Current event 10: Population growth bomb

December 16th, 2015

Current Unit of study: Unit 2

The population growth bomb exploding in Ethiopia 

Synopsis

Since 1994/95, the age structure of Ethiopia has been constantly changing, and since then the growth bomb has been ticking as well. This has many causes, access to education, jobs and housing being one of the many reasons. But as of recently, Ethiopia has started to experience an increase in its working age population in association to its dependent members of the population. Thankfully, this increase is very balanced, almost at knife edge since the early 2000's. Now, thanks to the sudden eruption of the population, Ethiopia's percentage of young adults has increased to 51% meaning that the country has many more citizens working rather than citizens relying on few who are still able to work.

Analysis

Ethiopia has thankfully become more and more stronger, and that's all thanks to this sudden eruption in the population. With this movement, Ethiopia has a greater number of people within the working age than a dependent population. This has only benefits, as we've seen before with countries with more of a graying than dependent population struggle to keep their economy and work force strong, young and up to certain demands.

Current event 9: Japan's baby shortage

December 3rd, 2015

Current Unit of study: Unit 2

Baby Shortage Imperils Japan's Economy


Synopsis
According to Government officials, more than 1 million babies were born last year in Japan. This so happens to be the lowest figure on record. This shows that the country has made little, if any effort in their battle against unfavorable demographic trends. Aside from this, Japan's health ministry estimated that 1,269,000 people died in 2014 meaning that the country's natural population had declined by 268,000. This rapidly shrinking population is extremely alarming. Some factors to blame include the declining number of marriages, the number of women holding jobs, and Japanese immigration. Should the population continue to decline in numbers, that would threaten to limit economic growth. Some are even going as far to suggest that Japan's population could shrink by a third over the next five years.

Analysis
Japan's population is taking a huge blow due to many different factors. So Japan's current situation is looking, shall we say, not good. Without the birth of more children, Japan's graying population holds most of the power. This is because the more older people there are, the more of a dependent population the country will have. This will lead to all of these elderly citizens to rely on those who are still able to work. And lets face it, that's not many. Japan's natural increase rate could even decline by a third over the course of the next 5 years. Meaning, the country's economy will suffer greatly. Of course, some of the major causes include the decline of marriages, education of women, and Japan's growing number of immigrants. Should this troublesome trend continue however, Japan's population pyramid with grow alarming in old age, and remain sparse with younger ages.

Link to the original article:
http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/02/news/economy/japan-baby-shortage/

Current Event 8: Fastest growing city in the world

November 20th, 2015

Current Unit of study: Unit 2

Where is the fastest growing city in the world?



Synopsis
According to recent studies done by the US based consultancy Demographia, which only includes cities with populations of 1 million or more, the fastest growing cities in the world include  Batam, Indonesia, Mogadishu, Somalia and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. With a population of 1.1 million people, Batam is located close to Singapore and a free-trade zone boosts trade with the city. Mogadishu's population is at 2.1 million, a city driven by economic prospect. Ouagadougou has a population of 2.7 million and a growth of 6.8%, yet with a decline in Chinese economic growth could lead to a drop in the growth. One thing that all of these major cities have in common is the work and jobs available to those who want them. Could this be the reason as to why some of these cities populations are through the charts?

Analysis 
By looking at the numbers, there is no doubt that these cities populations are off the charts. But why in these specific cities and not anywhere else? When I was reading on each country, I did notice something that all top three had in common - opportunities for work. This took me back to the conversation we had in class on the english industrial revolution, and how the city had to expand to meet the needs of the population. During this time when all these new jobs were being created, the total fertility rates increased tremendously. This was because more people were needed to work and wanted to have children who would then be able to work as well. This also makes me wonder what exactly the population pyramids for each city must look like. I would expect there to be many working class people than people who fall under the dependent category.




Link to the original article: http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/18/where-is-the-worlds-fastest-growing-city-batam-niamey-xiamen

Current Event 7: Report on Ebola

November 11th, 2015

Current unit of study: Unit 2

Ebola Situation Report
Synopsis
On November 7th, 2015 WHO declared that Ebola had been stopped in Sierra Leone, yet the country has now entered a 90 - day period of surveillance which is not said to end until February 5th, 2016. This is being done in order for the country to stop or prevent any remaining possibility of the virus to continue being spread. Unfortunately, the virus has had an impact on the population of the country. 470 deaths were reported in Guinea, the small community in which the virus was first found present. The number of deaths recorded represents approximately 20% of the 2248 deaths soon to be expected based on the population and crude mortality rate. Even worse, only 4 out of the 470 dead from the virus were actually properly buried, meaning that there is a high chance of the virus returning, despite the countries efforts to prevent it.

Analysis 
It's scary to hear that the Ebola virus has made a comeback in Guinea, and quite horrible to hear how the virus has had quite a heavy impact on the community's population and total death rate. 470 people had been killed by the virus, and that's only 20% of the 2248 deaths expected in the future. Although the country has been making efforts to stop the virus in its tracks and prevent it from ever returning, because of the lack of proper health care and medical attention needed to research or quarantine those suspected to be carriers of the virus, the population most likely will decline even more.

Link to the original article: http://apps.who.int/ebola/current-situation/ebola-situation-report-11-november-2015

Current Event 6:Britain and China's population challenges

November 6th, 2015

Current unit of study: Unit 2


The Observer view on Britain and China's Population Challenges

Synopsis

The UK and China seem to be polar opposites when it comes to issues dealing with population, but despite this stigma, new projections suggest that the British population could grow by 10 million over the next 25 years. All the while, China has gotten rid of its one child policy for the time being, yet the country's population could in fact decline over the long term if the trend continues.To see the UK and China come face to face with such a serious dilemma, it does show how misguiding raw population numbers can be, but there is no getting around the fact that both countries are dealing with an ageing population. There is an explanation as to why exactly we see this happening, and we find the problem linked to industrialization. As a country begins to develop, its death rates fall as public health improves, while at the same time birth rates remain high. This leads to a rapid growth of population. But once a country develops further, we begin to see birth rates drop and the population ageing.


Analysis

Both the UK and China alike are dealing with the issue of their populations ageing, and with this, things for both countries are becoming more difficult. When you are faced with an older population, the issues that come along with that include pressures to spend more on things such as pensions and healthcare which, mind you, account for huge chunks of government spending. But it's not only the expenses that come into the picture, but what the population looks like. The population pyramids, which we observed in class, provide us with an explicit image of what a population looks like, taking into account all ages. If we were to make one for both the UK and China, the top of the graph which shows the older population, would be quite big as their populations are ageing, and the lower half of the pyramid which shows the younger population, would be sparse. This is an issue, because as populations age, the dependent population increases and becomes more reliant on those who are still able to work.



Link to the original article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/01/observer-editorial-britain-china-population-challenges

Current Event 5: Will China's parents rush to have more Children?

October 30th 2015

Current unit of study: Unit 2

'Two is too much trouble': will China's parents rush to have children?

Synopsis

Next Chinese new year is the year of the Monkey - a symbolic time for Chinese families to have children, and now that the Chinese government has scrapped its "one-child policy," doctors are preparing themselves to face a busy year. China expects to have a baby boom now with its "two-child policy," with many families eager to have more than one child. But will it be long lived and will these young couples even be able to support two children? Wang Feng, a sociologist and demographic expert from the University of California says  no looking out to the long run. This is because Chinese couples have smaller families due to social and economic factors rather than the rules regarding conceiving. China's population is aging...and fast. If more children are birthed, this means a positive outcome for the country's development, but raising a child, especially in places like Beijing, can be expensive. And with an uncertainty in the job market, this so called "baby boom" may not last long. 

Analysis 

Because of China's "one-child" policy, the countries fertility rate has been quite low. But now, since China has very recently abandoned the policy, the country is expecting a baby boom. Couples are now allowed to conceive two children, which would in turn benefit the country very much. This is because of the limit put on children. Now, the majority of the population is elderly and with the new children being born, the country's development would be positively impacted. But the only problem is that this movement may not be sustainable for long. Raising two children in a city like Beijing can be very expensive. With social and economic factors impacting families (not to mention the pressing financial situation), the baby boom does not look like it will be sustainable in the long run.

Link to the original article:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/30/two-is-too-much-trouble-china-parents-rush-more-children

Current Event 4: World Population Expected to Reach 9.7 Billion

October 23rd 2015

Current unit of study: Unit 2

World Population Expected to Reach 9.7 Billion by 2050


Synopsis

As of right now, the global population is about 7.3 billion. Yet, by 2050 it is estimated that the world's population will end up growing to 9.7 billion according to a projection done by the United Nations. With a number like this, this new estimate has surpassed last year's estimate by around 150 million people. Based off of this study, we can tell that the greatest increase in population will happen in or around Africa, and Asia following closely behind in numbers. Despite this, the UN does admit that  there's an 80% chance that population could be as low as 9.4 or even as high as 10 billion by then. This is assumed by analyzing fertility patterns of the past and applying them to the future. This new number is not fully based off of fertility rates, as they have in fact been down in most places, but rather on longer life spans, as about 12% of the population is over the age of 60.

Analysis 

It's kind of scary to think that by the time I'm 50, the world's population will be exceeding the population we have now by 2.1 billion! It's remarkable! Yet at the same time, it's nice to know that it's not based off of total fertility rate (TFR) but rather the longer life spans being acquired. While reading this article, I found myself thinking back to our discussion in class on the "Do it for Denmark" campaign where they were basically bribing couples into having kids to increase Denmark's population and in return get a free fancy vacation and 3 years of baby supply. So it brought to mind... because the fertility rates have been going down could there be a sudden baby boom based off of things like the declining rate or fertility and the Denmark campaign? But then again, this estimation of having a population of 9.7 billion people isn't entirely based off of fertility rates, but rather longer life spans. But you never know...heck, I'd be easily bribed by the notion of a free vacation.

Link to original article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/world-population-expected-to-reach-9-7-billion-by-2050/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20150801news-datapointspopulation&utm_campaign=Content&sf11585780=1

Current Event 3: Earth is Loosing Topsoil

Thursday October 15th, 2015

Current unit of study: Unit 1 Basic Concepts

Earth Could Lose a Third of Its Topsoil

October 15th, 2015 7:31PM

Synopsis

Although it may not seem like a pressing issue currently (since the Earth has so much soil), the problem of earth loosing top soil can become a relevant problem. Due to erosion, pollution, acidification, nutrient depletion and bad land management, 33 percent of our planet's soil resources are being degraded. Because of this, the loss of topsoil could on the whole, have a catastrophic effect on the world's supply of food and agriculture. Without this precious topsoil, we will no longer be able to grow food crops who absorb excess carbon and supply us with new antibiotics. On and even darker note, besides our effort to replenish the soil through natural processes, it is being lost much faster than we could imagine. Many scientists have suggested fixing the problem by changing methods of agriculture, such as eliminating synthetic fertilizers which are currently the main culprit in this issue. But is it now too late to prevent further damage? Or do we still have a chance of salvaging the soil?

Analysis

As presented in the article, we as a human race are beginning to face a major issue with loosing earth's topsoil. Because of our careless actions and new agricultural methods, soil is literally slipping through our fingers. While things such as synthetic fertilizers may seem to work faster than natural fertilizers, it is taking a serious toll on our top soil. In key issue 4, we address sustainability and resources. But what is a resource? A resource is classified as a substance in the environment that is useful to people, economically and socially acceptable to use. Top soil, although it may not seem like it, is one of our most important resources as it provides us with nutritious food that is good for our health. Without it, we are doomed. There would be a huge loss of farmers and jobs as the soil is what keeps most of them in business. Top soil may also become classified as an non renewable resource at the rate it's going, despite our efforts to save it and keep it and renew it. 

Link to the original article:

http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/earth-could-lose-a-third-of-its-topsoil-151015.htm

Current Event 2: Places where animals thrive without humans

October 9th, 2015

Chernobyl and Other Places Where Animals Thrive Without Humans
October 9th, 2015


Synopsis

In places deemed polluted or too dangerous for people to live,wildlife populations have suddenly been coming back strong and taking over the areas. This phenomenon is especially prevalent in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster zone in Ukraine, an area evacuated and left untouched by humans for nearly 30 years. The nuclear accident in Ukraine 1986 is considered one of the worst in history. The accident forced the evacuation of 116,000 people from 1,600 square miles of land. Now, animals such as wolves, bears, elk and even deer along with many other species thrive in this once forbidden area which bridges the border between Ukraine and Belarus. With its newly gained population, Chernobyl stands as a symbol of life without human population, as the trees now cover the decaying buildings which people lived and worked in at one time, and animals reclaim the kingdom. As an earth and environmental science professor named Smith puts it, "Nature flourishes when humans are removed from the equation, even after the world's worst nuclear accident."

Analysis

As humans, when we choose to settle down somewhere, we often look for places that are suitable for our needs. When an area is not all that we need it to be, we end up modifying it and building a community. But on very rare occasions, we end up causing severe damage to the area we choose to settle in and we are then forced to abandon or leave it due to our actions, such as the case in this article. In Chernobyl, the nuclear accident caused the huge evacuation of 116,000 people because of the hazardous chemicals we would have been exposed to had we chosen to stay there after the accident. Now after nearly 30 years, wildlife has made its return to Chernobyl. Animals such as the European lynx and European brown bear have shown up in the area, species which have not in fact been seen in the region for nearly a century.

 As soon as I saw this article, the first thing that crossed my mind was environmental determinism. Although this belief is that the physical environment limits human action and forces us to find ways to adapt to the environment, I feel this article applies to the concept a bit differently. When we deal with something as serious as a nuclear accident, there is no way that we as humans can find a way to adapt to the living conditions, therefore we have to leave the area. In Chernobyl, the new tainted environment determined that human life was no longer sustainable, but wildlife was. Because of this, animals have now flocked to this area now forgotten by humans. This can serve as an abstract example of migrant diffusion, as some of the species found in Chernobyl shows these creatures thriving and staying strong. Yet once out of the Chernobyl woods, we begin to see the wildlife population fade out. 

Link to original article:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151008-chernobyl-animals-thrive-without-people-science/

Current Event 1 : Sheltering Syrian Refugees is an Impeachable Offense

October 1st 2015


Current unit of study: Unit 1 Basic Concepts

Congressman Says Sheltering Syrian Refugees Is An Impeachable Offense

October 1st, 2015 2:28PM

Synopsis

During what is now called the "worst refugee crisis in decades," President Barack Obama is setting plans to allow some 10,000 refugees to enter into the United States to claim shelter next year. As this may seem to be the right thing, many congressmen such as Rep. Mo Brooks disagree with his plan, stating, "We’re going to be giving welfare to all these people!” Yet, many agree with Obama's radical decision saying that it is his responsibility, as well as the American people's responsibility to reach out to these war-stricken refugees, as the President is the "Primary world player."  The only pending questions left up in the air is how exactly will we support the incoming refugees, and what affect will it have on us as a whole?

Analysis

It is quite obvious that Obama means well in his plan to offer shelter to the Syrian refugees, and I'm sure many other Americans agree with the idea, but when it comes to reality, the congressmen may actually have something right this time around. Besides the current population we have now, we will be adding 10,000 more people and expected to provide for them as we do our own, but that alone raises a major concern. How exactly does Mr. President intend to provide food, welfare and shelter for these people when we currently have starving American citizens on the streets? All these questions bring me back to the lesson in class in which we discussed the "Three pillars of sustainability," all which play an extremely relevant role in the pending crisis. The first being the environment pillar. This pillar can only be sustained and developed if conservation and preservation of natural resources is embraced. 

Second, the economic pillar remains sustainable when efforts are based on both supply and demand and the environment, and third the society pillar. I personally feel this one plays the biggest role out of all three, as it has to find a way to modify the wants of cultures in regards to shelter, food and clothing to objects that are sustainable. Already, some Americans are displeased with the over all decision to let Syrian refugees in, so how will Obama find a way to please both Americans and the incoming Syrians? And on top of it all, will this effort be sustainable? On the brighter side, by the Syrians coming here, they provide the perfect example of relocation diffusion (the spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another). This way they will be bringing their language, culture and tradition with them to the states, which will hopefully give Americans a better understanding of the Syrian culture.

Link to original article:
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/10/01/3708000/mo-brooks-impeach-obama-refugees/