Posts

US Withdrawal from Climate Pact

Image
A Changing Climate        On the 4th of November, 2019, the Trump administration informed the UN of its intentions to formally withdraw the United States from the Paris accord formed in 2015 ( see here ).     The Paris agreement is a pact made between 188 countries with the purpose of enhancing the global response to climate change and increasing the actions being taken to ensure a sustainable, low-carbon future ( here ). This means that each county must take steps in order to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide.     In 2014, the United States was one of the top emitters of carbon dioxide, producing 15% of the global emissions ( more information here ). Moreover, a t the present moment, the increasing average global temperature is leading to more intense weather events ( here ), which could lead to significant economic and social impacts in the future, and is endangering more than one million different plant and animal species ( here ). Giv
2 comments
Read more

Are We Prepared?

Image
The Big One... Are We Prepared? On Saturday, 5th October 2019, an earthquake struck the Bay Area of San Francisco. The earthquake was recorded to have a magnitude of 3.5 on the richter scale ( see more here ) and three micro-quakes, earthquakes of 2.0 or less on the richter scale, followed.  San Francisco's last major earthquake ( see here ) was in October of 1989, which struck with a magnitude of 6.9, killing 63 people and causing damages of more than $5 billion. This event was preceded by a 68 year period with only low-magnitude earthquakes. However, following the 1989 earthquake, the activity has been similar to that of 1836-1911, during which period there were 18 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or more ( more information here )( timeline of earthquakes 1880-1914 ). For this reason, geologists are concerned that the greater San Francisco area will experience more frequent and larger earthquakes, and the possibility of an event with magnitude of 7.0 or more within the nex
3 comments
Read more
Image
The Thompson and Van der Merwe Family History I have always known that my family had come from different countries in Europe, but I did not know anything more than where the immediate generations had come from. My mother’s maiden name is “Van der Merwe”. The Van der Merwes originated in the 5th Century in Southern Holland. The name came from King Merovaues, who was the King of the clan he had established in an area called Dordrecht, on the river Waal.  The remains of the Merwede Castle in Dordrecht, Holland Over the centuries, the name changed, and it became "Merwede" in the 11th Century. During this time, the “mighty” King built a beautiful palace on the Waal river, which he renamed the Merwede River in honor of his family. The section of the river is still called the Merwede River to this day. From the year 1150, the firstborn son of each generation was called Daniel (pronounced "D äniel") . Daniel the First had been knighted and later took over
1 comment
Read more