Thousands dead in Chinese quake

A powerful earthquake has killed at least 8,500 people in China's south-western Sichuan province, up to 5,000 of them in just one county.
Many more have been killed and injured in other parts of the country after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck. At least 50 bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a school where an estimated 900 students were buried. Nine hours after the quake, Xinhua reported, a rescue team had still not been able to get to Wenchuan. The earthquake was China's worst since 242,000 people were killed in 1976 by the Tangshan quake.
Sichuan province is the most populated part of China - home to 87 million people. The BBC as ever has excellent info on this here including a short video. There is a Guardian video here. This online newspaper also has a good interactive short introduction here. Another article here

Mass Movements in Action

A landslip described as "the worst for 100 years" has destroyed more than 400 metres (1,312 ft) of Dorset's World Heritage Jurassic Coast.
The earth movement blocked a stretch of beach between Lyme Regis and Charmouth at 2031 BST on Tuesday. The area is part of 95 miles (153 km) of Dorset and east Devon known as the Jurassic Coast, with rocks recording 185 million years of the earth's history. See video here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7388310.stm and here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7388564.stm.

Lyme Regis is built on a particularly unstable stretch of coastline and previous smaller landslips have exposed fossils on the beaches.
The coastline has seen numerous stabilisation projects in the past to stop it from crumbling into the sea.

Aid arriving in cyclone-hit Burma

The bodies of dead people and animals litter the flooded fields in Burma.

Sorry haven't had time to blog recently -adv higher deadlines and just finished the Higher course this week. (Yes I took a paddy today because of your answers. YOU CAN DO THIS EXAM and do it well. Now work hard - not just a few hours - LOTS needed.)

A cyclone that has left more than 22,000 people dead. Burmese state media reported on Tuesday that 22,464 people had now been confirmed dead and another 41,054 people were missing as a result of Cyclone Nargis.
Neighbouring countries and the UN have dispatched planes carrying supplies. S4 should think of short and long term aid given. PREPARE FOR FRIDAY and you will get the results you deserve. A huge area of the southern Irrawaddy delta remains under water. The UN's World Food Programme has dispatched an additional four planes loaded with supplies including high-energy biscuits . Chinese media say a plane carrying 60 tonnes of aid has landed in the biggest city, Rangoon. The storm was followed by tidal waves and ships are marooned. Survivors face poor sanitation and a lack of access to clean water.
Flooding could lead to outbreaks of mosquito-borne malaria and dengue fever, while water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery are also a threat.

Follow the links from the BBC page here.

Good Luck to all S4 with all their S grade exam. Remember Geography is "In your face!"

Map jigsaws

Cool atlas jigsaws- but sorry I don’t have the patience. I always hated them anyway. Maybe your thing?
Try here

Chilean volcano

Chaiten volcano in the southern Patagonia region began erupting on Friday 3rd May for the first time in 450 years, taking surprising everyone.
An ash cloud from the volcano caused disruption as far away as Argentina.
Chile is one of the most volcanic countries on Earth, with more than 100 active volcanoes.

Video here http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/chile and BBC one here.

Thousands of people in southern Chile have been forced to leave their homes after a long-dormant volcano erupted unexpectedly.See pictures here. This is a nice and short newsround article here. And another one here.

Green Revolution

There are problems in the Indian region of Punjab, where science once seemed to have found answers for a hungry world. They use pesticides and fertilizers as part of the Green Revolution. The sprays all have instructions demanding that they should only be used with face masks and protective clothing. But the farm workers here do not use protective equipment, and they spray far more than the recommended amount. High oil prices, drought, over-intensive farming leading to lower yields, increased food demand in India and China and the loss of land to biofuels have all played their part in ending the long period of cheap food that the world has enjoyed for the past 30 years. Read article here.

Who'd live in an eco-house like this?

Eco-house in Cotswold sells for a world record £7.2m The house was modelled on a bee orchid. The mystery buyer - believed to be in the entertainment industry - will get a lakeside home complete with a glass-sided badger set in the garden.
Brad Pitt has looked at the plans for Orchid House, while Kylie Minogue has stayed at the estate. It is hoped the home will produce more energy than it uses, with an underground heat pump and geothermal heating. However you can't live here all year round - and not at all in January. All rules because of the wildlife. Read the complete article here.

I want to live here. Nae chance!