Iceland: Safe to Unsafe

Iceland is known for its exceptional safety due to low crime rates, a small and closely-knit population fostering community trust, political stability, low corruption levels, preparedness for natural disasters, lack of military conflicts, and a high standard of living. While no place is entirely risk-free, Iceland’s reputation for safety is grounded in its stable and well-organized society.

However, this idea of safety has been demolished by the recent current events. Over the past week, there has been a whopping 1700 earthquakes. Now, the conflict looks worse with a possible volcanic eruption. Magma and magmatic gas has been detected, and despite the seismic activity decreasing, magma is still moving 3-4 cm each day. The safe and great Iceland is now being rapidly evacuated by its population, and people may be unable to return for many months.

A possible facilitator to these events is climate change. Climate change can influence earthquakes through a process called Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA). As global temperatures rise, glaciers in Iceland are melting, causing a redistribution of the Earth’s mass. This, in turn, induces stress in the Earth’s crust. The reduced ice load allows the crust to gradually uplift, potentially impacting seismic activity. Changes in precipitation patterns and increased volcanic activity, possibly linked to climate change, further contribute to the complex interplay between environmental factors and seismic events in Iceland. While the specific interactions are still being studied, it is recognized that climate change can indirectly influence the geological dynamics in this region.

This emphasizes the toll that climate change has over the world, especially in areas like Iceland. Although actions have been made in the past few years to help mitigate this issue, actions are needed now more than ever. Some possible actions/policies that could be made in countries around the world are a continued focus on renewable energy, reforestation, adaptation measures, public awareness campaigns, international collaboration, green innovation, and legislative measures and policies promoting sustainability. These actions shouldn’t just be emphasized in Iceland, but across the world. Each little step contributes to the whole goal. And in the meantime, neighboring countries and NATO (Iceland is a member) need to aid the Iceland population to ensure their safety.

Biden-China Discussions

Over the past few years, the US-China relations have been quite poor, despite their interconnected economies. This conflict escalated heavily during Trump’s presidency with the many tariffs placed on China. The conflict continued with the many tech restrictions under the Biden administration. Conflict continued as earlier this February 2023, a Chinese spy balloon was caught on US ground. In short, US-China relations have been decreasing, and each side has been taking steps to defend itself, resulting in a greater insecurity for the other.

Due to their economic connections, Biden has been pushing to improve these relations. This past Wednesday November 15, 2023, President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met to discuss actions and policies but to also break the year long silence. After this 4 hour productive conversation, both presidents came out with positive sentiment, demonstrating the improvement in the relationship.

Biden and Jinping discussed and agreed on many topics, ranging from military to overdose. Both leaders agreed to restart military communications and also agreed to take steps to tackle the flow of fentanyl into the US, which has contributed to a rise in overdose deaths in the country. Jinping was apart of this fentanyl conversation as Chinese manufacturing companies are a source not only of the synthetic opioid itself but also of precursor chemicals which can be combined to make it.

There were also many topics discussed that didn’t lead to agreement. Recently, US has implaced export controls on advanced technology, such as semiconductors, which Jinping complained upon, saying that these controls were intended to suppress China. Also, the two sides didn’t make much progress on systems to ban the use of artificial intelligence to manage their nuclear arsenals.

Overall, Biden and Jinping discussed a lot, leading to some agreements and some disagreements. But in the end, the result of this discussion was positive sentiments and steps towards a positive relationship again.

This is important as the stability of U.S.-China relations is pivotal for global economic stability, trade, and supply chains. Beyond economic considerations, their collaboration is vital for addressing international security challenges, such as nuclear proliferation and regional conflicts. Both nations play crucial roles in the fight against climate change, making their cooperation essential for global environmental sustainability. Joint efforts in technology and innovation benefit not only the U.S. and China but also contribute to worldwide advancements. Diplomatically, a stable relationship enhances their ability to find effective solutions to shared challenges. People-to-people connections foster cultural understanding, and avoiding escalation is critical to prevent tensions from evolving into conflicts with global consequences. In essence, stable U.S.-China relations are integral to various facets of global cooperation and stability.

India-China Maldives Conflict

The tiny archipelago nation of Maldives is renowned primarily for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant coral reefs, standing as a captivating destination. However, behind all that beauty, many countries view the Maldives purely as a strong military outpost. Both India and China are countries that view the Maldives in this way and are currently fighting over it.

India and China have made significant contributions to the Maldives, reflecting their distinct interests. India, a longstanding development partner, has supported the Maldives through financial assistance, security cooperation, and cultural ties. In contrast, China’s involvement is marked by extensive infrastructure development under the Belt and Road Initiative, economic cooperation, and increased tourism. Both countries are drawn to the Maldives due to its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, economic potential, and the geopolitical influence it offers. Also, the Maldives act as a key player in the broader geopolitical landscape, with its strong military outpost enhancing regional security dynamics. The dynamics of their engagements highlight the complex interplay of economic, strategic, and cultural factors in the region.

Neither country has had direct conflict with the other in regard to the Maldives but have been implacing strategic moves to minimize the benefits of the other. For example, New Delhi has been attempting to counter Beijing’s strategy by maintaining close ties to bordering nations, with the exception of Pakistan, and proposing its own access and development agreements to diminish Chinese influence.

Overall, this conflict has been ongoing for some time, and seems to continue. Both countries desire the Maldives and are using non-conflict practices and policies to gain an advantage.

Halloween Shootings

Halloween is meant to be an enjoyable holiday for children to go trick-or-treating, dress up in costumes, and overall have a memorable night. Halloween really drives spirit within communities across the country. However, unfortunately, in many communities, this spirit was destroyed by a few individuals who decided to ruin the fun memorable nights.

Shootings in Texas, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Mexico, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio have resulted in 11 dead and hundreds injured. This is clearly an intense issue as these shootings have stretched across the United States, impacting many people and communities.

Gun violence prevails in the United States. Week after week, it seems that there is another shooting. This issue cannot be one that is normalized. Actions need to be taken to ensure the safety of the American people. There are many policy approaches that could be deemed appropriate, but one that could help towards this issue that is in current debate is universal background checks. Universal background checks in gun purchases involves closing loopholes, particularly in private and online sales, to ensure comprehensive scrutiny of buyers. This effort aims to enhance the accuracy and accessibility of criminal and mental health records in the background check system, enforce compliance through robust mechanisms, and garner public support through educational campaigns. Successful examples from other jurisdictions illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of such measures in maintaining responsible gun ownership while prioritizing public safety.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

The Israel-Palestine conflict is currently a major current issue. However, this has been ongoing since 1947, and is not just a current issue.

The Israel-Palestine conflict traces back to the United Nation’s 1947 Partition Plan, which recommended the creation of separate Jewish and Arab states in Palestine, along with international administration for Jerusalem. While the Jewish leadership accepted the plan and established the State of Israel in 1948, Arab leaders rejected it. This disagreement led to regional conflicts, including the establishment of the State of Israel.

Ever since this, Israel and Palestine have been going back and forth fighting over land and who they believe deserves to have that land. The 1967 war is particularly important for today’s conflict, as it left Israel in control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, two territories home to large Palestinian populations.

This resulted in mass conflict since then with both sides having high casualties. Currently, both sides are facing heavy losses, many of which are innocent citizens too along with soldiers. Palestine is launching attacks on Israel and Israel is retaliating. These back and forth attacks just results in death on both sides of the war.

With these conflicts randomly spiking at many times, you’d think that it would be easy to tell who started what. However, the exact opposite is true. Since this conflict has been stretching for many years, it is hard to determine which state started the conflict. This makes it harder for countries to support one side or another as it is unclear of who is most responsible.

Overall, the conflict in Israel and Palestine is a tragedy as many innocent lives, people with no connection to the war, are being taken. Although it is hard for countries to make decisions for who they support, many are and these countries that have made decisions (such as US and UK) need to actively respond to mitigate casualties.

Amazon Rivers’ Levels

When we talk about rivers or bodies of water on this blog, it seems like we primarily talk about how due to rising sea levels (thanks climate change), these bodies’ level of water are rising too. Well, in the case of the Amazon rivers, this seems to be the opposite!

Currently, the Amazon rivers’ levels have hit an all time low in over a century. These changes are drastic too. From last year being 17.6 meters to now a whopping 13.59 meters.

This has many consequences of leaving boats stranded which cuts off food and water supplies to remote villages, and the high water temperatures are killing more than 100 already endangered river dolphins. These issues are a direct result of the lowered river levels, which is also a direct result from a severe drought in the region This drought is significantly impacting this region as temperatures are much higher than usual, and it has been months without rainfall.

On a broader scale, the way these situations are caused is through climate change. Climate change can contribute to changes in precipitation patterns, leading to more frequent and severe droughts in certain regions. Climate change reduces. precipitation means less water flowing into rivers and eventually reaching the oceans. Additionally climate change accelerates the El Niño tropical storm that occurs in this area.
El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, disrupting normal weather patterns. Climate change can intensify El Niño events by warming ocean temperatures, amplifying climate variability, altering atmospheric circulation, and affecting precipitation patterns. These changes contribute to more severe and frequent El Niño occurrences, with implications for global weather extremes, such as droughts and floods.

Overall, the Amazon rivers are facing a unique experience with sea levels in the world. Generally, many sea levels are rising, but here the opposite is true. This still poses significant issues to the people who live in this region as low levels have many negative implications. The entire situation is a chain reaction, stemming from climate change.

For the time being, neighboring countries need to offer support to those who are affected by the drought to ensure their safety. Country leaders need to also continue actively taking steps to reduce climate change and its negative effects.

McCarthy Ousted

Kevin McCarthy, former Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, was just ousted from this position, resulting in an empty seat in the Republican House of Representatives.

Before we get into this, we must figure out what does the Speaker of the House do and what is the House of Representatives? The House of Representatives, one of the two chambers of the U.S. Congress, is tasked with proposing and passing legislation, representing specific districts based on population, and holding the power to initiate impeachment proceedings. The Speaker of the House, a leadership role within the House, presides over sessions, leads the majority party, and plays a pivotal role in setting the legislative agenda. Additionally, the Speaker appoints members to committees and engages in negotiations to reach compromises on legislative matters. With its focus on representation, legislation, oversight, and leadership, the House of Representatives and its Speaker are integral to the U.S. government’s legislative functions. This includes keeping the government functioning. Now, let’s get into the case with McCarthy.

As the government was close to being shut down (check out my previous blog to read further about this), the government had to respond and pass a bill to fund themselves. To get this bill passed, a vote is needed within Congress from both the Senate and House of Representatives, Democrats and Republicans. The Democrat Speaker of the House and the Democrats as a whole were able to get everyone in line and vote toward passing the bill, as they favored that. However, the Republicans had a very diverse spread of beliefs among the members. Instead of listening to all those Republican voices which were against the Bill, McCarthy decided to push for the bill getting passed as he thought it was the right decision to keep the government functioning. This decision led to his demise. Angered Republican Congress members then decided to vote to remove McCarthy from being the speaker. The 216-to-210 vote marked the first time in history that the House removed its leader, with eight Republicans voting with 208 Democrats to remove McCarthy, and McCarthy told reporters he would not make another run for speaker.

This ousting results in an uncertainty within the government on who will now take up this position. The Republican House of Representatives is now in an awkward position without a speaker, especially since those who decided to remove McCarthy haven’t even considered anyone for the role. Only time will tell the future specifics about this current situation, and you can count on a blog to fill your curiosity.

A New Movement in Buildings

Climate change is intensifying due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, leading to global warming. This warming results in more extreme weather events, including heavier and more frequent rainfall, which can overwhelm drainage systems and lead to flooding. Additionally, rising sea levels due to melting ice caps and thermal expansion of seawater contribute to higher coastal flood risks. As a result, areas that were previously safe from flooding are now more vulnerable, exacerbating the impact of floods worldwide.

Floods pose numerous threats to communities, including loss of life, damage to property, destruction of infrastructure, and disruption of essential services such as transportation and utilities. They can also lead to water contamination, spread of waterborne diseases, and displacement of populations. Given these risks, living in flood-prone areas may not seem ideal due to the constant threat of danger, financial losses, and the need for costly insurance and protective measures. However, many areas around the world are now taking advantage of these areas and are building more property.

One significant driver in this new practice is the scarcity of land that is less susceptible to flooding, as these areas are often already developed or reserved for other purposes. Economic incentives, particularly in profitable sectors like tourism or trade, may outweigh concerns regarding potential flood risks for developers and investors. Additionally, inadequate urban planning and regulatory oversight, coupled with a lack of comprehensive flood data, can contribute to the proliferation of construction in these vulnerable zones. Despite the inherent risks, some regions experience population growth driven by factors such as favorable climate conditions and comparatively lower living costs, even as regulations governing building in high-risk areas are relaxed.

Public policy is all about creating new approaches to certain situations. Currently, these policies being made to these flood-prone areas are creating new practices that can benefit everyone. Rather than letting some areas lose any sort of potential, they are being acted on to maximize gain.

Big Dengue Outbreak in Bangladesh

Now after reading this title, you may be confused: what even is dengue and how is it bad? Well, dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that can cause a severe flu-like illness and, in some cases, develop into a potentially life-threatening condition called severe dengue or dengue hemorrhagic fever. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, mainly the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

You may also be wondering how does dengue even come up? A major way dengue outbreaks start is through the current climate crisis. Warmer temperatures associated with climate change can accelerate the development of both the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the dengue virus and the virus itself within these mosquitoes. Higher temperatures can shorten the incubation period of the virus, leading to increased viral replication and faster transmission when mosquitoes feed on humans. Additionally, warmer temperatures cause a prolonged monsoon season which created ideal breeding conditions for the Aedes mosquito.

Now let’s get into this issue in Bangladesh. Since January, 1,017 people have died from the mosquito-borne disease, including more than 100 children, with infections rising over 208,000. Fatalities from the outbreak are almost four times higher than last year, when 281 people died. In September alone, there were more than 79,600 reported cases and 396 deaths, according to Bangladesh health authorities.

Fortunately for other countries, outbreaks like this generally are confined to its own location and will not become a pandemic (another COVID is not coming). However, these neighboring countries should implement some helpful policies to aid those in Bangladesh struggling. This could include medical supplies, resources, financial assistance, etc. This support could also come from the United Nations as Bangladesh has been a member since 1974.

This outbreak represents on a broader scale the negative implications of the climate crisis and how truly severe it can impact people. With these many occurrences, it is important to continue to consider how sustainable practices need to be maintained and created to avert these life threatening situations.

Near Government Shutdown

A government shutdown occurs when the U.S. federal government fails to pass appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to fund government operations, leading to a temporary cessation of non-essential services and the furlough of federal employees. The history of government shutdowns in the United States dates back to the 1980s, but they became more frequent in the 1990s and early 2000s. Major shutdowns include the 16-day closure in 2013 over the Affordable Care Act and the 35-day shutdown in 2018-2019, the longest in U.S. history, primarily over border wall funding.

Just recently, we almost experienced another government shutdown. Congress has failed to enact any measures to fund the government, which must be approved by both the House and Senate and signed by the president. Without passing a stopgap measure to temporarily fund the federal agencies in both chambers of Congress, resolving any differences between the bills and sending the measures to President Biden, the government will shut down. However, at a last minute right before midnight of Saturday September 30 2023 (the deadline before declaring a government shutdown), President Biden signed a new bill which prevented this from happening.

You may be wondering, what does a government shutdown even mean? Government shutdowns have significant implications, disrupting various services, affecting federal workers’ pay, and causing economic uncertainties. They can lead to delayed payments, economic setbacks, and a decline in public trust in government institutions. The impact is felt across sectors, from national parks and immigration services to research programs and regulatory agencies, highlighting the broader consequences of political disagreements on the functioning of the federal government.

Overall, a government shutdown has serious consequences onto society and can cause many disruptions. Luckily this situation was averted; but if it wasn’t, our current situation would be much different.