Indifference is a Problem

By: Daniela Silva

A new commercial from Save the Children has been making its rounds around the web in providing insight on the very real situation going down in Syria. The video depicts a young girl, taking video snapshots in her day to day life. It gradually turns into havoc, despair, and tragedy as her normal childhood is turned into a terrible rendition of hide and seek. The war has unfortunately killed over 11,000 children, and many more may face this unimaginable demise.

So, before you press play, keep in mind that this sort of tragedy exists. Children also succumb to the war and terror that we as adults are responsible for. If your childhood didn't end like this, you really have a lot to be thankful for.


                                

                                    I do not take any ownership of the video and its contents.

Save Water ! But How?

By: Jessica Robertson

The vast majority of the water on our planet is not suitable for human consumption. Droughts plague a huge portion of the earth each year. Numerous countries share water with at least one other country, pushing nations closer to conflict as scarcity increases. For these reasons and more, most citizens of earth know that water conservation is important, but a recent survey showed that most of us don’t know how to save water.

The most efficient way to reduce personal water consumption, according to experts, is to improve efficiency in water-consuming household items, like toilets, washing machines and dishwashers. According to the survey conducted by a researcher at Indiana University, for most of us, the first changes we think of to reduce water waste include taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet while brushing our teeth, and making sure the sink doesn't drip. These small changes make a difference, truly; however, to make the biggest difference, the biggest issues must be addressed. Toilets use the highest volume of water daily overall, meaning, for example, if an old toilet is replaced with a water-efficient model, gallons upon gallons of precious water would be conserved.

Education and awareness are key in conservation efforts. The survey found that the majority of people underestimate gallons of water used in a particular activity by, on average, more than half. Educating populations on ways to save water and which activities use what volume of water could improve conservation efforts dramatically. Production of products such as coffee, rice, cheese, beer, and sugar requires an alarming amount of potable water, making efforts to improve efficiency in manufacturing crucial. While changes to this extent cannot be made on the individual or household level, awareness of the vast amount of water being consumed, even indirectly, serves as a great motivator in our quest to save water for tomorrow and the next generation.

Keep Calm and Love Monkeys

By: Kate Serrano

Approximately an hour from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia we see an interesting series of caves dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war and victory. The first thing that greets tourists when getting there is the tallest statue of the deity followed by a 272-step staircase that you have to climb to get to the cave’s entrance. More interestingly as you make your way through the steep steps you meet a few playful and cheeky friends; quite a handful of macaque monkeys have made this place their home.

 Some would be scared as they may jump off bags and steal food. They can also hurt you when threatened so the best advice: keep calm. Macaques are the most widespread of their kind, living in different habitats all over the planet. It is fascinating to know too that these monkeys are not only found in natural habitats like the Batu caves. They also abound in zoos, kept as pets and in research facilities. Yes, these monkeys have been a great help to science in medical and biological research.

 Apparently humans and macaques are 93% similar in DNA structure so thanks to these primates, the development of vaccines for smallpox, tuberculosis, rabies and polio are made possible. And in more recent studies, macaques have been tested for advanced AIDS research.

 It will not be surprising to know that there may be a cure to almost anything in the future! However, along with these medical advances and health benefits come research ethics and conservation issues. The question of the exposure of animals to harm and the depletion of their wild population are just some of the things brought up on the table. At this point, public support is much needed to break the barrier of pros and cons. How do we balance out care for animals and care for humans? Simple answer. Social responsibility.

Peace in pieces.

Syrian peace talks no longer justify the amount of deaths that occur in Syria, at least 100 people a day lose their lives in the attempt to make the most out of the rubble they used to call home.
With the last peace talk on Friday, the number of deaths a day have not declined, and many are still suffering in the hands of the government. On February 1st, oil drums full of explosives and tightly packed shrapnel were used against the Syrian people by the government; a cruel war crime indeed. These Shrapnel packed oil drums have now taken the lives of 700 people, and since 2011, the war itself has costed the lives of more than 130,000 people and is responsible for the homelessness of over 6 million people.

They've stopped counting the dead

By: Daniela Silva


It hard to really catch on the current events, especially on Syria; thinking about it, I myself sat in confusion as to what really was going on. Syria is located in western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean sea. It is a giant melting pot of diverse ethnic and religious communities, including Arab Alawites, Arab Sunnis, Arab Christians, Armenians, Druze, Kurds and Turks. Arab Sunnis make up the majority of the Syrian population of 22.4 million people.

With this in mind, Syria had peaceful protests in which the people asked for democratic and economic reconstitution within the government and in return the government had overthrown this peaceful protest with military force on the people openly shooting children and women. The civil war then came into motion in March 2011, when fourteen to fifteen teenagers were arrested, six,allegedly tortured and two brutally killed for vandalizing school property with an anti government statement. Since then the people have taken a stand and have began a civil war-which goes on to this day.

Over 130,433 people have lost their lives; the UN has decided to refrain from counting anymore. Fathers, mothers and children have been brutally killed on a day to day basis, and the war has shown no signs of breaking. Shootings of people, snipers that prey on children and chemical warfare have been used against the people. The chemical inside the deployed rockets, is called the sarin nerve agent; twenty times more deadly than cyanide. The Syrian army is believed to have 1,000 tonnes of chemicals for use in warfare, including the sarin chemical; It is highly believed by the United states of america that the Syrian government is responsible for this attack.

This right here is unethical, inhuman and gruesome; a lot of people still have no idea as to why.

Syrians need a voice, the people need aid and care. Stand up and voice what is going on; we need to step in. Below, a child is treated after a bombing.