Cyclone slams Myanmar; Thai flood deaths rise

This week I chose to read an article about the Cyclone in Myanmar. The main points of the article are:

• cyclone hit the west coast of Myanmar
• Cyclone Giri had struck the coast near the western town of Kyaukphyu, with winds reaching 100 miles per hour, and could trigger a tidal surge of up to 12 feet in some towns on the Bay of Bengal coast
• tons of damage, many left homeless
• "The Mandalay area northeast of the coast where Giri made landfall has suffered torrential rain in the past few weeks and residents contacted by Reuters said there had been flash floods recently"
• "Coastal and delta regions in the Southeast Asian country are often hit by strong storms. More than 130,000 people were killed or went missing when Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy delta in May 2008"
• "two main roads linking Bagan to Mandalay had been damaged by torrential rain caused by Giri. In Thailand, at least 25 people had been killed since October 10, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Migitation said on Saturday, raising the toll from 17 on Friday. The state-run Narenthorn Emergency Medical Center put the death toll at 32"

Cyclone Giri struck the westcoast of Myanmar. There was a large amount of damage, and many people have been left homeless. Giri also damaged main roads connecting Bagan to Mandalay. The flood in Thailand has a death toll of 32.

Natural disasters are always devastating. It is really hard to read about Myanmar and Thailand, and all of the horrible things both these areas are dealing with. It is my hope that things start to turn around for these places, and that they can start the cleaning up and rebuilding processes.

Chile miners: From world fame to humble homes

This week i chose to read an article about the Chile miners' lives since being trapped underground. The main points of the article are:

• the 33 miners rescued are all now at home
• they are getting substantial offers for their stories but made a pact as a group to say little while negotiating book and movie rights
• as a group they are considering putting out a book
• many miners returned to lives in poverty and now are facing with possible unemployment
• Some of the miners have found other opportunities of employment
• "Franklin Lobos, a former professional soccer player who drove trucks at the San Jose mine, is wanted by the world soccer body FIFA to give motivational talks, Chilean soccer director Harold Mayne-Nicholls said"
• "And Bolivian President Evo Morales has offered Mamani a job in his government."
• The future of the other miners is very undecided and unknow to them.
• each has received about $12,000 in donations.

Even though each miner received about $12,000 dollars in donations, for many their futures are very uncertain. They spent 69 days underground. They no longer have jobs available at the mine they used to work at. As a group they have chosen not to say much until they can come to a negotiation on movie and/or book rights.

If I were in their position I would be feeling a little concerned as well. Even though they got  some money their lives and financial situations are still very uncertain. I am very glad they were rescued, and I am glad that some of them have been offered some exciting new job positions. I hope the remaining miners have similar opportunities opened up to them.

Ecological catastrophe: Toxic Sludge Kills 3

This week, I read in the news about a disaster in Hungary that killed 3 people. The main points of the article are:

• affected Veszprem, Gyor-Moson-Sopron and Vas counties
• Six people were missing on Tuesday and 120 injured
• contaminated mud burst out of containment pond at nearby Ajkai Timfoldgyar Zrt plant
•  chemical burns caused by the sludge could take days to reveal themselves and what may seem like superficial injuries could later cause damage to deeper tissue
• elderly woman, a young man and a 3-year-old child were killed
• about 35.3 million cubic feet of sludge has leaked from the reservoir and affected an estimated area of 15.4 square miles

The disaster agency said 390 residents had to be temporarily relocated and 110 were rescued from the flooded towns, where firefighters and soldiers were carrying out cleanup tasks. Local environmentalists said that for years they had been calling the government's attention to the risks of red sludge, which in a 2003 report they estimated at 30 million tons.

I feel awful that this happened to the country of Hungary. The government had been warned about the risks of red sludge, and they chose to ignore the warning. Ignoring it caused many people and the environment to suffer. I hope that they can get the mess figured out, and try to fix it as best they can.

Issue # 2 Spending What We Can Afford

  Every year, the President and Congress decide on a budget for the federal government. They decide where money will go. The President develops a budget, and then Congress takes over. No federal agency or program is allowed to operate without approval and funding from Congress. In 2007, Congress passed a pay as you go budgeting measure that they call paygo.It requires that any increases in entitlement spending or tax cuts have to be offset with spending reductions somewhere else. This prompted a debate on whether paygo was the right approach to take. Proponents say that paygo is necessary so that Congress understands that defits do matter and need to be continued. It responds to the citizens' fears about profligate spending and the national debt. They say it will hold Congress to the same level and standard that most business and families are already following. (spending only what can be afforded) This way Congress can easily raise most of the money needed to pay for new initiates with out creating more debt. If a recession or crisis takes place, paygo can be suspended. People who criticize paygo say it is the wrong approach to take. They believe paygo would result in tax hikes to pay for new programs which would not help. They think budget deficits should be elimated by economic groth, not painful budget cuts or tax increases. Some believe paygo will prevent Congress from being able to reduce the reach of the Alternative Minimum Tax. Others worry that Congress would be further restricted and unable to respond to national emergencies. Others believe the public wants Congress to be responsible, and that paygo would anger voters.

I believe that paygo isn't the best route to take. It would result in a ridiculous amount of raised taxes. These raised taxes would pay for programs that wouldn't help the problem anyway. It would restrict Congress' ability to help with national emergencies such as recessions and crises. Even if paygo was suspended, it still would cause some problems. Also, the best way for the deficit to shrink is by economic growth. All 40 republicans voted against the bill saying it would be an excuse for huge tax cutts. Minority leader Boehner called paygo a sham, and said it was a political cover for lawmakers when they make huge tax hikes to "pay for" increased amount of spending.



Other sites to check out:
War Dollars:
http://daniellescurrenteventblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/issue-1-war-dollars.html
Social Insecurity:
http://theresasocial.blogspot.com/2010/10/issue-3-social-insecurity.html

New York, Portland among safest cities for kids

This week I read an article on why New York and Portland are among the safest cities for kids to live in. The main points of the article are:

• Both urban areas scored high marks in a study that assessed 50 of the largest U.S. cities on 25 safety criteria such as proximity of hospitals, bike helmet laws and how quickly local fire departments respond to determine the safest for children.
• New York firefighters were the quickest to respond to emergencies, while Louisville pedestrians were among the least likely to be in a traffic accident
• Columbus, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa were also among the safest cities
• One area where there might still be room for improvement is bike helmet laws. Only 39 of the largest urban areas have bike helmet laws on the books
• But 47 out of 50 cities had some non-smoking legislation and an equal number required carbon monoxide alarms. And all the cities insisted on inspections after construction or remodeling projects.

50 of the largest cities in the United States were tested to see how they matched up on safety. Almost all of the cities were found to be very safe, and it was found that New York and Portland were among some of the safest areas for children to live. One safety area that could still use some work is bike helmet laws.

It is a comfort to me to know that these big cities are becoming more and more safe for families to live in. I am more comfortable with the thought of one day living in a large city having read this information, and knowing that it continues to improve.

BP well is dead, but Gulf challenges live on

This week I read an article about the challenges the Gulf is still facing after the BP oil well leak.
The highlights of the article are :

• BP purchased the rights to explore that area for oil in 2008
• named the well Macondo
• April 20th the explosion on the rig killed 11 men instantly and started the disaster
•  in the three months before a temporary cap as much as 172 million gallons of oil and millions of cubic feet of natural gas spewed into Gulf waters. Some 50 million gallons of oil was burned or skimmed
• people of the Gulf area are still dealing with the after affects

The oil well, Macado, was purchased by BP in 2008. April 20th started one of the biggest disasters this country has seen in a while. It took months to kill the well, and much damage has been caused.

I feel bad for all the people still dealing with this spill even after the well has been killed. They will continue to deal with it as a large amount of oil escaped the well. I think that this just goes to show what can happen when people make careless and unthought out choices.

Most U.S. gaslines not inspected with latest technology

This week I read an article about gas line inspections. The main points of the article were:

• 2/3 of America's natural gas lines are susceptible to deadly faults because they can't use the industry's best technology for testing and cleaning
• Last week in San Bruno California a gas main exploded: at least 4 killed, dozens injured, many houses destroyed.
• it was made of steel which is regarded as a safety hazard because it is too rigid and easily corrodible
• robots called "smart pigs" clean pipe interiors, send data on flaws, and even fix leaks

Basically this article was about how a large amount of America's gas lines are in unsafe conditions. The "smart pigs" are unable to enter some pipes because they are too old and "twisty."

I feel very unsettled knowing about 2/3 of gas lines in America are in sketchy condition, and the majority of these are major lines. I really hope there is not a repeat of the incident in San Bruno, California, but if things aren't figured out and taken care of, it looks like that could be a definite possibility.