March 2010 Archives

Rain is awakening life! The plants are resurfacing, and everything seems to be waking up. Spring is the season that calls to the senses. The aroma is enough to draw in pleasant moments, and nature gives color and beauty to the background of city life. I am always excited to see the first buds appear, because I know that warm weather is on the way and new life is around every corner.

In Washington, D.C. spring seems to be bringing many forms of life. People are coming out from winter hiding and the Cherry Blossom trees are blooming. These next few weeks welcome thousands of tourists from all over the country, and the world, to take part in this spring festival.

For those of you who have experienced the Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C., you know that it is a one-of-a-kind experience. There are people everywhere celebrating all forms of culture. One of the first activities this year was the National Kite Festival.There were hundreds of adults and children trying to keep their kites in the air, while some others tried to overtake their neighbors' kites in the style of traditional Eastern kite fighting. It was exciting to see the joy when success was achieved, and the contraptions were soaring with the birds.

The Cherry Blossom committee has developed an extensive itinerary to keep folks of all ages involved in the celebration of these trees budding. If you would like to learn more about the Festival, check out this link to their page. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/

The question that I have is: Why do so many people come to Washington each year to celebrate these majestic trees?

One part to this answer could be the history of the tree. The main Cherry Blossom tree that you see around D.C. is the Somei Yoshino, or the Yoshino Cherry tree. This tree species was cultivated in the Edo period, and first arrived in D.C. in 1912 as a gift from Japan to mark growing foreign trade relations with the United States.

Cherry blossoms are at the heart of many social traditions. Coming together to relax and reflect in their beauty has been carried over to the United States from Japan, but what most people don't know is that the custom was originally borrowed from China.  

So whether in D.C. or elsewhere, hopefully you're enjoying spring--or fall if you're in the southern half of the world!

By: Sarah Evans

Students and Teachers: Get involved in the first ever underwater Bioblitz!

A BioBlitz is an annual event that is part scientific endeavor, part festival and part outdoor classroom.

Join the 2010 BioBlitz in Biscayne National Park near Miami, Florida on Friday, April 30th, when scientists, students, and the public join forces to explore the park's biodiversity and identify every living species in and out of its tropical waters--in just 24 hours. For more on this year's event, go to www.nationalgeographic.com/bioblitz.

Can't make it to Miami?

Students can participate from a distance in these ways:

 
Former MWW staffer Sara Rossi returns with more jottings from the World Affairs Council Conference, held March 11-12 in San Francisco.

One topic that was a central focus at the World Affairs Conference was food. The issues addressed ranged from world hunger, the global food crisis, and agricultural sustainability to the local food movement, obesity, and rising health care costs associated with nutrition-related diseases. Today, I'll focus on the first half of these issues in the global context.

Did you know that one billion people in the world suffer from malnutrition? Or that only 8% of malnutrition is due to war and natural disaster, while 92% is due to chronic poverty?

Did you know that in 2008 more food was produced than ever before--enough to feed 11 billion people--but that more people went hungry in 2008 than ever before?

As dire as these statistics may sound, there are promising initiatives striving to decrease suffering and create global food equity.

Earth Hour!  

Earth Hour is this Saturday, March 27th at 8:30pm local time. What is Earth Hour, you ask?  It is what it sounds like: an event organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and celebrated by individuals and municipalities around the world, as a symbolic stance against global warming. How can you participate? Simply flip the switch to "OFF" for one hour.

Last year 87 countries and 4,100 cities came together in this effort, including many well-known and well-lit landmarks--the Las Vegas strip, the Great Pyramids of Giza, St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong, and the Sydney Opera House, to name a few. For these famous locations, time spent in literal darkness allowed for ample reflection of how our choices can change the world.  

Universities, schools, businesses, and even individuals are getting involved. This is a great chance for families to take a stance together to express ideals for the future, and for individuals to join with people from many cultures in a collective effort to change the world.  

Up for the challenge?  

If you're curious about how much energy you use, take this quick quiz at www.BP.com/energylab. There are several country identifications to choose from, so you should be able to get a fairly accurate calculation. If you can calculate how much energy you save in one hour by turning off the lights, let me know! I am curious to know how much energy could be saved throughout the world in just one hour.  

Visit www.myearthhour.org to learn more about Earth Hour and to share your stories and photos.

This Saturday is a chance for the world to stand together in candle light and be mindful of our global energy footprint. So flip the switch!
By: Sarah Evans

It's World Water Day, an occasion to celebrate the miraculous liquid that bathes more than 2/3 of our planet and sustains all life.

We're continuing the fiesta de agua all year long as we look toward Geography Awareness Week 2010: "Freshwater." Check out the March edition of the newsletter for more information on what's in store for November 14-20.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here are our picks for the top 5 ways to celebrate liquid life today, World Water Day.
 


1. Check out National Geographic magazine in all its watery blue glory.
In recognition of World Water Day, National Geographic magazine will offer a free interactive version of its April single-topic issue, Water: Our Thirsty World. Between March 22 and April 2, anyone can visit nationalgeographic.com/freshwater to download the April issue for free. In addition to all the material in the print issue, readers of the digital issue will get animated images, photo slide shows, and more.

We encourage you to take advantage of the special, limited-time offer; after April 2 access to the new e-zine will cost you $5.95 an issue. Be one of the first to experience this innovative technology and tell us here on the blog what you think!

Hi all!  It's me, former intern Sara R., back from a year-and-a-half hiatus from My Wonderful World blogging.  It's lovely to be back!  Since leaving my post at MWW, I graduated cum laude from UCLA with a degree in communications and global studies and moved to San Francisco, where I've been working in healthcare consulting since September '09.

Last week I attended WorldAffairs 2010, the World Affairs Council's annual conference, held right in the heart of San Francisco.  The theme of this year's conference was Innovative Leadership in the Face of Crises, an especially apropos focus in light of the devastating natural disasters of the past two months.  The conference brings together civic leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics, business executives, analysts, and students for two days of discussions on the most pressing international issues of the day.  I was lucky to be a part of it and I'm happy to share my experiences with you all!

Read the March 2010 Newsletter: Geography Awareness Week 2010 theme announced: Freshwater!

Inside
March Challenge: Find 5 ways to reduce your water use
GeoFeature: National Environmental Education Week, April 11-17
Geography in the News: Celebrate World Water Day, March 22
Blog: Guest blogger: Making the Water-Energy Connection



Plus: Click to the next page for more newsletter highlights...

Here's the question I posed to intern Sarah Evans yesterday:




I've heard people say that St. Patty's St. Paddy's isn't really a big deal in Ireland, that it's much bigger in the U.S. Is it true? And if it is widely celebrated in Ireland, did it become popularized only after big celebrations emerged in the U.S. and Canada, or was it popular before??

If you have time to investigate today that would be awesome!!
sjc

...and here's what Sarah found out:

Jessica Culverhouse is program manager for National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation designed to connect educators with resources to improve K-12 students' understanding of the environment. EE Week will be held this year from April 11-17. To get involved, visit www.eeweek.org.

Have you ever wondered how far your water travels from its source to your kitchen faucet? Or thought about the energy required to heat the water for your shower? Did you know that water is a key component in the process of producing electricity from coal and other thermoelectric energy sources?

Above: In most homes and schools, water heating is second only to HVAC in terms of electricity requirements.

Each month we offer a challenge to MWW members to get involved doing geography; that is, taking an action that requires a geographic perspective or advocating on behalf of geographic education.

Our March Challenge: Choose 5 of 100 ways to conserve water and tell us how it goes!

Here's your chance: Please comment on this post with your water-saving stories.

In the last six weeks, two major earthquakes struck the Western Hemisphere. The first leveled the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti on January 12. The second occurred off the coast of Concepcion, Chile on February 27. While both of these events were life-altering for local residents and many others around the world, why does it appear that Chile's earthquake had less of a devastating impact, even though it had a higher magnitude on the Richter scale?

There are several factors that set the earthquakes apart; plate tectonics is one. The Earth's crustal plates slide, submerge, and travel in directions determined by convection currents of underground magma. In Haiti the plates slid horizontally against each other, creating the main impact point or "epicenter" of the quake at surface level in and around the city of Port-au-Prince.In Chile the oceanic plate, Nazca submerged under the Continental plate.The epicenter of that quake occurred an estimated 200 miles away from the coast. This type of tectonic movement is no stranger to Chile; the country experienced the most intense earthquake ever recorded in 1960, a magnitude 9.5 out of 10 on the Richter scale. Many experts believe that these reoccurring earthquakes explain why the citizens of Chile were more prepared and better trained to respond to last weekend's event. In Haiti, on the other hand, residents lacked basic earthquake survival skills, such as knowing to find a door frame to stand in, or knowing to stay clear of glass windows. Having such survival information might have saved the lives of some, but the bigger picture rests in the overwhelming economic differences between the two countries.

In Haiti the government has struggled to provide even basic necessities for its citizens, and so building codes were perhaps not high on the priority list. Chile has enjoyed a more stable political climate in the last few decades, enabling the government to prioritize earthquake-resistant building codes. There are even stringent building codes for low income housing in Chile. I think that this made the biggest difference in the number of people who fell victim to each of the quakes.

 There were 200,000 lives lost in Haiti, and so many others remain to grieve and try to create
a new life and home. In Chile an estimated 700
people lost their lives, and millions more have been displaced without a place to call home. It is tragic to think of the lives that were lost within and around the buildings, and certain pictures have found a place in my heart and in my mind. Even though there were significant differences in the  economic, geologic, and geographic factors affecting the numbers of casualties, losing a loved one is always a unique, personal journey in itself. My heart and thoughts goes out to all involved in this piece of history.

If you have other questions or would like additional resources, here are a few websites to visit.

1. http://www.usgs.gov/

-Good site for a full understanding of earthquakes

2. http://www.ceri.memphis.edu/perc/

-This is a good educator resource

3. http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/earthquake/state_contacts.shtm#ca

-This is a state contact guide for emergency management

4.Other ideas- for specific information about the earthquakes in Haiti or Chile, there are several news articles or USGS has a link on their page for further details about the individual quakes.

Random side note, it is interesting to see how articles vary depending on the information on hand that day, keep this in mind if you decide to look through different sources. Also, if any one has a good website that I didn't mention or a story linked to these events I would love for you to share. 


Sarah Evans from My Wonderful World

Salutations to all!

My name is Sarah Evans and I am the new intern for My Wonderful World. I am very excited to be working here for the next few months and exploring more about what National Geographic is all about.

I am sure that some of you had the chance to experience or read about the snow storm that stopped the great city of D.C. for a whole week. I arrived on the heels of the first storm, and just in time to cozy up inside for the second one a few days later. However, I have experienced plenty of snow storms before, being that I am from Colorado.

Colorado is a great state for one of my favorite hobbies: hiking. The many available trails have led me on countless adventures, and I recommend them to people of all levels of fitness.  Other than hiking, I love to travel. The chance to experience a whole new place, or even one that is just down the road, is to have your life shaped and your mind opened.
 
I have had the opportunity to see a few places so far, but the one that stands out in my mind is Rome, Italy. This ancient city seems to have a new story around every corner. The Colosseum, the Bocca della Verità or "Mouth of Truth," and the Trevi Fountain are some of my favorite places to see and experience in Rome--because of the story behind each one.


The Colosseum has many stories, gladiatorial fighting, medieval plays, a Christian worship center and now, it serves as a familiar place for tourists to reminisce about its past. I watched "Gladiator" the movie, in Italian, right before seeing it and all I could picture was Russell Crowe battling for a "dream."

The Bocca della Verita, is in a dark, chilling corridor next to an ancient church. It became famous in movies like "Roman Holiday" and "Only You." The Romans believed that a God inhabited the mouth and if you told a lie and placed your hand in the mouth it would bite it off...not a bad lie detector if you believe in the legend. Even without confessing to anything I was cautious with putting my hand inside.

The Trevi Fountain is the place to go if you intend to return to Rome. It is believed that if you thrown a coin in the fountain over your left shoulder then you will return to Rome. Some people believe that when three coins are thrown in, that two people will find a new romance and the third will get married or divorced. Whether the fountain is a place of superstition or magic, it is always fun to believe in the enchantment of a coin. I hope that my coin leads me back to Rome someday.


Rome is my favorite city so far but I have also seen other countries in Europe that I love for their own reasons. Other Countries that I have seen so far are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and England. Outside of Europe I have been to Mexico, and lived abroad in Ethiopia for a few months. These travels have become a part of me, not only memories but how I interact in this world.
These are just a few things about me for now, but I look forward to sharing more in the future. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Anne Frank who inspires all of us that anyone can make a difference and not only in the big things but also in the small.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."