Summarising an article

Rivers, lakes, wetlands: could water become the world's biggest market?

People are payed all around the world to protect water sources. How does it work out? Read along.

 Uganda, Kenya, China. These countries seemingly don't have much in common, but if we take a closer look, we'll see at least one "little thing" that connects them: their projects to protect their water sources. Beer brewers, hotels, flowering companies, even the government-backed programmes pay communities to protect wetlands.

The number of projects that pay communities in any kind of way has risen up in the past four years- according to an online portal named 'Ecosystem Marketplace', which tracks the development of markets for "ecosystem services".  If you want to know more about what these services are, click here.

The market-based progression is expanding very quickly but so are concerns about who benefits from it.

Michael Jenkins, the president of  US non-profit organisation 'Forest Trends' that oversees 'Ecosystem Marketplace' said that we were witnesses of nature's response which might change our valuation of water and that these responses were way more intense than when they'd begun tracking.

Most projects involve deals between downstream and upstream cities. Where the water sources are more commodified, trading systems have been set up.

30% of these projects were identified in China. 73 other programmes are under development in various countries like Malawi, Romani etc.

Supporters argue that the payments for these projects will get us to a new "green economy" and these "green" incomes will help us support the poor.

Though some see cons in this situation, too. Commentators say that this is just commodification and privatisation of water and it'll get us nowhere.

 

 Another thing that makes us think is that these projects have listed some social issues as priorities yet they've done very little about it or nothing at all.

Nathaniel Caroll, one of the report's authors thinks that there are noticable changes and benefits.

All these happenings plant thousands of questions and needs for explanation in our brains. The most appropriate answer and explanation would be some visible evidence.

Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/jan/18/rivers-lakes-wetlands-water-market?intcmp=122

   

 

 

 

Personal Highlights of 2012

Personal Highlights of 2012

 To be honest this is so hard. I've had so many interesting occasions in my past year. I mean interesting to me. And now I have to choose one, because trust me, if I started writing everything down, you wouldn't stop reading until tomorrow. :D

I've been to several memorable parties, met interesting people, spent most of my time with my best friends, but this event I'm going to write about is different. Because it's related to *drumroll* school. Yes, school, and above all: history.

It all started a week before the actual thing. A kid from the parallel class asked me if I wanted to spend a weekend in Budapest, totally free with Bea. Of course I wanted. A weekend abroad with a friend of mine and totally charge-free? Who wouldn't have?

But then it hit me: what is this thing?! I had no information about it except that it's free and cool. After a shorter lecture from Bea and some research I finally had an idea of what this event was. It was a Leadership Training for kids around my age organised by the Rákóczi Association. Well, I wasn't much smarter, still didn't know what a leadership training looked like, but I already had agreed so there weren't any kind of ways back. I couldn't back out.

So Bea, a history teacher from our school and me took the train on the 5th of October, Friday and headed to the capital of Hungary. (Yeah, we skipped school without detention. How cool is that? Though we missed the test from Biology and when we had to write it, it was two times harder than the one our classmates had written a week earlier. I guess that's the little bit less cool part.) After 4 hours of agony in a small, stuffy cabin, we finally arrived. Well, the way to the Wellness Hotel we stayed at wasn't a trip to Wonderland either. We travelled by metro, then by bus and we had a long walk until we finally attended that huge and (in my opinion) luxury hotel.

Tired and hungry (that means me in a pre-hysterical state) we signed in and asked for our keys.

"Your roommates have already gotten here and they have it." was the answer we got. What?! Roommates?! You gotta be kidding me. There was no way I was sleeping with total strangers in one room. But we had no choice so I calmed myself down. Actually they were two very nice girls from Pécs I'm still in connection with. We had like half an hour to do whatever we wanted in our rooms and then the Welcome Ceremony started. Wasn't a big whoop, lasted only 15 minutes. We realized that every single kid (I don't know how many, like at least 50, from every part of Hungary, from Erdély, Felvidék and Délvidék) had an ID card in their neck only in a few different clors. Ours was bright yellow. The orgainiser of this thing explained that there are these groups, every color a group, and by the end of the event (that meant Sunday), all groups must come up with a program for a national holiday which they must perform. Splendid... But it was way better than rotting at home or studying so I was more than happy to participate. That's another thing that I didn't really have the chance. 2 or 3 girls took over control and I with the others didn't bother. We had a lecture to sit through, to be honest, I don't remember what it was about. I think money but not sure. Anyways, Bea and I walked into the restaurant part of the hotel and started giggling like idiots. There were no free seats except for two at a table where two guys from our group were  already sitting. We must've looked misrable because they invited us over, so we ate with them. The food was fine, but I'm really picky so don't listen to me on this one. They turned out to be very fun companions from Szekszárd, though I'm not sure about their intelligence....One of them asked us about what we eat here, in Serbia. I don't know...food, maybe?! LOL. Just kidding. I mean he really asked this, but both of them our super bright and smart and really lovely persons. After the dinner we had free time which we spent chatting with the boys and getting to know our roommates better and some other kids.

The next day (Saturday) was fine. Survived a huge doze of dry lectures, but the night...Now that was what I call fun! After dinner we went to the Palace of Final Arts and enjoyed a beautiful classical concert. Then the organiser (who was our group leader, by the way) gave us a sight-seeing tour of Budapest in our bus. I've been to Budapest before but never got these truly amazing sights. Then the bus dropped us off for 20 minutes on the Citadella. And that's when the fun part began! We left Bea and her companion there. Well, it's fun now that I look back to it, but then I was totally freaked out. My companion couldn't even calm me down. I couldn't call up Bea 'cause my phone was in her purse with her and couldn't reach our teacher either 'cause he was nowhere to be found. It was great. Just great. Then they arrived with the other bus and told us that they nearly missed that one, too, 'cause they almost got on a Romanian Tourbus. Gee, teenagers these days... Our room was the Party Apartment: there were Hungarian kids from 5 different countries! I gotta say, it was a good one. But the cleaning up was something I certainly didn't enjoy.

Finally, the last day, Sunday. We only had one lecture, and then did the torture all the way to the trainstation again. The actual journey leading home was quite silent. Both Bea and I slept during it, and I think the teacher did, too. But I don't know. I don't sleep with open eyes. It wasn't the cosiest place I could imagine to sleep at, but still it felt like Heaven after only 5 hours of sleep in two days.

This is probably the ugliest picture of me ever made, but still the only one with the lads.♥

[I meant the only displayable one.]

 

 

World Event Highlights 2012

World Event Highlights 2012

2012. The end of the world. I think I feel pretty alive for a dead person. :D Anyways, the point here...well, title says it all. I collected a few events that shook the world last year, but I'm convinced there were at least a hundred more. I can't really name them all so let's get going to the ones I've actually found. Hope you'll enjoy them.[Well, the enjoyable ones.]

The Colorado Massacre 

This is one of the not so pretty breaking news. The 25-year-old James Holmes born in San Diego, California, committed mass-homicide in Aurora, Colorado. He walked into the local movie theatre during the showing of the new Batman movie called "Batman: The Dark Night Rises" and opened fire on the audience. According to official sources, more than 50 people were injured, 10 died immediately and 4 died in the hospital. He also used teargas to make escaping harder for the innocents whilst shouting that he was The Joker. He's trial is not over yet, several appearances of his in the court were postponed due to his mental state. His lawyers claim he is mentally ill.

 

The tragedy left so much pain and sorrow, but to top  all that, a new frenzy spread across the United States among the teenagers. They basically worship Holmes because they feel sorry for him due to his illness and sad childhood, and they manifest their views in various ways. 

The Sandy Hurricane

Another disaster stroke but this time not in the form of a psychiatric case, but in the form of a natural disaster. As we already got used to it, this hurricane is named after a woman, too, a certain Sandy. She caused the death of 40 people, left over 8 million households without electricity and swamped several metrostations and tunels. 1500 flights were cancelled and the center of Manhattan went underwater. The waves were 4,5 metres high, breaking the earlier record of hurricane Donna (3 metres). The damage was around 30-40 milliard dollars.

Celebrity Deaths

It may be a bit morbid to call this a highlight, but I think it's an essential part of last year. The whole world lost a few true legends. They made our lives brighter, our days happier. Their abrupt departial left us speechless. Though I'm pretty sure that a huge percent of nowadays generation don't even know who they were, what they did. But hopefully a part of them, including me, smiles when they think of the one and only Jockey Ewing from Dallas (Larry Hagman), the pretty singer from The Bodyguard (Whitney Houston) or the amazing singer of the hit song 'Hot Stuff' (Donna Summer).

  

                                                         

The Olympic Games

And we arrived. This is the event that nobody can leave out! The XXX Game of the Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Games. After China, London earned the honor to be the host of this high-quality event. Over 204 National Olympic Committies took part in the Games, in 26 sports. The absolute winners were China, The USA and Great Britain: they owned the first three places on the rank of earned medals. Many records were broken, numerous by the mentioned countries above. The next games will be held in Rio de Janeiro.

The Royal Family

The British Royal Family had more reasons to celebrate last year than an average family. Prince William and Kate Middleton got married in 2011 and now the new royal baby is on its way. Though this wonderful occasion had its ups and downs apart from the morning sicknesses. A gossip magazine called up the nurse who dealed with Kate and told her she was the Queen to get some information on the state of the Princess. The nurse of course told them everything and when it turned out that she had been ditched, she killed herself. Sad story, but we should move on to the next thing. Queen II. Elizabeth celebrated her diamondjubilee, the 60th anniversary of her domination. In all history only Queen Victoria could celebrate this before her.