by Emily Johnson Growing up, I was a small child. Healthy-looking to any passerby, I was active, hyper, wide-eyed, and smiley but again, noticeably, even exaggeratedly, smaller than other kids. I was short and scrawny, with knobby arms and legs. I ate a lot during childhood, anything in arm’s reach— vegetables, red meats, starches, fruits,… Read more »
Water, Taken for Granted
by Rita Brhel I live in the middle of America’s heartland — Nebraska — surrounded by a sea of corn and soybean fields, most of which are irrigated for the entire growing season. Even the crops that aren’t irrigated still yield enough to provide the farmer with ample income to live on. I live atop… Read more »
Monthly
by Michelle Wolf It happens every month and every month I forget to grab a few tampons from under the bathroom sink. Thankfully, there is a gold basket in the ladies’ room at work with a few sample packs for me to use. And I can always find an ample supply of tampons in one… Read more »
Accessing the Available
by Emily Johnson You wake up to sun through your bedroom window, realizing the room is warm, even hot. Your legs feel sticky from sweat. Your eyes are sticky, too, from sleep. It feels as though the ceiling fan only pushes heat around in circles. To the AC panel you go. You squint, fidget with… Read more »
This One’s For the Girls
by Shelton Owen On March 8th, women around the world celebrated their femininity on International Women’s Day. The special day, observed since the early 1900s, is about recognizing the progress achieved while looking ahead to opportunities of advancement. Women have made great strides in the past century, socially, politically, and economically, but the battle… Read more »
The Demand for Clean Water
West Africa has no doubt has faced some hardships obtaining water to keep their children alive as well as their families. But other parts of the continent is also facing a water crisis: South Africa.
The Lake Chad Basin
The Lake Chad Basin Commission was established in the 1960’s by four member states—Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon–for the purpose of maintaining the ecosystem and managing the resources of the area, specifically the precious resource of water. The land in the vicinity of the lake was green and fertile, and for years, fishermen made a living off of the diverse catch they could reliably obtain from the depths.
Is “Good” Good Enough?
The issue of contaminated drinking water isn’t some far off problem, only applicable to third world countries and those in poverty-it’s right here at home in the U.S. The residents of Cambria County, Pennsylvania now know this statement to be true. Last week, a letter was sent out by the Patton Borough Water Department informing customers of a contaminant (trihalomethane) in their water supply. Customers expressed a mix of confusion, concern, and anger because the occurrence wasn’t a one time thing; it has been prevalent for seven years.
My Water Ritual
Every morning, I wake up and pour myself a glass of water. It’s what makes me feel refreshed before I start my day.
One morning, I pushed the button on my water cooler to fill my cup, and nothing came out. I was so used to having my morning cup of water that I almost panicked – I suddenly got a sense of urgency and needed my roommate to lift up the five-gallon barrel of water to replace the empty one that sits atop my water cooler. This event made me think about the big water issues around the world today.
The Middle Man
This month, Niger’s Foreign Minister made a rather large request of the European Union-one billion euros. This chunk of change would aid the fight to end illegal migration. As a major transit country for those fleeing tumultuous homelands, Niger inhabits an abundance of runaways. The IOM estimates up to 150,000 migrants will cross through Niger this year alone, seeking the Mediterranean Coast. Whether it’s driven by war, terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, or simply the horrendous conditions of some African nations, the EU has been presented with an explosive migration crisis.
