Top+Homeworks

= Year 8 Top Homeworks =

AfDB supports waste water treatment project for agriculture in Tunisia By Ali
Brief summary of the project: The African Development Bank (ADB), funded 64.45 million Euros upgrade infrastructure of wastewater treatment. The reason that they are doing this is because they want to improve the quality of water used to irrigate 5000 hectors of farmland! Agriculture is an important economic activity in Tunisia and helps the country's food security. Another thing that they are going to do is increase the amount of renewable energy sources. I chose this because it says in the document, that a population of 4 million people are affected by this project! And also that 4000 farmer will benefit from this project, and if there’s better farmland the food should be of better quality since the water should be better. Another thing that they will be doing is they will be increasing the amount of renewable energy resources as they think that it can help boost development, this will help Tunisia go greener then it is at the moment.

Shrewsbury £60m Incinerator gets the go-ahead by Rory
John Woolcock, a representative of the Shropshire Council, has given the Waste Contractor Company Veolia the ‘go-ahead’ to build a controversial £60m Incinerator at Battlefield Enterprise Park. The idea has been heavily opposed in the past, the plan being rejected by the Shropshire Council in 2010, backed by various organisations such as – Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth and the Battlefield 1403 visitor centre, whom presented various good arguments against the Incinerator’s creation, such as its proximity to the site of the Historic Battle of Shrewsbury. Mr Woolcock said the following: “I disagree with the council’s conclusion that the proposed development would cause substantial harm to the setting of high value heritage assets, and I consider that BF1403 has overstated the likely impact of the appeal scheme on the setting of the registered battlefield and other heritage assets. The proposal would result in minor harm to the registered battlefield.” I chose this article, primarily, because it was the only recent piece of news relevant to the Homework I could find. I personally disagree with the building of the Incinerator – In the decided location. Personally, I would be fine if the Incinerator was built somewhere where it would have less of an impact upon the environment and nearby Historical Sites.

Waste in Lancashire By Ben
Almost every household in Lancashire now has fortnightly collection of general rubbish, recycling and green garden waste. In the past we have relied heavily on landfill sites to dispose of rubbish produced in the county. But we needed a more sustainable solution than simply burying the waste. Rubbish buried in landfill gives off methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, and so is environmentally damaging. It also means that any recyclables that may have mistakenly ended up in the general rubbish are buried with the rest of the waste, effectively stopping them from entering into the recycling process. By treating your rubbish, we make the most of the resources available in it.

Recycling a hit in Welwyn Hatfield – but some rubbish problems persist by Courtney
I chose this story because it highlighted how successful our recycling system has been at reducing the Borough’s landfill. Residents have two collections one week and one collection the following week. They all have different coloured bins for rubbish: blue for glass, paper, cardboard, plastic; black for non-recyclable products, and brown for all garden rubbish like grass, dead plants and bits of trees. You can also put all your rotten food and scraps in these bins. Some residents had complained because their bins were missed and not emptied, but any new system takes a little while to settle down, so it’s great that our Council recycle things properly.

Recycling the landfill gas by Warren

There is a landfill site about a mile away from my house, they eventually closed this site down because it was “bad for the environment” they landscaped it all over and then realised the gas was coming through the ground via the degrading material. So they collect this with tubes and machinery and goes to a generator and this is burns the methane and then the parish sell this and it makes money, and the money funds for the community I chose this because I found it interesting how they are extracting methane (A harmful green house gas) and then using it to provide funds for the town and its also Like recycling after its been recycled

Managing waste in West Berkshire by Guilhem
[] Summary: In 2002, West Berkshire Council decided to start a 20 year plan to improve waste management. They’ve been working very hard at making people recycle more and do more composting. By 2009, West Berkshire recycled 40% of its rubbish and plans to do even better in the next few years. The Council also managed to have £56 million to help fund a better waste management service. In March 2008, a 25 year waste contract was signed with Veolia Environmental Services and put into action in the June the same year. And then a new Household Waste Recycling Centre was opened in Newbury! The Council is also constructing an Integrated Waste Management Facility at Padworth Sidings that will open in 2012. My Thoughts: I think West Berkshire is doing amazingly well. They seem to be putting a lot of hard work in recycling. They’re buildings lots of recycling centres. Lately, they have been giving free bags of compost so that people can do more composting with their waste. They are really making an effort not to do any landfill.

Basingstoke and Dean Council By Harvey
Basingstoke and Dean Borough council, say that if you do not eat all of food please stop putting it in the bin. The reason for this is that they have to dump 8,000 tonnes of food waste so the council would strongly recommend that you buy a green cone. The idea of the green cone is that you put your food in the green cone so it can rot away but it will only rot if you put it in a hot place in your garden. So they advise you to get the green cone. I chose this because it is a good way to stop the food waste and to put nutrients back in the ground.

Brita Filter Recycling also by Harvey
Recycling your old Brita water filters just became even easier with the launch of a new in-store recycling scheme. Special Brita recycling bins can now be found at high street shops such as Argos. The bins can be found next to the water filter section in store and can take all Brita water filters including those for Brita jugs and the new water filter taps. So if you can please go and recycle.

Recycled Plastic Wood by Kat
It is about a Luton based company which produces 100% recycled plastic plywood alternative EcoSheet. My comment- It is quite interesting and I was surprised I hadn’t heard about this before. I chose this because- It was the most interesting thing I could find.

North East Lincolnshire council clampdown on recycling By Lauren This story is about the council wanting residents to cut down on sending a lot of waste to landfill sites. They want to urge residents to recycle, not just because it is cheaper, but it is more environmentally friendly and it is renewable. Landfill is not renewable. It is also quite expensive to send waste/rubbish to landfill sites and the council would probably like to save money for other things in the future. The council would like their achievable goal to be 50% recycling by 2020 if everybody does their bit to help to environment. Residents who refuse to recycle could face up to a £1,000 fine. I chose this because I care about the environment and what the future would be like. I don't want rubbish everywhere; I want a clean tidy place to live. I think that this is a good idea what the North East Lincolnshire county council are doing because it means that they would have more money to do other things with, instead of paying to send waste/rubbish to landfill sites.

Stockport aims to become Zero Waste Champions by Megan
The news I chose was about Stockport Council teaming up with East Manchester Environment and Resources Group (EMERGE) to encourage people to recycle and become ‘Zero Waste Champions’. People who took part in the challenge had to produce a waste diary stating each week how they could reduce their waste. The person who produces the best diary could win a prize up to £150. I chose this because it shows that my council are successful in reducing waste. I think it’s something that everyone can participate in and have a fun competition whilst helping the environment. It also gave some great tips too, such as buying a chocolate bar with foil and cardboard packaging instead of plastic can make a big difference.

Ideas for Councils to reduce Ecological footprints - lots of them!
I Lord Eldred Mayor of Warrenville has decided to reduce Warrenville carbon footprint! How we are going to do this is by adding recycling bins to every door on for house hold waste another for dry recyclables and one for garden waste. I will also introduce a bus service to the town connecting to local villages and towns, even though we will have a bus service I encourage people to walk/cycle where possible.
 * Warren ( I had to put this one first – real LOL moment) **

Live in smaller houses with more people. Flatmates can be friends too! Even if you haven’t met them before, you can easily bond, and once you spend a month with them, they can be your best friend.
 * Billy: **

My Scheme is about making more travel by train and bus more accessible. On average we can reduce our ecological footprint by as much as 20% if we use public transport. Also I would encourage people to travel in England by car preferably a small one or if possible train. Aviation has the fastest growing carbon emissions of any industry sector. Flying has an even greater impact on climate change than was thought before.
 * Ben: **

With the funds I would have the council host a little market area in the region. That way people don’t have to drive miles to the superstore. Superstore use up a lot of electricity and energy but a market wouldn’t at all.
 * Guilhem has several ideas – here is one I really liked! **

I did some research and found a company called Ecotricity. They are a gas company that uses customers energy bills to fund the building of new sources which make green energy, i.e wind turbines, solar panels...etc. They have a whole Eco Team and have an EcoPark program and lots more. I suggest that the council encourages the town residents to switch to Ecotricity. Ecotricity website - []
 * Kat **

Perhaps people can use trams/bike/walking instead of cars and trains. Because it is electric it doesn't use as much CO2 as cars/trains and is good for the environment as well as being good for people’s health and exercise when people use bikes and walk. All though using trams is using electricity; it isn't as bad as damaging the environment with a lot of CO2 and destroying the earth. The tram is a great idea on looking after the Earth because many people can go on them instead of going in cars and using up a lot of fossil fuels. The tram also keep the towns clean by not polluting with as much CO2 and greenhouse gases. Using the tram means that there isn't much traffic in places because people have to leave their cars at the edge of the town.
 * Lauryn **

It could be a small centre so that residents won’t have to travel a long way by car or plane to go on holiday.
 * Megan also had several ideas. Here is one **

Well for starters, plants will make everything much better ….
 * Will too has lots of ideas but I chose his initial really short one as the most interesting **
 * //[Why? Because by adding lots of plants, more CO2 would be taken out of the environment as well as making an area much more pleasant to live it]// **

Becoming a vegan or vegetarian helps largely on the amount of land needed for animals, less packaging and factories. I played around and the only thing that made a large difference was becoming a vegan. When I clicked on regular meat eater I would have needed 2.8 planets but when I became a vegan I only needed 2. I think becoming a Vegan would be quite easy to get used to. New generations to come wouldn’t have to miss anything they had never had and people could easily forget about meat if they came up with new dishes. You would use less packaging, Meat is regularly packaged in Clingfilm and plastic plates when vegetables can either be kept in a paper bag or kept naked. I think everyone becoming a vegan would be an easy way to help the world along.
 * Morwenna **

**Real nappies** Using real nappies reduces waste, but will also save you money. Because of the environmental benefits, the Council will give parents who use real nappies £50 towards the cost of nappies. **Real nappy cashback** The council would like to thank residents who use reusable nappies or have subscribed to a nappy laundering scheme. To request a leaflet or information pack, please contact us. **Reusable nappies** Real nappies use less energy and resources in their production, and produce far less waste. They are cheaper than disposables; they can save you up to £600 with your first child, even more if you use the nappies for another child. They are the natural choice. Real nappies are made from natural fabrics, rather than absorbent chemicals, paper pulp and plastics. There is a wide choice of real nappies available, something to suit everyone! Modern nappies are shaped, fitted and self-fastening, and are available in a variety of styles, sizes and fun patterns. There is no need to boil or soak nappies (this wastes energy) just wash at 60°C. Nappy laundry services are also available making real nappies even more convenient. Dirty nappies can be exchanged for clean nappies, freshly laundered to NHS standards. Before buying a pack of a certain style of nappies, it is worthwhile trying one or two, just to make sure they suit your baby and you get on with them. Some companies sell small trial packs, containing several different types of real nappies. This allows parents to try the different nappies and make an informed choice. Also, download our Real Nappy Information Pack. **Disposables - facts and figures!** This scheme could be rolled out across all Councils around the country, and it could even go global!
 * Courtney **
 * An ongoing source of raw materials is needed to produce disposable nappies. It is estimated that one cup of crude oil is needed per nappy.
 * Three and a half times as much energy is needed to produce a disposable than a reusable nappy.
 * Babies will use approximately 5000 nappies before potty training.
 * It is estimated parents will spend at least £700 on disposables before potty training their child.
 * Over 8 million disposable nappies are used in Britain every day.
 * The UK disposes of roughly 800,000 tonnes of nappies per year (4 per cent of total household waste) at a cost of £40 million.
 * Most disposables are sent to landfill where they never completely break down.

By Billy
Hi Jane! So nice to hear from you! It is so cool over in Sitges. I got a job as a waitress over in the centre of town. It’s near the town centre building, so it’s a bit busy, but still, a lot of people go here, so I get more money! I live in a little apartment near the restaurant. It’s peaceful there most of the time. The time it is hectic around here is summer, around the time we host our film festival. I have been there with an in-the-know friend last time. It can’t topple Cannes, but it is just as good! We also have carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations over there, in February and March. We bury a sardine every Shrove Tuesday, but we’re not as rowdy as the folks in Louisiana! We have a lot of four-star hotels that you can stay in, or, if you want, you can stay in my house, but it’s messy at the moment, so I might clean up. We can also go to one of the seventeen beaches there. The second biggest beach we have is my local beach, and I met my new boyfriend, Luis, there. He is so nice and charming you will probably want him… but hands off! He’s mine. Well, I’m looking forward to seeing you when you go over. We’ll do some of the activities and try some of the food here. Be seeing ya, Maria. X

By Kat
My name’s Lucy. I live in Sitges and my mum and dad run a successful hotel. I am writing to my friend Jodie. Jodie lives in England and is coming to visit us in the Summer holidays. Hi Jodie! It was really great to hear from you, it’s fantastic you’re coming to Sitges to visit us. I think you’ll really like it here! My favourite thing about living in Sitges is that we have some amazing architecture in the town which is great for us keen photographers! I could also show you this ancient church that was built in the 10th Century. There is also the museum. We could go to the beach and get ice cream too if you like. The only annoying think about the local beach is that it is always crammed with tourists in the summer. The town will be really busy when you come to visit. It’s pretty good Sitges gets so many tourists because mum and dad make a lot of money, but it is a bit irritating not being able to sit on the beach or having to wait in line in a really long queue to get ice cream! Some of the tourists can be really rude and loud too and the beach gets really untidy with litter. Not all the tourists are that bad though, a lot of them are very friendly. Last summer, when I was helping mum and dad with the hotel, I met this really nice American girl. We spent a lot of time together over the summer and became firm friends. I hope you get to meet her this year. Anyway, the best thing about you coming to visit is that we’ll get to go to the summer festival together! I know you’ll really enjoy it. Looking forward to seeing you, Lucy x

By Lauryn
Introduction: I am a teenager from England. I moved to Sitges with my family in 2007 when England became poor. I am really looking forward to Janet coming to visit Sitges next week. Dear Janet, I am really looking forward to see you in Sitges next week. It is already summer here. It is gorgeous weather. The downside is that there are a lot of tourists though, that is why it is very busy and noisy. People come to Sitges a lot in Summer. Because there are a lot of tourists, there is a big concern when it comes to litter. Another problem is that people just leave their rubbish everywhere. The benefit is the villa we live in is lovely. From my bedroom window, you can see the beautiful sea view. Also, the house was made 5 years ago. My parents hired builders and made it into a very modern home with a beautiful garden. I go to the beach everyday and go swimming, especially in the spring/summer. Sitges is pretty and better than anywhere else in the world!!!. In the summer, there are carnivals and film festivals. People are excellent at managing the concerts. People are very well organised in Sitges. I love Sitges so much. Because you like going to the beach, we will go every day together. I have to go now, looking forward to your visit in Sitges next week. Best Wishes, Lauryn

By Megan
I am a teenager living in Sitges in an apartment on the seafront. I am writing to my auntie and uncle coming to visit Sitges in the summer. Dear Auntie and Uncle, I’m very excited to see you this summer! Summer, however, isn’t the best time to visit, as it gets extremely busy with visitors, who think its ok to drop litter all over our home town! I think you’ll really enjoy the hot climate and activities here in Sitges. I’m really looking forward to showing you all of the fun things to do in Sitges! Especially going to the beach and Garraf! It’s going to be very warm so make sure to pack appropriately. When you visit, we’re also going to Palau Maricel, which is a museum. We also have the best food and restaurants down here in Sitges! It’s not just a fun holiday location; we also have a lot of culture over here, such as our festivals and our local carnival. At night it can get a bit noisy in summer though, because a lot of young tourists tend to visit the local bars and nightclubs and end up walking around our Sitges streets, drunk. Tourists leave litter behind as well, which isn’t good for our environment. I suppose summer is the best time for our economy though since they end up charging our naive tourists loads of money for simple things such as bottles of water. Can’t wait to see you in summer! See you soon!



By Morwenna
I am a teenager who works in the local cafe on the weekend. I am emailing my friend who has moved away and is visiting in a couple of weeks. Hi! How are you? I hope things are going ok where you are. The weather is just starting to cool down again – More tourists are leaving and we get some peace and quiet! By the time you get here it won’t be very busy but still warm (as you know)! 300 days of summer – once again I am getting a good tan! This year the cafe got a lot of business we are right on the water front, lots of Ice cream buyers! I tried to get to the beach at least once a week but it was way too busy – I decided towards the end of the month to go to the swimming pool instead – much less busy but not as nice! Unfortunately now that business is getting slower I am out of a job 6-7 months, especially bad as I am saving up for a new laptop! I love walking around the town – so many beautiful buildings! The cleaners have started going around the town again – tiding up the streets of all the rubbish that the tourists leave. I made some new friends during the summer – a pair of English twins for two weeks and then a French girl who helped out at the cafe! Talk to you soon, Morwenna

Guilhem’s report
First of all, I would definitely have all things that are against a wall screwed to the wall. I wouldn’t want them toppling on top of anyone! Anything that is loose or could fall and hurt someone would be secured tightly. I would have a back pack ready for every person in the house so that when an earthquake comes, all they have to do is grab it and hide. In these backpacks would be snacks, a few bottles of water, torch, and batteries and of course a first aid-kit. Most of the time, I am at my desk, so that would be my first place to hide under. I would never hide in the kitchen because there a lot of hazards there. The strongest table in the house is probably the one the dining room. Then there’s the table in the living room. To turn off the electricity there is a switch in the fuse box near the stairs. Unfortunately, to turn off the water you have to go outside and twist a knob. Apart from that, everything seems to be pretty solid in my house.

By Ana: Report as to what we shall do before and after an earthquake. There is no gas at this property.
Victorian brick and stone detached property. Solid stone walls in some areas, brick in others. Wattle and daub on some interior walls, brick with cavities in others. Preparation; Fasten shelves securely to walls. Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves. Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches. Fasten heavy items such as pictures and mirrors securely to walls and away from beds, sofas and anywhere people sit. Brace overhead light fixtures and top heavy objects. Repair defective electrical wiring. Install flexible pipe fittings to avoid water leaks. Flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage. Secure boiler, refrigerator, and any other large appliances and furniture by strapping them to the wall with studs or bolting to the floor. Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves. Located safe spots in each room; ground floor, kitchen; under large, heavyweight pine table against the inside wall. This is the only room in the house that is suitable for drop, cover and hold on. Hold regular earthquake drills with family members: Drop, cover and hold on.

EMERGANCY SUPPLY LIST
Water First Aid Kit; plasters, bandages, colloidal silver for water purification, magnascent iodine (disinfectant) Matches/candles in a water-proof container Toiletry Basic tool kit/axe/rope Tent, pillow, sleeping bag, extra blankets Dried food/tined food Tin cups, plates and eating utensils Spade Windup torches/windup radio Rubbish sacks Change of clothes Wet weather gear Whistle to signal for help Compass and local maps Dust masks Plastic sheeting (for collecting rain water) Money Pencil and paper Pet food and extra water and dog blanket

Report by Megan
To make your house safer in an earthquake you should try to make sure all shelves and things on walls are secure. Also, it would be best not to keep heavy objects anywhere high up, such as on the top of wardrobes, on top of shelves or in large book cases. Mirrors and frames with glass should also be taken of the wall to avoid one dropping on you in an earthquake. During an earthquake you should avoid walking near the walls in case something does drop on you and whatever you do, do not go outside. You should always make sure you know where you turn off your electricity, water and gas. For example, where you turn my electricity off is under the stair cupboard. You turn my gas off in the gas cupboard which is right by my front door and you turn my water off under the kitchen bench. Good places to STOP-COVER-HOLD would be under a very sturdy wooden table, desk or against a wall so that nothing heavy could land on you. If you can’t STOP-COVER-HOLD in any of these places, then just make sure you’re next to very shallow furniture so they don’t fall on you. It’s a very good idea also to have a strong metal box for an earthquake emergency supply kit. In your kit it would be a good idea to keep things such as: Bottled water Tinned food and can opener Eating utensils Charged mobile phone Book of important phone numbers Sleeping bags or blankets First aid kit with instructions Spare clothes for warmth and waterproof coats Tooth brushes and tooth paste Supplies such as water and food for pets Spare keys to important things such as your house, car, etc. Vital medical things, such as important medicines Map of your area

Report by Morwenna
If there was an earthquake in Porthmadog three places I would hide would be: 1. Solid wood dining table. 2. Wood/Iron Proper piano. 3. Bedroom cabinet/wardrobe made of wood.

In case I need to turn off the electricity or the water, the water can be turned off in the downstairs bathroom, the electricity in the cloak room and the gas for the cooker behind the cooker.

A good container to hold emergency supplies would be safety deposit box and I would put in my passport, some money, a blanket (or towel), an energy drink, long-lasting food, plasters and some antiseptic cream. If the box was bigger I would also add some insurance forms (If I had any), bandages, a spare set of clothing and a mobile phone. =Earthquake Newspaper reports= On the 12th January an earthquake measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale hit the pretty Cotswold town of Stow-On-The-Wold. Minor damage to some of the older buildings was reported but no injuries as yet. An elderly resident, Dorothy Bowers age 78, reported that she heard a strange whooshing sound and then her stone cottage shook violently for several minutes, “I was very frightened, I thought the roof was going to fall in” she exclaimed. The British geological society believes the epicentre of the earthquake was several miles north of Stow “this is a very unusual occurrence” they said, “although very minor earthquakes have been recorded across the British Isles for over a century. **By Ana**

As I was walking to school, I heard a very noisy “train” sound. It sounded like there was a train near me, but we don't live near trains, so I didn't know what it was. After the “train sound” I fell over and felt the tremors go right through me. I thought the earth went out of orbit, but then I realised it was a earthquake. I suddenly see the road starting to crumble away like someone sticking a big sword and halving the earth in half. Afterwards, once the ground stopped shaking, there was devastating news... The result of the earthquake was not so good. Buildings were crushed, roads were trashed apart, nature had been destroyed. I also saw a large crack in the middle of the road, about 1 metre away from me. It was roughly about 10 metres deep and 4.5 metres long. I then just saw a massive bridge collapse right in front of my eyes. The roads were closed for 4 weeks whilst people made massive repairs to the town.

** By Lauryn **
The earthquake that took place last week on Monday 9th of January was a truly catastrophic event that caused a lot of damage to the local area. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the experience was incredibly frightening and shocking. I remember being at home last Monday afternoon watching TV, when all of a sudden a loud rumbling occurred. I didn’t really think it was anything that important; maybe just a train going past our town rather noisily or a heavy lorry driving down our main road. Then all of a sudden there was a jolting, it was extremely terrifying. Everyone outside were scuttling around like mice looking for a safe place to hide, however inside wasn’t much better. Being trapped inside the house was a nightmare, because parts of the ceiling started falling down and the furniture falling everywhere. Then the floor started rolling and moving, making most buildings around crumble to the ground. Thankfully nobody died, however quite a few people were injured. As a warning, the main road has caved in about 10 meters, so it will be closed until it is mended. Also the Co-op will be closed since the building roof caved in and the surrounding area has risen about 5 meters

By Megan
There has been an earthquake in Porthmadog, Wales; the earthquake, Magnitude 6, hit at 10 o’clock on Saturday morning. Three people are injured but luckily no-one has died. We interviewed Morwenna Morgan, who was in Porthmadog at the time. ‘I was just walking around town, when there was a rumble and the bus shelter nearby fell down and the glass shattered. Everything kept wobbling and people ran out of shops when tiles and doors started cracking and falling down. It was horrendous – really terrifying. When I looked over at the bay the water seemed to be jolting around – but I think that was just the land! The first thing I did when it had calmed down was call mum because I needed to make sure she wasn’t hurt, there was a lot of rubble lying around and some people looked hurt. Cars in the road had stopped and one person called the police and ambulance. Hopefully it won’t happen ever again!’ The town is now being fixed and cleared. We hope this won’t happen to Porthmadog anytime soon again!

By Morwenna
Well, it all happened as I was strolling down the streets of Pangbourne and looking into the fancy car shop called Broughtons. I was looking at a nice Ferrari until I felt a shudder in the ground which knocked me over. I didn’t think much of it at first and then got up to look at the other cars. But only as I was getting up, the ground started to shake violently. I could see everything moving from side to side and up and down. It was so violent and fast that it all looked blurred. I got up and tried to run away from the building in case it fell down, but running was like walking on a boat on stormy sea. I could barely keep my balance! As I was crossing the road, a huge crack that must have been over a metre wide appeared through the centre. I looked back towards the shop and saw it falling to pieces bit by bit. Tiles were falling, windows breaking and also a tree tumbled down on top of a Bentley! People around were running in all directions without knowing where to go and were shouting and screaming with fear. The whole earthquake only lasted just over 30 seconds but was enough to cause some heavy damage. Three cars were wrecked; five trees knocked down; all houses had a bit of damage and of course the roads now have cracks in them that one metre wide and four deep. Despite all this, Pangbourne is doing well at fixing all the damage and should be good as new before you know it. By Guilhem

It wasn’t a normal day, and this is before the earthquake I’m talking about. Something in the air didn’t feel right all the dogs in the area were frantic, there were unusual amounts of flocks of birds in the sky, I just knew something was going to happen. At around 2pm I felt a vibration throughout my whole body, almost like a heavy goods train was vibrating the ground beneath you, I than heard pans begin to rattle, people looking out of their windows with fear. The vibrations through the body got stronger. I had no idea how bad it was so I ran to the back field to find about 10 other people there for the same reason, we weren’t there for long it all happened so quickly, my house stayed up right but most of the things inside were everywhere , furniture broken the lights were out and so was the water. The earthquake creator a huge crack it the street almost like those small valleys in the middle where the ground is so old it cracks and form a mini passage way. Most of the cars on the street were crushed by fallings trees. Now it being 1 weeks after the earthquake most roads are still shut due to major repairs. I’m just glad no one was hurt and we all had somewhere empty to run to!

A number of people thought Amanni should leave Kolar and go to London to stay with her Aunt and study for a new qualification:

 * Ana thinks **

My advice to Ammani would probably be to leave Kolar Gold Fields because once she has qualified in IT she has a better chance of earning more money; she will have more choices and will be in a better position to look after her father. It means she can send money home to pay for treatment. It helps her get out of the poverty trap she would otherwise be in.


 * Morwenna says **

I think that Ammani should go to England because she could get a qualification in IT which could mean that she would get a professional job and soon be able to visit her dad back in Kolar.

Her best-friend and Aunty is already there – They could introduce her to the country and get her settled in and her boyfriend could visit her. Ammani wants to visit the world and moving to the UK would introduce more travelling and more countries.

Getting the extra qualification would mean that she would get a higher paid job and more professional qualifications. It’s not likely that she would earn a proper wage in Kolar.


 * Scarlet **

I think Ammani should go! It’s her life ahead of her, and she has to think of the future when she has a family of her own she needs to provide for the family, in order to do this she must have qualifications for a good job she likes doing and pays good money. Besides she could visit her father, the orphanage, her boyfriend and any other friends whenever she wished! So I think it’s a step to her future, that’s why she should move.


 * Will **

She should go, there are a lot more opportunities for her in the new area, she can get the qualifications, job and money she needs to live a decent life, to make it better she even has family over there and can take her family with her so they can all have a better life as well…… Don’t see why she shouldn’t go really.

While quite a few others thought the intervening factors were more pressing and advised her to stay in Kolar

 * Ben thinks **

My advice to Ammani is to stay.

• It seems to me that if she goes nobody can look after her father.

• Her job is in Kolar Gold Mines and if she does leave than it is not certain that she will get a job making it very risky.

• Her boyfreind is in Kolar and it would be sad and scary to make the trip to the U.K.


 * Billy said it very succinctly (brief and to the point!) **

Stay. You can care for your father, keep the kids happy and keep in touch with your boyfriend. You might get married someday!


 * Kat thinks: **

I think she should stay for the time being because her manager wants to promote her and she could be presented with new opportunities. She has to get further qualifications for the job she would really like and her father has a lung condition. I think that moving to the UK in the near future is a good idea, but I don’t think it is a good idea to be moving right now.


 * Lauryn thinks **

I think Ammani should stay because she works as a volunteer at a orphanage and also it is not just about jobs to live there and how many people but it is about where she feels comfortable and also with her father and family. Some family is in UK but UK is more expensive than parts of India. So I think she should just stay where she is for the time being. My advice to Ammani would be to see the different homes and she could make up her decision that way.


 * Nic **

Stay because she doesn’t have the right training. It costs a lot of money and the kids would miss her. She would be missing an excellent promoting opportunity if she moved. She’s never had any experience so it would be wiser to stay.

While 2 of you came down in the middle – go to Bangalore for more opportunities but still be close enough to home to stay in contact with family and friends

 * Guilhem thinks: **

If I were her I would go to Bangalore. This is because there are many things which are intervening with her plan to move to the UK. She’s got her sick dad, a boyfriend, charity work that she enjoys and she would be more comfortable studying IT in a familiar environment since it’s her own country and culture. Bangalore offers the same qualifications that England would without having to travel the world. She could then get a job in India.


 * Warren says **

To be honest its a difficult one because if she stays then she could miss out on a great job opportunity and if she leaves and something happens to her father she would struggle to get back to India so I think she should travel to Bangalore and get a good job and also be able to get back if something bad happens and to see her boyfriend.

Meanwhile Courtney had a hard time making up her mind!

 * Courtney says **

I think she should stay because if gives her an opportunity to learn at a university, her county has hardly any people because they all moved since there is hardly any work, but at the same time it might not be so good to leave since her dad has lung cancer, but then again if she went to learn, she could earn the money to try and help him. So I suggest she goes.

Not everyone's could be included, so I took a selection to cover all the different viewpoints.

 * Quite a few of you could not decide for example see Ana and Guilhem thought: **
 * Ana thinks: **

My thoughts on the one-child policy are that it is not a good thing, but is not a bad thing. It’s a good thing because it decreases the chance of China’s population overflowing but most couples in China would prefer to have sons than daughters, for work purposes and having someone to look after them in their old age which makes it difficult for young men to find wives. In one article I read, the head teacher of Hui Kang kindergarten said "One of our classes has 39 boys and just eight girls. It's a serious problem. When there are more boys than girls, the girls copy the boys and they become more aggressive". If I had to choose on whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, I would probably say it’s a bad thing; since the only good thing that comes out of the one-child policy in China is that it decreases the chances of China’s population overflowing.


 * Guilhem thinks: **

I personally think it has both good sides and bad sides to it. Let’s start with the good stuff. Well first of all the parents will save money as they won’t have to spend so much on only one child. And yes of course it is helping China lower its birth rate. This will save food and money for everyone. Now, let us see the bad things. If you don’t obey the One Child Policy you will be forced to have an abortion or they will take your baby away. Since they can only have one child, people choose to have a son who will take care of them when they are old. But now there are too many boys for not many girls. This could cause instability and affect families. By 2030, tens of millions of men might not find a wife which could bring an end to many families! If a woman has a baby boy inside her, she will have to abort it. I find this very cruel and unfair. Overall, I don’t think that the One Child Policy was very useful. It may have stopped some problems but it has also started some.


 * Even more thought it was a good thing: **
 * Will says: **

Well, this is obviously a tough subject and it has taken a lot of thinking, I think for CHINA population control is a good thing, but for the vast majority of the world it may not be as easy as saying RIGHT YOU CAN ALL HAVE ONE CHILD THAT’S IT. But on the scheme of things, I do agree with this for the simple fact that the population of the world needs to stay the same, if it keeps going up we will have a big problem…… the real issue here is that China does need to decrease it’s population, but trying to have hardly any girls isn’t so healthy. Overall view: More or less completely agree with it.


 * Nadia thinks **

I don’t really have a problem with enforcing laws to control population. The world is getting overpopulated and something needs to be done to stop it! In Kenya, they put loads of posters up to encourage people to have small families, but it doesn’t work nearly as effectively as actually fining people with bigger families. Of course, it is a harsh rule because some people might want more than one child. But soon there will not be enough food in the world to go around, and if the only way to keep the population under control is to enforce rules, then so be it!


 * And Morwenna thinks that the updated version is fine: **

I think that the One-Child Policy in 2011 is good because the Government has relaxed the original rules which means that if you have only one child you can get rewards, such as a free education for the child and money to spend on it. 300 million children have not been born in China during the period 1980 – 1990 as a result of this policy. The population has risen but is now falling again so it seems that the One-Child policy has worked.

The One-Child policy meant that many parents killed or abandoned their baby girls, however, now that the rules are more relaxed this probably doesn’t happen so much. Also, daughters are more valued today and can do well in education and get better jobs, such as doctors and lawyers.

The new rules means that couples still have to ask to be married and can only have one child but now if your whole family has had one child for their whole life it means that one couple can have two kids. Also, if the couple’s first Child is disabled they are also allowed to have another child if they wish because Grandparents need to be looked after.


 * But then again quite a few thought it was a bad idea: **
 * Ben thinks that and has come up with an alternative: **

Enforced population control is wrong as it leads to abortion which I believe is morally wrong. It mostly results in girls being aborted or left out to die as males are more useful in rural communities. In fact it is estimated in China that 300 million girls have been aborted. Now there are not enough ladies for men to marry, as in the link above.

So that young people would be more of both sexes so people would be more likely to pursue a career which will delay marriage till mid twenties or later and not people will not have children until much later.

I would have a Poster Campaign to show the benefits of a small family such as greater prosperity, better housing, jobs, food and last but not least education.


 * Scarlet says: **

Enforced Population – China’s one child policy

I believe that this argument is a bad idea,

FOR:

A problem with more than single child families is exponential growth. A family that has two children, if the children decide to then follow the parents example and have two children each then that will be four extra children and if they follow their parents example that would be 8 extra children and so on.. 16, 32, 64, 128 – within the space of only a few generations the population of that family alone would grow exponentially!

AGAINST:

Another issue with the one child policy is boys are favoured and therefore if the woman is found to be having a girl the majority of people would have an abortion or when the child is born send them to an orphanage. This creates an environment where girls are discriminated against.

CONCLUSION:

Though the one child policy is beneficial in keeping population growth in check, because of social and economic factors where boys are favoured, it inevitably leads to discrimination and the victimisation of new born girls. This last fact makes me believe that the one child policy is a BAD idea because any form of discrimination or victimisation should not have a part in any society.


 * But some people thought trying to reduce population growth was unnecessary: **
 * Nic thinks: **

I don’t think it is not a good idea because it means a breeding problem with china’s future adults plus it means millions of kids never live at all. This means fewer jobs, less employees for business and less happiness for families. They’re school problems and bulling is more common in education.

China is worried about what may happen in 20 years or so when these kids grow up and start trying to settle down.

An official estimate says that, by 2020, there may be 30 million men of marriageable age who will not be able to find a wife.

On China's tropical island of Hainan, you get an idea of the problems the country might face in a bachelor-heavy future.

In a small village, made up of shacks and pig pens, there are already too many men, and not enough women.

I would rather very much like China to stop this ridiculous population control. I would let people multiply themselves because it is the way of nature.

Hover over the middle and click on Full Screen for a better view! media type="custom" key="11055300" Again some really good ideas so I have chosen 2 - but plenty of the others as good.

Courtney’s walk
Starting at 4553 at the school (1) and as you leave the school from the main entrance, turn right along the main road, A371 (2) in a South East direction, heading towards Draycott, for about half a kilometre.

Follow the left hand bend on the main road, which will be on a slight uphill slope (3).

Carry on walking for a short while; the road will then turn to the right.

Continue walking along the road for half a kilometre. On your right you will see a track (4), which will be signposted for Nyland Manor (5). Opposite on your left will be a narrow road (6).

Carry on walking along the main road. After a short distance, on your left will be Halfway Farm (7). On your right, a short distance after that will be a Camp Site (8). This is the end of my walk at 4651.

Morwenna’s walk
Start your walk at the secondary road near Cheddar Head farm on 5052 and turn south-west down the Byway. Eventually you will get to the airfield at the end of the Byway. Go through the airfield and turn right onto the minor road going west. This is downhill – so easy walking!

After a bit of walking you will see a nature reserve to your right (north), go past this and you will come to the end of the road – just past a small orchid. Turn South-East down the main road. In due course you will see a camping and caravan park on your right. Go past this for a few metres and you will end your walk at a telephone box at 4850. If you are thirsty you can go to the pub across the road!