Facebook Map the World!

Facebook has used it's data to map out its 500 million members around the world.

Amazing Satellite Images of Earth

Amazing Images of Earth captured by the European Space Agency and Nasa Satelittes. The image above is of Egypt and shows the population of Egypt living concentrated over the Nile Delta, useful image to discuss populution,

The link below has other images that could be useful

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2010/dec/06/satellite-eye-on-earth?intcmp=122#/?picture=369407901&index=7

Rio reborn, declares mayor, as police recapture infamous drug gang slum

Heavily armed operatives 'conquered' Complexo do Alemao in explosive confrontations that left at least 50 dead.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/28/rio-police-drug-gang-slum

Cumbria's natural landscape may be restored to ease flooding

Planning bodies consider return to meanders, flood meadows and long-lost plantations in valleys of Lake District

Cornwall mops up after devastating flash floods

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/18/cornwall-flash-floods-weather

Cholera in Haiti

Emmanuel Tima and his son, who is recovering from cholera, return to their makeshift home in the Canaan settlement in Haiti. Photographs by Carlos Cazalis/Corbis for the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2010/nov/17/haiti-cholera-audioslideshow

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (Redd)

Find out more about the international plan to allow countries and companies to offset their carbon emissions by paying poorer nations to preserve their forests.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/24/redd-reducing-emissions-from-deforestation

Google Nicaraguan map error threatens to escalate into regional dispute

Nicaragua to take Costa Rica border quarrel to international court of justice after Organisation of American States intervenes




http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/15/google-map-dispute-nicaragua

Conservationists warn of threat to national parks

Budget cuts could weaken protection of landscapes, say campaigners – amid fears of green light for economic development



Government plans to reform national parks threaten to destroy the country's most precious landscapes, including the Lake District, the Norfolk Broads and the New Forest, by forcing managers to promote more economic development, conservation campaigners claim.

The row has been ignited by a consultation published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) this week. Critics say that the focus on looking for ways to make parks more "responsive to the concerns of their local communities" will mean that economic development will be placed on an equal footing to conservation, making it easier for developments such as new housing estates and business parks to gain planning approval. At present, national parks have the highest protection possible because of their national importance.
Concern has been fuelled by the government's recent spending review which has raised the threat of cuts to the parks' budgets, and suggested that economic value should be the guiding priority for Defra. Ministers have also confirmed that they are still hoping to find buyers or new managers for national nature reserves in a bid to cut costs.
"There's been a long running debate around national parks: whether, in addition to protecting the landscape and promoting public enjoyment, there should be a third duty to promote economic progress," said Neil Sinden, policy and campaigns director for the Campaign to Protect Rural England. "That would subvert the other objectives. It would be inappropriate to give it equal status to the original objectives."
The drive to give more weight to local opinion is also in line with the coalition government's proposed planning reforms, which threaten to reduce the ability of objectors to argue that there are national reasons to reject developments, said Sinden.
"It goes to the heart of why the legislation was put in place because the government of the day – and government since – believed there was an over-riding national interest in protecting our most precious areas of countryside," he added.
Last night Defra responded to the concerns about the consultation – which applies only to the ten national parks in England – with a statement: "National parks also bring economic benefits to the region, for example, through tourism. Part of the role of NPAs is to work with the local community to promote economical development and social wellbeing of the area."
It added: "Defra as a whole has had its funding reduced by 30% but that reduction still has to be distributed between our various programmes, including the National Park Authorities.  We do not yet know what funding national parks will receive."
Some conservation groups warned that the decentralisation favoured by government would make economic pressures inevitable. The Campaign for National Parks has for some time been warning about the growing threat of developments as elected parks authorities bow to pressure in rural areas to create jobs. For similar reasons there was also a vocal local campaign against the decision last year to create the UK's newest national park in the South Downs.
Ruth Chambers, the council's deputy chief executive, said threatened budget cuts, which have yet to be confirmed but that a minister told a private meeting were likely to be 25% over four years, following a 5% cut this year, would make it harder for the National Park Authorities to protect landscapes.
"They are going to have to make decisions: are they going to have to reduce rangers [or] visits by schoolchildren?" said Chambers. "It's all connected to the funding: if we have got less well-resourced bodies implementing these purposes on the ground they are ripe for exploitation."
Others are less concerned. The Woodland Trust said the review would only affect governance of the parks, such as who and how members were elected.
The UK's national parks were set up by an act of parliament in 1949, which set two priorities for their management: conserving the environment and landscape, and encouraging public access, and stated that in the event of a clash conservation should take precedence. Another act in 1995 set up the National Park Authorities and gave them a new role to "foster the economic and social wellbeing of local communities", although this was considered secondary to the original core priorities.
Although they were considered the country's most important landscapes, unlike many national parks around the world those in the UK are home to hundreds of thousands of people, many working locally, as well as attracting millions of visitors a year.
There are currently 14 national parks and the Norfolk Broads, which has similar status – 10 in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. National parks in Wales and Scotland are managed by their devolved administrations.
Any move to weaken national parks would appear to run counter to an agreement at the international biodiversity summit in Nagoya, Japan, in October, when Caroline Spelman, the environment secretary, joined politicians worldwide to announce a big increase in protected areas

Shifting sands threaten Mali's remote communities

Last month, Madeleine Bunting visited Mali to see the impact of climate change on the west African county. In Anakila, the effects are stark, as the community tries to prevent a sand dune encroaching on the remote town
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/gallery/2010/nov/01/mali-climate-change-desertification#/?picture=368242311&index=1

Thousands flee Burma to escape election violence

Refugees given food and shelter in makeshift Thailand camps after two days of sporadic clashes between rebels and military.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/nov/09/burma-election-violence-refugees-thailand

International Human Development Indicators

The UN as released a useful GIS-style website which alows users to map and interpret data relating to development indicators.

http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map/

Go Animate!

Another fantastic resource that allows Learners to make cartoons and charachters for free! Againt he websites allows learners to make their own cartoon strips and can do it on a number of topics such as Hot deserts or a cartoon on what I learned in class today. This is a great tool as it is engaging and free to use online!



http://goanimate.com/

Pixton- Useful Comic Strip Website

Pixton.com is a great website that allows learners to create online Comic Strips that can be used as a valueable way to display concepts, ideas and as a revision tool.




The website offers learners with he opporuniy to create their own storyboards giving them the opportunity to be creative and engaged in the activity. However the software is cost money to be registered and use, however it canbe downloaded for a 14 day trail whoch could be enough time to use it for a topic.

The True Cost of Pineapples in UK Supermarkets

UK supermarket price wars are wrecking lives in the developing world, according to a new campaign launched tomorrow by Consumers International (CI). Recent deep cuts in the price of pineapples on the British high street have inflicted unacceptable damage on those living and working on plantations in Costa Rica, the consumer group says.
An investigation by Guardian Films [click for video], with funding from CI, has found a catalogue of environmental and social damage caused by intensive tropical fruit production in Costa Rica, from where three-quarters of pineapples sold in the UK come.
Our findings include evidence that:
• The constant use of agrochemicals has led to contamination of drinking-water supplies to communities around the plantations. One group of villages, bordering plantations that either supply or are owned by Del Monte, has been forced to collect water from tankers for more than three years.
• Repeated chemical accidents have inflicted serious damage on the local environment. In June this year, a fire at a chemical dump used by the multinational trader Dole caused a toxic cocktail to spill into the nearby river. Fish and other wildlife including crocodiles were killed along miles of waterways. The pesticide involved is sprayed by Dole on its bananas. Dole told us that it was co-operating with the authorities investigating the accident.
• Workers reported suffering serious health problems from exposure to the chemicals used on pineapple plantations, including in some cases accidental chemical poisoning on Del Monte and Grupo Acon farms. Grupo Acon supplies Tesco, Asda, Dole and Fyffes.
• Price cuts in European supermarkets have led to wages being drastically cut by Grupo Acon, workers said.
• Efforts to join independent trade unions to improve conditions are said to have been met with repression and mass sackings on Del Monte and Grupo Acon plantations.
Consumers International, which acts as an umbrella group for independent consumer organisations across Europe, says its own research has shown that conditions in Costa Rica's tropical fruit industry are unacceptable. It accuses supermarkets such as Tesco and Asda of complicity despite their public commitments to source food responsibly.
"Their positive intentions are being undermined by retail price cuts and aggressive procurement practices that lead to cuts in wages and insufficient resources to improve working practices," said Catherine Nicholson, CI's programme co-ordinator. "Consumers want low prices but not at the cost of fair living conditions for producers."
Del Monte, which exports 50% of Costa Rica's pineapples, told us it had strict controls on chemicals to minimise accidents. It said that the government was monitoring the drinking water situation. It also said that all its workers were free to join unions. Grupo Acon did not respond to the allegations in our film but later said that it had strict protocols to deal with accidents. Dole declined to comment on conditions at its supplier. Fyffes, supplier to Asda of some Grupo Acon fruit, told us that it had checked in audits and was satisfied that all its suppliers had an open attitude to unions and did not discriminate against union members. Asda told us that it had reiterated to suppliers the high ethical standards expected of them.
Tesco told us that it was already actively engaged in improving standards: "After two years working with suppliers in Costa Rica, we have brokered agreement to invite independent labour experts to review labour practices and identify ways to strengthen them. That project is underway and is examining issues including pay, labour relations, seasonal labour and health and safety."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2010/oct/01/high-cost-cheap-pineapples-supermarkets

Human Poo to Power Homes

Next time you flush the toilet, you could be doing your bit for green energy. After being stored for 18 days, human waste will from today be returning to homes in the form of renewable gas.
Centrica is opening a plant at Didcot sewage works which will be the first in the UK to produce renewable gas for households to use.
National Grid believes that at least 15% of all gas consumed could be made from sewage slurry, old sandwiches and other food thrown away by supermarkets, as well as organic waste created by businesses such as breweries.
However, there are fears in the industry that the government's spending cuts could make it more difficult for companies to come up with the £10bn needed to develop the new plants and pipelines.
Because it is more expensive to produce renewable gas, companies say they need to be paid twice the market rate for it to make economic sense.
But a proposed subsidy, scheduled to come into force in April, has yet to be approved and there is speculation that the government could delay or scrap it.
The Didcot facility is a pilot project to demonstrate the technology and will supply about 200 homes with gas. The project is a joint venture between Thames Water, British Gas and Scotia Gas Networks.
One industry expert likened the process to a "cow's stomach on a life support machine". The sewage sludge is collected in air-tight vats which are heated and enzymes added to speed the anaerobic digestion process and break down the material. Methane is produced and then it is purified ready for use.
Landfill sites can also produce methane gas which is then typically used to generate electricity. But British Gas says supplying renewable gas directly is much more efficient, as about two thirds of the energy is lost when electricity is generated.
This Friday, Adnams the brewer will open an anaerobic digestion facility in Suffolk using waste slurry which will provide renewable gas to about 235 homes. British Gas is also involved in this project and is planning to open three more.
Gearóid Lane, managing director of communities and new energy at British Gas, said: "This renewable gas project is a real milestone in Britain's energy history, and will help customers and the environment alike. Renewable gas has the potential to make a significant contribution to meeting the UK's energy needs. Gas from sewage is just one part of a bigger project, which will see us using brewery and food waste and farm slurry to generate gas to heat homes."
Next time you flush the toilet, you could be doing your bit for green energy. After being stored for 18 days, human waste will from today be returning to homes in the form of renewable gas.
Centrica is opening a plant at Didcot sewage works which will be the first in the UK to produce renewable gas for households to use.
National Grid believes that at least 15% of all gas consumed could be made from sewage slurry, old sandwiches and other food thrown away by supermarkets, as well as organic waste created by businesses such as breweries.
However, there are fears in the industry that the government's spending cuts could make it more difficult for companies to come up with the £10bn needed to develop the new plants and pipelines.
Because it is more expensive to produce renewable gas, companies say they need to be paid twice the market rate for it to make economic sense.
But a proposed subsidy, scheduled to come into force in April, has yet to be approved and there is speculation that the government could delay or scrap it.
The Didcot facility is a pilot project to demonstrate the technology and will supply about 200 homes with gas. The project is a joint venture between Thames Water, British Gas and Scotia Gas Networks.
One industry expert likened the process to a "cow's stomach on a life support machine". The sewage sludge is collected in air-tight vats which are heated and enzymes added to speed the anaerobic digestion process and break down the material. Methane is produced and then it is purified ready for use.
Landfill sites can also produce methane gas which is then typically used to generate electricity. But British Gas says supplying renewable gas directly is much more efficient, as about two thirds of the energy is lost when electricity is generated.
This Friday, Adnams the brewer will open an anaerobic digestion facility in Suffolk using waste slurry which will provide renewable gas to about 235 homes. British Gas is also involved in this project and is planning to open three more.
Gearóid Lane, managing director of communities and new energy at British Gas, said: "This renewable gas project is a real milestone in Britain's energy history, and will help customers and the environment alike. Renewable gas has the potential to make a significant contribution to meeting the UK's energy needs. Gas from sewage is just one part of a bigger project, which will see us using brewery and food waste and farm slurry to generate gas to heat homes."

Touchscreen Breakthrough could revolutionise Education

A new multi touch screen technology has been unvieled by Jeff Han. The touch screen technology allows users to interact with the screen using multi 'pressure points' allowing the users to multitask on screen doing a number of tasks at the same time as well as allowing many users to use the touchscreen at the same time. This technology could revolutionise smart boards in classrooms as it would allow learers to do a number of tasks and work in collaboration wih other learners.

The new touch screen also comes with many applications that could potentially be used in many ways that could have a massive impact in the way learners interact with with smartboards and with ICT. Such applications include uploading and editing images and more interestingly using NASA's data images of the Earth to create an interactive planet Earth that can e accessed at the movement of a finger and creating 3D images, check out the clip below to see the touch screen in action.http://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_han_demos_his_breakthrough_touchscreen.html

Nature Under Threat

Nature (the scientific Jouranal) has published findings on water insecurity and biodiversity loss across the world. New research published in Nature shows how human 'stresses' are impacting on water security across the world's rivers. Red areas are the worst affected, and blue the least (HWS stands for 'human water security')



New research published in Nature today shows how human 'stresses' are impacting on aquatic species across the world's rivers. Red areas are the worst affected, and blue the least



What is interesting about these maps is that it provides many realtionships and correlations. Looking at the Maps:

1) What countries face the greatest threat of water shortages?
2) Why do you think this is?
3) What countires face the least threat of water shortages?
4) Why do you think this is?
5) What countries face the greatest loss of biodiversity?
6) Why do you think this?
7) Some countries with plentiful water supply have a high loss of biodiversity such as the USA and the UK, why do think this is?
  

Patagonia under threat due to Dams

The Aysén region of Chilean Patagonia is threatened by a plan to build five dams on the Baker and the Pascua rivers – two of the wildest in the world. The dams would have a damaging impact on the region effecting wildlife, people and the national parks in the region. However the dams would create jobs and renewable energy for Chile to boost development. The link below provides more inforamtion on the case study with some stunning images.http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2010/apr/20/patagonia-rave-rivers

Did You Know?....

Interesting clip about the future about world population in relation to the increase use of technology and the impact this could have on education....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPO_HGafBsE

Britain From the Air

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2010/sep/23/britain-air-exhibition-bath

The Royal Geogrpahic Society has lauched its new project Britain from the Air. A street exibition that will tour the country. In the RGS's own words the images:

"Showing Britain as you have never seen it before: 100 huge images of our natural and built landscapes telling stories of our heritage and bringing alive the beauty of our environment, and challenging us all to understand the changes taking place today in our towns and cities."




The images alone are useful sources for lessons and can be used in a number of wayssuch as the farming image above. This image is called Harvest, Wiltshire. The image comes with information regarding farmign practices in the UK:

"Wheat yield in Britain is about 7 to 10 tonnes per hectare, in 1950 it was 3 to 4 tonnes"

this image and stat can be used as a great introduction to the Farming topic, used as a Mystery or thinking Skills Activity. Discussion can be based on the reasons why there has been a dramatic increase in farming production, advantages and implications.

The Coastal Cliff  image above can again be used as a great Mystery and thinking skills activity for the Coast Topic.

RGS is to produce educational resources for secondary in the future as well as touring the counry with the images as a street exihibtion which will include a walk-on O.S map!

Outdoor Education with Scottish Natural Heritage

This is a great website from Scottish Natural Heritage and provides ideas links and resources for Outdoor Learning Activities. These activities are divided into a number of sections including Biodiversity, School Grounds and Woodland Ways. Each section provides inforamtion on ideas of how to introduce aspects of outdoor education in your school, within the school grounds and beyond. Each sections aslo provides links to case studies of schools that have introduced good examples and sharing their good practice by providing downloads, as well as this the sections give links to organisations that can help departments and school to develop and implement outdoor education and even provide funding!

http://www.snh.org.uk/teachingspace/what_to_do.asp

Your Climate Your Life

Useful website providing useful information and resources regarding climatic change causes, impacts and solutions. This would be a useful tool for the Environment Topic that I have developed for S1.
http://www.yourclimateyourlife.org.uk/

Farming and Countryside Education

This is a useful website on current Farming and Countryside issues. The website provides information and resources for Geography, but also for Art and Business creatinf chances of cross-curricular links. It provides resources and multimedia sources on farming issues and practices and would be a practical tool for Rural and Farming topics.

http://www.face-online.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&lang=en_GB.utf8%2C+en_GB.UT

Guardians Global Development

The Guardian Newspaper's website has introduced a new section on Global Development. This is a great site as it provides information on current Global Development issues and allows registion for updates and to add on twitter. A key aspect of the site is that it tracks progress on the Millenium Development Goals, number one being Eradicating extreme Poverty and Hunger and provides recent findings on determining whether or not the goals are being met. This has the potential to be a great resource as it can be used in a number of ways providing teachers and learners sources of up to date information, analysis and comment on the issues of Global Development useful for not only Geography, but Modern Studies, Citizenship, Religous and Moral Education and many other subject areas providing opportunities for cross curricular links.

Furthermore the site provides a Data Store providing up date information and stats on the Development Goals. This is a useful tool when teaching the topic of Development and Health as it provides up to date information rather than using sources of data that may be up to 10 years out of date.

Another key aspect of the site is that it provdes learners with Case Studies on such issues as Combating HIV/Aids, Malaria and other Diseases. These case Studies provide learners with Data, News Reports, Photos, Facts and Figures fom Research, Information on Campaigns in the UK and Globally aswell as Multimedia links. This site would work well when studying Case Studies in the Development and Health topics in both Standard Grade and Higher Geography. Check out the site from the link below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development

Weather Studio

Another Great resource from Juicy Geography. The Weather Studio is a set of interactive web pages that are designed to be projected onto an interactive whiteboard. Students can present a realistic weather forecast using the pages. There are links to a synoptic pressure chart, and the current Europe infra-red satellite image on each page, which could also be used as part of the forecast

http://www.juicygeography.co.uk/weather.html

Milking It!

A great Interactive resource from Oxfam Education. Milking It allows learners to Compare the lives of two dairy farmers in very different countries. How are they affected by international trade rules? Who makes these rules, and what can we do to change them? This can be used in a range of topics in Geography, Social Subjects and in Citizenship. This can be used in the Farming Topic, Development, International Trade and Law and as a Project in Citizenship focussing on inequlity and Fair Trade.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/milking_it/milkingit/

Savage Earth

Found this useful website called Savage Earth Online which gives learners information regarding Environmental Hazards. The site provides information on Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis with detailed descriptions and animations.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/index.html

Brazil government gives go-ahead for huge Amazon dam

The Brazilian Government has agreed to build a major Hydroelectric Dam on one of the main tributary rivers to the Amazon. The dam will provide jobs, provide energy from an abundant renewable resource and help in the development of the country improving th lives of milions of people.

On the other hand, the Dam will damage the local envirnonent and ecosystem, killing many species of animals and plants. As well as forcing 50,000 indigenous 'local' people from their homes, livelhoods and communties-forcing them to migrate to the major cities.

Read the following article:


BBC News - Brazil government gives go-ahead for huge Amazon dam


What do you think? Do you agree that the dam should be built or not? Leave a comment below on what you think?

Would it better for the country if the dam was built, providing jobs and helping develop the country?

or, Would it be if the dam was not built saving the local environment and stopping thousands of people migating to the shanty towns of the major cities?

China traffic jam stretches nine days!!

Amazing News in China about a traffic jam that lasted almost 9 days!! Traffic consisting mostly of trucks was heading for Beijing!

Compare this to traffic jams in you City! Click on the link, watch the clip and read the article

BBC News - China traffic jam stretches 'nine days, 100km'

Ask yourself these questions:

What was causing the traffic jam?
What is this an indicator off?
What measures can be introduced to preventthis from happening again?

Deserts and Desertification

Attached is a great multimedia resource about the causes, effects and solutions to desertification. Can be used as an introduction to the topic or a revision tool.

The resources is produced by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to highlight deserts ecosystems around the world and the problems caused by incresing desertification.

Go to the link below, scroll down to the link called 'Deserts and Desertification', click on English to watch:

http://www.unep.org/NewsCentre/multimedia/?ct=anim

Illegal logging of tropical rainforests down by up to 75%

Report says governments, pressure groups and private sector all share credit for protecting extra 17m hectares of tropical rainforest. Efforts to tackle illegal destruction of the world's rainforests have been a success, according to a new report that details a significant fall in unauthorised logging.

The Chatham House study, released today, says that illegal logging has dropped by between 50 and 75% across Cameroon, Indonesia and the Brazilian Amazon over the last decade; globally it has dropped by one-fifth since 2002. The study credits actions taken by governments and pressure groups for the improvement, as well as greater responsibility across the private sector.

Sam Lawson, associate fellow at Chatham House and lead author of the report, said: "Up to a billion of the world's poorest people are dependent on forests, and reductions in illegal logging are helping to protect their livelihoods."

The fall in illegal logging, if continued, could save billions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and help the fight against global warming, the report says. The change over the last decade has seen 17m hectares of forest saved from degradation, preventing the release of 1.2bn tonnes of CO2 emissions. Viewed another way, if the trees saved were legally logged and sold, this could bring an extra US$6.5bn in additional income to the forest nations.

Stephen O'Brien, international development minister, said: "In the world's poorest countries, illegal logging fuels corruption and results in billions of pounds in lost revenue every year. For the hundreds of millions of people across the globe who depend on forests for their livelihood, curbing illegal logging means vital sources of income remain protected. This groundbreaking report sets out the success stories brought about through international efforts in reducing illegal logging, which encourages us all to pursue these efforts further."

In 2000, the UK, US, Japan, France and Netherlands imported more than 20 million cubic metres of illegally logged timber. By 2008, that dropped to 17m cubic metres. Although illegal logging has declined, it remains a major problem, the report says. Where progress has already been made, additional gains are likely to be increasingly hard to achieve. A new approach will be needed to halt completely the illegal timber trade, it adds.

The report, which compared records of wood imports to legal exports, says: "If they are to be effective, mechanisms to encourage developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation will require secure control and sound governance of forest resources. Efforts to tackle illegal logging and improve forest governance have already proved to be successful and cost-effective, and it is essential that the climate change agenda for forests serves to reinforce this response, rather than distract from it."

David Adam guardian.co.uk, Thursday 15 July 2010

EffienCity

A good online interactive resource from GreenPeace UK's website. EffienCity is a fictional city in the UK that is 100% self-efficient and provides information on renewable energy sources that are available. Learners can access loads of inforamation regarding making decisons to reduce carbon emissions and our dependancy on fossil fuels.

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/files/efficiencity/index.html

Can you cut UK Carbon Emissions?

National carbon calculator: Can you cut UK emissions? Play UK prime minister and set the policy on energy, transport and other sectors and measure the carbon emissions generated.


• The tool shows the UK as it is today

• Move the sliders and aim to reduce emissions by 80%

• You must supply enough electricity to meet demand. Make sure the scales are balanced


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2010/apr/21/national-carbon-calculator

The World's Disappering Forests

The Earth was once covered in ancient forests, 80% of which have been either destroyed or degraded, according to conservationists. Half of that has been in the last 30 years

Check out the link below for further information:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2007/dec/13/forests

Welcome to Expand your Horizons!

Hi my name is Gary and welcome to my Blog, Geography: Expand your Horizons! The aim of this blog is for learners of Geography to visit, browse, find information relating to their learning, seek out advice and support and to leave comments.

So for all you new learners to Geography who are wanting to know what it is all about, this is the site for you! Therefore, What is Geography? and What is the point in studying it?

I think the video link below is a good starting point on what broad elements Geography as a discipline covers:

Can Geography make a difference? A bit about me........

My first experiences of learning about Geogrpahy came in primary school where most pupils had a book which they read during their free reading time. For me I 'read' an Atlas. I used to look up countries with funny names of countries like Chile (for some reason I fond that funny), find major cities lite London and New York, Learning capitals cities, flags of countries, populations and probably most importantly my place in this world, where did I live? where was I on the map?

During my Secondary school experience Geography as a subject became a priority over most subjects (Art came a close second). I loved learning about different parts of the world, their climates, how people lived in those places and how people, us, can have a dramatic impact on our environment which we depend on. This lead me to go onto university to study Environmental Science, and i went the full hog and added Education to my degree, what best way to express my passion for Geography but to teach it. My degree came at a time of increased global awareness of environmental issues such climatic change, environmental degradation, and the human impact on the environment and my studies has had a lasting influence on my perception of the world and world events. After graduating i taught in Glasgow and had the chance to practice my skills as a teacher of Geography. During my probation year I did the most impulsive thing i have ever done (to date) i went in to a travel agents on a soaking Thursday after school and booked and paid for a round the world ticket! I don't know what drove me to do it, it wasn't anything to do with the day I had (i had a particular good day, maybe i was in high spirits). So there i was sitting on the bus with a world ticket in my hands!

After months of preparation on the 9th of August 2009, I lost my bottle and questioned what i was doing! I was planning to visit 15 counties, 3 separate continents, for 10 months....all by myself. What was i doing!! But i did it!

After arriving in Thailand i visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Chile (what a laugh!), Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil! Only 13 i know, I missed out Paraguay and Uruguay do to lack of money! But i managed it, with a little help along the way, and after this experience my passion for the world and the study of it grew and grew. I visited those places i found funny at primary school, those places at Secondary I learned about and the places I taught. Below are some of my favourite pictures i took along the way:

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Favela, Rio De Janerio

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Rice Field Chiang Mai, Thailand

These places and experiences brought to life what i had learned and was a fantastic opportunity for me. Now that i am back home i want to bring these experiences into the classroom and inspire future travellers and explorers into the understanding Geography can bring new opportunities in life and give young learners a chance to become good learners with an understanding of the wider world making them responsible citizens for the future and to expand their horizons.


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover".

-Mark Twain