On Covid-19

A new norm. That’s what we’re faced with. It’s crazy what’s been happening.

As of July 22, 2020, worldwide:

Cases: 15,314,719

Deaths: 624,538

Recovered: 9,243,230

We are always learning new things that come and so maybe by the time that you come across this, numbers and accuracy of the current information I’m sharing may have changed. My heart goes out to everybody going through this time. 

The virus was originally detected in Wuhan, China.

Beginning Timeline:

December 31, 2019:

world health organization gets alerted

Although the World Health Organization (aka WHO) was alerted about a flu-like cases in Wuhan on December 31, 2019 (just before the new year was about to happen), no action was taken because back then they didn’t suspect it to be that severe yet.

January 11, 2020:

first death in Wuhan, China

The first death report: a 61-year-old man on January 1st who checked himself in the hospital on December 27 because suspected of the flu.

January 13, 2020:

confirmed case in Thailand

The first confirmed case outside of china was known to be in Thailand. 

January 17, 2020:

second death in Wuhan, China and another case in Thailand

The second death reported in Wuhan of a 69-year-old man. Another case in Thailand is reported, a 74-year-old woman.

January 21, 2020:

first case in the US, more confirmed cases show up, china reports more deaths and cases rise

A man, in his 30s, who traveled back to the US from China, is confirmed the first Coronavirus case in the US, Washington state. Hong kong (person in their 30s) along with Taiwan (woman in 50s) confirms first cases. China confirms two more deaths (a 66 year old man and 48 year old woman). By this time, there was about 300 confirmed cases in China.   

January 23, 2020:

transportation shut down

Steps are being taken to try and stop the spread of the virus. Wuhan announces the shut down of all transportation. Take note that Wuhan is home to 11 million people. Beijing cancelled fairs and large gatherings. Singapore has its first confirmed case.

Fast forward to today:

There are 213 countries affected by Covid-19. Millions of confirmed cases. Hundreds of thousands of lives taken. 

There is currently no vaccine yet. However, they are working on making one. 

Events (like Coachella, TED, NBA, GDC, Shopify, and more) have been cancelled. Tourism has taken a big hit.

Countries and cities have gone into lockdown. Some example of places that have undergone lockdown would be: Beijing, Italy, Leicester, Manila, Iran, Germany, and more.

Schools have closed.

Cruise ships gets headlines as they go through quarantine.

Groceries had to put limits on the quantities on food that could be bought per family. 

The economy takes a hit.

Millions of people have lost their jobs. 

However a lot of places are slowly starting to reopen and lift restrictions. Some places have even opened up their schools. The result of this have been mixed as some have gotten their number of cases spike up again. 

What should we be doing?

Let’s look at the health strategy that’s been going around, A.K.A Flattening the Curve.

What the heck does that mean?:

Before learning how to do this flattening thing, let’s first learn what the curve actually is. First off, the number of cases shown when flattening the curve refers to a projected number of people who will get covid over a period of time, not the actual amount of people who have it currently. In a chart, this curve we’re talking about, actually it’s two curves, are shown. One of them shows the spread of the virus with protective measures and steps taken to slow it down (we’ll get more into these details in a little bit), whereas the other curve shows the virus spread without protective measures. Although the number of cases are the same for both curves, the difference is that one of them (the curve that took the extra measures) has a more gradual rise of cases rather than just a huge spike of people getting Covid infections in a short span of time.

Why is this important?: 

There’s only so much that the medical equipment and the health-care system can take at a time. Without any measures to slow the spread of infection, there would be overwhelmingly amount of cases that wouldn’t allow the health care system to properly give people better access to care, hospital beds, ventilators and treatments. 

Here’s an example:

We have a city called ABC (real creative there- okay, not the point) and in this city there are about 100+ people and 10 front-liners (the doctor and nurses in this case). For simplicity sake, we’ll say that there is only one hospital in the city and there are currently traveling restrictions in place, preventing people from leaving the city. The number of people who will contract the virus is projected to be 100 in a span of about 5 months. If no actions were taken to prevent the fast spread, there could be 100 people going to the hospital in the span of two months, making it the biggest struggle for only 10 doctors and nurses to cope with the few supplies and vital medical they have in such a short period time. However, if health and safety measures were to be implemented and followed, basically how it would be if we worked to flatten the curve, then we could try and lower the amount of patients checking in and being treated at the hospital during a five month period and that would help the health system cope and increase the quality of treatment per patient. So instead of having the challenge of 100 patients at once (or in a span of two months) in a hospital with limited medical equipment and 10 people on the job (that’s about 10 patients per doctor or so), it could be like 20 patients per month for the next 5 months (that would be about 2 patients per doctor) allowing the operation of helping these patient recover to run more smoothly. 

How exactly do we flatten the curve then?

Okay, okay so we’ve covered the importance of flattening the curve. The next thing I want to talk about are steps that can help in flattening the curve. Let’s do this. Our collective actions will make a difference and it does matter. Here are some things that could do for your social responsibility:

Although you might have heard of these already, these are important to remember to do, they go a long way. 

quick note to remember: The main way that Covid-19 is transmitted to others are through droplets coming from an infected person. When a person exhales, speaks, coughs, or sneezes, there are small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth that are expelled to their surrounding. If you are too close to a person with Covid-19, you could inhale the the droplets.

• Social Distance!! 

Try maintaining at least 1 meter (aka 3 feet) from other people. It’s better to be safe and take extra precaution when you’re out! Keeping a distance will be better for you so that you don’t inhale the droplets that someone with Covid might have exhaled out. 

• Avoid touching your face

Another way that someone can contract the virus is through touching a surface that someone who has the virus has touched and then touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. These are easy ways and paths that the virus can enter the body. The average person touches their face a few times per hour. Sometimes we don’t notice we touch our faces, but it’s a habit we need to break! Keep the hands away from the face peeps.  

• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing

Change starts with you! You amazing human being. While we’re breaking away from the habit of touching our face, we’ve got to work on the habit to cover your nose and mouth (use your bent elbow or tissue) when you sneeze or cough! Remember, droplets spread the virus.

• Wear mask when you are out

WEAR. A. MASK. You might not be used to it but it is empirical that you do so. They can prevent those huge droplets from someone who has Covid-19 from spreading with a mask. Make sure that mask covers the nose and mouth. Wear a mask please. 

• If you have the privilege of staying home, stay home!

Yes, it’s a struggle. Plans have been cancelled and you can barely see any of your friends at the moment. It’s only natural that we want to run and hug all the peeps that we miss in our lives. And, yes, it can get boring at home. However, it’s critical to maintain our distance while we let the numbers stop rising and flatten the curve. There are nurses and doctors who have to work hours on end and who can’t even go home to their families, stay home if you can stay home please! Avoid crowds and large gatherings.

• Wash your hands often

Wash your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water as often as possible, especially when you’ve been out or touched surfaces that could have been contaminated, after using the toilet, after coughing or sneezing, and before eating. Hygiene is very, very important! 

• Call for help

If you’re not feeling well, reach out and call professional help. A great place to start would be your local health worker.

but I’m young…

Covid is very real and it’s not yet over. It’s true, people who are 60+ years or with an underlying health condition or in a state that comprises or affects their immune system have a higher risk. Yes, your immunity might be strong and maybe you got this thought that you probably wouldn’t catch anyway. Or, if you did, you’d be able to recover fairly well. But, that’s not the point. How about the people that you come in contact with. Your parents, grandparents, and even your friends. Although you might be strong, how about them? You might have Covid but be asymptomatic (you don’t show any symptoms) and spread it to people without even knowing. It’s important to understand that this is so much bigger than it may seem. And, what you decide to do is important. So, if you have the option to stay home, please stay home. And, when you do go out remember to flatten the curve and wear a mask, social distance, wash hands frequently, and always take extra precaution! Thank you guys 🙂 

Don’t panic and be alert. I know it’s easy to fall into this feeling of fear and panic, but now more than ever is important to calm. Your mental health is super important. Being in a worried state can also compromise your immune system, your fighting engine. Call a friend, take a bath, find something that works for you to stay happy and healthy.

THANK YOU:

Before ending this, I want to give huuuugggeee thank youu to all the essential frontline workers. True, hardworking heroes. Despite the hardship and the health risks that they have to endure, they choose to continue to do help and fight. To all the front-liners around the world, thank you! THANK YOU to the medical professionals. THANK YOU to the restaurant workers. THANK YOU to the sanitation workers. THANK YOU to the farmers. THANK YOU to the delivery peeps. THANK YOU to the grocery clerks. THANK YOU to the truck drivers. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU all heroes. ❤

love yall!

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Lives Matter!

This fight isn’t over.

Garbage Island Motivation

“The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.”: Chief Seattle

There is literally an island of garbage. OF GARBAGE! And, I’m not talking about a small teeny island that is harmlessly floating around, it’s about THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF FRANCE. It’s continuing to keep building up and building up. There is too much trash being accumulated and we really need to do something.  This garbage island, a.k.a the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is basically an evil vortex, continues to pull in garbage, plastic, unbiodegradable material one after another every day. Although the price is sky high to just get a bunch of ships or some other alternative to quickly clear it all out, everyone can make a difference. YOU can make a difference. A small change in your daily life will make a difference. If you were looking for some sign to get up and DO SOMETHING even if it’s as small as switching from utilizing plastic bags to eco grocery tote bags, DO IT. It was all the little things that everyone did which added up to big things that created the mess in the first place. So, believe me, just start by doing something small and spreading the word to those around you. It’s important, it’s our planet, our home.

♡

Yours Truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

Ugh, Ocean Acidification

Quote of TRUTH: “How inappropriate to this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.” – Arthur C. Clarke

ugh.

 Our Ocean   

Under the beautiful glistening ocean, marine life silently suffers from the effects of overabundant carbon dioxide (a.k.a CO₂) that has been dumped (and is still continuously being dumped until today) into our atmosphere. You may be wondering how a percent of the excessive amount of CO₂ we produce ends up in the ocean damaging the structure, life flow, and ancient paradise underwater. Well, let me tell you that it wasn’t just a one time job and the effects from it will only get way worse if we don’t take action. Today you shall learn about ocean acidification and what it does to our oceans. 

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 Industrial Revolution   

It was during the 1800s when the human industry and advancements were booming. Fossil-fuel powered machines and different inventions (like the steam engine, construction, oil-slick roads, mining & dump sites, livestock waste, and more) were the root cause of the CO₂ entering the atmosphere. This was known as the industrial revolution. This gist of this revolution will come into play later on.

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 Ph Balance

Essentially, the pH scale is a scale used to measure the acidity of something. The scale goes from numbers 0 to 14. Lower numbers, ranging from 0-6, are more acidic. 7 is neutral. Higher numbers, ranging from 8-14, are basic. To give some examples:

• Lemon has an acidity level of 2
• Lye has an acidity level of 13

Putting it into more technical terms:

The acidity of a solution one is measuring describes the Hydrogen ions (H⁺) the solution contains. An acid, on the other hand, is a substance that releases hydrogen ions. Going back to the pH scale, this is the measure of the concentration of H⁺ ions. Since the pH scale is logarithmic, a slight change in measure makes a big difference.

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Industrial Revolution + Ocean pH

Since the industrial revolution, the ocean’s pH has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1. Although this might seem like a small change in number, this is a 30% increase in acidity! That’s right, I’m talking about the whole ocean out there changing 30% in acidity (THAT’S A LOT, SHALL I ADD!). It is even estimated that more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide that gets released by burning coal, oil, and gas gets absorbed. I SAID MORE THAN A QUARTER INTO OUR BEAUTIFUL OCEAN. okay, I gotta chill. Proceeding….. At the moment, 22 MILLION tons of CO₂ gets dissolved into the ocean PER DAY. When this was first discovered, it was seen as a positive thing (as scientists saw that is lessened the carbon dioxide warming up the atmosphere). However, further studies showed that the ocean’s chemistry was changing.

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Natural Buffering

There is this stabilizing effect that scientists call buffering. This process is when rivers carry dissolved chemicals from rocks to the ocean. This helps to stabilize the ocean’s pH. However, since there is too much carbon dioxide entering and all at such speed, this natural buffering hasn’t been able to keep in pace. There is a possibility that the ocean’s capacity to function as a carbon storehouse will begin to falter.

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Adapting

Although there are some species that are finding ways to adapt and be even stronger (such as crustaceans), many marine organisms are being negatively impacted by the increasing CO₂ levels. We’ll get more into this in a bit.

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CO₂ + Ocean

The reaction that happens when our ocean absorbs CO₂ can be broken down simply. When water and carbon dioxide get mixed, they form carbonic acid. This kind of acid, just like hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, breaks down solids and releases hydrogen ions. It is weaker compared to the others, nevertheless, it still accomplishes the same in breaking down solids.

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Shelled Organisms

A key component of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) shells is carbonate (CO²⁻ ₃). Shell-building marine animals combine calcium ions (Ca⁺²) with carbonate (CO²⁻ ₃), which they get from surrounding seawater, to make calcium carbonate.

Here’s the thing, hydrogen ions (which is released as carbon dioxide and ocean combine) usually bond and get attracted to carbonate. When hydrogen ions combine, bicarbonate ions (HCO₃-) is the result. Shell-building organisms are able to get the carbonate they require from bicarbonate. 

In conclusion to this, the ions that corals, mussels, clams, starfish, oysters, and any other shelled organisms become less abundant with the chemistry changes caused by ocean acidification. And, although these sea creatures may find a way to adapt in more acidic water, their resources, and energy (that normally goes to reproduction and other important activities) will be exhausted.

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A Global Problem

This is truly a global problem. There are millions of people who depend on the ocean for livelihood and as a source of food and protein. Imagine, with the corals being affected like this, the results with the food chain won’t be good. And, on top of ocean acidification, there are already so many existing threats our oceans, the reefs, and the sea creatures face. To name some: pollution, plastic, garbage dumping into the sea, overfishing, and coral bleaching. To be aware of these problems is truly great, but, without any action, the consequences we get, give us too much unnecessary lose. We must take action, spread the word, find solutions, and take action my peeps.

 

 

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

 

US HISTORY: US Foreign Policy

Quote of TRUTH: “Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us.” – John F. Kennedy

What is Foreign Policy?: “Foreign policy???” you may find yourself asking. I shall soon clear up the definition for you. Foreign policy is the “goals, values, and strategies that guide how a nation acts towards other nations”. Basically, nations have neighbors (which are the other nations) and foreign policy is what they want to achieve and how they do it involving their “neighbors”.

Who creates Foreign Policy in the US?:  We have the constitution divide the power of foreign policy between the Congress (legislative branch) and the President (executive branch) so that no one branch becomes too strong. The president:

• is the commander of the military
• decides who should run the military
• decides what actions to take
• has the power to make treaties
• meets up with leaders from others nations

While the Congress:

• regulates trade with other nations
• has the power to declare war
• maintains the military
• decides whether or not to approve treaties

Who influences Foreign Policy in the US?: 

• Government advisors
• Military officials
• Businesses
• Corporations
• Interest groups in the US:
  • Journalists
  • Missionaries
  • Anti-war Protestors
  • Environmentalists
  • Digital Citizens
• Other nations & their leaders

What are the goals and values of US foreign policy?:  Remember how I mentioned that foreign policy involves and is compromised of the goals our nation wants to achieve? Well, here is a list of those goals:

• Increase wealth, land, or power of the US
• Protect US citizens from outside threats
• Spread democracy to people in other countries 
• Help other nations
• Help people who are suffering 
• Respecting self-determination (this is the nations right to govern themselves)

What are the strategies to achieve these goals?: Since we’ve gone through some of the goals, we shall now look at the different ways and strategies taken to achieve them:

• Diplomacy:
  • This is usually the first option when approaching a goal (and, in my opinion, should always be the first option)
  • This is used to persuade and negotiate with other nations
  • This would be a peaceful and humane way of dealing with a subject 
• Financial:
  • This is giving or withholding financial help or trade with other nations
• Military
  • This option is most likely used as last resort
  • This would be used to:
    • Invade
    • Defend
    • Occupy
    • Threaten other nations

Presidents & their Foreign Policy:

Theodore Roosevelt’s Foreign policy: Carry a big stick

Roosevelt would say to “speak softly and carry a big stick, [and] you will go far.”. Roosevelt Corollary was preventative intervention. The US would intervene in Latin America in order to keep European powers out of the Western Hemisphere. The result of the Corollary would be the justification of all interventions. US Marines will be sent multiple times to Latin America countries, which then Latin American countries would view this as American oppression.

Roosevelt was not afraid to show how Americans were strong. He acted as a mediator in the Russo-Japanese War. He even sent the US Navy to protect the Panamanian revolt in 1903. And, to show of American Naval power, Roosevelt ordered the Great White Fleet on a highly visible voyage around the world in 1907.

William H. Taft’s Foreign policy: Dollar Diplomacy

Wall Street bankers and other major US corporations were being encouraged by the federal government to invest in foreign countries which were a strategic concern to the US. The idea was that the dollar would replace Roosevelt’s big stick.

The Caribbean was the main area of US strategic importance. The US kept putting more and more money into this area to keep other countries out and uphold the Monroe Doctrine. However, the policy failed when civil distress broke out in Cuba, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. President Taft had to send in the Marines to protect American investments due to the situation.

Woodrow Wilsons’s Foreign policy: Moral Diplomacy

President Wilson had the belief that the US would be the world’s conscience. He strongly knew that the goal of American foreign policy would be to spread democracy and the promotion of peace. He despised Roosevelt’s big stick and Taft’s dollar diplomacy.

Wilson sent the Marines to Haiti (1914-1933) and the Dominican Republic (1916-1924). The spread of democracy sometimes required military action.

 

Milestones of US Foreign Policy:

• 1796, Washington’s Farewell Address:
  • President Washington promoted neutrality
  • President Washington advises Americans to avoid entangling alliances with European nations
  • Due to this policy, US was able to keep out of the war with France and England in 1812
• 1812, War of 1812:
  • Congress declared war against British to stop impressments of American sailors
  • a.k.a the “Second War of Independence”
  • Americans were able to preserve their freedom
  • This war ended in December 1814
• 1823, Monroe Doctrine:
  • President Monroe announces that American would oppose attempts by European powers to re-conquer former colonies which are independent
  • European nations were warned to stay out of the Western Hemisphere
  • This doctrine was used by the US later on to justify its interference in the Caribbean
• 1840s, Manifest Destiny:
  • President James Polk used aggressive foreign policy
  • Treaties, purchases, and the war with Mexico were included in this
  • The goal was to gain all lands to the Pacific ocean and to fulfill America’s Manifest Destiny
• 1898, Spanish American War:
  • Americans went to war with Spain to help Cuba win its independence after the sinking of the Maine
  • The US won the war and gained the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and others

And, that’s just the beginning! Foreign Policy is still used today. Very interesting, right? Indeed. That’s it for now 🙂

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

 

 

 

Regulating the Source of Life (FOOD)

Quote of truth: “Laughter is brightest where food is best.” – Irish Proverb

Food has great importance. It’s a source of life, and it plays a huge role in our society. It’s seen way more than just some plain thing on a plate. It’s valued and as each individual has their own culture, food has helped as a bridge to connect everyone. As the years pass by, mass productions of food have grown with it. The growth of corn, for example, has risen so much as shown in the article, When a Crop Becomes King, by Michael Pollan. And, it is also discussed in the article The Pleasures of Eating written by Wendell Berry about food politics and its relation to the people. More so than now, governments must take responsibility to regulate the food industry and ensure that the food that is given to the people is safe and healthy.

FOOOOOOOOOOOOD. 

One reason why the government needs to regulate the food industry would be to help maintain the health of the people. Taking the average person, the food that they intake is what helps them to function on a daily basis. If the food were to be filled with unhealthy ingredients, this would be very unfortunate. However, the thing is that most people have their busy schedule to control what they eat. Without the time to make homemade food, what gets most consumed would be junk food, pre-made food, and fast food. Most people are not aware of what is in the products that they purchase. And, just as Berry mentions in his article when buying food, consumers tend to “ignore certain critical questions about the quality and cost of what they are sold”. And, in the end with all the unawareness and lack of control that a consumer is given over what’s in their food makes them a victim of the food industry.

Another reason that regulations need to be set would be because of the havoc it creates with the environment and the people. Taking corn, for example, it is put into almost every product on every shelf of every store out there. It has squirmed its way into our snacks and drinks, all the way up to the vitamin C that we take. The government needs to take a closer look at the growing problems that come with corn. Not only does corn hurt our environment, “kill off marine life in a 12,000 square mile area” and more, and takes millions of acres of land for themselves but they also affect our health as argued by Michael Pollan. Billions of dollars are given to grow corn. This corn is then put into the food we eat, the animals that we consume, and even the beverages that we intake. Corn is just turning into a big fat monster, but this is for another story, another time. Anyways, this needs to be regulated more often along with every other ingredient out there, stopping it from taking too much of a role in our lives.

Although some people may say that the government shouldn’t do anything with the regulation of the food companies, this is wrong because it poses such a huge threat to our health and environment. Without the government to check on the food processes and what gets put into our food makes what we consume to be risky. And, this risk goes to our health, our families health, and the environment. Also, as not everyone is aware with what is being put into their products, they can never truly “be free if our minds and voices are controlled by someone else”, as Wendell Berry puts it. With the government to double check the food industries and for them to make sure what is given to us in our supermarkets is safe, would make us have more sense of security and create a better and healthier lifestyle for everyone.

In conclusion, the government should keep tabs and regulate what goes on in the food industry to make sure it is safe, healthy, and good for our environment. Just like how the article on The Pleasures of Eating talks about the importance of eating responsibly, this is what the goal of the regulations should be. Choosing and allowing this to happen, would help our lifestyles, the world around us, and the choices we choose to be better, healthier, and safer.

You can make a difference. Start being aware of what you put into your mouth. Spread the word. Cook homemade delicious food. Find the time. Make time. 

 

stay aware. stay awesome.

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

 

Why Militarism was the Main Cause of World War I

Quote of awesomeness: “War is what happens when language fails” ~ Margaret Atwood

World War I, also known as the First World War, began on Sunday, June 28, 1914, spanned four terrible years, more than nine lives taken, and 20 million people wounded both physically and mentally. Before this war erupted, during the late 19th century, there was this belief, created by European leaders, which they called the balance of power. This idea was meant to justify that all the major powers of Europe, such as Germany, Russia, England, and France would have an equal amount of strength to keep the peace. This very idea, if implemented properly and thoroughly, would make no other influence or dominate another and this would prevent war from ever happening. Unfortunately, this balance of power didn’t push through, the equality wasn’t there and with the state that they were in, the inevitable happened, World War I.

The beginning of WORLD WAR I………………………….

In Sarajevo, Bosnia, there was a Serbian nationalist group known as the Black Hand. When the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife visited Sarajevo, which is also known to be in the Balkans, they were assassinated by one of the members of the Black Hand on June 28. Although the immediate cause of World War I was the assassination of Archduke of Austria, this war had a bigger reason and these are the three underlying causes known as: Imperialism, Alliances, and Militarism. Imperialism and alliances are, without a doubt, very important causes for how World War I began. However, militarism is the main cause because compared to imperialism and alliances, it forms the most fear and puts this obligation to go to war with all the weapons, navy and more that have built up.

IMPERIALISM

First, one of the underlying causes of World War I is imperialism. It was because of this cause which brought nations in Europe to divide. Imperialism was the reason to which countries fought over for more land. This underlying cause made Europe at the brink of war a few times even before 1914 as more countries tried harder to expand their empires. In 1905 and 1911, France and Germany avoided a two-front war with each other over Morocco. Even if they were able to avoid that war, they ended up distrusting and hating one another which led to them being enemies. Imperialism is the reason for why countries fight over for more territories and also ends up making other countries sought out revenge if they didn’t succeed in taking the land.

ALLIANCES

Another underlying cause of World War I is alliances. This has been existent in Europe before the war even began. As more doubt and detestation enclosed around one another, the countries decided that would sign a treaty and make alliances with each other. These treaties made the countries sign a pledge that they would defend each other during a war. The first to form an alliance was: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. This alliance which was created by the chancellor of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck, is known as the Triple Alliance. When this first alliance formed, anxiousness rose with Russia and England. Although Otto von Bismarck did try to assure England and Russia that there was nothing to worry about, this didn’t do anything and after 1890, another kind of alliance was formed. France, Russia, and Great Britain formed an entente which is an informal alliance. When one of these countries from one of these alliances were to go into war, the other countries they were in an alliance with would have to help and enter the war too, which is part of what they agreed to but also expands the war into more land. In 1914, these alliances fought on the same side and aided each other when the time of war came at the door. World War I unfolded after Austria-Hungary with Germany as it’s alliance, declared war on Serbia. Since Serbia had Slavic people in their population, Russia, with its duty to defend and lead all Slavs, obligated and took Serbia’s side and declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germany then declared war on Russia. With France and its alliance with Russia, it declared war on Germany and Germany returned the favor and declared war on France. At this point, a great number of innocent people and even the numbers of soldiers increased as more countries joined in. Europe was officially at war with itself and any sign of the peace of Europe seemed to be gone from the horizon, this is shown with the cartoon published on August 5, 1914, called the “The Crime of the Ages”, just two months after the war happened.

Europe was a mess and it the countries defending one another looked something like this

MILITARISM

Militarism is the main cause of World War I as it instills fear and intimidation with its neighboring and far-flung countries which caused them to build up and grow their armaments. The meaning of militarism is the glorification of the military. The military was being described as admirable, but most especially unjustifiable. The idea of the “survival of the fittest” is what lingered in the minds of the men who took part in the rise of militarism in the 1800s. The countries who took part in this race on who would have the most and be the strongest were: France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Great Britain. The expenditures grew by large amounts, as charted, from 1890 to 1914, as. The growth in armaments was truly a large amount. Emile Zola, a critic, political activist, and one of the most prominent French novelist in the 19th century was an author of the book, The origins of the First World War, and in this, he wrote “War is life itself. Nothing exists in nature, in born, grows, or multiples except by combat”. This explains that they thought that it was a necessity to have a military, and that militarism was the main cause of World War I as it was a great importance to have an army, weapons, navy, and war in order to strive and be successful. The mindset of the fighting countries was that you could only win a war with a strong military. Also, if a country were to have a strong military, and this led to winning wars and more success in battles over claiming more land, this also meant that other countries would respect and wouldn’t want to mess with that country. One of the biggest and fiercest competitions happened between Germany and Britain, these two countries had a naval rivalry. At first, Great Britain was at the top and well known for having the world’s most respected navy. Suddenly, Germany started to make its own battle fleet. This shipbuilding arms race, which began in 1906 and ended in 1914, created this conflict between both countries which had also seen to have caused World War I. Both the feeling of fear and superiority over other countries built up along with the competitions for a bigger arms race. By 1914, when the First World War erupted, all these armaments that had been built-up over the years, which composed of tanks, guns, and more, were all ready to fire away. They’ve built up their army because the countries participating in the growth of it knew that they were going to employ them.

Although imperialism and alliances are important causes of World War I, militarism is the main cause. Some would argue for the other two underlying cause, however, militarism, when compared to the two, had a greater impact to what lead to World War I. Competition, inferiority, detestation, distrust, intimidation, and fear all went into one when it came to militarism. Militarism was imperialism and alliances as it is a mixture of both and more. It is because of militarism that alliances form, a country or nation forms alliances because they know they would need help and more defense from others to protect itself from another country’s or another alliance’s army or military. Without militarism, without an army, without a military, there would be no imperialism. It would be almost impossible for countries to fight over for more land, or for countries to even take over land because in order to do this you would need an army, you would need a military, and you would need militarism. This is why militarism is the main cause, it’s the exact recipe to create destruction, disaster, and most especially war, World War I.

LAWNS = NO, GARDENS = YES!!!!

Hi, guys! Welcome back to my blog! And, advanced MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you awesome humans!! Here’s a blog on lawns and how we shouldn’t

Yes, those huge green spaces, usually found in front of a house, which normally has sprinklers (around 1-3, really depending on how big the lawn is), grass, grass- oh! Did I forget to mention there’s grass? And, if you’re really lucky, you would find one or two dandelions around. Some people even consider putting a sign or two saying “KEEP OFF OF GRASS” or “WALK ON PATHWAY ONLY”.

The thing is, lawns have been existent as far as the 16th century. In the beginning, lawns just had the purpose (waaaaaay before) to help the people see if an animal or some person were coming from a direction which seemed to be endangering others. Then soon enough years passed then bowling came the next “cool and popular thing” that went around until it was banished for the “commoners” in England by several kings, which is just unfair. Let’s fast forward again, the Northern Europeans migrate and travel to North America, they share their ideas with the lawns and what they need to start their own. Only the rich and wealthy were able to afford these new “cool” grass trends, at the start. Then looking at today, you can find lawns nearly anywhere. There are too many gallons of water that endlessly get wasted to just these lawns.

I just found out that according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, that more than 30-60 percent of water from the total percentage which a household uses goes to your outdoors. If we look at both what would be worth using up water on, lawns or gardens? Another thing the US EPA mentioned was this:

If the average sized lawn here in the US gets 20 minutes of watering every day seven days a week 

=

running the shower constantly for 4 days 

=

taking more than 800 showers 

=

this is the amount of water needed for the average family to take 1 year’s worth of shower

I was blown away by such an extraordinary amount that is being used just by ONE average lawn, just one. Can you imagine the hundreds of thousands of lawns using this much water? That’s way too much. But it’s not too late to change this numbers and change our currently occupied spaces by lawns into something better. It’s never too late.

The benefits of having a garden:

Plants and trees absorb sounds. Yeah, you read that right. They absorb sound and these are actually one of their not – so – known traits that they have. Meaning this benefits us when it comes to noise pollution.

Secondly, plants and trees also aid with our pollution. They take in the carbon dioxide that we humans exhale and create, as they give out and produce oxygen. And, this oxygen is a very important component for us to live and survive.

If you have edible plants you could even save a bit of money by reducing the times you visit the market and grow them yourself and produce more in your backyard! And since you’ve grown these plants yourself, you’ll also be aware that there won’t be any preservative or other stuff that barely anyone could spell being injected or placed into your food.

Gardens also help other types of wildlife which insects and other animals like to hang out and even eat a bit of fruit from the trees and take shelter. It’s awesome knowing that we’re helping these creatures while we help ourselves, too. It’s awesome that we’re able to help in these little ways to our one and only home, earth, especially since plants help remove chemicals and bacteria from water in the ground.  

Here is an awesome (oh you know, they’re just so awesome) solutions:

• Home Gardens for everyone!

Here, imagine this, trees that bear awesome tasting and healthy fruits at your front door. You look up and even find a bird perched on one of your tree branches singing a lovely tune. A breeze swifts past you momentarily spreading an aromatic smell filling your living room with a fragrance of ripe oranges, basil, rosemary and you even take a hint of sage which seemed to be lingering from your next door neighbor’s newly planted herb. Wouldn’t this be such a wonderful sight (or should I say smell) to wake up to? Everyone can try to convert their lawns to a garden which would not only be such an amazing sight to see but very useful to this earth, the animals that live in it and even ourselves. It doesn’t have to be a humungous garden with trees and herbs everywhere you could barely walk back to your house. There are plenty of ways you could design your garden to your liking! Small or big, it all helps. Students and everyone who would want to could even volunteer to help water or take care of the plants.

Spread the word, guys! You could also probably be the one to influence others wherever you live to do the same! Just keep being awesome and create your own ideas! 

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexico and the Dead Zone *DUN DUN DUN*

The situation occurring in Mexico’s dead zone hasn’t improved, in fact, it has gotten worse. 

What is a dead zone? It’s an area in an ocean or big lake, found in lots of places around the world, with hypoxia, in other words, oxygen depletion. When there is oxygen depletion, the area affected by this problem causes the instability to support marine life. When there are too much growth and bloom of algae it chokes the water and makes it not possible for marine like to survive with the inadequate amount of oxygen. But, how does nature suddenly start blooming and getting all these nutrients enough to keep spreading this hypoxia? Well, it doesn’t work alone. It’s also our fault because one way or another the nitrates and phosphorus that our farmers use in farming eventually seeps into our water systems and into the ocean which makes the algae flourish and grow and bloom and other things that shouldn’t happen because it (LITERALLY) chokes the ocean and the marine life below it.

Since we covered the basics and everything you will probably need to know about hypoxia and dead zones, we can now focus on a specific ‘dead zone’ and that is in the Gulf of Mexico.

On April 20, 2010, one of the biggest oil spills in the BP (British Petroleum) and American records and history occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. It happened just a day after they sealed the 70-kilometer deep hole with concrete followed by a metal valve used to stop the flow of oil entering the ocean. While the men were doing their inspection of the day old concrete, they noticed that oil and gas have actually been spilling out into the water through the faulty concrete and failed valve.

87 days past before they finally sealed the oil spill which already gave out 5,000 gallons of oil per day! Let’s do the math here: It would be an estimate of 5,000 x 57 which equals to 435, 000 gallons. HOLY MACARONI. Imagine how much has spread already? Especially since the oil spill was close to the dead zone, which made a few people worry things would get much worse. Honestly, a LARGE oil spill next to a DEAD ZONE. Nah-uh not a good combination nor timing. Won’t it affect the surviving animals living in the area? Think about it. The people in the restaurants were worried about the food they’ve been serving thinking it might affect the people, but they trusted it was all in good hands.

The oil soon mixed and glued itself to the plankton and other bacteria i

n the ocean which caused marine snow to sink to the bottom. What if small creatures and animals start eating this. These are some of the worries fishermen had when catching the food. But, fortunately, due to the natural oil seeps, the flora and fauna of the ocean have adapted to the oily marine snow. Yes, there are actually natural oils that seep from the earth. Th- WAIT, what is marine snow you wonder? It looks like the picture below —>

How dangerous it would have been to be the person underwater checking out the valves and the fear of it not properly functioning. There have been many oil spills through history. One after another there has news flashes saying “Now this one is the biggest oil spill..” It just keeps getting bigger. Luckily, they got to shut out the rest of the oil spill, even though it was after 87 days. 

According to National Wildlife Federation, below are the lists of affected animals near the Gulf of Mexico:

Dolphins and Whales

• Nearly all of the 21 species of dolphins and whales that live in the northern Gulf have demonstrable, quantifiable injuries.
• The number of bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay and the Mississippi Sound – two places particularly affected by oil – are projected to decline by half. Multiple studies have determined that the injuries to bottlenose dolphins were caused by oil from the disaster.
• It is estimated that it will take approximately one hundred years for the spinner dolphin population to recover.
• There are only a few dozen Bryde’s whales in the Gulf. Nearly half this population was exposed to oil, and nearly a quarter of these whales were likely killed. The long-term survival of this population is in doubt.

Sea Turtles

• Scientists estimate that as many as 167,000 sea turtles of all ages were killed during the disaster.
• In 2010, the once-remarkable recovery of the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle halted abruptly. Scientists remain concerned about this species of sea turtle, which is known to congregate and feed in areas that were oiled off the Louisiana coast.
• Heavy oil affected nearly a quarter of the Sargassum – a type of floating seaweed – in the northern Gulf. Sargassum is an important habitat for juvenile sea turtles.

Fish

• Studies have determined that oil is particularly toxic for many species of larval fish, causing deformation and death. The federal study estimates that the disaster directly killed between two and five million larval fish.
• At this time, the data does not indicate that the oil spill caused significant decreases in populations of commercially harvested fish species.
• However, a number of species of fish have documented oil spill injuries. For example in 2011, some red snapper and other fish caught in oiled areas had unusual lesions, rotting fins, or oil in their livers. Oil spill impacts have been documented in fish species such as southern flounder, redfish, and kill fish.

Birds

• At least 93 species of bird were exposed to oil. The resulting loss of birds is expected to have meaningful effects on food webs of the northern Gulf of Mexico.
• Species particularly affected include brown and white pelicans, laughing gulls, Audubon’s shearwaters, northern gannets, clapper rails, black skimmers, white ibis, double-crested cormorants, common loons, and several species of tern.

The Gulf Floor

• Scientists estimate the habitats on the bottom of the Gulf could take anywhere from multiple decades to hundreds of years to fully recover.
• A significant portion of the Gulf floor was affected by oil. The federal study confirmed that at least 770 square miles around the wellhead were affected, while a separate analysis determined that at least 1,200 square miles were affected. Both studies suggested that a significant amount of oil was likely deposited on the ocean floor outside the areas of known damage.
• Coral colonies in five separate locations in the Gulf – three in deep sea and two in shallower waters – show signs of oil damage.

 

Dolphins, whales, turtles, fish and birds are getting affect by this and they already have lots of other things to worry about such as plastic. Now, here’s the most shocking truth. This 2017 they found out that the dead zone at the Gulf of Mexico is the size of New Jersey! NEW JERSEY. The size is about 8776 square miles.

 

We can stop this. Start gathering solutions people you can do it! Some ways are to stop utilizing the products that help in causing the blooming, like nitrate. Keep thinking creative my awesome readers.

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

 

 

 

 

What is Globalization? 🌏

An interesting way to think about this is that Globalization is comparable to a jungle. It sorta runs on the rule of survival of the fittest. Therefore, we either flourish or we perish.

What is Globalization?

To simply put it, globalization is the result when the trade and cultural exchange brings the world to be extremely interconnected. When this happens, different countries come together and form a large global economy. This makes the international trade much, much easier. If you haven’t gotten the full idea of globalization, then maybe you would understand this definition better if you knew that globalization happens when the barriers between national economies get “broken” down and there is this large rush of services, goodies, investments, capital flow, technology and labor immigration which

If you haven’t gotten the full idea of globalization, then maybe you would understand this definition better if you knew that globalization happens when the barriers between national economies get “broken” down and there is this large rush of services, goodies, investments, capital flow, technology and labor immigration which get encouraged.

Basically, globalization is the process of when different countries come together through trade and others.

What are the Pros of Globalization??

Well, in my opinion, I think globalization is great in some many ways also because it allows people to communicate, elaborate and link together. And, because of Globalization, some parts of the has changed the ways that other people (maybe including yourself) travel, arrange and do meetings and see the world.

According to Future of Working, below are the following pros:

• It Improves the Global Economy

This is a big help to different companies as it aids them to reach huge and rapidly expanding markets every day. This helps Global Economy through the access of international sale and business.

• The Expansion of the Knowledge of Foreign Cultures

Because of globalization, people from different places on earth are given the opportunity and access to freely communicate with each other. This helps people to destroy that cultural barrier that has hurt the integration of countries for centuries. This helps to gain a better understanding of the different life – styles different people go through.

• Free Trade! = Happy Economy

Since globalization lifts those invisible gates of heavy and crazy taxes and annoying restrictions, people are able to sell goods around the world to help other struggling economies.With this, poverty and unemployment rates are improving.

These are most of the pros that I’ve just bombarded with you, which I hope you understood. ^_~

What are the Cons of Globalization???

Since there are pros there are cons….. well, except for pizza, all they have are pros.

So, you probably knew this day would come. The day where you learned the bad side of globalization. Yes, yes, I know…. you might be wondering “huh?!?!?!?” Just kidding.

There are always to side to a story, just like a coin. We’ve learned the good side but now to learn the bad side | A.K.A | the cons. DUN! DUN!! DUN!!!

The Cons of Globalization:

• Rich become Richer | Non-rich become poorer

This is one of the top problems of globalization. Just from the title, I’m pretty sure you understand this is a big con. Actually, this is a pro for the rich and a con for the poor. How unfair is it that the non-rich become poorer?!

• Smaller Countries Suffer the Most

Unfortunately for less developed countries, they don’t normally get the benefit from globalization and instead suffer from it. But, this is the case that smaller and less developed countries encounter. I feel like we need to help these less developed countries and enable to get the same amount of level playing field benefits that globalization offers.

• Negative Impact on Environment

In the process of trading and transporting goods from one place to another, the amount of fuel generated and used contributes and increases in the pollution levels in the environment. It is kinda sad that some places have the guts to actually cut down mountains in order to create tunnels or highways. Unfortunately, more roads are being seen by most as progress rather than the destruction of our earth. Another example that struck me was the incident that occurred in 2010 when one of the containers of the British Petroleum leaked and caused damage to the ecosystem. But, wait! There’s more. Unfortunately. The consumption of plastic has grown as they’ve used it for packaging and preserving the goods. Not only is plastic terrible when exposed to the sun for quite some time (which could happen during the hours of traveling) but because of this, it has led to widespread environmental pollution. 

•  Loss of Cultural Identity

As I might have mentioned above, globalization allows people to learn more and more about different cultures and other languages. The thing is the increased number of people moving from one place to another and spreading their cultures, the original culture seems to be fading. Now, let’s think about it. 

 

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