Water Source Issues in Iraq

I found a really intersting article in the New York Times about water source issues in Iraq. The Euphrates River is drying up and is significantly smaller than it was two years ago. Although droughts are not uncommon in Iraq, this one has lasted for 2-years already. Despite drought, the main issue concerns water rights. The Euphrates is known to be important to the "birth of civilization", but has now "decimated farms along its banks, has left fishermen impoverished, and has depleted riverside towns as farmers flee to the cities looking for work.

Rice and wheat fields are now dried dirt, canals and streams have greatly diminished, and fishing boats lay abandoned on dry banks. Wheat and barley fields in the northern region of the country are 95% down on production. Date palms and citrus orchards are also suffering.

The identity of Iraq is also at risk during the drought. Once the world's largest exporter of dates, barley suppliers for German beers, and its reputation for Anbar rice, Iraq is importing grain and may be forced to grow cheaper varieties of rice.

The main problem for Iraq concerning water scarcity is that Iraq is a downstream country. Neighboring countries Turkey and Syria are upstream of Iraq and have at least seven dams on the Euphrates. There are no agreements or treaties concerning water. Turkey reportedly released 60% more water, but it is not enough to replenish the river life and agriculture surrounding the Euphrates. Channels designed to provide drinking water, are now dry and full of salt and sewage. Clean water is not available and if conditions do not improve by next winter, many more families will be leaving the agricultural villages.

Robertson, Campbell. New York Times, "Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles", July 13, 2009.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/world/middleeast/14euphrates.html?_r=1

Blog #3 Slums and Overurbanization

When we talked in class about urban geography and overurbanization I mentioned that I thought the Danny Boyle film, Slumdog Millionaire was a good example of povertized communities settling on the edges of cities. I read this article a couple months ago in print and amzaingly I was able to find it again on the net.

The movie "Slumdog Millionaire" was a hit blockbuster and won "8 Oscars and $326 million n box-office receipts. One of the child stars from the movie, Azharuddin Ismail, 10 years old, actually lives in the slums of Mumbai, India. In May 2009, his family was awakened by police officers and told they had minutes to leave their home before it would be demolished along with other illegally built shanties. All together, a bulldozer and about 100 men demolished 30 shanties in the slum. This is to discourage overcrowding in the city and happens regularly. The slum is called Garib Nagar or city of the poor and is just outside of Mumbai. Despite the young star's fame, little has changed for him, his family, and his community from day to day. Azharuddin's family not only lost their shanty, but also their pet kittens, their family hen, and many gifts awarded Azharuddin for his part in the film. Co-star Rubina Ali's family shantie was flooded almost knee deep with sewage water from a backed up drain the month before.

An official of the Bombay Municipal Corportation said the demolition was necessary to prepare for monsoon flooding and that only illegal shanties were bulldozed, not legally owned homes. People who could prove that they had lived there at least 15 years, which inlcudes Azharuddin's family, would be relocated to government housing. The relocation sites for removed shanty dwellers is often small, poor-quality, and far from jobs.

The filmmakers say they set up trusts for proper homes, good educations, and nest eggs for the young actors for when they finish high school, the amount is not disclosed even to the children's parents. Budgets were made for Asharuddin's family to buy an appartment but it is not enough in Mumbai's expensive real estate to truly leave the slums behind. The irony of the situation for these children and their families is so striking.

I highly recommend this film, as it portrays children's experiences growing up in slums. There are definately multiple examples of location, place, movement, and culture. Great film. See it.

Kinetz, Erika. The Seattle Times. "' Slumdog Millionaire' Child Star Sees Home Razed." May 15, 2009.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2009222264_slumdog150.html

Culture, Religion & Environment

I read an interesting article that was actually an obituary of Thomas Berry. Thomas Berry worked as a cultural historian, was a leader on the subject of religion, specializing in Asian religions, and environment or eco-theology. Berry was an advocate of the idea that " Earth's ecological crisis was basically a crisis of the spirit." He contributed to the idea that environmental issues were more than science and policy, but they were a matter of the spirit. Berry believed that the Earth and it's elements, such as trees, forests, and mountains, have the same right to exist as humans,"We bear the universe in our being even as the universe bears us in its being." In his book "The Dream of the Earth" Berry stated, "the natural world is the larger sacred community to which we all belong." In a compilation of essays called "The Sacred Universe: Earth, Spirituality, and Religion in the 21st Century", Berry illustrated the need for interreligious dialogue and understanding and also his concern for the destruction of Earth's ecosystems, the extinction of species, and future generations. To address these issues, Berry calls for a response from the world's religions.

I thought this article was interesting because of how Berry's studies brought various subjects of our class together in his works. He addresses cultural effects on the Earth, the neccessity of religious response to ecological crisis, and the Earth as a community of humans, animals, religious belief, and elements of the Earth. If you google Thomas Berry you can find summaries of his works, such as, "The Sacred Universe: Earth, Spirituality, and Religion in the 21st Century", "Christian Future and the Fate of the Earth", "Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as a Sacred Community", "Dream of the Earth", "The Great Work", "The Universe Story", "Buddhism", and "Religions of India."

Thurber, John. LA Times. "Thomas Berry Dies at 94; Cultural Historian Became a Leading Thinker on Religion and the Environment." June 13, 2009.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-thomas-berry13-2009jun13,0,2546836.story

Blog #1- Australia Emissions Trading Plan in Trouble

Newcastle, Australia is the center of Australian heavy industry and the world's largest exporter of coal. The exportation of coal supplies the economy with billions of dollars, 80 percent of the country's electricity, and tens of thousands of people with jobs. However, Australian coal burning produces a large amount of carbon dioxide and is a major contribution to climate change. Many people are hesitant to respond when questioned about their opinions on the coal production and climate change. The government has ratified the Kyoto protocol on global warming and plans to revise the way Australia uses energy and cut emissions by 25 percent overall. The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme passed throught the House of Representatives, but controversy is expected in the Senate. Although employees are concerned about climate change, they also worry about stating their opinions publicly in concern of job securtity.

This article is related to human geography because of the relationship between the people and their work place and it's importance to their lives and immediate resources they require. This article also addresses relations between the Australian government and the people of Australia, in regards to work, political parties, and government action toward climate change. On the world scale, the article addresses differences in pollution contribution from Australia, China, and the United States and ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

New York Times, "Australian Emissions Trading Plan in Trouble", June 21, 2009.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/22/science/earth/22iht-climate.html?_r=1&ref=asia