09.+Current+Issues

Current Issues

 media type="custom" key="6306053" width="240" height="240" align="right" Cuba and its clear waters have always been a great spot for tourists to come and enjoy a nice vacation. However, the BP oil spill has greatly affected that. A large portion of Cuba’s foreign income, 20%, has been from tourism. With this oil spill, Cuba now has many worries. If the crude oil does spread into the waters, it could potentially threaten many sea species, including: sea turtles, sharks, manatees, and migratory creatures. Also, the oil could ruin the mangroves and beautiful coral reefs located near the Cuban beaches. Many people are worried that there will be a decrease in foreign income if BP does not gain control of the oil. Although the oil is still a few hundred miles from Cuban water, dangerous, poisonous, and even deadly species may start migrating away from the polluted water and towards Cuba, which is another concern Cubans are worrying about now. If the oil spreads into Cuban waters, it will devastate their economy even more than the global economic crisis has. In this picture to the left, it shows the crude oil that has spilled into to ocean, and could possibly reach Cuban waters.
 * BP Oil Spill Affects C uban Waters **



media type="custom" key="6307411" width="242" height="222" align="right" On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti. Haiti is accustomed to minor earthquakes, but this has been the biggest one in 250 years. The main reason why this particular earthquake has caused so much chaos and destruction is because the focus of the earthquake was not that far under the ground, causing more devastation to the land and people. Haiti is experiencing very difficult times due to this earthquake, in their economy and in their living environment. The two million people that populated Haiti have either been killed by the earthquake or are currently suffering from the earthquake. As a result of this earthquake, many issues have evolved. One of the main issues is the damage of infrastructures. About 90% of all buildings were destroyed in the earthquake, including schools, universities, museums, and hotels. Also, a large percentage of the Haitian population has lost homes, families, and all of their belongings. This earthquake has caused major commotion and devastation in Haiti. This video show the issues in Haiti and the losses that the earthquake brought.
 * Devastating Earthquake in Haiti Shakes Things Up **

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