Powerful tornados strike USA

A series of powerful tornados have hit America today. Click ont he link below for more pictures from the BBC like the one above

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6510000/newsid_6511100/6511159.stm

AS Economic Activity: Impact of industrial development in China and India

The following article from the Guardian (26/3/07) outlines some of the problems associated with the rapid development in India and China.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2042942,00.html

it is worth reading the full article but some of the main points are below:

• The city of Linfen, China lies at the heart of a 12-mile industrial belt
• For the past 5 years this city of 3.5 million people has been the most polluted place on the planet, bottom of the World Bank's air quality rankings. The New York-based Blacksmith Institute puts it alongside Chernobyl on a list of the planet's 10 most contaminated places.
• Linfen symbolises is the cost of development in China. Its economyis growing explosively, leading to a rapid expansion of the middle classes. This in turn has seen a growing appetite for power - leading to coal fired power stations on a vast scale.
• By 2009 China is predicted to overtake the United States as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
• Seventy percent of China'srivers are contaminated.
• In the southern Himalayas, ancient glaciers are melting.
• Further north, encroaching deserts threaten the livelihoods of 400 million people.
• Linfen is trying to clean up. By the end of this year, the city aims to close 160 of 196 iron foundries, and 57 of 153 coking plants.
• By replacing small, dirty and dangerous plants with large, cleaner and more carefully regulated facilities, the local government in Linfen plans to drastically reduce emissions. Central heating will be provided by gas instead of coal.

Read the full article to find out some of the effects of industrial growth and development in India!

AS Economic Activity: MG Rover

MG Rover's Chinese reincarnation

We have recently looked at the decline of UK manufacturing. Look at the link below for an update on MG Rover

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/6484337.stm

You may also want to look at the link below for more details on the Rover collapse
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/business/2005/mg_rover/default.stm

Exam hints

You should have had access to the Revision Guidance booklet for year 11 which is a comprehensive guide.
Why not check out the following advice from Mr Raven-Ellison, a Head of Geography near Reading.

Large earthquake hits Japan

An large earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck off the west coast of Japan's largest island, Honshu on Sunday 25th March 2007. A tsunami warning was also issued. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6492473.stm for more information and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6492931.stm for pictures from the earthquake.

Economic Activity for AS

You are shortly going to be completing a case study on Cambridge Science Park. Have a look at http://www.cambridgesciencepark.co.uk/home.htm for lots of information.

Pollution

An interesting (cynical) look at pollution... you do need sound though

Antarctica

As year 9 complete their Antarctica assessment the following two websites are well worth a visit:

http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/index.php

and

http://www.coolantarctica.com/

Mt St Helen's

For year 10 who have just been studying 'Unstable Plate Margins' have a look at this clip which shows the sideways blast from the 1980 eruption.

"Pill stops cow burps and helps save the planet"

An article in the Guardian today suggests this will help climate change. Read more at:
http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,2040846,00.html

GCSE Revision

A list of a few revision websites for you:
http://revisioncentre.co.uk/gcse/geography/index.html

www.georesources.co.uk

http://www.geobytesgcse.blogspot.com/ (good for case studies)

http://www.geobytes.org.uk/ (includes downloadable revision flash cards and podcasts)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/


http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/audio/geography/index.shtml if you prefer podcasts to help you revise!

http://geocrest.podomatic.com/ three case studies here as podcasts

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/topic_index.asp?subject_id=20&d=0

http://www.bennett.karoo/net/gcse/revision.htmIl
As well as a 'revision audit' and examples of a revision card and mind map, this site contains questions, mark sheets and interactive multiple choice quizzes for foundation level.

There are probably lots more that I've missed. Why not let me know if you find a good revision site?

Globalisation

Year 12 should have a look at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/business/2007/globalisation/default.stm
a whole section of the BBC news website devoted to globalisation, including the global car industry.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/guides/457000/457022/html/default.stm
is very useful!

Welcome to Guildford County School's Geography blog!