The Holy Grail of googling? (Cape Breton space launch site)

♦ Holy grail of googling. I could potentially be a rocket scientist or something, and live near an ocean--granted on the other side of the country but i think it might be neat to live there. I liked it there when i visited it, and my aunt lives there.

I can't believe i haven't found it though. Results 1 - 10 of about 101,000... like i would think that a fraction of those would have used the keywords i had typed in earlier.

Edit: October 30th, 2007.

Capitalists: If you can't beat em, join em. What I mean by this is that if space is going to be all commercial with space tourists and stuff, then so be it. It's not like there's much of an environment up there to ruin, and space is biggish--people can't take it all up. If you want a quiet corner, there will be one (space is quiet anyway but that's beside the point).

Edit: October 31st, 2007.

"Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it"

I was actually fine with not doing rocket science, until this got my hopes back up.

A tad bit confused

Here I dreamt I was an architect.

♦ Screw environmental engineering, I want to be an architect. Or a dietitian. Or maybe i just wanna be a rocket scientist.

I just know i ain't designing sewage treatment stuff. But really, how eclectic can my interests be? artsy? healthy? or smartie?

The way i got sort of intruigued by architects is by reading some stuff on the internet: Architects apparently design eco-friendly houses. That's what i want to do sorta, as in environmental engineering. (But environmental engineering now that i google it, turned out to be sewage treatment and such. It didn't really interest me, although i made myself read it, and ended up at the aerospace/mechanical engineering part of the website, reading that. Maybe that just interests me--it's in my DNA. The only problem with it is Texas. It seems that it would be ugly. And by ugly i mean far away from the ocean. But then i was thinking about being a dietitian--it would be extremely convenient especially for me who isn't exactly the healthiest eater around. I think i want to do that so that i'll know what is good and what is not, and be able to make informed decisions and when i have kids.

My genetics keep surprising me. I never would have guessed that i'd be gay, and i never would have guessed that i would be interested in spaceships/flying.

It would also be nice to know how much i am interested in aerospace engineering. Am I interested in a sweet-i-want-to-follow-the-space-program type way? Or is it an i-can't-think-of-anything-i-am-more-interested-in-so-whatever-i'll-do-this type way? Or an i-want-to-do-aerospace-stuff type way? I think in order to be a good rocket scientist, you have to be interested in it in a this-is-what-i-want-to-do-with-my-life,-bitches type way. Which i don't think i am.

"Try one, and try two
guess it always comes down to
it's alright, it's okay
guess it's better to turn this way."

Environmental Studies Article Critique

ENVIRONMENTAL ARTICLE CRITIQUE

Where Oil and Water Do Mix: Environmental Scarcity and Future Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa

Environmenal Studies 1000

Morrissette, J. J. and Border, D. A. (2005). Where Oil and Water Do Mix: Environmental Scarcity and Future Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa. Annual Editions: Environment 07/08. 26, 71-78.

♦ SUMMARY.

This article explains the issue of environmental scarcity, with respect to the scarcity of water, in the 21st century. Almost a third of the people living in developping countries, do not have access to clean, healthy water. If the population and economic trends continue, future conflicts in those areas could be caused by this environmental scarcity. A war over water in the Middle East and North Africa has not happened yet, although these countries have mainly dry climates and do not import enough water for everyone and to successfully grow their own food. This is because of the water contained in food that they import. If, in the future, this "virtual water" is not enough, then the likelyhood of conflict will increase. As there is more trade and communication between countries, there will be a need to supply food and water to an increasing number of people on Earth--estimated eight billion. This tension will probably cause a war in Middle East and North Africa, where peace is a rare occurance. War could possibly be averted if Iraq becomes a sustainable democracy, after America is through with it, and makes the decision not to go to war. (Morrissette & Border, 2005.)

POSITION STATEMENT.

Water shortage appears to have the potential to be a major problem in the future, causing wars and tension between countries. It is up to people today to recognize this potential problem, and do something about it, for a peaceful future.

Water is a ressource that is vital to survival, and something every person on Earth deserves to have. The pressing problems due to water shortage and water quality have more immediate consequences for the people in the Middle East than global issues like global warming and pollution. (NATO Advanced Research Workshop..., 2004) Water shortage has undoubtedly affected the personal lives and political landscape of these developping countries. It is important to recognize the problem of water shortage and avert any possible future conflict.

There are many proposed solutions to this increasing problem. The first solution would be that, along with these countries attempting to be self sufficient, for the United Nations to send food (which contains water) to these countries.

It would be beneficial to stabilize population growth--more mouths to feed would entail less water per person. Population growth is a major problem, and even so there are some governments who would even offer incentives to have more children.

The most sustainable solution would be for the various countries (Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine) to "recognise and jointly study the longer-term environmental challenges as common threats, challenges, vilnerabilities [...] and they should start developing trans-boundary regional and non-military solutions that address the scarcity and degradation of water and soil." (NATO Advanced Research Workshop..., 2004) However, even if there was a high level of committed cooperation among the nations in that region (which there is not), water management would still be a challenge for the long term. (NATO Advanced Research Workshop..., 2004)

Globally, there would need to be more competent and efficient management of water, which would require "rapid and imaginative institutional and technological innovations." (Gopalakrishnan, C., Tortajada, C, & Biswas, A, 2005.)

In the Middle East and North Africa, war is a very normal thing, and there are very rarely long periods of time when there is peace. (Morrissette & Border, 2005.) In the future it is important that the nations in the middle East and North Africa work together on this common problem of water scarcity, so that region of the world will become peaceful.

Gopalakrishnan, C., Tortajada, C, & Biswas, A. (2005). Water institutions: policies, performance and prospects. Berlin: Springer.

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on the Role of Risk Assessment in Environmental Security and Emergency Preparedness in the Mediterranean Region. (2004). Environmental security and environmental management : the role of risk assessment. Dordrecht: Springer.