While unidentified by standers claim that they had complained for many months, about the dumping of waste at the site nothing was done to stop it. Some residents are placing the blame squarely on the government’s lack of enforcing safety laws.
Shenzhen is part of China’s Great Leap Forward. It was the first city to be designated a Special Economic Zone which has allowed it to become an industrial giant. It has become one of the economic drivers in that country with extensive manufacturing, import/export and financial centers. Its location near Hong Kong has helped in its success. An unfortunate side effect of the massive changes in China since the 1990s is the increasingly dangerous air pollution levels and the sometimes lax attitude towards worker safety. There are robust laws on the books, but too often they are not enforced. Some say it is because there is simply too much to oversee with the rapidly changing scene but others would cite payoffs and corruption. Sources: Xinhua News Agency
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The need to allow younger people a chance to develop and aspire to the presidency was part of his urging the population to vote no.
There has also been criticism from Reporters Without Borders that Kagame keeps a tight hold on the media in his country, effectively quashing opposition. One of the ways that tight control is kept in the capital city is through the use of Gikondo Transit Center aka Kwa Kabuga. It is where police are alleged to sweep the city streets clear of any they deem undesirable. Human rights abuses are common. Former detainees at Gikondo told Human Rights Watch that up to 800 people could be held at the center at one time, in several large rooms. Some described up to 400 detainees held in one room. HRW Human Rights Watch has characterized this trend in Africa of rulers changing their country’s constitution that limits the terms eligible for re-election as “a constitutional coup”. Other countries currently in the midst of constitutional coups are Burundi and the Congo Republic. Both are experiencing some degree of civil unrest. Sources: BBC Voice of America Human Rights Watch While treatments to battle the virus have become more effective over the years, the disease continues to spread and kill. Canada has a population of around 35 million and has 75 000 people with the disease. Statistics show that until tested 21% of those people were unaware that the virus was at work in their bodies.
Worldwide it is estimated that 36.9 million people carry the virus. The cost of infection is high. In Canada each province administers medical insurance differently. In Alberta the HIV meds are free. Other provinces charge depending on family income. In Manitoba one survivor pays around $36 000 per annum. As with any disease, the best course of action is to prevent infection. Sources: CBC News New England Journal of Medicine WebMd
Nutrients in the coastal areas around the world are increasing as runoff from agriculture and sewage disposal enter the waters. Ocean waters generally have increased in temperature since 1970. While the temperature rise is small, it is significant.
The sei whale is listed as endangered. It was a favourite of the whalers who logged over 200 000 kills. The best estimate of its current population is around 8000. It is sometimes targeted by the Japanese “research” vessels in their controversial hunts. Like many large animals the sei whale eats quantities of food every day. They filter the sea water through their baleen catching about 900 kilos(2000 lbs) per day. Plankton, squid and small fish are the usual fodder. Sources: National Geographic CBC News Wikipedia |
Barbara McPherson
Blogger, gardener, farmer. Working toward food security and a 30 foot
diet. Addicted to reading. Love this planet, especially my little corner
on Vancouver Island, Canada Archives
October 2016
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