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Venture Capitalists- an investor who provides capital to startup

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-Outgoing
-Dedicated
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Epidemic- a widespread of a infectious disease
Cholera- a fatal  disease in the small intestine

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Fact file on cholera with key facts and images

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I think that was William did to his dog was the right decision because he put his dog out of pain. With the conditions as they were he might not have made it much longer.

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Traditional wedding and engagement ceremonies in Malawi. Customs and traditions explained by Local Malawian Chimwemwe Siyabu.

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Did you know how Malawian do engagements? This article explains the traditional Malawian wedding and engagement ceremony.

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arvest should be the time for celebrations, weddings and full bellies in southern Malawi. But Christopher Witimani, Lilian Matafle and their seven children and four grandchildren had nothing to celebrate last week as they picked their meagre maize crop.

Last year's drought, followed by erratic rains, hit the village of Nkhotakota hard. But this year the rains never came and, for a second year running, the family grain store is empty. If they manage their savings carefully and eat just one small meal a day, they may just have enough food for two more months.

By August, said Irish charity Concern Worldwide, they and tens of thousands of other small farmers in southern Malawi will have completely run out of food, with no prospect of another harvest for at least seven months. With nothing to sell and no chance of earning money, Witimani, Matafle and family will starve.

"I am worried the children will starve to death. I don't know what to do," said Matafle.

"We need food. We are in a desperate situation," her husband added.

Countries are just waking up to the most serious global food crisis of the last 25 years. Caused by the strongest El Niño weather event since 1982, droughts and heatwaves have ravaged much of India, Latin America and parts of south-east Asia. But the worst effects of this natural phenomenon, which begins with waters warming in the equatorial Pacific, are to be found in southern Africa. A second consecutive year without rain now threatens catastrophe for some of the poorest people in the world.

The scale of the crisis unfolding in 10 or more southern African countries has shocked the United Nations. Lulled into thinking that Ethiopia in 1985 was the last of the large-scale famines affecting many millions, donor countries have been slow to pledge funds or support. More than $650m and 7.9m tonnes of food are needed immediately, says the UN. By Christmas, the situation will have become severe.

Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Madagascar, Angola and Swaziland have already declared national emergencies or disasters, as have seven of South Africa's nine provinces. Other countries, including Botswana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have also been badly hit. President Robert Mugabe has appealed for $1.5bn to buy food for Zimbabwe and Malawi is expected to declare that more than 8 million people, or half the country, will need food aid by November.

Serena Gadinala, from the in Neno district of Malawi, has tried different planting techniques but nothing worked and her crops continue to wilt. Photograph: Tamara van Vliet/OCHA

More than 31 million people in the region are said by the UN to need food now, but this number is expected to rise to at least 49 million across almost all of southern Africa by Christmas. With 12 million more hungry people in Ethiopia, 7 million in Yemen, 6 million in Southern Sudan and more in the Central African Republic and Chad, a continent-scale food crisis is unfolding.

"Food security across southern Africa will start deteriorating by July, reaching its peak between December 2016 and April 2017," says the UN's office for humanitarian affairs. The regional cereal deficit already stands at 7.9m tonnes and continues to put upward pressure on market prices, which are already showing unprecedented increases, diminishing purchasing power and thereby reducing food access. As food insecurity tightens and water scarcity increases due to the drought, there are early signs of acute malnutrition in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabawe.

For Coco Ushiyama, head of the UN's World Food Programme in Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, just working out how to import a million tonnes of food, needed to support between five million and eight million people in Malawi over the next 12 months, is proving nightmarishly difficult. With no guarantees of money from donors, she cannot buy the food on the open market, or book ships and transport.

"We are very concerned. Last year, like many other countries in the region, Malawi had a double disaster with erratic rains and then floods which led into droughts," said Ushiyama. "Last year, 2.8 million people were affected. Then we had a deficit of 220,000 tonnes of food. This year, we are anticipating it will be four times as bad. The maize price is already exceptionally high.

"We are monitoring 50 markets throughout the country and already they are seeing abnormally high prices. We have very worryingly high admission rates for childhood malnutrition in health clinics. In some areas it is very serious already and it is likely to get much more serious. It will be a regional issue," she said.

The government has declared a disaster and will publish a new assessment of its needs in the next few weeks. The vice-president, Saulos Chilima, has said that about 1.3m tonnes of maize will be needed.

Politicians may talk of going on to the world market to buy a million tonnes of maize, but Ushiyama is unsure where it will come from. There is usually enough food in the region, but South Africa, which usually exports a million tonnes of food a year, will need to import 3.5m tonnes this year. Only Zambia may have enough food to export and it has imposed restrictions, she said.

"South Africa is in trouble. Nearby Zambia has had a better harvest than most countries but it has put export restrictions on its food. If we import it [from outside Africa], the food will take four to six months [to arrive]. We have learned from experience that the rains start in November so the roads will be terrible when the food is most needed and some lorry drivers will refuse to come. By November, we will need to have pre-positioned food in key areas. But to get it there by then means ordering the food right now," she said.

People are divide pulses among themselves at a United Nations World Food Programme food distribution centre in Chikwawa district, Malawi. Photograph: Tamara van Vliet/OCHA

Finding the cash to feed possibly 50 million people for eight or more months is the biggest problem of all, says the UN, because Africa's slow-burn crisis must compete with Middle East wars, refugees and natural disasters for attention. According to the UN, which is holding an unprecedented humanitarian summit this week in Istanbul, 125 million people worldwide need long-term assistance and a further 60 million have been forced from their homes by war, violence and disaster.

More than $1.5bn has been requested by southern African governments, says Ocha, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but less than a quarter of this has been pledged. Officially, the deficit is $677 million (87%) but this will grow when countries complete their assessments of the harvests in the next few weeks.

"The window for responding in a meaningful manner is closing rapidly," said Shadrack Omol, senior adviser to the UN children's fund, Unicef. "The concern is that slow-onset emergencies, like the one we are dealing with in southern Africa, do not get enough attention because they creep up on us."

John Makina, Oxfam country director in Malawi, said: "The donors just do not have the money; there is donor fatigue. Malawi has been hit by drought, then floods, then drought. The donors are getting tired of it. In 2015, Malawi alone needed $170m. In 2016-17, it will be far more.

"The full impact will be felt from October to March 2017. It's looking really bad. The most affected will be the poorest and jobless. They will end up selling what little they possess. The price of maize flour has already gone to 9,000 kwachas (£8.70) for 50kg. It will double again for sure," he said.

International development minister Nick Hurd, who has visited Mozambique, wants Britain to lead the humanitarian effort. But money cannot be given directly to the country following a corruption scandal, and the government must work through a consortium of NGOs, providing food vouchers, medical aid and food-for-work schemes.

"We cannot and will not stand idly by while millions suffer. Britain is playing a leading role in helping countries across Africa to cope with the impact of El Niño. Support for people affected by El Niño is important to Africa and also firmly in Britain's national interest," says Hurd.

In villages across southern Africa, people are fearful, unsure how they will survive. In Mozambique, where Britain is contributing £11.8m over three years, some food aid has arrived in the village of Mblalava.

A farmer tries to grow crops with the help of a United Nations supported irrigation scheme in the Neno district of Malawi. Photograph: Tamara van Vliet/OCHA

The women are ecstatic: "It's been two and a half years since we had good rain," said Rosita Chauque, a mother of three. "When the drought started we used to be able to find vegetables in the bush, but even these have gone now. We used to make and sell charcoal, but there are so many other people doing that now it's not possible. We have thought of leaving, but where to? We have no crops in the fields, no food for the cattle and nothing for ourselves. There is no water, no grass. People are selling their animals. They have no other resources. There is a lot of suffering."

"The situation is critical," said Abdoulaye Balde, the World Food Programme country director in Mozambique's capital, Maputo. "We are at the point of no return."

Droughts and "hungry seasons" are common throughout southern Africa, but the breadth of this year's crisis is very unusual, says Caoimhe de Barra, Malawi country director of Concern Worldwide. Her frontline workers see rural people already employing traditional coping strategies, including eating wild foods, taking children out of school, selling their animals and assets.

"Early action is key. If we can start supporting people now, we can save lives and prevent an even worse situation later this year. People are not currently dying of hunger but the overall health of the population will be severely affected by hunger-related illnesses. Malnutrition will blight the life chances of countless more Malawian children," she said.

The secretary general of the International Red Cross, Elhadj As Sy, who visited Malawi and Zimbabwe last week, said: "Much more needs to be done to support communities to survive and strive over the coming months. We met families who have received no external support and who are simply desperate. We need to urgently scale up our interventions to prevent this situation from becoming a catastrophe," he said.

Relief from Africa's long drought may finally be coming, says the World Meteorological Organisation, which is monitoring the temperature of waters in the Pacific. These are said to be cooling rapidly and are expected to be "neutral" by mid-June. That, says the UN, signals the coming end of the El Niño, the droughts and the worldwide heatwaves.

The effects, however, will not be felt in southern Africa until April 2017 when the next main harvest should be in. But, says the WMO, there may be a sting in the tale. There is a 50:50 chance that the continent will be hit from September by El Niño's climatic "twin", known as La Niña, which develops as the Pacific Ocean equatorial waters cool after an El Niño.

Instead of droughts, La Niña usually brings heavier monsoon rains in south-east Asia and much cooler and wetter conditions in southern Africa.

"We pray hard for rain and then we must pray harder that it stops. Is there no end of extreme weather?" said Malawian villager Richard Kapenda.

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Across Africa, the worst food crisis since 1985 looms for 50 million

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A second year without rain threatens to bring catastrophe for some of the poorest people in the world. Donor countries, in the grip of wars and refugee crises, have been slow to pledge funds. But by the time they do, it could be too late

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The nation's first free public lending library opened in Massachusetts in 1790 with a collection of books donated by Benjamin Franklin, and public librarians have been helping Americans figure stuff out ever since. Sure, librarians excel at matching the right novel or biography or picture book to the right reader, but their mission is broader, and rooted in a radical idea: Everyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, financial status, or any other factor, has a right to information. In honor of National Library Week, Mental Floss spoke to five public librarians to find out what they do behind the stacks to keep these local repositories of knowledge thriving.

1. THEY NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST A MASTER'S DEGREE TO GET A JOB.

In order to score a job, librarians need a master's degree in library science, library and information studies, or librarianship- programs in which they learn about cataloguing and organizing, statistics, research, management, and digital reference, among other essential skills. A librarian-in-training may also pick a specialty, like archival studies or rare books. Some librarians go on to earn a doctorate in library science; this degree can open the door to jobs in places like the Library of Congress and corporate research libraries.

2. THEY'RE INCREASINGLY IN DEMAND.

Librarians earn a median annual income of $60,760-about $10,000 higher than the average for all occupations nationwide. And in case you're thinking it's a dying industry, the Bureau of Labor statistics estimates that librarian jobs of all kinds-not just those in public libraries-will increase by 9 percent by 2026. In fact, a 2017 report by the education and publishing company Pearson found that librarians, curators, and archivists were among the occupational groups with the highest probability of increased demand by 2030 [ PDF].

3. THEY CAN HELP YOU WITH EVERYTHING FROM METADATA TO FILLING OUT YOUR TAXES.

Librarians are trained in accessing all sorts of information, not just what you find between two covers. Some of them, like Erica Findley, who works at the Multnomah County Library system in Portland, Oregon, specialize in metadata, which she describes as a fancy word for "how you describe a thing" (technically, it's data about other data). She focuses on making online catalogs easier for patrons to search: "We try to put ourselves in a user's shoes-what kind of key word are you going to type into the search box?"

Her colleague Katy Ferris specializes in electronic content, and says it's her mission to encourage patrons to "think beyond the library as a physical space where they can get the latest bestseller." That means assembling electronic resources-e-books and audio books, digitized objects like photos and pamphlets, streaming media, and online databases.

Not sure how to tell fake news from real news? Ask a librarian. They can also help you research how to fill out tax forms, get career training, find an AA meeting, and apply for citizenship. "People think, 'Librarians know everything!'" says Michelle Krakowski, an adult library specialist in Contra Costa County, California. "No, but we know where to look for it."

4. THERE'S PLENTY OF RESEARCH BEHIND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.

What does a librarian want most? "To give someone the perfect book," says Gia Paolini, a Contra Costa County community library manager. That said, no one, or 10, or 100 librarians can read every book published in a year. So, they do their own research in blogs and trade publications like Publishers Weekly, attend training sessions and webinars, and consult librarians-only subscription databases like NoveList.com, which offers book recommendations by librarians, for librarians. Rakisha Kearns-White, a young adult specialist at a large library in New York City, says she belongs to a committee whose members read several books every school semester, then present talks on them to their peers. Still, they read a lot-Kearns-White says "some colleagues read 1000 books a year, which is amazing. I don't know how they do that."

5. THEY LOVE HELPING TO SETTLE A BET.

There's a mundane occurrence to delight every librarian. "Especially if there are language barriers, I love when someone musters the courage to ask me a question and we can go back and forth to make sure I connect them to the right resources," Krakowski says. For Paolini, it's when "someone comes in nervous, expecting us to be mean, then they tell me, 'You guys are so nice ... and I didn't know you had e-books!"

But Paolini's favorite thing of all is getting a call at the phone reference desk from a sports bar where two buddies are arguing over player stats: "I'm like, 'This is great that you're calling the library to settle a bet!'"

6. THEIR JOBS ARE OFTEN DEPENDENT ON TAXES.

Funding for public libraries is complex and varies place by place, but the bulk often comes from city or county allocations or property taxes, supplemented with state or federal dollars, as well as private donations. The nature of these sources can make them inconsistent from year to year, which means librarians' jobs are often subject to uncertainty. Paolini says the economic crash of 2008 was "awful." She explains, "We're funded mostly by taxes, so when home values completely crashed we were looking at layoffs and [shortening] the hours we were open."

Sometimes libraries have to get creative to fill budget shortfalls: The Carnegie Library in Pennsylvania raised money to fill some of a $5.5 million funding gap in 2010 by selling seasonal ornaments, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and other libraries have been forced to get similarly inventive by hosting fun runs, wine tastings, mini-golf, and even Scrabble tournaments at the library.

The good news, though, according to Paolini, is that despite the occasional politician who thinks libraries waste public money and should be abolished, "99 percent of people [seem to] love libraries and are happy to fund them. We're not going anywhere."

7. PLEASE DON'T ASK THEM FOR "BOY BOOKS."

Every librarian has their own set of pet peeves (not reading the posted hours, leaving books randomly in the stacks), but Kearns-White says that one of hers is when people come in and ask for "boy books" or "girl books." Her response: "Our books have no gender-I can recommend a good story about XYZ." Asking for books by gender, she says, "perpetuates unnecessary gender stereotypes and also perpetuates the idea that boys don't like to read books written by women or starring women, and it's really not true."

Another pet peeve? Parents who think their kids are reading the "wrong" kinds of books-comic books, say, instead of Shakespeare. In that case, Kearns-White will go above and beyond to get kids the books they want. "I'll take the kid into a section where the [parent] can't hear and say, 'Listen, I can see you don't like fiction but your mom isn't going to get off my back about it. I'll grab a book that seems like it could be remotely interesting to you, while you go get the book you really want. I'll convince your mom to let you get both.'"

8. LIBRARIAN STEREOTYPES FROM POP CULTURE MAKE THEM ROLL THEIR EYES.

Negative images of librarians abound in pop culture-most recently, in the Netflix series Stranger Things. "The librarian [in one episode] is like, 'You can't have any more books because you've already got three out,' and she's so nasty about it," Paolini says. "Every single librarian I know would say, 'I'll make you a deal.'"

The portrayal of librarians as dowdy spinsters gets another eye-roll, as does a messy library. "The library in No Man of Her Own (1932) with Carole Lombard looks like an apocalyptic nightmare. No librarian would ever let that happen," Paolini says.

9. THEY WISH YOU WOULDN'T USE BACON AS A BOOKMARK ...

Librarians find all kinds of objects wedged between the pages of books-$100 bills, Broadway tickets, condoms, paychecks, love letters, drugs, hatchets, knives, and even a vial labeled "smallpox sample." Messiest of all, though, might be the food left in books, like crumbled Cheetos, slices of pickles, and whole strips of bacon (both cooked and raw).

10. ... OR LEAVE WEIRD THINGS IN THE BOOK DROP.

People also love to stuff strange items in the book drop, whether it's a dozen doughnuts-how thoughtful?-or a live raccoon. Librarians have also found fireworks, eggs, and dead rabbits and fish, both of which required carefully cleaning the book drop as well as the books that had been inside. Dewey Readmore Books, a library cat from Iowa, was originally deposited as a kitten in the night drop box, then became an international celebrity.

11. THEY NEVER TALK TO MANY OF THEIR PATRONS ...

Between online catalogs, self-serve check-out stations, and e-books and audiobooks that are accessed with the OverDrive app from home, "We never even interact with most of our users," Ferris says. The surge in online usage doesn't mean actual books and periodicals have become irrelevant, though; they're just as in-demand as they ever were. "As librarians, it's important for us not to dictate what libraries should be," Krakowski says. Online services "help us support the diverse needs of our communities."

12. ... BUT IF YOU'RE WEIRD, THEY MIGHT GIVE YOU A NICKNAME.

Librarians meet plenty of characters. Brooke McCarley documented her (brief) interlude working in a library for ThoughtCatlog.com; among her most memorable patrons was a man who gifted her a bag of used teddy bears "in case I could use them." Reddit's libraries subreddit is also filled with librarians sharing stories about visitors bringing in kittens, reciting erotic poetry, showing up with cotton balls in their ears and noses-and smelling of everything from urine to gasoline. If you're particularly memorable, staff might make up a special name for you-according to redditor Greenjourney, one character at a small rural library has been nicknamed "Prince Valiant" by the staff for his bowl-shaped haircut and "medieval bathing habits."

13. THEIR JOB CAN COME WITH UNEXPECTED HAZARDS.

Librarians get yelled at, hit on, and insulted. "Sitting out there at a desk opens you up to all kids of micro-aggressions," Kearns-White explains. But even on an average day, programs can go a little ... sideways. "I remember holding up a big tarantula and all the kids screaming," Paolini says about her years running programs as a children's librarian. "We also lost a boa constrictor once."

Most public libraries have a code of conduct in place so librarians can eject anyone who's intoxicated or acting abusively. These behaviors can lead to suspensions, although, Paolini says, "Most of us look at being in this space as a human right. You'd have to be an incredibly bad person-tried to hurt children or something-to get banned for life."

14. SOMETIMES PATRONS JUST WANT TO TALK.

Some patrons need validation for their parenting skills, or a sympathetic ear to complain to. "Since public libraries are one of the few spaces you can go where nothing is asked of you, you get a lot of folks in crisis looking for help," Ferris explains.

Other resources librarians may provide, depending on the needs and desires of their patrons: summer lunch programs for low-income kids; maker spaces; musical events; and access to on-site social workers.

15. THEIR GOAL IS TO MAKE LIFELONG LEARNERS-OF PATRONS, AND THEMSELVES.

Between 1883 and 1929, steel mogul Andrew Carnegie funded thousands of public libraries around the world-including 1795 in the U.S. "The history of the Carnegie free libraries is still with us," Krakowski says. "This is one of the few places in the world where you can walk in and go through the stacks, and there's no gatekeeper."

It's just this freedom and openness that attracts so many librarians to their profession. "We love information, and most of us are lifelong learners," Krakowski continues. "What I love most is when people ask me questions from a different sort of life context [or background]. I'm excited to say, 'I never thought about that! Let's find out together.'"

16. SOMETIMES THEY NEED TO WEAR COSTUMES.

A large part of a librarian's job is to get libraries recognized as community resources. For Krakowski, that means forging connections with organizations involved in animal services or workforce development, for example. "They may have experts who provide specialized services to the community, and we can support them by bringing certain [tools] into the library," she says. For job development, that might mean things like training seminars, books about how to make a career change, and linking to national databases of jobs, like the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop.com

Children's librarians also get requests to read at daycare centers and schools-and often, to dress up like characters such as Pete the Cat or one of the Wild Things. "Sometimes you think, 'I didn't go to library school for this,'" Paolini says. But that kind of outreach gives librarians the opportunity to introduce the library to new readers, promote summer reading programs, and get kids to sign up for their own library cards.

17. THEY HAVE A CODE OF ETHICS.

In 1939, the American Library Association, the leadership body for professional librarians, adopted a 28-point Code of Ethics, which has been foundational to the mission of librarians ever since. It's been amended three times since it was first adopted, and cut from 28 points to 8, but its basic tenets remain the same-serving as a mission statement of "general ambition" in dealing with censorship, privacy, and how a librarian should juggle her private views when they differ from those of her employing institution. Privacy especially, Krakowski says, is "an important thing to think about now, with discussions about the privacy of information and user data. Librarians are at the forefront of this, and understanding what privacy is, since we see people as individuals-not data sets."

The Code of Ethics are just guidelines, however-they're not legally binding, so violating them won't get a librarian fired.

18. THEY MIGHT HIDE THE OFFICE SUPPLIES.

Most librarians are highly educated professionals who take their job very seriously. That said, they're humans, too, and the Tumblr Librarian Shaming collects some anonymous confessions from librarians who have behaved less-than-perfectly. That might mean getting garlic butter on the books, refusing to check out DVDs that are hard to find, transferring phone calls from abusive patrons to other libraries, or hiding the tape dispensers ("because people think that using 'a little bit of tape' means taking about a foot").

19. THEY DON'T WANT YOUR OLD MAGAZINES.

"We love to talk to you and answer your questions, so please interrupt us, and don't think of us as scary," Krakowski says. "You are our first priority, and libraries would not exist if not for you!"

There is one notable exception to this rule, however. "Please do not ask us if we want your moldy, outdated set of Encyclopedia Britannicas, or your mother's collection of Better Homes and Gardens," Paolini notes. The answer to that question will always be a resounding "No!"

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4 More Examples of American Political Corruption

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When federal prosecutors filed charges against Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich earlier this week, it may have felt like just another chapter in the state's unseemly political history. However, even though Illinois and Chicago have long been synonymous with political graft, corruption is obviously more than just a Midwestern problem.

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a condition is which the blood doesn't have enough blood cells that are healthy

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definition- action of taking out a wide area of trees

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(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Deforestation is the permanent removal of trees to make room for something besides forest. This can include clearing the land for agriculture or grazing, or using the timber for fuel, construction or manufacturing.

Forests cover more than 30% of the Earth's land surface, according to the World Wildlife Fund. These forested areas can provide food, medicine and fuel for more than a billion people. Worldwide, forests provide 13.4 million people with jobs in the forest sector, and another 41 million people have jobs related to forests.

Forests are a resource, but they are also large, undeveloped swaths of land that can be converted for purposes such as agriculture and grazing. In North America, about half the forests in the eastern part of the continent were cut down for timber and farming between the 1600s and late 1800s, according to National Geographic.

Today, most deforestation is happening in the tropics. Areas that were inaccessible in the past are now within reach as new roads are constructed through the dense forests. A 2017 report by scientists at the University of Maryland showed that the tropics lost about 61,000 square miles (158,000 square kilometers) of forest in 2017 - an area the size of Bangladesh.

Reasons forests are destroyed

The World Bank estimates that about 3.9 million square miles (10 million square km) of forest have been lost since the beginning of the 20th century. In the past 25 years, forests shrank by 502,000 square miles (1.3 million square km) - an area bigger than the size of South Africa. In 2018, The Guardian reported that every second, a chunk of forest equivalent to the size of a soccer field is lost.

Often, deforestation occurs when forested area is cut and cleared to make way for agriculture or grazing. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reports that just four commodities are responsible for tropical deforestation: beef, soy, palm oil and wood products. UCS estimates that an area the size of Switzerland (14,800 square miles, or 38,300 square km) is lost to deforestation every year.

Natural fires in tropical forests tend to be rare but intense. Human-lit fires are commonly used to clear land for agricultural use. First, valuable timber is harvested, then the remaining vegetation is burned to make way for crops like soy or cattle grazing. In 2019, the number of human-lit fires in Brazil skyrocketed. As of August 2019, more than 80,000 fires burned in the Amazon, an increase of almost 80% from 2018, National Geographic reported.

Many forests are cleared to make way for palm oil plantations. Palm oil is the most commonly produced vegetable oil and is found in half of all supermarket products. It's cheap, versatile and can be added to both food and personal products like lipsticks and shampoo. Its popularity has spurred people to clear tropical forests to grow more palm trees. Growing the trees that produce the oil requires the leveling of native forest and the destruction of local peatlands - which doubles the harmful effect on the ecosystem. According to a report published by Zion Market Research, the global palm oil market was valued at $65.73 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $92.84 billion in 2021.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Effects of deforestation

Forests can be found from the tropics to high-latitude areas. They are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity, containing a wide array of trees, plants, animals and microbes, according to the World Bank, an international financial institution. Some places are especially diverse - the tropical forests of New Guinea, for example, contain more than 6% of the world's species of plants and animals.

Forests provide more than a home for a diverse collection of living things; they are also an important resource for many around the world. In countries like Uganda, people rely on trees for firewood, timber and charcoal. Over the past 25 years, Uganda has lost 63% of its forest cover, Reuters reported. Families send children - primarily girls - to collect firewood, and kids have to trek farther and farther to get to the trees. Collecting enough wood often takes all day, so the children miss school.

According to a 2018 , three-quarters of the Earth's freshwater comes from forested watersheds, and the loss of trees can affect water quality. The UN's 2018 State of the World's Forests report found that over half the global population relies on forested watersheds for their drinking water as well as water used for agriculture and industry.
Related: The Latest Deforestation News Stories
Deforestation in tropical regions can also affect the way water vapor is produced over the canopy, which causes reduced rainfall. A 2019 study published in the journal Ecohydrology showed that parts of the Amazon rainforest that were converted to agricultural land had higher soil and air temperatures, which can exacerbate drought conditions. In comparison, forested land had rates of evapotranspiration that were about three times higher, adding more water vapor to the air.

Trees also absorb carbon dioxide, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activity. As climate change continues, trees play an important role in carbon sequestration, or the capture and storage of excess carbon dioxide. Tropical trees alone are estimated to provide about 23% of the climate mitigation that's needed to offset climate change, according to the World Resources Institute, a nonprofit global research institute.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Deforestation not only removes vegetation that is important for removing carbon dioxide from the air, but the act of clearing the forests also produces greenhouse gas emissions. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says that deforestation is the second-leading cause of climate change. (The first is the burning of fossil fuels.) In fact, deforestation accounts for nearly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Deforestation solutions

Developing alternatives to deforestation can help decrease the need for tree clearing. For example, the desire to expand the amount of land used for agriculture is an attractive reason to deforest an area. But if people adopted sustainable farming practices or employed new farming technologies and crops, the need for more land might be diminished, according to the UN's Sustainable Forest Management Toolbox.

Forests can also be restored, through replanting trees in cleared areas or simply allowing the forest ecosystem to regenerate over time. The goal of restoration is to return the forest to its original state, before it was cleared, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The sooner a cleared area is reforested, the quicker the ecosystem can start to repair itself. Afterward, wildlife will return, water systems will reestablish, carbon will be sequestered and soils will be replenished.
Additional resources:
Everyone can do their part to curb deforestation. We can buy certified wood products, go paperless whenever possible, limit our consumption of products that use palm oil and plant a tree when possible.

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Sarah Derouin - Live Science Contributor

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(Image credit: Shutterstock) Deforestation is the permanent removal of trees to make room for something besides forest. This can include clearing the land for agriculture or grazing, or using the timber for fuel, construction or manufacturing. Forests cover more than 30% of the Earth's land surface, according to the World Wildlife Fund .

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Alternating Current (AC) vs. Direct Current (DC) - learn.sparkfun.com

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Where did the Australian rock band AC/DC get their name from? Why, Alternating Current and Direct Current, of course! Both AC and DC describe types of current flow in a circuit. In direct current (DC), the electric charge (current) only flows in one direction.

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I do not think that society is obligated to take care of each other because at this point its everyone for their selves and their family.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t_99k39_j1X090Q4UqW_bVDGCgH0FbaOSS24DFudCbE/edit

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Dynamo lighting is reliable, durable, environmentally friendly, more difficult to steal, and extremely convenient. Having lights permanently mounted on and powered by your bicycle means you'll always be well lit.
What is a dynamo?
A dynamo is an energy-generating hub built into the front wheel of a bicycle that typically powers lights. Dynamos can also power USB ports and all manner of fun things, if you're interested.

Early dynamos were tire-driven, resembling small bottles mounted to a bicycle's fork and turned by the tire or rim as it moved past. Between World War I and II, English bicycle component manufacturer Sturmey Archer first popularized the Dynohub, moving the generator inside the hub of the front wheel. This alleviated inefficiencies of the tire-driven bottle dynamo, like premature tire wear, drag, and erratic engagement in wet conditions. Tire-driven bottle dynamos are still manufactured today, though most modern models are hub-based.
What makes a good dynamo light?
A good light is bright enough to be visible, illuminates the road without blinding others, and stays bright while you're stopped at a traffic light.

Most dynamo lighting equipment is designed to comply with German road-use regulations (StVZO/TA). These stringent and specific regulations are in place to ensure that cyclists are well lit from all directions and that the lights don't interfere with other traffic.

A headlight should have a horizon, meaning that the light's beam is limited by a hood at the top and aimed so that the center of the beam hits the ground 33 feet (10 meters) from the front of the bicycle. A concentrated beam illuminates hazards on darkened streets without blinding oncoming motorists and cyclists.

Lights are also required to have a standlight feature, a built-in capacitor that continues to power the lights for four minutes once you stop moving. This feature ensures that you remain visible while stopped at intersections.

In most countries, cyclists are required to have a white light up front and a red light in rear. A single dynamo can power both front and rear lights. Similarly bright battery-powered lights have run-times of only 1-3 hours before they require recharging.
Is dynamo lighting bright enough?
Dynamo systems offer plenty of light and can be tailored to suit different riding styles. When choosing a dynamo lighting system, you'll need to consider both brightness and beam pattern.

Brightness is commonly described in two different units of measure: lumens and lux. While battery-powered lights are commonly rated in lumens, dynamo lights are more often rated in lux. Whereas lumens are a measure of the total amount of visible light emitted from a source, lux is a measure of the intensity of light in the usable portion of its beam pattern. This means that two lights with identical lumen ratings can have very different lux measurements, depending on how the light is focused.

Rider-friendly features of upright bikes encourage a different style of riding

Beam pattern selection will depend on how you ride. A fast rider covering a lot of ground will benefit from a bright light that projects further in front of the bike, giving ample time to react to hazards in the roadway. A rider travelling at a more leisurely pace will see the benefit of a light with nearfield reflectors, which better illuminate the area immediately in front of the bike. The night ride enthusiast will thrill at the brilliance of an unfocussed beam, evenly illuminating everything in front of the rider.
So why is dynamo lighting so rare in North America?
In many European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, most bicycles designed for everyday use come equipped with dynamo lights. Bicycles have tabs for attaching tire-driven dynamos or come with hub dynamos right from the factory.

In North America, where recreation drives the majority of bicycle manufacturing and sales, lights are considered more of an accessory than a requirement. Your average bicycle shop will offer plenty of choices for battery-operated lights, often small and detachable, while dynamo systems may need to be special ordered. They can also be costly and require complex installation.

Dynamo lighting is gaining in popularity in North America as more people are using bicycles for transportation. Manufacturers are starting to offer standard models equipped with on-board lights. For those looking to add them to their existing bike, dynamo hub and headlight combinations can start around $120 USD before installation. However, dynamo hubs require the assembly of a full wheel (spokes and rim) and will add labor and product costs. You can expect a typical dynamo build, including hub, lights, rim, and spokes, to cost from $220 for a basic set-up to $800 or more for high-end systems.

On-board lighting also adds some weight to the bike, typically 1.5-2 pounds (680-907 grams). While you wouldn't want one on a race bike, you may want it on your winter trainer and you should certainly consider it for a daily commuter.
Why we love dynamo lighting.
The biggest advantage, from my wife's perspective as she now refuses to ride a bike at night without dynamo lighting, is that one will feel safe. It's bright, it's always there, and it requires not much thought at all. No forgetting lights because you didn't intend to be out after dark, no replacing or recharging batteries, plus an automatic on-switch.

Sealed from the elements, dynamos produce consistent and reliable lighting in all weather. A dynamo hub's typical service life is similar to that of other bicycle hubs, meaning it will last you for many years. They are recyclable as scrap metal and do not contain hazardous chemicals.

Bolted to your frame, and useless without the generator, dynamo lights are far less desirable to thieves. After your initial costs you may even save money by no longer having to purchase new lights, batteries, or pay fines for forgetting your bicycle lights.

Traditional lights are a clip-on accessory for your bike. Dynamo systems make lighting an integral part of your bicycle. Can you imagine driving a car with strapped-on or half-charged lights?
Dynamo Lights are:

Safe. Dynamo lights are powerful and highly visible.

Convenient. Always with you. Always on.

Durable. Long-lasting LEDs.

Consistent. No half-charged or lost lights.

Sustainable. Reduce your environmental impact by freeing yourself from batteries.

Secure. Much more difficult for someone to steal.

Get your FREE copy of our guide: Momentum Mag's Cargo Bike Guide

Discover the wonderful world of cargo bikes! Download this comprehensive guide to learn about different cargo bike models, brands, the history of cargo bikes, buying advice, one family's experience with cargo biking, and more.
Momentum Mag would like to thank the generous support of Kissing Crows Cyclery for donating hours of their time building wheels and testing the product.

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What You Need to Know About Dynamo Lighting

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Dynamo lighting is reliable, durable, environmentally friendly, more difficult to steal, and extremely convenient. Having lights permanently mounted on and powered by your bicycle means you'll always be well lit. What is a dynamo? A dynamo is an energy-generating hub built into the front wheel of a bicycle that typically powers lights.

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Simile- "By February, the stalks were wilted and hunched -toward the ground like an old woman sweeping up dirt."
Personification : "One night before bed, I saw a lamp flickering inside and found my father there alone, staring at the stacks as if he'd just asked them a question."

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Name: Grain
Quote: The radio is our only connection to the world outside our village."
Sias: In this chapter there is weather issues that hurt Williams fathers grain supply

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The bugs are rich in protein and some minerals and are lower in cholesterol than beef or pork.

Research carried out at the National Autonomous University of Mexico found that 1,700 species are eaten in at least 113 countries across the world, usually as a substitute for meat.

In Mexico, grasshoppers are sold by the pound in markets and fried before being eaten while the larvae of giant butterfly sell for the equivalent of £12.50-a-plate in some restaurants.

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The bugs are rich in protein and some minerals and are lower in cholesterol than beef or pork. Research carried out at the National Autonomous University of Mexico found that 1,700 species are eaten in at least 113 countries across the world, usually as a substitute for meat.

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Sustainable: the ability to maintain at a certain rate
Ethical: legally on allowed when doctors prescribe
Feasible: easily possibly, convenient

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Title: Khamba
Quote: ¨This was the kill zone.¨
Sias: In chapter 3, William makes a new friend named Khamba and he is a dog and Williams family loses williams uncle who ran the farm.

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Hastings Kamuzu Banda | president of Malawi

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Hastings Kamuzu Banda: Hastings Kamuzu Banda, first president of Malawi (formerly Nyasaland) and the principal leader of the Malawi nationalist movement. He governed Malawi from 1963 to 1994, combining totalitarian political controls with conservative economic policies. Banda's birthday was officially given as May 14,

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Williams first encounter with magic was when he wanted to become stronger so did a magic treatment that was supposed to make your stronger that was called "Mangolomera". Mangolomera is when someone cuts each of your knuckles and put a paste made of animal bones and herbs inside of the cuts. I think from this William learned that magic is not real.

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Possible name: Work
Quote: "Turn your life over to God."
sias: In this chapter the family starts of fresh and takes chances and everything starts heading in a positive direction.

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Yao Ethnic Minority, the Chinese Yao Ethnic Group

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The Chinese Yao people mainly live in Hunan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces.

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knowing the maize farming system in south africa

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You have lots of things to know about the maize farming in South Africa. These details are those which you need to take note about the maize production process.

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a situation when a a politcal leader is annoced as someone that should be admired

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Nestled between Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, Malawi has earned it's nickname as 'the warm heart of Africa'. And 'warm' is precisely the adjective I would use to describe Malawian music. There is a sunny optimism in much of the Malawian music I've heard, and after a grim weekend of cold, rain, and snow, here in Washington D.C., I figured I'd warm myself up with a few Malawian recordings from our collection.

One of the most popular styles of music in Malawi, in the late 1960s was South African Kwela; a driving dance music, powered by virtuoso penny whistle players. Migrant workers returning from South Africa and Zimbabwe brought kwela music to Malawi, and it was in Salisbury, the capital of the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (which is now Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe), that Daniel and Donald Kachamba discovered Kwela music. When the brothers returned, in 1961, to Nyasaland (which became Malawi in 1964), they started to perform Kwela music on the streets, at markets, and in nightclubs. Daniel played the guitar, and his younger brother Donald was a penny whistle virtuoso; he had been playing the instrument since the age of six.

In 1967, the Austrian ethnomusicologist Gerhard Kubik heard the Kachamba brothers playing for a large crowd near the main market in Blantyre, Malawi's largest city. And at some point that same year, he brought the Kachamba brothers band to the United States Cultural Center in Blantyre. In February of 1968, the United States Information Service office in Blantyre, sent a four-song tape to the Voice of America, with the following description: 'enclosed is [a recording, made on December 4, 1967 of] an African combo consisting of four boys aged 7-16. They were recently discovered by a German musicologist who was researching African music in Malawi.'

In fact, at the time of these recordings Daniel was 20 years old (he was born in 1947, and passed away in 1987), and Donald was 14 (he was born in 1953, and passed away in 2001); two younger boys accompanied them, one playing the string bass, and the other the rattle. Donald's penny whistle playing on these two tracks is fantastic.

Let's jump ahead a couple of decades, with one of Malawi's most popular bandleaders of the late 1980s and 1990s, Robert Fumulani (he is the man crouching in the picture above). He was born, in 1948, in the city of Zomba (which is 40 miles northeast of Blantyre), and first started to draw the attention of Malawian audiences in the 1970s. During the 1980s, Fumulani won the Malawian 'Entertainer of the Year' award three times. And by the time he passed away, in 1998, his musical earnings had allowed him to open several businesses, including the Likhubula Entertainment Centre, his nightclub in Chileka (a suburb of Blantyre), and a cargo services company at Chileka airport. His musical legacy is kept alive by three of his seven sons; Anjiri, Musandide, and Chizondi- who are the core of the Black Missionaries, currently one of Malawi's most popular groups.

This track gives you a good idea of Fumulani's relaxed Afroma (a contraction of Afro-Malawian) groove. In this one Fumulani pleads with 'Patricia', he sings, 'don't leave us, stay with us, don't break up your family.'

One of the key ingredients of the Likhubula River Dance Band's sound was the guitar playing of Ernest Mapemba. Near the end of 'Mwana Wanga', or 'My Child', Mapemba breaks things down with some wonderfully relaxed playing.

This last track has got a nice reggae beat. Fumulani asks for guidance and advice.

Let's keep the reggae beat going with Evison Matafale, who before he passed away in 2001, was one of Malawi's most loved artists. In 2000, he surprised music fans with his debut release 'Kuyimba I', which became one of the year's best-selling releases. Matafale recorded the album with Robert Fumulani's three aforementioned sons, who after Evison passed away, renamed themselves the Black Missionaries.

In 2001, after a long battle with tuberculosis, Matafale released 'Kuyimba II'. He passed away several months later, however, dying suddenly while in police custody. He was only 32 years old. According to an article published by the BBC, Matafale's brother Elton believes Evison was killed, because of letters he had written to then-president Bakilu Muluzi, denouncing his government's policies. In 'Yang'ana Nkhope', Evison sings 'Look at my face, look at your face, we are all God's Children.'

Next up is Joseph Tembo, a great guitar player, from southern Malawi. He was born in 1997, in southern Malawi, and is a member of the Sena ethnic group, who are related to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. This relationship helps explain the similarities between Tembo's music and the Shona melodies and rhythms of Zimbabwean Chimurenga music.

This last song is by Coss Chiwalo, who for many years was (and may still be) the bandleader of the 'Alleluya Band', a Malawian musical institution. He was born in 1974 and has released three solo albums. 'Wakwatiwa', one of his biggest hits, is a song that is usually played at weddings. He sings of the joy of the bride and groom.

I hope the music hit the spot. I would like to thank Dr. John Lwanda of Pamtondo records for his help with research and song translations.

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Nestled between Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, Malawi has earned it's nickname as 'the warm heart of Africa'. And 'warm' is precisely the adjective I would use to describe Malawian music. There is a sunny optimism in much of the Malawian music I've heard, and after a grim weekend of cold, rain, and snow, here in [...]

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•1st person
•Who, what, when, where?
•Readers can picture the setting
-Dialogue
-True

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•Cause and effect
•Compare and Contrast
•Problem an solution

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•Index
•Table of contents
•Glossary
•Key
•Title
•Captions
•Headings

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•Annotating
•Critical thinking

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Gule Wamkulu: It's part dancing and part play performed by a secret cult/ members of Nyau brotherhood
Magic Juju: Spitual beliefs of karma
Black Rhino: A species of Rhinoceros in Western and Southern Africa

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A subject that applies to multiple cu

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The subject of a piece of writing

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An experience written from personal knowledge

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A separate introduction to a book

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Possibly chapter name: Africa

"Before I discovered the miracles of science, magic ruled the world."
In the book "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" it starts with talking about a boy and his struggles as he tried to stay away from all the things around him.

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"Before I discovered the miracles of science, magic ruled the world." (pg. 3)

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"But most of the time we had no money, so we spent our afternoons in hunger and dreams." (pg. 21)

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Windmills can be used to grind grain into flour, and creates power.

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A windmill is a building sails that converts wind energy.

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwit5pDkkr3RAhXKy4MKHbPlCdsQtwIIGzAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ted.com%2Ftalks%2Fwilliam_kamkwamba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind&usg=AFQjCNFx0VeTIjpYrmXbnlZuXfwHACtNTA