Arid

successful, and oil was plentiful. As these companies saturated the markets, however, the price of oil along with the profits of major oil producing countries dropped dramatically, resulting in a feeling of bitterness. Consisting of mostly undeveloped arid lands at the time, these oil producers relied on moderately priced oil in order advance and flourish, something which Western oil companies overlooked. In the 7th installment of the Prize titled, “The Tinderbox,” we examine the up rise of…

As it pertains to the more integral elements of nature, animals take a significant role in the balance of the ecosystem. Loggers need to understand that endangering animals and their habitats does not bode well for the loggers themselves. Destroying habitats means destroying animals, and destroying animals precipitates the inability to reproduce quickly enough to maintain a biodiverse equilibrium. This leads to a disruption within the ecosystem that can provoke wild consequences like stalling…

Cassava has the potential to reduce rural and urban poverty, increase farm incomes and also help to close the food gap. Family labour, land, a hoe and machete can be used to produce cassava, making it an attractive and low-risk crop for poor farmers. Also, cassava is available to low-income rural households in the form of simple food products (for example, dried roots and leaves) which are significantly cheaper than grains such as rice, maize and wheat. Similarly, urban households in many parts…

Collapse Throughout history there have been many civilizations and complex societies that have come and gone, these people were forced off their land by disease, human impact on the environment, warfare, and environmental and climate change all have been used by historians and archaeologist to explain the collapse of these civilizations. This essay will focus on two of these complex societies, the Mesa Verde region of the American Southwest and the Maya civilization of Mesoamerica and exam the…

dominate over the people of Algeria. He also blamed colonization for the bulk of Algeria’s problems. Hadj proclaimed that the French were the reason that “11 million hectares of the best lands have been stolen, while the natives are pushed to the arid south and are decimated by periodic famines. Collective fines [have] hit entire villages, [and] sequestrations complete the ruin of the Algerian people, which is plunged into poverty” (1). Hadj also criticized France’s Code of Rights and…

The Atacama Desert is a plateau and a desert west of the Andes in the north part of the country. It is also located in a rain shadow. The highest point in Chile Nevado Ojos del Salado. arid (summer avg. : 81*F winter avg. : 55*F precipitation : yearly 5 inches hot summers and cold nights) in the north, semiarid (summer avg. : 78*F winter avg. : 51*F precipitation : yearly gets 18 inches hot summers and mild-to-cold winters) and mediterranean…

Ecotourism, as a term, was not known until the 1980’s and has since become a major component of the global tourism industry (Weaver, 2008). There are many definitions of ecotourism, ranging from general to specific, written by a number of stakeholders since the term was made common (Weaver, 2008). Peter Valentine (1992) defined it as “nature based tourism that is ecologically sustainable and is based on relatively undisturbed natural areas, is non-damaging and non-degrading, contributes directly…

My Fellow Americans, I am sure that many, if not all, of you are aware of the debate surrounding climate change. The issue has been well-covered in the media, with positions being taken on all sides of the issue. There are those that have sounded the alarm, warning of impending doom should we fail to act. Some have argued that climate change is but a passing fad, a nonissue that poses no real threat to our way of life. Others still have carved out positions in between these two extremes. Much…

Scholars like Hans Morgenthau, Henry Kissinger and Kenneth Waltz who are mostly associated with realism consider anarchy as the primary characteristic of the international system meaning that there is no central authority to settle disputes among competing member states. States therefore compete with each other due to the lack of a central authority. Realists view the world in terms of competition and conflict whereby there is a recurring struggle for power and its management. Kenneth Waltz…

Holes, by Louis Sachar is a story chronicling the experiences of a young boy in the wrong place at the wrong time. Upon being unjustly sentenced, he decides to spend 18 months at “Camp Green Lake” instead of prison. Unfortunately, all does not go to plan for Stanley as it turns out he must dig a hole a day for 18 months in the desert. One question lingers in Stanley’s head. What are they looking for? In the search for a hundred year old treasure, the main character Stanley will make friendships,…