WITW (March 18th)

Article: Crimea Region declaring independence from Ukraine and applied to Join Russia

• According to Aljazeera (Least Bias source), the United Nation has approved the document saying that all countries of the world to recognise the Republic of Crimea as an independent state. In response to Crimea's declaration of independence, European Union foreign ministers moved towards imposing more sanctions on Russia over its role in the breakaway. But, Mikhail Malyshev reported that a televised news conference that the final tally was 96.8 percent in favour of splitting from Ukraine. Knowing this, US has begun giving official warnings to Russia especially upon Putin but Putin refuses to budge by stating that the vote was legal and consistent with the right of self-determination, according to Kremlin.   

Questions:

1. What has happened to a Hezbollah  Leader in Lebanon?
• A suicide car bomb attack has killed at least up to four people including a Hezbollah leader in Hezbollah-dominated area of the Bekaa Valley. (Hezbollah; small militia, Radical Shi'ite Muslim organization in Lebanon.
•  http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/car-bomb-lebanon-kills-hezbollah-man-201431620585592964.html
2. What has the US Navy seals done in the past week?
• US Navy SEALS have boarded and taken control of an oil tanker late that escaped earlier this month from a rebel-held Libyan port with armed men at the helm, the US Department of Defence said. 
• http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/03/us-navy-seals-board-rouge-libya-oil-tanker-201431710529805169.html
3. What has North Korea done yesterday?
• North Korea has fired 25 short-range rockets from its east coast into open water near Japan. 
• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/16/world/asia/nkorea-missile-launches/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Endangered Cultures (Languages)

Hawaiian
The Hawai'i was one of the world's most literate societies with over 90 percent of the population able to read and write. The language and culture was almost destroyed as a result of Hawaii's annexation to the United States in the early 20th century.

Kalmyk

The republic of Kalmykia lies in Russia, at the southeastern corner of Europe. It is home to the continent's only Buddhist indigenous people, the Kalmyks, who speak an endangered Mongolic language. The language, hence culture almost died in the hands of Stalin but miraculously survived and persevered.

Koro

Is an endangered Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, India with an estimated 800 to 1000 speakers. Until recently, Koro was a hidden language, not acknowledged in scientific literature or by local and national political structures as a distinct language. After immigrating out of Tibet, the community broke off and disintegrated.

Quechua

Quechua was the unifying language of the Inca Empire. Though Quechua is the indigenous language for many groups in the Andes, it is being displaced by today's dominant language (Colony): Spanish.

Isthmus Zapotec

The Zapotec Language family of Oaxaca and Vercruz, Mexico comprises a large number of distinct indigenous languages that can be traced very far back. Historically, government teachers discouraged use of the Zapotec language further quickening the extinction process. 

Source: http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2013/endangered-languages/

Presentation Review

Samiha: Solar Energy

• She has mentioned several solar projects such as SEIA that help in increase labor opportunities. She also mentioned the sun to home capacity and it's efficiency in absorbing solar energy.

Taklha: Wind Energy

• He has mentioned the efficiency of the energy and it's cons such as the animals getting killed, the noise pollution and the looks. Also he explained the availability of wind energy around the globe. 

Angad: Solar Energy

• He has focused on the future predictions of solar energy and it's environmental impacts. He gave a solution to the cons (animal killing, noise pollution and the looks) from Tenzins presentation. 

Istuti: Solar Energy

• She has described the differences between PV solar energy and manual heating systems that can be installed in homes. She also described the solar power consumption of both today and its future (using the increasing rate).

Kethayun: Ethanol Energy

• She has described how Ethanol energy works and it's promising resource capabilities (using grain, maize, alchohol, potato, rice and different varieties of corn). She also mentioned the easy installation and process. 

Jihoo: Solar Energy

• She has included statistical data that can be compared to that of other renewable energy sources. She also offered a worldly point of view that promotes solar energy because of its potential such as its infinite availability of solar energy. 

Aashna: Biodiesel

• She has focused on the environmental friendly aspects of Biodiesel energy (How our wastes can be used for energy). She also mentioned the rise in demand for biodiesel energy from 2010 to 50 with China topping the chart. 

What in the World (March 11)

Article

• The Ukrainian crisis continues to worsen with the two sides; US and Russia have neglected negotiations and are not coming close to a common agreement. The two sides are protesting against each other making matters alot worse than it already is.  Also both sides officials such as Putin and US Secretary John Kerry both have started to ignore or reject each others talks.
• http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/muscovites-rally-for-and-against-kremlin-actions-in-ukraine/495915.html
• http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26524056

Questions:

1. What has recently happened with the Malaysia Missing Aircraft?
• The search widens as the aircraft is still reported missing. Thailand, Malaysia, Hongkong and Vietnam police has decided to support and help in search of the aircraft.
• http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/03/search-widens-as-malaysia-plane-still-missing-2014311544093791.html
2. What has Qatar done with it's foreign policy?
• Qatar has defended it's foreign policy in which is based upon the Muslim Brotherhood ideals.
• http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/qatar-defends-foreign-policy-over-gulf-rift-20143111143148361.html
3. What has the Arab League Rejected in the past week?
•  The Arab League has rejected Israel as a Jewish Nation.
• http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/arab-league-rejects-israel-as-jewish-state-201439161231209704.html

Why are we still dependent on Fossil Fuels?

Ever since the industrial revolution, fossil fuels continue to become the core fuel source that run everything technological and mechanic, literally almost everything in today's society uses fossil fuels. We depend on fossil fuels like water for our body. We become thirsty for energy constantly because everything we do is dependent on fossil fuel. Today 85% of the world's energy is from fossil fuels and the rest by renewable energy. Renewable energy is far to compete against fossil fuels in everything it encompasses including efficiency, cost and price. In the movie, the crude awakening, it mentions that "oil is our god", in some degree that is true especially in a society that is hungry for energy.  Unfortunately our world is growing hungrier for energy as developing nations quickly catch up with the rest of the world. For example China and India together are the highest fossil fuel consuming and demanding nations in the world. Of course, this is justified because of their mass population but as we are constantly told, oil doesn't grow on trees. As demand exponentially rises our supply only drops even faster. It's inevitable, we are running out of fossil fuels but we still use it like it's endless. The reason for this is because we have been using fossil fuels for decades and we never imagined an end to it. Throughout the years, we have developed technological advancements in producing efficient energy from fossil fuels and found all the ways to locate and refine the resources. We have invested too much on something we relied on and, at the same time, we were blind to see its depletion. We were warned even before the world-scale industrial boom but we chose to ignore it because we couldn't fathom a time where fossil fuel has run out. But in the end, it is inevitable. Sooner or later it will end (maybe even in our lifetime) so we must find alternatives of energy and invest on its future it holds.

Three Sources:
http://www.lenntech.com/greenhouse-effect/fossil-fuels.htm
http://theenergycollective.com/scottbittle/257356/25-years-now-and-still-relying-fossil-fuels
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/fossil-fuels/

Pros and Cons in installing Alternative Energy according to its environment.

Alternative energy sources are not perfect even if you combined them to fit perfectly according to a countries environment. There are always pros and cons for this kind of installation. These are some of them.

Pros:

• Transferring alternative energy is not a choice so if done earlier the better
• Conventional sources will no longer be needed
• Pollution will decrease
• Diseases will decrease
• Death Tolls will decrease
• Climate change will reduce
• Earth will return back to its original optimum state
• It will be cost effective 
• You can create your personal alternative energy source
• In the Long run, it pays off and it will produce profit 
• Prices of energy will begin to drop as alternative energy is mass produced
• Society will grow to become eco-friendly

Cons

• Extremely Expensive 
• Required skilled labourers for both building and maintaining the source
• At the moment, the alternative energy sources are not as efficient
• Technological advancements will take time and is expensive
• Transferring all conventional sources to renewable sources will be extremely costly and time consuming
• It'll be a definite loss for some time (for the economy especially)
• Not all Alternative energy sources run constantly 

5 Articles

Title: EU 100% Renewable Energy is here
Description: This website is a thorough analysis of the countries that have 100% renewable energy, particularly in Europe. It particularly focuses on small countries in Europe such as Iceland and Norway, the only two countries in the world that actually run on 100% renewable energy. This is an incredible feat for these countries and it proves that 100% renewable sources is workable. Of course, the two countries does not only rely on one renewable source. Iceland and Norway run on both geothermal and heavily on hydro power because they are both geographically blessed with the resources that work these renewable sources.
URL: http://theenergycollective.com/david-k-thorpe/237161/it-s-not-utopian-100-renewable-electricity-here

Title: The Riskiness of Renewable Energy Investments
Description: As titled, the riskiness of renewable energy investments and its possible future outcomes. This has become the number one growing question concerning the investment of renewable energy. Of course, investments has its own riskiness into it and Forbes points out the hurdles of renewable energy investment.  Michael Lynch, contributor of the Forbes report that the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is inevitable but what matters is when and how. He focuses on the fact that current renewable energy plans and organizations are funded heavily by the local government and as of now it won't be able to stand on its own two legs in more than a decade.
URL: http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaellynch/2014/01/08/the-riskiness-of-renewable-energy-investments/

Title: The Big question: Can countries reach 100% renewable energy?
Description: A discussion about whether 100% renewable energy is achievable world wide within the decade. Taking into consideration of technological advances and greener mindsets. This article from Renewable Energy World answers the question, 'What are the major barriers that countries face in order to reach 100 percent renewable energy - is this goal always achievable or desirable?' Kevin Smith answers this question using his knowledge of the hopeful attitude toward a cleaner and eco friendly environment in the coming future. He takes into considerations of the difficulty to reach this goal but he states that its definitely achievable, it'll just take time.
URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/10/the-big-question-can-countries-reach-100-percent-renewable-energy

Title: Alternative Energy investing for 2013
Description: A research on the investments made on Alternative energy in 2013 throughout the world. This article focuses on a detailed statistical report including graphical information of the net profit  and loss in different countries. It categorizes the several renewable energy sources including its current efficiency levels, expenses, companies and it's report in the past 5 years. It even includes the rising prices of oil and its dropping demand in society. Not every renewable energy source have identical information as these sources are still in its developing stage which require massive amounts of funds and investments which is a major barrier in making renewable energy a preferable source of energy to that of oil.
URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/alternative-energy-investing-for-2013

Title: The International Energy Agency
Description: The IEA is the official website for the company, The International Energy Agency, that is responsible for explaining renewable energy to the public and it gathered all the reports from the research centers that work with renewable energy sources. The website includes everything about renewable energy sources from basic definition to governmental reports. The member countries that contribute to the IEA is made up of 28 member countries that include OECD countries. The company works to spread and expand the idea of an eco-friendly world using will-be efficient renewable energy generated sources.
URL: http://www.iea.org/aboutus/faqs/renewableenergy/