture: With a growing demands of food from a growing 7 billion population, huge amount of trees are cut down for crops. In Brazil and many Latin American countries, soy beans and other cash crops account for 68% of deforestation.



2) Logging: Apart from a growing demand of agriculture products, industries today need a substantial amount of wood supply for simple, everyday-live products, such as notebook paper or even coal for your fireplace in the winter. It wouldn't be Christmas without a warm fireplace where your family gather around for hot chocolate right? Well, trees are dying for your moment of joy.



3) Urbanization: With the growing population today, cities are in constant need to expand for the construction of condos and apartments buildings. Roads to be build; forests are transformed into mini parks for children to run around nagging for ice cream.


IS IT WORTH IT?

The answer should be "No". Plants are our oxygen factories. They create oxygen which is a basic of human existence. Without it, not one form of wild life would survive, including us. Without trees, green house gases such as CO2 would not be recycled into O2. In other words, deforestation helps worsen global warming.



A direct effect of deforestation is wildlife extinction. In 1962, Rachel Carson moved many environmentalists on the noxious effect of pesticides on wildlife. Now, our "pesticide" is deforestation and it is more severe than what Rachel Carson had faced, since the threats of deforestation are still dormant. When trees are being cut down, organisms that reside in these plants are left without a living habitat. A sudden change in living habitat without generation-and-generation of evolution would mean only one thing for these organisms - EXTINCTION. Our Earth has lost so many species of animals and plants over the last 50 years.

  

SO WHAT ARE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS CONCERNING DEFORESTATION?

We should deal with the problem at hand directly. Governments must employ a set of laws to reduce the amount of trees that can be cut down. Yes, the bourgeoisie of the illegal wood industry is obviously going to try to keep their illicit business alive. Therefore, any kind of illegal depletion of forest should be banned and punished severely. The governments must commit to protecting our forests in order any kind of effort to be efficient.
Additionally, if any tree is to be cut down, a young tree must be planted in its place. This is the long term solution for deforestation.


BIBLIOGRAPHY:
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php
http://knowledge.allianz.com/environment/climate_change/?665/ten-causes-of-deforestation-gallery
Commonapp.org/ca4app#!d/Status
http://www.slideshare.net/coralteach8/causes-of-deforestation

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking

What is Human trafficking? It is the trade in human that provide the "human demands" for sexual slavery, force labors, and even coerced marriage. Victims are exploited emotionally and physically. Victims could be utilised as surrogates or even as organ "donors". Human trafficking violates basic human rights that involves coercion and exploitation. 

Unlike mainstream beliefs, human trafficking is every prominent today. "In a International Labor Organization Report from 2012, a staggering three out of every 1000 people worldwide are in forced labor. That's nearly 21 million \people." - (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-human-trafficking-20140819). 

Migrants from Guatemala stream into the United States by way of human trafficking networks through Mexico.

The main victims of human trafficking are young women and children. Young women are often exposed to sexual slavery. These women are often runaway teens, homeless individuals, tourists (Ex: “Taken” with Liam Nelson), and refugees. Trafficking of children includes the transportation and harboring of children for exploitation. They are coerced into prostitution or child pornographies or sexual activities. It is tempting to believe that these victims are mostly minorities in a region. However, people from any kind of ethnicity and social background are all subjected to human trafficking.

 

The main tool to lure victims into human trafficking is a job opportunities. Young women searching for jobs are offered beneficial opportunities for herself and her family. These women usually travel alone and have certain economic freedom.

According to UC Irvine law professor Jennifer M. Chancon, due to insufficient protections for workers, victims end up performing forced labor mostly as domestic workers. Some could even end up in the restaurant industry.

Another gruelsome form of human trafficking is trafficking for organ trade. Victims are forced to give away their organs. In other cases, they end up selling their organs for money, but most are not paid or paid less of what they are promised. In extreme cases, victims are sedated and have their organs removed without the victims’s knowledge. Traffickers often seeks kidneys due to their high demands.

Even when rescued by authorities, victims are often traumatized, due to their language barriers and knotty legal status. Besides experiencing physical violence, these victims also experience social alienation from their home countries. Assimilation back to local communities proves to be difficult because of stigmalizations, and social exclusion.

The governments offer little or no help to assist victims of human trafficking. In the US, only 3000 visas are offered for victims of human trafficking. Where would the rest of the 21 million victims turn to?

These are organizations that promote anti human trafficking:

INTERNATIONAL TRADE: PROS & CONS

INTERNATIONAL TRADE: PROS & CONS

   International trade has existed for a long time. The Silk Route, which ran from China and India across many Mediterranean countries, was a perfect embodiment of international trade. It was an important factor in the economic and political interactions between civilizations of Europe, Arabia, and Persia. People has been searching for new way to expand international trade. The 14th century was dedicated to this purpose. Bartholomew Dias rounded the tip of Africa in 1481. Later, Christopher Columbus, under Spanish royal's orders to search for an alternative trade route with the Spice Islands, accidentally embarked upon a new world which was later known as the Americas.


   International Trade still play a key role in today economic and political world. Let's examine the pros and cons of International Trade:


PROS

1) International trade allows for surplus goods to be sold to another country that lack the resource. Microsoft and Apple has been trading domestically and globally to expand their profits.

Certain developing countries do not possess the skills and technology to make these modern products. Therefore, in the process, these big companies gain more sales, which would not be possible if they had remained domestic.




2) Global trade does not only means the flow of goods and capitals between countries. It also means the flow of ideas and cultures. For example, when Russia 17th century actively expanded their tradings with other countries, the czar himself adopted many western ideas in hope of modernizing the country. In the next 30 years, Russia soon became one of the top 5 major power in Europe.




3) When countries actively trade with each other, their economies become dependent on each other. This act as a deterrence for war. Chinese and American economies are dependent on each other. Had they engaged in war, it would be detrimental for both sides.


CONS:


Global trade connects the world and form a uniform economic web. That may not always be beneficial. In 1929 when the U.S Stock Market crashed, it caused a domino affect that heavily plunged the whole world into a long depression.

HEALTH CARE IN THE U.S.A: PERFECT OR NOT?

HEALTH CARE IN THE U.S.A: PERFECT OR NOT?

Health care is one of the most controversial social issues in the 21st century. Many Vietnameses perceive the US health care system as the perfect embodiment of good health care. Well, I hate to burst your bubble. It is not. No system is perfect, so is the US health care system. 

Key Flaws:

1) High Cost:

The US according to the graph below, spends 17.7% of its GDP ($16.8 trillion) towards health care. The results aren't commensurate comparing to the money spent. 

2) Poor quality health care service:

The complexity of American health care has create many issues. 32% of  consumers spend a lot of time drowning under piles of paper work or arguing with their insurers over policies.

 Plus Americans have to wait longer, comparing to other countries, to get help. 50% or less consumers are able to receive care on the same day or next day appointments. The average waiting time can range from 4 to 6 days. On the other hand, they get faster access to specialists comparing to other countries. 

3) No universal access:

"Some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs, compared with 4 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Sweden."

Yes, since the costs for health care are too high, people can't afford to receive the necessary medical treatments.

What can be done to resolve this dilemma? 

Obama care's.

We can understand American's frustration toward the failure of the Obama's administration to create a functioning website. Obama also stated that all people can keep their current health insurance policies can keep them. That is not the case for individuals buying health care in private markets. However, the reform laws can bring American's dysfunctional health care standards to the levels of other advance nations. 

DRUGS: Of Course It's Bad, But Is That The Whole Story?

DRUGS: OF COURSE IT'S BAD, BUT IS THAT THE WHOLE STORY?

In this section, I won't waste time telling about the sinister and noxious biological effects of drugs. You can watch "Breaking Bad" for that. I will focus mainly on the social impacts of drug abuse and the possible solutions to this dilemma. 

SOCIAL IMPACT:

 1) Drug abuse is costly: 

Beside the fact that it's very bad and corrosive for your health, it also takes a tremendous toll on society. Here's how much drugs have cost the citizens of America:

$161 billion dollars! This includes of course the cost to get drugs, health care expenditures, costs for crimes related to drugs, and lost earnings.

2) Drugs: Family and Community:

Family is where your seek or contribute support and protection. Spending money on drugs and alcohol alike, instead of saving it as your daughter's college fund or paying your mortgage, is selfish and irresponsible. This is not a healthy way to maintain a family. Plus, researchers have also found a possible link between drug abuse and domestic violence.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:

1) Family:

-Family is a place where you seek support and protection. However, it is "also a source of tension, problems and pathology, influencing weaker members in harmful ways, including destructive drug or alcohol use." (www.unodc.org) 

-With today's rapid technological and social changes, the main influence of an adolescent shifted from the family to peers, mainly to seek a sense of belonging.

"One researcher (2) has found that friends are more similar in their use of marijuana than in any

other activity or attitude. "

-Therefore, it is the parents and other members of the family' duty to internalize socially appropriate values onto their children as soon as possible. Teaching children not to fall under the influence of peer pressure is also crucial. Prevention is always better than cure. DO NOT: Negligence towards your child makes him or her vulnerable to drugs and peer pressure.



2) Drug education: 



"Come on, man! It's really good Justin" said Mike. Don't just blindly listen to your idiot friend and try his weird-smelling joint. Don't let him hot box you either. In order to resist peer pressure, you need to know exactly what you are dealing with.



You NEED to understand the Truth About Drugs. Universally, schools should include at least 1 mandatory course of Drug education in their curriculums. When a student understand the potentially devastating damages drugs can bring about, he or she would not think abusing drugs "ain't cool".  






3) Legalization of drugs: 


Though it may sound strange, this solution is constructed purely on the basis of Supply and Demand. When the supply is low and demands are high, there's potential profit. That's why risking arrests and fatal dangers for drug trafficking seems worth it for many people.

For advocators of legalization, they believe that if the supply is high, the profit of drug trafficking would plummet and with it the number of illegal activities.

If drugs were to be legalized, it would be naturally for the government to be the only distributor. Tight regulations and high taxes for the consumption of drugs will both decrease the bad social impacts and increase the federal revenues.
 Several European countries, such as the Netherlands, have been legalizing certain drugs and they are doing just fine. This solution seems pretty viable.


LAST NOTES:

Education to raise drug awareness and internalization of family values are the most practical option that many can accept and apply. The legalization of drugs, however, would prove to be problematic to compromise in American society. This may be possible in some distant future. For now, please stay away from drugs.

DON'T DO WHAT LINDSAY DID!

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

https://www.unodc.org/pdf/technical_series_1995-03-01_1.pdf

http://archives.drugabuse.gov/about/welcome/aboutdrugabuse/magnitude/

http://www1.msjc.edu/hs/hs123/hs123_unit1b.html

Technology and Science

Science & Technology

Today, we hear countless of scientific inventions and breakthroughs that help better the lives of human beings. Technology has modernized the way people live their lives. Long distance communication has been conquered by Bell's telephone since 1877. Bacterial infections are no longer fatal thanks to Alexander Fleming's accidental discovery of penicillin in 1929.





These technologies have become the center of human existence.They are a part of who we are. A teenage girl texts her friends with her new Iphone about a new dress she bought . or my extremely loud neighbor likes to clean his carpet with that stupid giant vacuum at 2:00 am.




In everything we do, technology is always involved. That does not sound so bad doesn't it?


Well, in my perspective, it's not as wonderful as many people believe. Yeah, technology and science has revolutionalized our living standards in many ways. However, everything has a bad side to it.

Weapons has also evolved, most importantly the atomic bomb of 1945. Wars could be so different. No more endless trench war fare of WWI. No more land invasion like D-Day of WWII. Wars could be won in minutes. Cities lay in ruins with just a push of a button. Scary?

I've never left my house without my phone. So do you probably. What if I tell you that the government is recording every single conversation, every line you have ever typed? What if I say that your lives are under surveillance right now? What if  I say that the privacy you've always thought you have is just a fantasy?

Let's get back to issues that we can all relate to. Technology has made us lazy. Before the invention of the automobile, people used to walk or bike hundreds of miles. Since the 1920s, we have begun to produce and upgrade our cars to be as comfortable as possible (ex. automatic gear shift). We hardly carry out any motion in our cars. Where will this lead? Maybe an extremely comfy floating chair that can be controlled by thoughts. (this is a rip off from Wall-E). We won't need to move a muscle. If we have everything done for us, what will we be doing? Nothing.

Take a glance at our future. Not very pretty.


PS: This blog is dedicated to Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" and George Orwell's "1984"

Charity confession

I donated $2 dollars to the orphanage to show my support to alleviate income disparity.

Okay, honestly, that's a lie. Really. I believe I donated for all the wrong reasons. For guilt. It felt that I had just bought myself half a year free of guilt, the guilt from seeing how I got it better than many. Yes, I am a hypocrite.






Though it's no excuse, it is human nature to be somewhat hypocritical, either good or bad. I donated for freedom from guilt. Others can donate to make themselves look better. Companies can aid charities to advertise and promote their brands. Well, for whatever reason, at least we have a common method of obtaining what we covet. Least, we are donating or doing charity.

Letter to the Creators of Pirate Bay

September 18th 2014

Recipient address: Västervik prison, somewhere in Europe

Dear Gottfrid Svartholm and Peter Sunde,

   A huge fan. The Pirate Bay website is a godsend. I haven't pay for a single song my entire life. No more stacks of CDs in wrong cases.Thank you guys so much. 
   I think the trial they put you two through is unfair. It's just because some of the big entertainment businesses are making a big fuss. It's all a farce I know. Too bad they are losing a few millions of dollar. Well, who cares? The people support your cause.
   

  Sincerely,

some creepy guy you don't know

JUSTIN

P

Digital Piracy

DIGITAL PIRACY 

Digital piracy is bad, because it is taking and copying intellectual property without consent from the owner. People have begun to employ this method to obtain as much intellectual data as they can for free. That's what people said. Here are some data on this "terrible" phenomenon:

• A whopping $59 billion dollars’ worth of software was stolen worldwide in 2010 according to the Business Software Allianceⁱ. In the US alone, 20% of all software installations in 2010 were pirated copies that cost the software industry $9.5 billion dollars.
• A survey by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry claims illegal downloads account for 95% of all music downloaded worldwide in 2010

Well, despite all of these "accurate claims" with almost zero evidence to support, the fact that digital piracy harming the entertainment industries is a total farce, in my opinion. The researchers at the London School of Economics seems to agree with me. 

Why? Here's why:

 1. The revenues of box offices is doing pretty well: of course the sale of CDs and rentals have decline, about 10% from 2010 to 2012. However, the total revenue was still worth $93.7 billion in 2012. Pretty healthy isn't it? are you starting to doubt these claims of anti-piracy advocators

2. the music industry's revenue is not in trouble: "Revenues from digital sales, subscription services, streaming and live performances compensate for the decline in revenues from the sale of CDs or records." the revenue was almost $60 billion in revenue, a 34% increase since 1994. 

3.exclusive ownership is over exaggerated: Musicians are voluntarily sharing their musics and data to fans through websites such as SoundCloud.

The only that could be potentially annoying is the possibility of contracting malwares and viruses on these piracy websites. Would it be better if the creators of these websites can spend time preventing this instead of hiding from the law? 

Since people want to obtain something for free rather than paying for it, it is futile and impractical to contain this enormous amount of "illegal activities". Why not accept and even embrace human nature?