Human Interest

Ever fantasize about sailing down the Nile like Cleopatra?

I think it is really interesting that Egypt is thinking about building a completely brand new city. It just shows how much risk the country is willing to take on this very lucrative project that will cost more than sixth of the country's GDP. If the country succeeds, then it will face an amazing influx of capital and resources that is unprecedented. If the country fails, then it will be one of the worst financial investments to plague the country and will haunt the country for decades to come. Distrust in government fiscal responsibility will decline tremendously. This article demonstrates the forces that are compelling the Egyptian government to drive urbanization in undeveloped areas. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

This announcement of a new capital city, announced in March of 2015, acts as a part of a inclusive plan aimed at revitalizing the economy and influence of Egypt. In a goal to escape the congestion, pollution, and  sprawl of Cairo, the Egypt government has it aims at 45 billion dollar project. If/when completed the new city will aim at sustainable development and include 2,000 new schools, a new massive international airport, and be about the size of Singapore. 

This situation applies to many principles in human geography. The problems created by overpopulation are evident in Cairo, and it is necessary for this new capital to follow a system of sustainable development to avoid the same problems.

This shows the development of the world and how now "poorer" countries are beginning to plan out big cities of their own.

This is interesting, and I found it tough to decide what side I want to take.  For Egypt I could see this as being a very real scare.  Ethiopia is building a dam for a resource for power which will cause less water to get to the people of your country.  This is scary considering the Nile is the only source of water.  Ethiopia on the other hand is just pushing through with the project insisting they will work with Egypt on when they fill the reservoir.  They argue that the loss of water to Egypt will not be a huge loss and people will still be able to go about their business as normal.  I think that production of the dam should be paused for the time being and research should be done as to the effects this dam will have on both countries.  With this if the dam is going to cause too many issues, all the time, effort, and money that went into it wouldn't be wasted.

In a complicated geographical issue, both Egypt and Ethiopia have ample reason to oppose the plans of the other concerning the damming of the Blue Nile. The damming of the Nile could prove devastating for Egypt, which draws 85% of its water supply from the river. With an increasing population and issues with water scarcity already abundant, it is clear why Egypt is fearful of the proposed plan, as the ecological effects could be devastating. For Ethiopia, the damming of the Nile could prove incredibly fruitful, allowing the nation to more easily engage in trade and could encourage some serious international investment in the region- a move that would not only benefit Ethiopia, but Egypt as well. It is for that reason that Egypt is willing to compromise on the issue, but until its water supply can be protected and secure, tensions over the dam are going to continue to escalate.

I live in New England, so there isn't much to say about an oddball snowstorm. Yes, its weird that it happened randomly in Syria but the fact is that mother nature can surprise us more often than not.

Many people here in the United States have this mental image of the Middle East being a massive desert with little precipitation and incredibly hot temperatures. The Middle East actually contains diverse landscapes and to an extent, some differing climates, and while snow is incredibly rare in some parts, it is not unheard of. In this instance, the weather anomaly affected numerous Syrian refugees who were unprepared for such an event. 

Those who resist climate change can only blatantly ignore the facts for so long. "It snowed?! So what?! Doesn't that prove global warming isn't real?!" No. Climate change is irrefutable, evidenced by thousands of bits of data collected across the globe, and irregular weather patterns have plagued vast areas the past decade. Snow in the Middle East? 12-20 inches in Jerusalem? That is extremely alarming- the picture of the camel resting in a field as snow continued to fall around him highlights how ludicrous and odd these weather patterns really are, and yet people continue to deny the severity of the issue, or even the existence of an issue concerning the world's climate. I understand that significant amounts of money are invested in maintaining the status quo and continuing to utilize fossil fuels, but we cannot all breathe money; we need the planet for us to live. Serious efforts must be made by all nations to push through the necessary reforms to stop us from making the problem any worse. I would not be surprised to hear of yet more odd weather patterns in the upcoming winter, and I will not be surprised to still see people ignoring the problem. I hope I'm wrong, though.