Immigration

Essential questions:

How has the United States population grown and what problems have arisen from illegal immigration?

Why do illegal immigrants move to the United States and what are some of the challenges that they face?

Part I Immigration to the United States
         The United States of America is a land founded upon immigrants from all over the world, so why is the United States a place that many people want to migrate to? Click on the link and read a short page.  Why immigrants love America
As of 2013 990,553 people were granted lawful permanent residency in the United States. About 40% of the people were born in Asia and about 32% were born in North America. Mexico at 14% and China at 7.2% have the majority of people coming to the United States. In 2013 we also saw a total of 779,929 people become United States citizens. We have allowed more than one million people live in this country legally within a year but there is still an estimated 11.4 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. The majority of illegal immigrants live in California and are mostly young men between the ages of 25-44. The goal of this lesson is to.

• Examine how immigrants impact our country
• Evaluate the economical cost to immigration
• Explore possible solutions to immigration

First examine the resources below to get a further understanding.
How illegal immigrants help the economy
Take a look at the next two visuals



Now that you have taken a look to both sides of the argument give me your opinion in a post.

Do you think illegal immigration benefits the United States? If so in which ways? Do you think the United States would be different if there were no immigrants?  If not are there any changes that should be made or what would you think would be the most reasonable solution to this? Use facts and statistics from the article to back up your answer.

Short documentary on how immigrants get to the United States. 

The engendered panda

Panda bears are perhaps one of the main attractions in many zoo's and a lot of peoples favorite animal, but their population was decreasing rapidly that they became engendered really soon. The giant panda is one of the most beloved animals in the world. It is also one of the more endangered species in the world, with only about 1000-2000 living in the wild. They like to live in the Forrest and their favorite food is bamboo. As soon as China's population took a huge spike many of the pandas were left with no homes. The rapid increase in a population meant that more land was needed to feed a larger population. Pandas need a great deal of food to keep alive. They must eat great amounts of bamboo every day in order to get enough nutrition to survive. Every day they eat for 12 to 16 hours. Pandas will eat 10 to 18 kilograms (22 to 40 pounds) of bamboo leaves and stems each day. When consuming fresh  bamboo shoots, their necessary intake rises to

approximately 38 kilograms (84 pounds) every day. Occasionally the pandas now didn't have a place to eat, sleep, and breed most importantly. As a result the population decreased and they became endangered very quickly because they reproduce very slowly. Female pandas do not normally mate until they are 5 to 7 years of age. Pandas breeding season takes place from March to May, then the baby pandas are born three to six months later two cubs may be born from one mother at the same time, but only one will survive. Baby pandas are blind when they are first born and when they grow up they have to get fed from their mother. The mother panda has to go out and look for food leaving the baby pandas vulnerable to other predators and humans. Pandas are rare today and are protected by law in China just like the Bald Eagle is in the United

States. If you love pandas then you are in for some good news. Researchers now think that there are about twice as many pandas living in the Wanglang Nature Reserve a 123-square-mile preserve in southwestern China – than were previously believed. An estimated amount of 32 pandas rose up to 66-72. Researchers say the population increase is due to the right habitat with lots of pandas and the right amount of food. In another survey done by researchers they found the number of wild pandas also rose from 1,100 to 1,590. But this

might not be just the result of improved panda habitat over that time. China has contributed a lot to helping out the pandas. China has dedicated more land to panda habitat than ever before. There are now 40 panda reserves across the country compared to just 13 a couple

decades ago.

http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/giant-

http://www.sciencebuzz.org/blog/panda-populations-are-

Should marijuana be legalized?

Cannabis or commonly known as marijuana is a preparation of the cannabis plant used for medicine or as a psychoactive drug. The oldest use of cannabis recorded dates all the way back to 2727 B.C. used by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. The ancient Romans and Greeks were also familiar with the plant. The plant spread to the Middle East, then to North Africa, and finally in 1545 it spread to the western hemisphere through Spanish explores In North America cannabis in the form of hemp was grown on plantations to make rope, clothing and paper. The production of hemp was highly encouraged by the government in the 17th century for production of rope and other materials. In 1619 the Virginia Assembly passed legislation requiring every farmer to grow hemp. Hemp was allowed to be exchanged as legal tender in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. After the civil war hemp was replaced by other materials, but it would not be forgotten. During the late 19th century marijuana became a popular ingredient in many medicinal products and was sold openly in public pharmacies. Up until the Mexican Revolution of 1910 marijuana was only used for medicinal purposes in the United States. Mexican immigrants flooded the United States and that's when the American culture was introduced to the recreational use of marijuana. The drug quickly became associated with immigrants. During the great depression

when many Americans were unemployed they feared the Mexican immigrants. This lead to 29 states outlawing marijuana in 1931 because it was associated the "racially inferior" who were more likely to commit crime or act violent. Strict sentencing laws were set up through 1951-56 to punish people who possessed drugs including marijuana. With a first-offense of marijuana possession carried a 2-10 year minimum prison sentence and up to $20,000 in fines. By 1970 the mandatory sentences established in the 50's was repealed by congress because it had not done anything to change the minds of the growing marijuana culture. In 1986 President Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, the new law raised federal penalties for marijuana. Possession of 100 marijuana plants received the same penalty as possession of 100 grams of heroin. Later on an amendment added the "three strikes and you're out" policy. Meaning repeated drug offenders were required to serve life sentences and drug kingpins were to be put to death. It was not until 1996 when California passed Proposition 215. This allowed marijuana to be sold to patients with Aids, Cancer, and other painful illnesses. If you cannot beat them then join them is a popular phrase used. Colorado and Washington decided to be a part of the marijuana culture on January 1, 2014 by being the only places on the planet in where you can buy and consume marijuana for

recreational uses legally, well state wise anyways. Marijuana has come a long way so why does the government stop its growth? Legalization alone would save tax payers $10 billion yearly on enforcing the prohibition. We could use this money to fund more important things like education and building new roads. It is not right that we should be spending more money trying to get people locked up than to make someone succeed in life. Marijuana legalization would reduce the prison population by a lot. In 2012 we put 749,825 people in jail because of marijuana alone. I do not think putting people in a place that is meant for murderers, rapist, and psychos because of drugs is right. Smoking

marijuana is a non-violent crime and someone guilty of it should not be going to prison. Outlawing marijuana does not work just like prohibition people continued to drink alcohol and well considering about 20 million people smoke marijuana each day I don't think it’s ever going to stop. Legalizing and regulating marijuana will bring the nation's largest cash crop under the rule of law, creating jobs and economic opportunities in the economy. The criminalization of marijuana harms young people and people of color, leads to massive levels of violence and corruption, and fails to stop the youth from access to it. Not only would there be less violence here in the United States but this could cause a domino effect on our neighbors down south. Mexico is going through a tough time because of drugs. There are thousands of people getting killed because the war on drugs. By legalizing marijuana we could help Mexico's violence diminish. Although there are a lot of positives to legalizing marijuana many people disagree. They say things like "marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol". I don't think that statement is completely wrong. Alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous than marijuana. Smoking cigarettes can cause addiction and lung cancer in the long run yet it is still legal. Alcohol can kill you if you binge drink while it is physically impossible to die of marijuana overdose. Marijuana has been proven to be healthier than both alcohol and tobacco .The majority of the country wants it to be legally federally anyways. California and Oregon are set to vote on

marijuana in 2016.  If Oregon and California are both able to pass legalization measures, then the entire U.S. west coast would be comprised of states that have ended prohibition. This could cause a domino effect that could lead it to be legally federally. "Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth"- Abraham Lincoln. If the people want marijuana then they shall have marijuana. 

Links:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/28/us/10-things-colorado-recreational-marijuana/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/cron.html

http://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/cannabis/history.html

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/politics/5-states-and-one-city-ready-to-legalize-marijuana.html/?

a=viewall

Biomass

 We have always been dependent on oil for about a century but what will we use when we start to run out? As oils is becoming harder to extract and to find we keep looking for newer and cleaner alternatives. Many people think we can produce energy for years with coal or nuclear power, but both of those types do just as much problem to the environment like oil. While the sun and the wind may be a good source of energy for the future but there is another great source of energy that does not have to depend on the environment. Biomass is energy produced from plant and animals waste. Biomass contains stored energy from the sun. Plants absorb the sun's energy in a process called photosynthesis. This chemical is passed onto animals when they eat plants and then to humans when

we eat animals. It can either be used directly via combustion to produce heat, or indirectly after converting it to various forms of biofuel. It is the oldest source of renewable energy and was used by our ancient ancestors since they learned how to use fire. Biomass can be turned into fuel from burning wood, crops, animal manure, and human sewage. The chemical energy in biomass is released as heat when it is burned. The wood you burn in a fireplace is a biomass fuel. Wood and waste materials made from wood and garbage are burned to produce steams to produce electricity or heat. Burning it is not the only way to release its energy. Biomass can be converted into other usable forms of energy such as methane gas, transportation fuel like ethanol and biodiesel. Garbage and agricultural and human waste release methane gas also known as landfill gas or biogas. We can use the methane released to make natural gas since methane is the main ingredient in natural gas. Crops such as corn and sugar cane can be fermented to produce

ethanol. Biodiesel and other transportation fuels can be made from vegetable oils and animal fats. So how helpful is biomass? In 2013 biomass provided about 5% of the energy used in the United States. Out of that 5% about 45% was from wood and woodland derived biomass. The next was from biofuels (44%). And about 11% was from municipal waste. Although biofuels are just about as important as wood researchers are trying to find new ways to use more biomass for fuel. Wood is a great way to produce energy but at the rate that we use energy we could have to limit on how much we use. Wood had always been used as a fuel source for thousands of years. It was the main source of energy in the United States up until the mid-1800's. It still continues to be a popular source for cooking and heating in the United States. From 2005 to 20012 there was a 50% increase in the number of homes that use wood as the primary source of heating. Today in the United States 2% of the energy we use comes from wood and wood waste such as bark, sawdust, wood chips, wood scrap, and paper mill residues. About 80% of the wood and wood waste fuel in the United States is consumed by electric power producers and commercial businesses. It is not uncommon to see many

wood manufacturing plants using their own wood waste to generate their own steam and electricity. The other 20% of wood waste in the United States is used in homes. What if i told you that we can solve two problems at a time? Well we can by converting garbage into energy yes garbage! In 1960 the average American threw away 2.7 pounds of trash a day. Today each American throws away about 4.4 pounds of trash every day! Of that 1.5 pounds are recycled or composted, but what should we do with the rest? Should we let it just pile up in a landfill? One option is to burn it. Since 85% of our household trash is material that will burn and mostly bogenic or material that is made from biomass. Garbage (MSW) is taken to special burning facilities called waste-to-energy plants. There are about 86 of these plants in the United States that generate electricity from steam harvested from the heat of burning garbage. In 2011 these plants generated 14 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, which is the same used by 1.3

million homes in the United States. Although these plants do make energy they cost more to generate electricity at these plants than it does at coal, nuclear, or hydro power plants it still has a major advantage. By burning waste it reduces the amount of garbage we have in landfills. In 2011 waste-to-energy plants burned 29 million tons of MSW. Burning MSW can reduce the volume of waste by 87%. Another form of biomass is biogas. In order to get biogas you need to collect gas from landfills. Landfills are a source of energy because anaerobic bacteria that live in landfills decompose organic waste to produce a gas called biogas that contains methane. Landfills collect the methane gas, treat it, and then sell it as a commercial fuel. It then can then be burned to generate steam and electricity. As of July 2013, there were 621 operational landfill gas projects in the United States. California had 77 landfill gas energy

projects in operation followed by Pennsylvania with 44 and Michigan with 41. With all of these great alternatives derived from biomass how much better are they for the environment? Biomass has its positives and its negatives like all most energy source there is. Using wood, and charcoal made from wood, for heating and cooking can replace fossil fuels and may result in lower CO2 emissions but burning wood in areas that where it is harvested faster than trees can grow it can lead to deforestation. By planting fast-growing trees and using fuel-efficient cooking stoves we can stop deforestation and improve the environment. Waste-to-energy plants can be hazardous to people and the environment because they release the chemicals and substances from the materials being burned. The U.S. EPA has applied strict rules to these plants and requires them to use air pollution control devices to capture their air pollutants. Although biomass can be produced into energy from many ways and it does have its drawbacks it has more positives. I can see biomass continuing to grow in the recent years. Biomass has recently supplied more renewable electricity (biopower) than both wind and solar power combined.  And I wouldn't be surprised to see it continue since there would be a never ending supply of it just as long as humans are living. 

 Sources:

http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=biomass_home-basics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass

http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biomass.html

http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=76,15049&_dad=portal

Chernobyl disaster

With the turn in the 20th century and modern day we are looking for new ways to obtain power. Some of these new ways are simple and efficient like solar power and some can be destructive and efficient like nuclear power. Nuclear power can be very beneficial to the planet but it is nothing to take for granted. Nuclear power is very dangerous and if one little mistake is made it can wipe out hundreds of thousands of people. This is exactly what happened and it could of have been a lot worse. On April 26, 1986 the world’s worst nuclear disaster occurred. The Chernobyl power plant located in Ukraine blew up. The nuclear reactor released a large amount of radiation into the environment. The wind and weather during the release helped spread the plumes from Chernobyl to most of Europe, but also the United States, Canada, and Japan. Only the Southern hemisphere remained free of contamination. It all began on

Before explosion

April 25, 1986 when the unit 4 of the plant was to be shut down for routine maintenance. The plant Operators disabled plant equipment including the automatic shutdown mechanisms according to the U.N. Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). At 1:23 a.m. on April 26, when extremely hot nuclear fuel rods were lowered into cooling water an immense amount of steam was created. It created more re-activity in the nuclear core of reactor number 4. The power surge created an immense explosion that detached the 1,000 ton plate that covered the reactors core.

After explosion

Radiation was released into the atmosphere and it cut off the flow of coolant into the reactor. Just a few seconds later a second explosion of even greater power than the first blew the reactor building apart and spewed burning graphite and other parts of the reactor Core around the plant. This started several fires around the damaged reactor and reactor number 3 while it was still operating. The explosion killed 2 plant workers who were the first to die within hours of the accident. The death toll increased in the coming days because people contracted radiation sickness. On April 27, the city of Pripyat was evacuated 36 hours after the accident. It was too late by that time many people were suffering from symptoms of radiation sickness. Officials closed off an 18-mile area around the plant residents were told they would be able to return in a few days so many left their personal belongings behind. Four months after the accident 28 more power plant workers died. This included a number of heroic workers who risked their life and knew the dangers of exposing themselves to radiation in order to prevent the plant from further radiation leaks. At the time of the explosion winds were coming in from the south.

Much of the radiation plume traveled northwest towards Belarus and Russia. The accident contaminated wide parts of Belarus, Russia, and the Ukraine. Many children and adolescents in the area in 1986 drank milk contaminated with radioactive iodine, which delivered substantial doses to their thyroid glands.  It is believed that more than 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer may eventually be linked to radiation exposure in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. It is difficult to know the precise number caused by the accident though. It's pretty outstanding that the rate of cancer deaths and other health effects related to Chernobyl's radiation leak is lower than was initially feared. Of the 5 million people that were living in contaminated zones only received a small dose of radiation. Experts believe the fear of radiation actually led to more suffering than radiation itself. For example many doctors advised pregnant women to have abortions to avoid giving birth to children with birth defects or disorders. The level of radiation that these women were exposed to was too low to

Restricted area map

cause any problems. The United Nations published a report on the Chernobyl accident that said it was "full of unsubstantiated statements that have no support in scientific assessments,” Despite the accident the plant continued to operate until the last reactor was shut down in December 2000. The plant and ghost towns of Pripyat, Chernobyl, and the area surrounding the plant is called the "zone of alienation" and is off-limits to humans. The Exclusion Zone was set up to restrict access to hazardous

areas, reduce the spread of radiation contamination and for monitoring activities. This exclusive zone covers 1000 square miles. There are some exceptions a couple hundred residents returned to their homes despite the risk of radiation. In 2011 the area was opened up for tourism. The area today is thriving with wildlife. Wolves, deer, lynx, beaver, eagles, boar, elks, bears, and other animals populate the dense woods area around the plant. Animals with high levels of cesium-137 in their bodies, are known to occur. Even though animals can live in the area it is not safe to say that the area has returned to normal, or will be at any point in the future. Because of the long-lived radiation in that zone it could take up to 20,000 years for humans to safely inhabit the

area. Chernobyl was not prepared for such a thing, I don't think no one could of have been prepared. Being more cautious would of have prevented the accident though. Ever since the accident here in the United States we have improved our nuclear power plants in case of an emergency and we have made sure how to act if such thing would happen. Chernobyl was vulnerable because a large amount of people were living around the plant. In the United States we have isolated our plants a bit more from civilization and have evacuation plans in place if such thing would happen.   

Sources: 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/chernobyl-bg.html

http://www.livescience.com/39961-chernobyl.html

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Chernobyl-Accident/

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/chernobyl/l-2/2-health-effects-chernobyl.htm#0

Globalization- FIFA World Cup

Globalization of soccer 

Soccer or football is the most popular sport in the world and also one of the most watched sport in the world. Soccer was invented in London in the early 1800's. By 1900 the sport had gained popularity all over the world and national football associations were being founded. FIFA president Jules Rimet decided to establish and international football tournament. This international tournament was named the FIFA World Cup. The very first FIFA World Cup was played in 1930. It was held in Uruguay. Only 13 teams participated in the first ever World Cup. The host went on to win 4-2 against another South American team Argentina. The fewest number of fans to watch a World Cup soccer game was 

The 300 in Uruguay in 1930. Not everyone could afford to go to the World Cup or there just wasn't a way to watch it without being there.Football w as first screened live on television in the UK in 1937, by the BBC, who broadcast a specially arranged friendly between Arsenal vs Arsenal Reserves at Highbury. In 1938, international football and the FA Cup final were shown live for the first time, with the BBC providing live coverage of England v Scotland and Huddersfield Town vs Preston North End match. Although soccer started being televised in 1937 the FIFA World Cup was first on T.V. in 1945. It is now the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding the Olympic Games. As television got more popular and common in homes the sport kept on growing and more and more people tuned into it. In modern day over one billion fans watch the World Cup on television every four years. It exceeds by a lot the number of people that watch the

Super Bowl each year. A majority of new viewers are also American. Over 26 million Americans watched the 2014 World Cup final. Not only has globalization helped the World Cup reach more people that ever but it has also boosted the popularity of the sport in the United States. I see more and more people in school wearing soccer jerseys. This is surely an effect of globalization. Thanks to new technology and globalization I can sit back in my living room and watch the same soccer match as somebody in India or Taiwan. 

Sources;
http://thebiglead.com/2014/07/14/2014-world-cup-final-rating-over-26-million-americans-watched-on-tv/
http://www.live-footballontv.com/history-of-football-on-tv-uk.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup

Should college athletes be paid?

College sports are just around the corner and just like practice the debate weather athletes should be paid or not is brewing again. Every season there is a champion but are the real champions the players or is it the corporate sponsors, broadcasters and ultimately, the NCAA itself? 

The NCAA basketball tournament or as many call “March Madness” has expanded into a huge business in recent years. The whole tournament itself makes six billion dollars annually. The players never get to see any part of that money, so the debate is whether they should be paid or not. These athletes are not even paid even though they risk career-ending injuries every time they step onto the

court, field, or rink. A group of former players have filled a lawsuit alleging that the NCAA should pay up because they make money off of player’s merchandise. They use the players’ names on jerseys and video games. 

It’s no surprise students athletes demand pay, they are just following the example set by the coaches and other players in the game. John Calipari head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky makes a whopping $5.5 million dollars a season. That’s like 14 times more than what the president makes. He is not alone seventeen other football and basketball coaches make more than $3 million

 dollars a year. The schools are also trying to make more money. They hope to make more money by scheduling more games and tournaments. The weekday games are now televised which brings more money in. schools have even switched conferences to make even more money.The other side to the argument states players shouldn't be paid because they already are being paid with an education and that it would not be fair to the other students. Most college athletes have full ride scholarships which means all of their expenses like books, room and board are covered for them. The ones who don’t have a full ride scholarship have more aid than the normal student anyways. The aid that

student athletes receive should be enough. 

I personally think players should be paid but not a lot. It is unfair how college and universities can make million of dollars off of players but don't even give a small portion to them. I know if i was a college athlete i at least would want to be paid. I also think the coaches and colleges should set better examples to the players. A coach should not be making more money than the president of the United States. it is so ridiculous! i think a college coach should be equally paid like a college professor,