I'm not even sure what to think or say on this subject... who could ever think of or imagine a two year old smoking cigarettes... Not just smoking, but chronically smoking, 40 cigarettes a day?!?! It's just crazy! In America and many more countries, this kind of behavior would seriously be questioned and that kid would be receiving help from many people! - it wouldn't be accepted. I feel for the poor kid. He doesn't really know or understand what he's doing, people encourage or at least don't discourage his actions, and it's not even his fault he had the addictions in the first place, his mom smoked while she was pregnant. I guess I give kudos for the parents for trying to get him to stop smoking when in their culture, it doesn't really matter if kids smoke... then again, his parents are the ones who supported his smoking and allowed him to get addicted in the first place, and, they aren't even trying to get him to stop for the benefit of his health, they are only worried about trying to save that money they spend on the cigarettes. I can't believe Indonesia hasn't gone to more measures to stop this uprising fad. They must have figured out how smoking can seriously affect a person, and how kids smoking hurts them so much more since their bodies are growing, and because then they get addicted and continue smoking most, if not all, of their life. I just think this is them being stubborn or something, and it's extremely sad. They are saying it's ok for so many children and people to corrupt and stunt their lives. It's not ok. Well...I hope that they are successful in getting Aldi to stop smoking along with the thousands of other kids, and hopefully they come up with some solutions to change this part of their culture to make things better in the future.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
"Mom of Toddler Smoker in Indonesia Seeks Help for Him"
Recently, a video of a two year old in Jakarta, Indonesia was leaked onto the internet, this young boy was smoking a cigarette. The two year old, Aldi, is almost two times the weight of other children his age. In Indonesia, smoking is part of the culture, and it's not seen as hazardous or poisonous. Aldi's mother smoked when she was pregnant with him, but she and her husband have now quit smoking. She says, "Even when he was a baby and he would smell smoke he would be happy." She also says, "I don't remember when, but we went to the market and then suddenly he had a cigarette in his hand." Aldi smokes an average of 40 cigarettes per day. When Aldi doesn't get cigarettes, he throws tantrums, when he can't satisfy his addiction, he vomits. Indonesia has not accepted the World Health Organization's framework on tobacco control, so tobacco companies advertise aggressively. From 2001-2007, tens of thousands more children between the ages of five and nine have began smoking. This doesn't include children below the age of five, like Aldi. Aldi's parents are trying to get him to stop smoking, but sadly, their motivation is not Aldi's health, it's to cut the cost of buying cigarettes.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
"More than 175 dead from weekend storm in Central America"
Tropical Storm Agatha has hit El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras hard. In Guatemala alone, 152 are dead, 100 are missing and 87 are injured. Aside from this, 125,00 have been evacuated, and 74,000 are living in shelters. Along with the tropical storm, Guatemala is dealing with the Pacaya volcano (about 18 miles from Guatemala City) which erupted last Thursday and continued to spew ash through today. The storm's destruction has been widespread, with mudslides destroying homes and buildings, nine rivers at extremely high levels, and 13 collapsed bridges. In the northern part of Guatemala City, downpours from the storm have created a sinkhole which spans over an entire intersection (as the picture displays). A three-story building and a house fell into the hole. For now, classes have been canceled as the nation tries to regroup from this state of emergency. According to officials, the situation is improving, the tropical storm Agatha was demoted to a tropical depression and lost that status as well. It was the first storm of the hurricane season in the Pacific. This is just crazy! I never really know how to react when I hear about storms such as this one, because I have never personally lived through something like this. Yes, I have seen the video footage and pictures of various storms on the news before, and I can maybe imagine what it might be like, but living through it is completely different than just seeing it on a TV. What really got me was not just the fact that they are dealing with a hurricane, but the sinkhole which the picture shows. I've never heard of or seen anything like it before, it's just bewildering! I can not imagine just walking down a street and there being a giant hole taking over the entire intersection... it's just weird. I guess I don't really understand how it happened, the article didn't really explain that part. My guess is that there must be a fairly large underground water supply right there and then with the downpours, I guess it just kind of washed out? I'm not sure, I'm unclear about that part. Then, on top of the tropical storm, they are dealing with the repercussions of a volcano as well... if I were living there, I would bet that I would be completely over my head. So many disasters all at the same time. Well, I'm glad to hear that the situation is getting better, my prayers go out to all of the people in those countries. And, I hope they release more information on this sinkhole, it would be interesting to understand and learn more about it.
"Madagascan Bird Declared Extinct"
According to BirdLife International, a small diving bird, known as the Alaotra Grebe, which is native toMadagascar has been classified as extinct. The birds used to be found on the largest lake in Madagascar, Lake Alaotra, but the population decreased quickly after carnivorous fish were put in the lake and when the local fishermen started using nylon gill nets. This species is gone and there is no hope for them anymore, and the extinction of this species was due to the work of humans. This is not the only place where invasive alien species have caused extinctions. In Southwest Cuba, the Zapata Rail was upgraded on the endangered list due to mongoose and exotic catfish put into the marshland. In Asia and Australia, the Great Knot and Far Eastern Curlew are suffering due to pollution. The Great Knot is also suffering due to the destruction of a migratory site in South Korea. There have been a few recent cases of conservation projects helping out some bird species, but according to a BirdLife International employee, "The overall state of the world's birds is getting worse year on year." This employee also informed that, "We have the skill and the expertise, so these things can be prevented. But we need commitments from governments to provide money to help birds and animals to survive."
It's always disappointing to hear that a species no longer exists on our planet. It really makes you wonder and think about what we are doing to our planet, how it's changing and how deprived the future will be. For those people who never saw those birds that are now extinct, they will never see them in their life... well not in person at least. It's just sad to hear this news. Just think of how even we who are living on the planet right now will, and have missed due to our own impacts on the world. The really sad part about all of this is how, like that employee said, we have the skills to do things to make things better, to conserve, to save species and the planet, however, the government doesn't provide them with enough money to use those skills. Just think... we could be saving thousands upon thousands of species and providing the future with the same opportunities that we have been offered, but the government says no. For example, right now, the president wants to do some drilling in the ocean, but of course those plans have been put on halt due to the massive oil spill occurring as we speak. I say, instead of using all of our money to drill for oil in the ocean so we "aren't dependent on foreign oil," let's use that same money to pay for research on ways where we won't have to use oil anymore. We have the skills, we just need the government support. I feel this transfers to a lot of categories, such as cures for cancer, and like I said, the ending of the use of oil and gasoline. Just to think of the potential, the possibilities are right at our fingertips, but with no support (no strength), we will never see progress that will make a difference.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
"Food Allergy Diagnosis 'an Inexact Science'"
A food allergy does not have a universally accepted definition, and it does not have accepted criteria for diagnosis. Some people who have severe food allergies may not respond to the common tests, and others may be avoiding certain foods, but they may not even have a food allergy. There is no cure for food allergies, and it is uncertain why people develop food allergies. There are three main tests to see if one has a food allergy, the skin prick test- a small amount of certain foods are put in below the surface of the skin,- blood tests- test blood for the allergy related antibody Immunoglobulin E,- and the patch test- one wears a patch of a possible allergen on their skin for a few days. However, these tests are not positive, or 100% correct all of the time. They do not include how severely one will react to a certain allergen or how they will react if they ingest that substance. Other methods should be considered, because if one relies just on the test alone, many may be over-diagnosed. New guidelines are being worked on and are intended on being out the fall of 2010. The guidelines include physicians to go through the patient's history and exclude other possibilities, then use a skin or blood test, and then (if the test is positive) follow up with giving the patient the allergen in a controlled setting. Regardless of the new guidelines, diagnosing food allergies will continue to be a challenge, but figuring out if one really has an allergy is important, because allergies limiting, socially and nutritionally.
I find this article extremely interesting considering that multiple times this year, I have gone through different tests and such, and I possibly have a food allergy to MSG. Reading this article almost made me laugh from how accurate it is and how opening/informative it was. I knew that telling if someone had a food allergy was difficult, but I never realized it was this difficult. From reading this article, it sounds pretty much like a guessing game. I don't know if it's possible to find a better, more certain way to test a person for food allergies, but I sure wish there was. The article says, "It's a limiting diagnosis; it's difficult socially, it's difficult nutritionally..." this quote is so true. I'm not 100% sure that I have a food allergy, but this year has been extra difficult for me because I've been dealing with the possibility. I got a rash/hives from whatever it is that I'm allergic to, and it really does limit you socially... a lot! Even if other people don't really notice, it makes everything more difficult. With the added stress, and frustration... things would definitely be much easier if there was a clear test that could say 'yes, you are allergic to this allergen,' but, no such luck. I think that the new guidelines they are working on are definitely needed, and hopefully they are successful and show improvement. However, I have a feeling that food allergies will always be a big guessing game, or if they do come up with some way to tell, the test will be so expensive that the average person will not be able to afford it. Doctors and medicine and tests are discovered and are made to help people, so I don't understand why they are all so expensive that so many people can not take the help they need and are offered... I guess life wasn't made to be easy, we all have to have some major challenges. For all of the people suffering from food allergies out there; I feel for you, and, in the future, I wish us all success!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
"BP: Crews Dealt Setback in Placing Containment Dome at Oil Spill Site"
The oil spill, which is increasing by 210,000 gallons: equal to 5,000 barrels a day, was set to be potentially 'fixed' aka 'under control' by placing a containment dome over the broken wellhead. However, BP was dealt a setback because many hydrates (crystals which form when gas combines with water) accumulated inside of the dome. The hydrates make the dome float and they blocked the tope of the dome so BP would not be able to funnel the oil up into a ship. Now the crews must work hard to get rid of the hydrates. Workers did know that hydrates would be a problem, just not this big of a problem. The dome is not guaranteed to work, it has never been tested at the conditions it will be in in the ocean. There is another possible solution be considered, which includes "tak[ing] ground up material of various types and try[ing] to inject it into the blowout preventer at the bottom of it and it will flow up and plug it up." This method also has it's risks. Some success can be said about the oil spill though. Thousands of volunteers worked to skim the water's surface and collected 17,500 barrels of an oily-water mix and there were five successful controlled burns.
I'm glad to hear that some success and progress is being made on fixing this oil spill. However, I must say that I'm disappointed in the actions or lack of actions that people are taking. To me it seems that BP has not reacted quickly enough. The oil spill began shortly after April 20. That is ten days short of a full month now. I would think that they would have done something by now to try and halt the growing spill issue. I know that they were working on making this dome, but now to find that they have to do more work on it to make it successful... I would think that with almost a month in preparation, they would have worked out all of the kinks. This spill is a disaster, a man made disaster that is going to harmfully impact the environment in a way that will last for decades! And still, almost a month now, 5,000 barrels of oil are spilling into the ocean every day! I just can't really grasp on the idea that it has been a month and nothing has been done or attempted... well I guess one thing has, but still, I feel that this attempt is long overdue and should have been done a matter of days after the spill began. People should have been working major overtime, and more workers, more ideas, more care, more action should have been present. Maybe I'm just thinking idealistically and none of this is actually possible, but then again, maybe I'm not. All I can do is pray that things get fixed soon and that actions are made and something turns out to be successful. My prayers go out to all of the volunteers, to the people living on the coastline, to the environment and to all of the attempts and work going into trying to fix this disaster.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
"Consequences of spills can last for decades"
The oil spill (which has now began reaching the coastline) started on April 20 when the BP drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. Two days later it sank and left oil gushing into the ocean. With multiple conflicts surrounding the issue of stopping the ever-growing spill and getting rid of as much of it as possible before it reaches the coast, people and scientists have felt a growing stress on how they can save the coastline. Since the spill is so large and is growing everyday, we're are facing a "long-term poisoning of the area. Ultimately, this will have a multi-decade impact." The oil spill in Alaska in 1989 consisted of 11 million gallons of oil, and still today one can find oil lying under rocks on beaches. The ultimate damage of the oil spill we are dealing with today can not be officially determined, it all depends on how much reaches the coast. The coast could face much more damage than Alaska's coast did because it is made up of mostly marshland and has calm waters making the oil much more difficult to clean up. One of the big issues with this oil spill is that from the Gulf of Mexico we get 40% of the U.S.'s seafood supply. Some say the damage will last from two- five years, but as we know from the Alaskan beaches, the damage can last much longer than that!Sometimes I just have to wonder how people come up with ideas... who just randomly thought to drill for oil in the ocean? First, I have to say that I'm glad this spill happened before President Obama's oil drilling plan started, and I hope that this puts a huge gap and prevents or at least puts more restrictions on this drilling. I have seen some footage of the oil spill in Alaska and people trying to clean up from it... I know that it was a lot of hard work with long hours and that many animals and plants suffered greatly, not to mention how it affected the whole ecosystem. I honestly don't really care about the oil spill today will affect the seafood, how the spill, once it reaches the shore, will destroy a large amount of the seafood the U.S. consumes. I don't like and therefore don't eat seafood, but I know that with this loss, many people will not be happy and it could be possible that some businesses will have to suffer a lot and pay more to import seafood which people won't like as much, lose business, and some may go bankrupt. What I'm more concerned about is the coastline and how it will affect the ecosystems and habitats in those areas. Especially with much of the coast being marshland, the oil will affect it that much more with the calm waters and such. Just think of all of the poor animals that will not be able to escape and the plants that will have a slow death, like you being wrapped in plastic with no air holes, just left sitting there to die. I really hope that people will learn a lesson from this and move forward- in a positive direction. There obviously needs to be greater restrictions for oil companies: more check-ups or replacing more often or routine checks to make sure things are working properly... something needs to be done. Or, I have an idea, let's not drill in the ocean anymore and use that money instead to find ways where we can be non-dependent on oil! People need to focus on helping the environment and earth and not be so selfish. Resources will not be there forever, so let's preserve them so the future can live just as great lives as we have.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
"Ohio Mom, Mystery Man Found in Miami Beach"
Over the weekend (April 17-18) a 31 year old southwestern Ohio mother and her one year old daughter went missing. The mother, Tiffany Tehan, had taken her daughter with her to go to a shopping trip for the day. The mother was found in Miami Beach, Florida today (April 22). She is safe and has been in contact with her family. The day after her disappearance, her vehicle was found abandoned near a skate park with a flat tire. In a surveillance video from a local convenience store she was seen with a man during the months of March and April. The man had also been missing for a few days, he was also found in Miami Beach. The man was not someone that the rest of Tehan's (the missing woman's) family knew. However, the video shows that the missing woman and man appeared to have known each other and they had been seen at that location multiple other times.
This is an interesting story. I am slightly confused though. At the beginning of the article they say that the woman had taken her one year old daughter with her when she left to go on the shopping trip, but later on they do not mention anything about the daughter being missing, they only say that the woman was missing. Also, when I say a segment on the news about this story, they mentioned nothing about a missing child. They did show Tehan's family and her husband was holding a little girl, obviously their daughter, but I did not catch the age. My guess is that the article is mistaken when saying that the woman brought her daughter with her on the shopping trip. I am very glad that the police were able to find her. I know they were showing pictures taken from the surveillance video showing her with the man. The man to me seems to be a suspicious character in this story. So since roughly a month ago, the two were seen more than once at a convenience store, then, when the woman was reported missing, the police found her vehicle with a flat tire (meaning she was possibly taken or set up, etc.) and finally, the man had also been missing for a couple of days but was found in Miami Beach- the exact place Tehan was found. I would call that very suspicious. I hope they figure out all of the missing clues to this story and a follow up is released. It will be interesting to find out what happened in this story. I guess time will tell...
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