Why We Should Study Geography:10 Cool Reasons

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Rashid Faridi

It’s big.

It’s more than maps. Geography’s about knowing what’s where, why it’s there, and why it matters. Knowing geography will make your life more interesting, more exciting, and more fun. Geography opens doors. Get it.

It’s out there.

Geography is near AND far. It’s in your backyard and across the globe. Get to know your community and the people in it, and plan trips with your family to new places you’ve never been. Want to go overseas someday? Get a passport. Learn a new language and check out foreign exchange and other study-abroad programs for students. Travel the world virtually. Read stories from world travelers.

It’s what you know.

How’s your Global IQ? Test it, then try to outsmart GeoSpy and the GeoBee Challenge. If you’re in fourth through eighth grade, you can compete in the National Geographic Bee.

It’s what you listen to.

Regions have rhythms, and the sounds you like may echo cultures a world away. National Geographic, the Smithsonian, and iTunes are all good places to look for great new world music.

It’s what you eat.

Ever explored the world with a fork and a spoon—or with chopsticks? When you eat out, visit restaurants that serve ethnic foods. Find the region your food is from on a map when you get home. Try ethnic recipes and cook an international meal for your friends and family.

It’s what you buy.

Everything comes from somewhere. A walk through the mall or the grocery store can be a journey around the world. What’s in your closet? Your kitchen? Your living room? What are you wearing right now? Check the labels. Find out where things come from and how they got here.

It’s what you do.

Slap a map up on your wall. Or get a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and take part in the game of geocaching or EarthCaching. It’s high-tech, real-life treasure hunting—locating items hidden around the world by other gamers.

It’s academic.

When you get to pick your classes, choose ones that have “geography” in their titles or focus on learning about the world. Choose research topics that let you learn about exotic places and geographic issues like cultural differences and environmental challenges. And sign up for the AP Human Geography class.

It’s your future.

Geography can take you anywhere and everywhere. One of the hottest fields now is Geographic Information Systems. And it’s about understanding and tackling challenges—globally and close to home. Check out this Geography Career Guide for more. When applying to college, make sure to choose ones that offer geography courses and a major. (Here’s a list.)

It’s important.

You know how important geography is. Now make sure your teachers, parents, and friends aren’t out of the loop. Point them toward MyWonderfulWorld.org so they can get geography, too.

source:http://www.mywonderfulworld.org/kidsteens_welcome.html

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California’s Most Treasured Landscapes are Most Imperiled landscapes on Earth

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Rashid Faridi

Two of California’s most treasured natural settings are also among the most imperiled landscapes on Earth, as disruptive changes in climate patterns promise to melt glaciers, dry out rivers and set forests ablaze in coming generations, says a coalition of conservation, sporting and community groups.

Unless people significantly alter the way they manage water supplies and fuel their cars and homes, the Sierra Nevada and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta will become increasingly hostile to already-dwindling wildlife and fish species, the Endangered Species Coalition said in a report .

read here

Posted in BIODIVERSITY, climate change, earth, Ecosystem | Leave a comment

Great Barrier reef under threat from Massive Floods

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Rashid Faridi

Australia’s spectacular Great Barrier Reef is under threat from massive floods swamping the country’s northeast which are pouring harmful debris and sediment into the sea.

The full impact of the floods, which are rushing huge volumes of water into the pristine surrounds of the world’s largest coral reef, is not yet known, but it is feared that  the influx will stress the colourful corals.

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Prehistoric Man Drew Maps on The Roof of Cave

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Rashid Faridi

A team of researchers from Bangalore have unearthed maps in Karnataka that date back to 1500-2000 BC.The team from the Archaeological Survey of India has found the proto-historic man, who had inhabited the region around Tungabhadra river near Hampi, had drawn maps similar to those found on the internet.
The map was depicted on the roof of their cave dwellings. What was once thought to be a megalithic burial site with just paintings of animals and humans, is proof of the proto-historic man’s cartographic skills.
The discovery by deputy superintending archaeologist T M Keshava and his colleagues a few months ago in the caves of Chikramapura village on the Tungabhadra river’s left bank (Koppal district) has drawn the attention of many researchers .
Keshava’s finding is believed to be the first-ever aerial map of a region drawn by a pre-historic man.
While the present-day maps rely heavily on satellite images and other optical instruments for precision, the proto-historic man had only his eyes and memory to bank on.
While paintings of animals such as cows, hunting scenes and human figurines are common across pre-historic settlements, only the Chikramapura village caves, also called Kadebagilu rock shelters, feature maps.
According to Keshava, the pre-historic man obtained a bird’s eye view of an area by climbing a hillock and standing at a vantage point. He would then observe his settlement — houses, pathways, waterbodies, etc. With these images in mind, he would paint them in his cave. “We compared them with the present maps and we were dumbstruck with the findings,” he said

Researchers found many similarities with the modern-day maps. The triangular marks used to represent hillocks on these maps are similar to the symbols used by surveyors.
Further, the narrow passage has been compared to the figure of a human being, while the ladder-like symbol indicates a pathway. It took Keshava and his team almost a year to confirm the findings.
The paintings have been depicted on granite and done with red laterite clay. The circular-shaped settlement is 35 metres in radius. “However, due to the exposure to elements, some parts of the paintings have got spoilt,” said an archaeologist.

LOCAL TIP-OFF

The experts say credit for the discovery goes to some shepherds of Anegundi village. “We were camping at Hampi late in 2008 when some youngsters led by Veeresh and his friends told us about these paintings,” said Keshava.

The paintings, however, are in danger of being lost forever, unless measures are taken quickly to safeguard them. Areas surrounding rock shelters have become quarrying centres and this could destroy the paintings.

Source:Bangalore Mirror

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