2 Wheels or 4? Let's Just Split the Difference

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/automobiles/autoreviews/2-wheels-or-4-lets-just-split-the-difference.html?_r=1&no_interstitial&emc=Google-Earth
In England, new ideas are pulling into the driveway. Charles Morgan, who is also the chairman of the Morgan Motor Company, has designed a whole new car with only three wheels. The two front wheels of car handle steering while the single one in the rear end transmit power to the ground. Depending on the state, licensing a 3-wheel vehicle requires a car license. Everywhere else, a motorcycle license is required. Morgan says that such a great new car like this will be available in America by Christmas, ranging around $43,000.

To me, this article is very interesting. It brings a whole new style to cars around the globe. I've yet to hear a form of transportation that has two wheels in the front, much unlike a tricycle, which has two wheels in the back. It'd be very interesting to see such a unique car hit the streets.

An Economist for Nature Calculates the Need for More Protection

In Costa Rica, there was a species of insects, the coffee berry borer, that was damaging most of the coffee berry crops there. In response, an ecologist from Stanford, Gretchen Daily, studied the ecosystem, trying to learn the relationships between the insect and their predators. She has traveled to the Costa Rican site several times, while also studying the effects of the preservation of the environment on the global economy, due to the ecosystems being the greatest supplier of resources. Dr. Daily works hard to spread the idea of protecting nature to ensure the safety of the economy. This affects me because I believe preserving the environment is very important. Not only is that important, but now I can also say that it helps the economy.

Israel Isolates Itself

This is what the United Nation has to say about the Israel's raid last year on the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara of the death of a 19-year-old U.S. citizen on board: "At least one of those killed, Furkan Dogan, was shot at extremely close range. Mr. Dogan sustained wounds to the face, back of the skull, back and left leg. That suggests he may already have been lying wounded when the fatal shot delivered, as suggested by witness accounts to effect."

Dogan was an innocent, and important, U.S. citizen that wanted to be a doctor. He had won a lottery to travel to Gaze-bound vessel. The death of this one person made the Prime Minister David Cameron angry. He said "The Israeli attack on the Gaze flortilla was completely unacceptable."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/opinion/06iht-edcohen06.html?no_interstitial&emc=Google-Earth

Cell Phone Use Helps Health Care In Africa?

Summary:

This article is about how cell phone use has boosted the number of health care of malaria done correctly to the youth in Africa. Workers randomly chose to receive twice a day reminders to their phones to handle malaria. Six months later, the health care workers were better at treating it. Cell phones have penetrated much in Africa, to places that have never even had landlines because of the expenses and robbery. The messages would remind them when to test and how to prescribe weight- based dosages. Since each text cost less then a penny, they all can get their reminders and help the youth in Africa.

Refuse Collects Here, but Visitors and Wildlife Can Breathe Free

In Singapore, the Semakau Landfill, contains more than 700 types of plants and animals. The Semakau Landfill is a $360 million facility and has a 4.4 mile long sea wall that is consisted of sand, rock, clay, and a geomembrane of polyethylene which outlines the island to prevent leakage. Trash from the mainland makes its way here, and the wet ash is then emptied into "cells" or pits which are then eventually covered with dirt to form palm trees.

Shockingly, the Semakau Landfill is the only active landfill that gets waste while having a successful ecosystem. The Semakau Landfill has created an innovation that solves the need of solid waste management. Unfortunately, there is a little but most certainly real risk that the waste could potentially leak into the ocean. Semakau Landfill holds a significant amount of importance, since if landfill space ceases to exist, everyone is in trouble, therefore stating why this place is so critical.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/science/16landfill.html?_r=2&no_interstitial&emc=Google-Earth

Apple Cited as Adding to Pollution in China

In shanghai the environmental group have been accusing company’s Chinese suppliers have been discharging toxic and waste to the atmosphere which cause pollution. Reporters said that companies “fail to properly dispose of hazardous waste”, as well as that Apple has become a large company known all over the world. Apple has grown really popular in china and it became world’s business store. “Earlier this year Apple company was reported of 137 workers have been injured by the toxic chemical used in making the signature slick glass screens of the Iphone.” There is also issued that they have been using child labor which is against the law and fouled its waterway. Most experts agree that while conditions have improved at many work sites, labor violations and the discharge of toxic waste cause major problem to the atmosphere.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/02/technology/apple-suppliers-causing-environmental-problems-chinese-group-says.html?_r=1&no_interstitial&emc=Google-Earth

Practically a man-made island the Sekamau Landfill

Singapore Landfill http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/science/16landfill.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&emc=Google-Earth&no_interstitial

Singapore’s last landfill had closed in 1999. Their landfill now is no dump though and is more of a manmade island. The Sekamau landfill has its very own ecosystem that it supports. Many people have come to visit this as its quite the tourist attraction as are many things in singapore. They have a eco-friendly landfill that is able to reduce waste by 90% and also 2% of their power comes from the islands 4 mainland incinerators. Some however oppose the idea of using incinerators. Singapore’s larger incinerators don’t tend to last and have short live spans with some needing replacement after just 10 years. Those from Greenpeace say that incineration only simply changes the waste problem to pollution. There are many quotes from Mr. Buakamsri which is the campaign the director. In Malaysia and Indonesia there have been public protests against the plans from the government for constructing more incinerators. The Philippines had banned incinerators in 1999 due to the health risks and on the same year as Singaporean government began to rely on them to operate the Sekamau Landfill. There a very small chance there would ever be a leakage because of all the protective measure taken to avoid it. One person had said that it would last for many decades but in end will fail and pose risk for the future generations. They have 2 mangrove forests surrounding the island that are very reactive to toxic material acting as “canaries in a coal mine should anything escape”. I found this very interesting and was happy that we have landfills such this.