I told you Year 11.

It is estimated that there are approximately 100 uncontacted tribes living on the planet and over half of them are in the Amazon Rainforest.

Recent photographs taken by Brazilian Government officials show one such tribe. Located on the boarder between Brazil and Peru these photographs show the homes of the tribe and shows what effect an aeroplane has on the tribes-men; two try to shoot it down with bow and arrow.

An organisaiton that aims to help and protect such tribes is Survival International. Its website has excellent case study material on the effects that modern society has on such tribes. So why not have a look at their website and build up your examples?

Cracking Ice

Dramatic evidence of the break-up of the Arctic ice-cap has emerged from research during an expedition by the Canadian military.
Scientists travelling with the troops found major new fractures during an assessment of the state of giant ice shelves in Canada's far north.
The team found a network of cracks that stretched for more than 10 miles (16km) on Ward Hunt, the area's largest shelf.
The fate of the vast ice blocks is seen as a key indicator of climate change.

Flaming Front

Those of you living towards Rochdale and, especially Littleborough will be well aware of the moorland fire that is heading in your direction.

The fire that started near Baitings Reservoir in Ripponden has a 4km front covering the moorland and is being blown by the high winds. Over 65 firefighters are trying to contain the blaze and are creating fire breaks in an attempt to stop the fire from hitting some of the residential areas of Littleborough.

As yet the cause of the fire is unknown.

Methane on the up?

Higher atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas methane noted last year are probably related to emissions from wetlands, especially around the Arctic.
Scientists have found indications that extra amounts of the gas in the Arctic region are of biological origin.
Global levels of methane had been roughly stable for almost a decade.
Rising levels in the Arctic could mean that some of the methane stored away in permafrost is being released, which would have major climatic implications.
The gas is about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, though it survives for a shorter time in the atmosphere before being broken down by natural chemical processes.

To understand the Greenhouse Effect check this animation from the BBC.

Half Term Hols

Yes it's another week off! Years 7 and 8 have finished their exams and can enjoy a relaxing week, but do they dare go to a British beach?

Today the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) announced that, due to last year's storms, of the 779 beaches that were tested for water quality 443 got the top rating with the remainder failing to make the grade.

The MCS claim that the 2007 summer storms washed raw sewage and animal waste into rivers and coastal waters and that has affected the quality of water.

So if you are going to a UK beach check out the Good Beach Guide to see if you risk the chance of stomach upsets or eye infections.

Happy holidays!

Can you here yourself think?

Residents in 23 towns and cities in England are to be given the chance to monitor noise levels in their area using interactive maps.
Part of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) website shows the level of environmental noise from road and rail networks in the areas.
Users can search by postcode to monitor noise levels. The 23 areas include London, Manchester and Sheffield.

You can check out the Noise mapping website and see how badly your area is affected.

The right to ask - Flexible Working Hours

For those students studying AS Geography then the news that "the right to ask" law has been extended should be important to you.

This law states that working parents have the right to ask for flexible working hours if they care for children under the age of 6, or, under the age of 18 if the child has a disability. Employers are not obliged to meet this request.

Today it was announced that this right will be extended to parents who have children under the age of 16. This means that approximately 4.5 million workers now have the right to ask their employer for flexible working hours.

For those studying the AQA B syllabus this is relevant to the GGB1 module that looks at the changing sectoral and spatial organisation of business; gender differences in employment and other changes in employment.

What are the possible consequences, both positive and negative of this change?

Further devestation on the way?

With already 100000 people dead and another 1.5 million people destitute Burma is facing a possible hit from another Tropical Cyclone. This information has come from the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

Other sites where you can follow the predicted path of Tropical storms (Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tropical Cyclones or Willy Willies) are as follows:

The National Hurricane Centre in Miami

The Japan Meteorological Agency

Indian Meteorological Department

For more information about how Tropical Cyclones form, why and how they are named then look at our own Met office website.

In the beginning.

Unfortunately, it has taken the deaths of over 160000 people to trigger us into the modern era, but now we have arrived. The events of the last two weeks have been devestating for the people of southern Burma and south western China but for a geographer the tropical cyclone and earthquake are ideal case-studies for these natural hazards.

So for you lot in Year 9, 11, 12 and 13 take a look at the USGS website and BBC News site for information on the causes, effects and possible solutions to these forces of Mother Nature.