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Troy Rietsma

Shrinking Lake Chad turning farmland into desert - CNN.com - 0 views

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shrinking chad lake Nigeria

shared by Troy Rietsma on 10 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Lake Chad is shrinking rapidly, threatening the millions of people who depend on it for their survival. But some locals are fighting back in a bid to preserve their way of life.
  • STORY HIGHLIGHTSLake Chad is just a twentieth of the size it was 50 years ago The lake feeds between 20 million people in Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger Local fishermen say they are catching fewer, and smaller, fish in the lake Some people are planting trees to stop desertification of the surrounding land
  • From droughts causing bad harvests, to floods destroying farms and homes, life in Africa's Sahel belt can be a constant struggle.
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • . More than 20 million people depend on the freshwater lake for their survival.
  • But it's been shrinking over the past 50 years and satellite images show it is now just a twentieth of its former size.
  • Huge expanses of water are now nothing more than a series of ponds and islands, and the once-fertile land that surrounds the lake is now dusty and barren.
  • "The lake is in the process of disappearing and the lake feeds many people, not just here but in other countries like Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger," he continued. "They are all people who live on Lake Chad."
  • Locals report that they are catching less fish and the ones that they do catch are smaller than they used to be.
  • A declining stock could have devastating consequences far beyond the water's edge, says Yakowra Mallom, from UNICEF.
  • There are no more fish. There's no more milk, no maize, no vegetables or cereal."
  • Local communities say the changing weather is the biggest reason for the shrinking of the lakes shores. The necessary irrigation of farming land has also been a factor.
  • A small local group is trying to save the surrounding land by planting trees in the villages that have been worst affected by desertification. If they cannot bring back the lake, they hope there will at least be workable land.
  • Troy Rietsma on 10 Mar 11
     
    RESEARCH QUESTION: How does the Nigerian blood oil effect the people of Nigeria? Sessay, Isha. "Shrinking Lake Chad turning farmland into desert." CNN.com. N.p., 2 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. . 1. Summary Lake Chad is drying up. This is a really bad thing, you could almost consider it like us with Lake Michigan. The people of Nigeria, Niger, and Chad depend on this lake to survive. Local fisherman even say that they are catching fewer and smaller fish in the lake. Satellite images show that the lake is a twentieth the size it was 50 years ago. 2. Reflection. This poses a huge threat to Nigerians. As if all the turmoil with the Libyans and their oil wasn't enough, the lake is also needed to keep the economy strong. This could change the lives of many Nigerians and how they need to survive. 3. Questions: What else can be done to save the lake besides the planting of trees? Will the planting of the trees help? How important is the fishing industry to Nigeria? Are there other sources of freshwater that will be sufficient for the needs of the Nigerians?
Andrew Kuper

Water, water everywhere: strong storms flood Australian cities. - 0 views

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Australia Flood

shared by Andrew Kuper on 17 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • The downpours have caused the worst floods there in 50 years.
  • The cyclone caused rivers and lakes to flood, leaving about 386,000 square miles of the nation underwater. That is an area larger than Texas.
  • The rushing waves affected more than 200,000 people.
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  • some experts say the country's economy could suffer for years.
  • estimates repairs will cost more than $5 billion.
  • Andrew Kuper on 17 Feb 11
     
    What are the effects of the Australian Floods? Citation: "Water, water everywhere: strong storms flood Australian cities." Weekly Reader News Edition 4-6 [a Weekly Reader publication] 11 Feb. 2011: 2+. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summary: Australia is recovering from the worst flood it's seen in 50 years. The flooding was caused by heavy rain from a cyclone. Over 386,000 square miles of Australia is underwater. The flooding has affected over 200,000 people, and has cost at least five billion dollars (not sure if it's Australian or US) in damages. Analysis: This is simply shocking to me. I'm bothered by how little attention this has received in relation to the magnitude of what's going on. The amount of land that is underwater is larger in area than the state of Texas, and 200,000 people have been affected. By comparison, Hurricane Katrina left only 1,500 people homeless, and we're still talking about that six years later. Questions: 1. What are the environmental/ecological impacts of the flooding? 2. How will this affect Australia's economy/businesses? 3. What all is being done to help those affected?
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