World-Wise “Whatever befalls the Earth, befalls the son of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself”
Highlights this issue: Year 9 Climate Change Conference Hermit Crabs Oil
An Indian Chief of Seattle, USA
Bornean Geography
Greeting Welcome back everyone; I hope you all had a relaxing Easter break. While most had the chance to slow down, the World continued to work its magic, providing us with some great examples of Geography in Action. Taiwan is a country that is well prepared for earthquakes as it lies on the Pacific Ring Of Fire, yet the earthquake that struck on April 3rd was recorded as the largest magnitude of the 21st century. The 7.2 quake caused disruption around the city of Hualien and its surrounding region and killed 9 people. New York has also been shaken by a 4.8 magnitude quake, and although they are unusual around the city, little damage was sustained. The Baltimore bridge collapse of March 26th ticks many boxes including the globalisation, containerization and water pollution. The clean up effort here is immense and will be a long process. The removal of the blockages to the international shipping lane is priority, and there has been over 2,400 feet of boom (temporary floating barriers used to contain marine spills, protect the environment, and assist in recovery. A boom includes a containment partition that floats on and extends above the water's surface, and a "skirt" or "curtain" that sinks into the water) deployed to contain any leaks of possible toxic materials from the ship. Britain is facing a potato shortage as a result of droughts and flooding over the last 12 months. Furthermore, there is an impending global ‘crisis for those lovers of coffee and chocolate as both crops are seeing a decline in yields due to adverse weather conditions. The weather is always a topic of conversation, but a deadly heatwave in West Africa and the Sahel region has been catching the eye of many scientists who believe the increase in temperature was "impossible" without human-induced climate change. In Mali, temperatures soared above 48C last month with one hospital linking hundreds of deaths to the extreme heat. Dubai has seen a years’ worth of rain fall in a day, causing widespread disruption. The Geography department hope you enjoy this edition of WorldWise, and if you would like to contribute to the next edition, please email Miss Andrews. April 2024 ● Volume 17●