The Drug Wars in Mexico

So I was watching the news and heard about the drug wars going on in Mexico. I got on CNN and Washington Times and read a little more on the subject. Apparently drug cartels (which have always been quite powerful in Mexico) have been growing in power. So much so that killings related to drug wars in Mexico have doubled to around 6,290 deaths last year! Over 1000 have died this year so far. The Mexican government has made a stand against the cartels using the army to fight them, however the cartels have weapons of their own. Weapons that have been shown to be coming into Mexico through the Mexican-American border. America certainly has weapons to spare and the cartels are taking advantage. Over 700 suspects have been arrested inside the US for working with the cartels. Obama has pledged to work on securing the border and putting a stop to the trafficking of weapons. Mexican police are confiscating enough gernades, ak-47s, etc. at such high rates, that is equals that of a battfield seizures. The problem is serious and many believe that Mexico could become a narcotic state within the next decade. Mexico has been deemed unsafe for tourism by Canada and the US, even though many say that Americans may be the safest because the Mexican government is making a point to protect the more touristy cities. If one tourist dies, their tourism will drop dramatically.

Another interesting note, Forbes magazine named Joaquin Guzman, a Mexican drug lord, one of the richest people in the world with over $1 billion US dollars in assets. So it is a lucrative business. One that needs to be taken down of course. As Americans we have labeled ourselves the world police with our going into the Middle East and South America to protect our own interest. I wonder how our response will be in helping our neighbors fight a serious problem that no doubt affects our own country. Drugs, including meth, marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines, from Mexico go north and weapons and money go south into Mexico. Obama has pledged to begin stricter regulations on the border, but I am interested to see how effective this will be on cracking down on the cartels. I also wonder if it will be enough or should we do more.

Sunny San Diego

San Diego is the city I researched for my water project. It was an interesting situation because San Diego's problem is simply getting enough water. The projected population for California by 2050 is 64 million people, with San Diego having 4.5 million (and Los Angelas with 14 million!). They have already found themselves strained for water, and with their expected population their outlook is bleak. Their strategy has been simple, cut back on how much water they are using while obtaining more water. They do this by providing financial assistance for people who conserve water, recycling water, piping water in from other states, and, in some cases, desalination plants. However, with California's population growth the available water in California will be stretched far beyond its limits and with the increased dependence on other state's freshwater, those states in turn will find themselves stretched for water. Unless some major changes happen, San Diego (and California) will be facing some serious problems.

Is Bottled Water Safe?

Bottled water is a hot topic and close to my heart. I have a bit of a bottled water addiction and I have heard the debates on the safety of bottled water and decided to do some research. The question at hand is whether or not bottle water is good for you. It is interesting to note that most agree that bottled water is not necessarily better than tap water. Over 25% of bottled water is from the tap anyways. However this does depend on the water quality and taste in your area. Some claim that bottle water is actually unsafe. Bottled water can contain chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, that leach into bottle water over time through the liner and the cap. Phthalates are a known carcinogen, and while the amount of phthalates are strictly regulated in tap water, they are not in bottle water. In fact, bottled water companies fought against proposed restrictions to the amount of phthalates that can be in their water. Quite interesting, but for the most part, most brands are okay with only a few being considered spotty by the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council).

For a very intersting read on more facts about bottle water, check this site out (I'm serious, this is some eye opening stuff):

http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/exesum.asp

Genetically Modified Foods, Are they Good or Are they Bad?

Gentically modified foods tend to have a bad stigma when  people actually know that they are eating them. Experts say that 60% to 70% of food products on the shelves in the US are genetically modified, but as a USDA survey shows, only 26% of Americans think they have ever eaten genetically modified foods. 

So the big question most people have is whether or not genetically modified foods are safe. There are disagreements on the subject. The US says that they are while the EU says no they aren't. Scientist have disagreements as well. Tests have shown that the short term effects aren't harmful, but the question of long term effects is a hot topic. Many say that while there could be long term effects, current knowledge of proteins, how they have been introduced, and how they are added into our food supply that they will not be harmful. Meanwhile, other scientist say this is a bad assumption and claim that gm foods have already been shown to have caused allergens. If someone were allergic to a genetically modified plant, it is very easy for cross contamination to occur.

All in all, I choose to believe that genetically modified foods are not bad for you, but I have no authority to make that claim except personal experiance. It is an efficient and cost efficient way to meet food demands.

Desalination Plants the Answer

One solution to meet the shortages of drinking water in the world today is desalination plants. So I did some research to see how feasible these plants are as an actual solution. There are conflicting viewpoints to the problem. Some see desalination plants as a way to solve water shortages. It is effective for countries near the ocean. Australia and Spain use desalination plants to meet their water needs, but its the Middle East that has truly embraced the technology. The Middle East gets over 60 percent of its water from desalination plants (according to the WWF). 

While being quite effective at meeting water needs, I have come to see them as a quick fix. Like so many issues that we face today, we as humans tend to choose the most available quick fix without looking at the larger issue. Desalination plants are very energy intensive, pollute the environment, and leave excess salt in nearby ecosystems. The WWF argues that by polluting the environment and using being very energy intensive, these plants are contributing to global warming that exacerbate droughts and melt global ice caps that contribute 69 percent of the worlds freshwater. So they are actually reducing the world's freshwater supply. Ulitimately I have to agree. These countries would do better to practice water conservation and begin recycling their water.