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this relates to religious conflicts and what we have been learning in class because this event is about a sunni Muslim man who is carrying out attacks to spread the beliefs of his religion. Why did he feel the need to carry this out in a cafe in Sydney when there didn't seem to be anything threatening him or his religion? 

Areas of high religiosity, generally will not accept gay marriage which creates controversy in state governments. Why don't states legalize same sex marriage even if some people say it isn't right even when the pope himself supports the proposition? In my opinion it is an American citizen's right to be able to marry whomever he or she pleases.

If the Supreme Court ruled it legal then why are these other states still against it. Even if some states are very religious, it shouldn't be that big of a deal since, as Alec said, the pope supports it.

**Correction: The Pope does not support homosexual marriage. If he did, what sort of diffusion would that display?

Awesome x2 article. How does it relate to KI#3?

Fishing industries in Thailand are abusing migrant workers.

I've never heard of a fishing industry helping in human trafficking. It just shows how much people don't know about the messed up industrial world that we live in. It is also crazy to hear about all the different situations people live in around the world. Globalization is happening, but places around the world still are drastically different.

I didnt even know that Thailand had such a prominant fishing industry, let alone the fact that they are basically using slaves instead of at least paying some sort of wage.

In Poland a train was discovered that had gone missing in 1945 at the end of World War II. The people who found the train will not reveal its location until they are promised 10% of the value of what's inside the train. Some believe there is Nazi treasure well over one million dollars hidden within the train. The train was a military train, so there could also potentially be weapons such as nuclear bombs in it. This is an example of the geographical theme of globalization because it describes the technological advancements that the Nazis has during World War II. Will the people who discovered the train reveal its location? Are there weapons, treasure, or something else inside the train?

The high-level talks included from the North, Kim Jong Un's deputy, Hwang Pyong So, a member of Kim Jong Un's inner circle and political director of his country's army; and Kim Yang Gon, a veteran of negotiations with South Korea since Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, ruled the secretive regime.

Disregard that last comment... It automatically added it by itself. As tensions between the two countries of North and South Korea increase due to the severe injury inflicted on two South Korean soldiers from a North Korean landmine, shots were fired on both sides of the peninsula and are now discussing plans for the future of both countries. South Korea, despite many threats and warning from the North are blasting world news, S.Korean music and propaganda with powerful speakers in the DMZ zone. For many, this may be a big deal but South Koreans continue their daily lives as if nothing happened like many times before. In this article, we can see the theme of globalization. North Korea is the most isolated country in the world that does not allow any form of media, news or objects from any other countries. South Korea broke this 'sacred' rule when they blasted music, news and propaganda to the North with speakers spreading different ideas and religious beliefs into an area that did not have them before.

This article discusses an interesting recent discovery of the possibility of water on one of Jupiter's moons, named Europa. The discovery was made in 2012 when the Hubble Space Telescope spotted water vapor in the air above southern parts of Europa, and now several space agencies, including NASA have taken an interest in exploring it even further. This summer, work on building the spacecraft that is to be sent to explore Europa, began. In addition to exploring Europa, this spacecraft will also be exploring two of Jupiter's other moons, Ganymede and Callisto. Although covered in ice, all three of these moons have the potential to be harboring oceans underneath, and possibly some bacteria necessary to begin the growth of life on another rocky object in our solar system. The relationship between the moons in the Jovian system and humans on earth looking to explore these objects is an example of nature-culture on a very broad scale. Instead of just one small region of people interacting with the environment around them, this project deals with humans on earth as the people who are trying to change the environment (in this case other moons in the solar system) around them. One could also tie the theme of globalization to this article because various countries from around the world are bringing their knowledge and money together to try to achieve this mission of exploring Jupiter's moons.

In this event, I believe that it ties into the theme of globalization, because Iran is working together with Britain, to amend some damage that had been done in the past. Iran overall is working with other countries on a nuclear deal with six other world powers, which would also strengthen the ties between these countries. Once Iran has secured these solid relations, the economy would flow better, possibly increasing the economical standpoint of each nation. Britain and Iran are now working together to stop other issues like the fight on terrorism, as it has become a rather serious problem. All in all, the relationships between these countries exemplify the theme of globalization, by the linked economy and the diminishing of borders between the two countries.

In this article, it explains the most recent information about the animosity between North and South Korea. As mentioned in the story, the ongoing conflict between the two countries has once again been brought to attention in the beginning of August when South Korean men were injured by North Korean landmines. More recently, South Korea had detected a rocket being launched toward their country. They then responded by firing some shells back toward the area from where the rocket had been launched. This particular event reminds me of the theme of region in geography. This is because the two cultures have always had a long history where they were fighting each other, as was the case in the Korean War. Region itself, is a geographical area based on how a culture functions. Therefore, it is not too much of a surprise that they are once again fighting because it is their natural tendency to fight. I am sure that this is just the beginning of this current conflict and that there will be more trouble for these countries in the future.

Volcanoes in Japan and Ecuador are a threat to people living in those countries and the neighboring countries. The volcano in Ecuador, Cotopaxi, has already spewed ash into the sky. This ash could spread into the capital city of Ecuador which is not far from the volcano. People have been put on a yellow alert which is the lowest of the three levels. The yellow alert precautions the people living in the area to be prepared and have masks ready to be able to keep the ashes out of their lungs. The volcano in Japan is a more serious issue. The government has issued a level 4 emergency warning which means the residents should prepare to evacuate the island of Kyushu. The volcano has been increasing in activity and could erupt at anytime. This is an example of the nature culture theme because the physical environment is shaping the culture that these people live in. The people living in the countries know that the volcanoes could be a problem from time to time and they will have to react to what the volcano brings.

This article is about the Malaysia MH370 that mysteriously disappeared last year. They finally have found evidence that it did not just vanish into thin air (which is certainly what appeared to have happened!) in the form of a flaperon that French authorities are pretty sure belongs to a 777. The issue is now that the Malaysian government is now saying that it MUST be from the 777 that disappeared, though the French authorities aren't certain it's from that flight, and they still haven't determined the origin of other plane debris. This is a problem because spreading misinformation gives false hope to the survivors of those in the tragedy that are looking for closure, and each time the crash comes up in the news again, it reopens old wounds. What makes this even worse is that due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the crash, an investigation could take years to be completed. This is unique because most plane crashes are confirmed crashes, and people survive. This time, they just have data to analyze and a lot of research to do. With the internet comes increased globalization. The results of an investigation in France can arrive in Malaysia almost instantly, and then broadcast to the world within a short period of time. The internet also allows information to become distorted, or for people to spread complete misinformation easily. This makes it somewhat difficult to find trustworthy information on much-debated matters, like the fate of MH370. It is extremely important in this age where information can reach across the globe in an instant that governments be accurate in what they release. After all, what if the debris is confirmed to be from something else? What will Malaysia tell the citizens who needed that hope that they were given false information? Will Malaysia attempt to use France's analysis as a scapegoat for the misinformation? How would this action affect the relationship between Malaysia and France?

In this article, it is showing the new tropical disease occurring from a bug called the "kissing bug". The disease that the kissing bug gives out is neurocysticercosis, which is a parasitic infection of the brain. The kissing bug also causes Chagas disease which is a protozoan parasite, and can cause mild inflamed skin, as well as infection and inflammation of other body tissue. The theme of nature-culture is displayed through the people interacting with the nature where the kissing bugs are found, and catching the disease. Also, the kissing bug are native in Guatemala, and travelers were bringing back the disease and spreading it to their community, affecting and infecting the citizens of Texas. In Houston, Texas infectious diseases broke out and in the Smith's Clinic, doctors were doing their best to cure everyone who has tropical diseases. The tropical diseases were increasing to the point where one wing on the third floor of the Houston hospital was filled with patients. Everyone on the third floor had caught the tropical disease from the kissing bugs. The disease has been occurring since 2011, and the doctors are treating anyone who walks in with the tropical disease. Even though the disease has not affect Pennsylvania, it is still extremely important due to the fact that it is happening in the United States. What kind of research has been done to find a cure to the tropical disease? What should the citizens in Texas do to try to avoid catching this disease? How long does it take to cure the tropical diseases and what medication is used? These are the type of questions that are pondering in the media's mind.

In this article, it is discovered that a massive leak sprung from a defunct mine in Southern Colorado, contaminating the Animas River. The spill caused lead levels 12,000 times higher than usual to arise in the river, concerning homeowners and businesses in the general area of being contaminated themselves. The theme of geography Nature Culture relates to this article because the people in this region rely on the river water on a daily basis. It is their source of water for irrigating their crops, drinking water, and more. Due to this accident, businesses shut down and people moved from their homes because they interact with and rely on the river water so closely. Nature culture plays a major role in our lives whether we believe that or not. What is the best way to respond to this dilemma? Will Southern Colorado return to being populated along the Animas River? Sudden issues leave us wondering questions along these lines.

This article describes the chemical explosions that happened in a warehouse located in Tianjin China on August 12. The warehouse contained more than 700 tons of highly toxic substances and as a result many people died and many buildings were destroyed. As said in the article, the concentration of deadly chemicals was and still is extremely high in certain locations, and needs lots of cleanup work. It relates to the theme of Nature Culture because of the effects that the blasts have had around the area. There is a designated warning zone where cyanide pollution is severe and polluted water is contained. Even though the pollution has been mostly contained it still has impacted the environment in ways that make it dangerous for human contact. As an example, water tests in the area were done and showed high levels of sodium cyanide, which has the ability to kill humans. The explosion caused by a human built warehouse created problems with the air and water, thus impacting the environment in negative ways; making it unsanitary and clearly not safe. Is the pollution spreading? Are there more precautions companies can take to avoid another situation like this? These are a few of the questions that concern this topic.

As shown in this article, three men from the United States of America were on a long vacation traveling throughout Europe. They were on a train to Paris when something unforgettable happened. One of the men heard gun shots. Instead of sitting around scared, the three men plus two others from Europe showed large amounts of courageousness and attacked the gunman. This is an example of globalization because the three men from the U.S were connections to the people on the train. If the men weren't there to help, many people could have died or have been severely injured. These men saved the lives of not only the people on the train but the people in the surrounding region. If the gunman had gotten away, how many more lives would he have taken? These men were not only travelers, they are heroes.

This article talks about the issue of the build-up of people waiting at the Greece-Macedonia border to gain access into Macedonia. Most of these people are fleeing from Syria, trying to avoid being caught in the middle of the civil-war in their country. The migrants are stuck at this border because the Macedonian police are denying passage into the country. They are having trouble processing all of the people attempting to come in and keeping everything organized. Macedonia simply does not have a place for all of the refugees trying to gain their access into the country. Coming with these migrants is also their problems, which brings me to my theme which is mobility. Macedonia does not want the problems of the war or problems of the people to overwhelm their country, and that being said, they are not allowing everyone to come in. These migrants are very poor as well, having little to no food or money with them. Where are the migrants going, or what will they do if they do not receive access to Macedonia? How will they obtain basic materials to meet their needs of survival?

The article associated with this post speaks of a unique project called Tour Triangle that will dominate the Paris skyline with a massive tower. The skyscraper will provide many jobs and may take the city's beautiful culture into a more modern setting. That's why cultural landscape could be associated with the article. After the lifting of the ban on buildings over 36 meters tall, a large number of politicians began to realize the need for an architectural masterpiece that would offer temporary construction jobs to the public, include some more up to date buildings, and give the community extra office space. The story behind the Triangle expresses the urban French culture found here, because of it's strong ties and love for its historic roots, while attempting to keep their city in line with today's first world standards. However, the ideas of the people was also expressed in the passage, because of their discouragement of the project showing that they dislike the transition to newer buildings and they feel strongly about housing issues in their area, which is strengthened by the tower.

There has recently been a huge outcry over the brutal death of Cecil the lion. Cecil and his pride were the big attraction at a local Zimbabwe national park, with Cecil being the dominant male and local celebrity. Recently, Cecil was lured out of the park with food and shot by an arrow by a Minnesota dentist, who had funded almost $50,000 for the hunt. Sadly, that's not the end of it, as Cecil was then hunted down, shot in the head, skinned, and decapitated. Why would someone do this? Well, it's all for a trophy. Trophy killing is a very common sport, especially in these African countries. So much so that African lion populations have dropped 60% in the last 3 decades. This is a prime example of the theme of nature-culture, as Cecil's death damages his pride and possibly our whole ecosystem. Without their dominant male, Cecil's pride is put at risk to rogue lions and other dangerous threats. Sadly, we have ourselves to blame, as the majority of lions killed for sport are shipped to America to be turned to trophies, and these aren't the only animals we're losing because of this. How has hunting for sport damaged our ecosystem? How much have human beings destroyed nature? Are we doing more harm to the planet than good?

Thank you for your post, Eric. Great questions as well. I'm curious about what's being done to stop people from illegally killing animals in parts of the world. Many people exploit the world's fishing reserves in the ocean or at least in areas that are seen as international waters. Check out this interesting article about how a bunch of illegal fishing vessels were hunted down. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/world/a-renegade-trawler-hunted-for-10000-miles-by-vigilantes.html?_r=0

The Haitian government and international organizations have identified at least three tent cities that have sprung up in drought-stricken southern Haiti, near the border. Here, the newly returned -- or newly deported -- Haitians are clearing land and living in makeshift camps with no amenities.

Thank you for the article summary, Abby.

On August 10th, 2015, a large amount of mine waste was accidentally spilled into the Animas River of Colorado. This spill released nearly one million gallons into the water turning it a rusty orange color. The effects of the spill could be detrimental to wildlife, thus, causing clean-up to be a priority. The main concern of the spill is the effect on fish because they are very sensitive to changes in water. After the spill, the contaminated water contains much higher levels of heavy metals like iron, zinc, and copper. This change in nature has sent Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officials to be quite frustrated with the mining industry. This spill relates to nature culture, a theme of geography, because it shows how humans' thirst for money can have large effects on nature. How will the mining industry develop better ways to prevent spills? How can spills be cleaned up more effectively with less damage to wildlife?