Thursday 22 December 2011

Do they know its Xmas?


As Xmas approaches another famine is unfolding on the scale of the 1980s when Bob Geldoff responded to the ITV news report sent by Michael Beurk. More than 10 million people are thought to be at risk and close to starvation, however, despite thirty years of experience the same issues appear to be at the root of the problem in getting aid to where it is needed. Read the following accounts of the situation form inside Africa. Will 9,00 tonnes of food aid be sufficient?

Use the information and links to help with your notes on Famine and Millenium Development Goals

Thursday 15 December 2011

Poole Geo4b Research

Here goes folks:
If you find useful background above and beyond the resources in the shared area drop me an email and I will post them here for everyone to access:


NEW MATERIAL - CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
- Poole Harbour Management Plan


NEW - IMAGES of POOLE from OS Geograph - check out different parts of Poole - try to link to Census Map and your OS extract - create annotated Picture Map







Hasan is first up having found this site:  http://www.pooleoldtown.co.uk/Pages/STOPHome.htm

Newspaper article on Planning http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/poole/8370075.Campaigners_fight_to_save_historic_Poole_building_from_bulldozers/

Planning Rejected:
http://www.regen.net/Housing/article/1102598/councillors-reject-poole-regeneration-scheme/

Hamworth Power Station Site - outline Masterplan
http://www.newmasterplanning.com/news_article.php?id=39

News on Hamworthy Power Station Site
http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/tidnews/9169071.Regeneration_work_on_Poole_s_former_power_station_site_is_a_step_closer/

Concerns and objections about Hamworthy Development http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/8847595._Spectacular_views_would_be_ruined_if_Poole_marina_goes_ahead_/

Central Area Plans
http://poolelocalplan.wisshost.net/text/text14.htm

Harbour Masterplan
http://www.phc.co.uk/masterplan/

Windsurfers Concerns
http://www.poolewindsurfing.co.uk/hamworthy-marina-development/

Hamworthy Residents (windsurfers campaign)
http://dropapianoonthismarina.webs.com/apps/photos/

Monday 12 December 2011

NHS Then & Now Comparing Health Care









who has the best healthcare system, the USA or the UK? Answer - neither. While total spending on health is very different - 9% of GDP in the UK and 17% in the USA - the extent to which both healthcare systems save lives show the USA as the worst in the developed world and the UK not far behind. France, Japan and Australia are the best.
Moreover, it is interesting to point out that while the other nations have improved dramatically in reducing preventable deaths between 1997–98 and 2002–03, the USA has improved only slightly. The preferred measure, ‘decline in amenable mortality’ in all countries averaged 16% over the period studied. The USA was an outlier, with a decline of only 4%; the UK among the best with a 20% reduction.
But is this improvement related to spending? Not necessarily. Over the period of the study above total spending per capita (US$ purchasing power parity) grew across the board: UK by 79%, USA by 62%, Australia 61%, and France 53.2%. So without radical reform healthcare costs in the USA will continue to spiral and lives that could be saved will be lost. The same could be said about the UK.
Instead of arguing about which flawed healthcare system should be adopted, the question should be, 'How do we deliver better outcomes for less money?' In France, Australia (and the USA), patients have pretty much unrestrained choice over which doctor to visit. However, the incentive structures in the USA lead to costly oversupply of services without consideration to the value they provide. Experts suggest up to 30% of total spending in the USA could be saved by changing this incentive structure.
In the UK - despite the political rhetoric - choice is confined to patients choosing hospital rather than individuals being able to choose GP, physician or surgeon. There is little or no information on relative performance at individual physician level so competitive pressures for improvement are absent. Although oversupply is much less in the UK, payment systems still reward activity rather than clinical quality or improved outcome.


Check the video below for a more objective view.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p101&continuous=1


http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_5230000/newsid_5237000/5237070.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=6&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2

Malnutrition, Famine and Food Security

Over 1 billion people are going hungry every day.
One child is dying every five seconds of hunger-related causes.

Follow the links from these webpages to investigate the current global situation

Friday 9 December 2011

Sudan's Oil - which way does the wealth flow?

Conflict in Sudan revolves around oil. In this article and its links the BBC explore the issue of oil money and its impact on Sudan.

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Live healthy, live long, but be unhappy





Nearly half of cancer cases in the UK each year are avoidable by chnaging our lifetstyles. However with an ageing population, diseases such as cancer are going to increase in number. Is the healthy lifestyle a sacrific that simply delays the inevitable? Read this article and make your choice.

Famine

As a recent EU bulletin raises concerns about Famine in Niger what are the causes and concerns about fine and food security. Read this article and follow the links for further insight.

The Famine Early Warning System monitors food shortage across the world, look at this site for lots of useful information and maps.