Protesters gathered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square June 1st, 2013, in response to the escalating citywide riots and numerous violent clashes between citizens and police in Turkey.  The protests began on May 27th as an environmentalist gathering inGezi Park, a park in Taksim square, to show their disapproval of the governments plan to turn the park into a strip mall; things escalated from there with more and more people joining each day to show their discontentment of miscellaneous government actions, primarily their accused Islamic agenda.  It is estimated that over 3.5 million people participated in these protests; just two weeks into the protests, 5 were killed by police, over 8,000 were injured, and thousands of arrests were made—these numbers continued to rise as the protests went on.  The TaksimSquare protests quickly became the largest political demonstration in Turkish history.  Facebook and other social media sites were used to spread the message and encourage further demonstrations around the country, not just in Istanbul.  Taksim Square is another example of the political impact of social media; the work that Facebook and Twitter did in Turkey during this time is similar to how it was used to spread the Arab Spring across a number of Arab nations, beginning in 2010.

Days after the protests began, CNN reporter Nate Hoveereported it as the “first clear sign of victory accomplished by the Turkish people, for the Turkish people, in over 10 years.”  However, although the protests seemed like a step towards freedom in Turkey—the nation is currently categorized by Freedom House as “partly free,” just a small step above the freedom experienced in China, Syria, or Iran—once they were dispersed there have been no protests to this scale in Turkey; not even when the Prime Minister banned YouTube and Twitter or when it was reported that his political party embezzled millions of dollars.  Taksim Square had a lasting impact on Turkish society—although not necessarily a beneficial impact because nothing major was accomplished within the government except for stricter regulations—and demonstrated, for the first time, that Turkish people are willing to stand up for their rights when they believe it worth it.

As I write this blog on looking back on Taksim Square, Turkish citizens are simultaneously voting in municipal elections, the first national elections since Takism Square.  These elections have been surrounded by controversy, corruption, and outrageous social media bans.  According toDimitar Bechev at the European Council on Foreign Relations, in a statement I obtained from Europe Online Magazine, the current Prime Minister and his party is expected to win this election, regardless of unfavorable public opinion.  Whether or not this actually happens is a discussion for another time.

-Katie Testut

Sources:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-989805

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1114173

http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/preview-polarized-turkey-to-vote-in-key-local-electionsby-shabtai-gold-dpa_328301.html

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/dec/19/turkey-surreal-menacing-pompous/?pagination=false

A relative who works at Whole Foods market once told me this: “when our store is unable to sell its non-organic items, our managers asks us to label them “organic” and we do.” This raised a red flag. Do we, as U.S. shoppers, know if our food is actually organic or not? Further, do we know if our food is genetically modified or not? The real question is, how do we know?

In truth, we can’t. Around the globe there are 64 countries that require food producers to provide such information on products labels. The U.S is not one of them. In the U.S., genetically modified products are regarded “‘substantially equivalent’ to foods grown from traditional methods, and requires no special labeling.” There have been attempts to regulate GMO food labeling in the U.S., but nothing fruitful came out of it. It is also good to note that farmers in the U.S., though they have their limits, are biggest supporters of genetically modified crops because it yields high results for less work.

In India, farmers are facing a suicide epidemic due to genetically modified crops. Millions of Indian farmers were promised a successful harvest and income if they switched from using traditional seeds to genetically modified seeds. Shankara, a local Indian farmer, took this promise to heart and borrowed money to buy the GM seeds. However, the GM seed failed. His harvest failed– twice and he ended up in debts with no income. Shankara is estimated to be one of the25,000 farmers to take their own life as a result of ‘the ruthless drive to use India as a testing ground for genetically modified crops.”

Now, Africa is the target of genetically modified food companies. Although the intention behind this, according to European scientists, is to cultivate the agricultural production of African countries, local farmers regard it as a “new form of colonialism.” This indeed may be true. Under the notion of helping African farmers to grow crops more sufficiently and easily, GM companies are more concerned with promoting farming at a governmental level. No consideration as to how this decision affects local farmers is given.

-Meron Kebede

Cites summarized:

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/feb/24/gm-crops-european-scientists-africa-promote-biotech

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Magazines&limiter=&u=viva_vpi&currPage=&disableHighlighting=true&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA357248183

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-seeds-of-suicide-how-monsanto-destroys-farming/5329947

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=News&limiter=&u=viva_vpi&currPage=&disableHighlighting=true&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA361984104

There is an increasing demand for solar and wind energy throughout the world since both of these forms of energy are clean and sustainable. However, there’s always going to be the problem that the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. This is why being able to store energy is becoming really important, especially in times of disaster. There have been many technological advances that allow us to harvest and store wind and solar energy. It has been found that wind turbines and solar photovoltaic installations generate more energy than they consume. Between solar and wind energy, it takes more energy to create and install solar panels than wind turbines, and the wind industry is able to store significantly more surplus energy than the solar industry. In addition, wind turbines pay back the energy that was used to create them much faster than solar panels.1 These facts make wind energy the more favorable source of sustainable energy.

An example of a technological advancement relating to wind energy is the Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) in Alaska. This floating sits at 1,000 feet in the air and is connected to the ground with cables. This is used to feed electricity to power over a dozen homes through one of the cables, and can also be used to supply powers to a disaster area.2 Now that wind-capturing devices can be designed so that they are not attached to the ground, wildlife can be preserved in areas that could also be used to create wind farms. There are concerns about wildlife being affected by the creation of wind turbines, specifically birds. Birds run into tall building in cities because they see glass windows as open space, but they fly right into the windows and fall dead. Wind farms are not actually a threat to the bird population since there are no reflective or transparent surfaces that would fool birds into thinking there’s open space.3 With the push for preserving wildlife and keeping the earth healthy, there is a lot more room for technology to advance. Floating devices can one day have the capability of going even higher, capturing wind more efficiently, and storing more energy which might not even be used until after many generations have passed.

-Kristine Mapili

Sources:
1. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140320140854.htm
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/business/energy-environment/wind-industrys-new-technologies-are-helping-it-compete-on-price.html?ref=windpower&_r=0
3. http://efergy.com/blog/common-disadvantages-of-wind-energy-debunked/

Sources

​The Strait of Gibraltar is a channel of water between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco.  The strait is the only connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, causing it to be one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, with hundreds of ships passing through daily.

​Because of the location and access it provides to the rest of the Mediterranean, the Strait has played an important role in the development of the culture on both sides of the water.

​In the past, before borders and security, travel between Spain and Morocco was relatively easy. Travel between Morocco and Spain resulted in strong African influences in some of Spain’s southern towns.  When Muslims from Northern Africa, particularly Morocco, known as the Moors, invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711, they established themselves throughout the region, especially in southern Spanish cities, influencing the architecture, government, history, and culture.  The ownership of the region was a source of conflict between Morocco, Spain, and other interested parties in the Iberian Peninsula.  Because of the back-and-forth between reigning governments and individual travelers, a mix of Spanish and African culture can be seen in the area today.  In many southern Spanish cities, African migrants can be seen with markets set up and vendors patrolling the streets, looking for tourists to sell their crafts to.

​The closest point between the coast of Spain and the coast of Morocco is only 14 kilometers, or about 8.5 miles, so close that they can both be seen across the strait from one another.  The proximity of Spain and Morocco has resulted in an influx of African immigrants into the European country, where they are then free to travel throughout the entire European Union.  The number of immigrants coming into Spain reached a high from 2005-2007, when tens of thousands of people crossed the strait every year.  This influx of people resulted in Spain increasing itsexpenditures on border security, as many of these immigrants are illegal, and are often smuggled across in boats.

​The journey across the strait is extremely dangerous due to the small boats used as transportation, as well as the presence of large freighters traveling through to reach the Mediterranean.  When crossing, the African immigrants’ only goal is to reach Spanish soil. If they are to be caught by a Moroccan boat, they will be transported back to Morocco, whereas if they are stopped by a Spanish boat, they will likely be taken back to Spain where they will have to spend a few months in detention and then likely will be let go.

​As a result of illegal immigration, Spain increased its border security by reinforcing metal border fences and increasing border patrol security.  The number of migrants who tried to illegally enter Spain by boat in 2013 was 3,804, showing a 30% drop from 2012.  The increased border security, as well as rising unemployment and a lack of available jobs in Spain is said to have played a role in this drop.

-Rachel Atkins

http://www.livescience.com/29738-strait-of-gibraltar-where-atlantic-meets-mediterranean.html

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/global-immigration-spain-guardia.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/migrants-in-rubber-dinghies-cross-treacherous-strait-of-gibraltar-towards-spain/story-e6frg6so-1226607418390

http://blogs.afp.com/correspondent/?post/2012/12/05/Desperate-Straits-at-Gibraltar

http://arbuthnottholidays.com/specialist-holidays/moorish-history-of-spain/moroccan-influence/

Natural gas is seen as the solution to becoming more energy independent. Since it can be found on American soil it reduces U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Hydraulic fracturing, or as it is commonly known, fracking, is the process that extracts natural gas from shale rocks.  To extract the natural gas, one must drill a well and inject fluid into the ground at high pressure to fracture the shale rocks containing the natural gas. The fluid that is used for this process contains approximately 40,000 gallons of chemicals, 600 of which are known carcinogens and toxins such as lead, mercury and uranium.

These chemicals then leak out and contaminate the nearby groundwater and wells that are used for drinking water for the surrounding cities and towns. The ongoing contamination is causing a variety of environmental and health concerns to the residents dependent on these wells. There was even a popular YouTube video showing a man lighting his tap water on fire to show just how flammable these waters have gotten as a result of the chemical contamination.

There has also been evidence that fracking has been causing a series of earthquakes in Ohio. In the past weeks a total of 11 earthquakes have been felt by residents.  “The U.S. Geological survey has pinpointed the epicenters of some of these quakes to be in the vicinity of seven oil and gas production wells.” Fracking has been linked as the cause of earthquakes in several other states as well such as Arkansas, Oklahoma and in many other countries.

It is clear that although natural gas sounds great in theory, there are many adverse effects from the production and extraction of natural gas. Contaminating our water supply being the most important of these effects, as it is essential in everyday life and unavoidable. However, fracking remains a popular method, used throughout the United States and has spread globally. It makes one think, what will happen if most of the earth’s water supply becomes unusable due to contamination?

-Daniella Zelaya

http://www.hcn.org/issues/43.3/unpacking-health-hazards-in-frackings-chemical-cocktail

http://www.earthworksaction.org/issues/detail/hydraulic_fracturing_101#.UyZalPldVyU

http://www.dangersoffracking.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/12/fracking-earthquakes-ohio-hilcorp_n_4950768.html