Environmental Change - Homogenization of Landscapes

Explain the evolution of uniform urban landscapes; the effects of common commercial activity, structures, styles of construction and infrastructure.

Homogenisation can be defined as; The process of people, products and places becoming the same.

The homogenisation of landscapes is when places start to become the same. As globalisation occurs cities are starting to look the same. 

In the beginning different places look very different from each other, because of globalisation. In the beginning many places were different due to the infrastructure of the cities and towns. But, now most cities/towns are starting to look alike as time progresses due to the influence of globalisation. Due to the takeover of TNC’s many countries are starting to put chains of stores in countries, which then makes it the town look the same as different countries. 

I think that countries should, keep a sense of their culture instead of taking down old buildings to put up new ones with chains of stores that are the same in every other country. This ruins the landscape and homogenises it. So then the country does not have it’s own specific ‘look’ to it. 

For example: 

Dubai, started of as a small fishing town and has developed into one of the richest cities in the world. Since Dubai found oil, and gained a large amount of revenue it has been easier for Dubai to transform their landscape into something that is nearly the same as the global core areas.

Dubai could be a homogenised landscape. 

Dubai before: 

Dubai after:

Source: http://greenfieldgeography.wikispaces.com/Homogenization+of+landscapes

Economic Interactions and Flows

BBC Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12691704

Are call centres the factories of the 21st Century?

By Alex Hudson

Something that has interested me in the Greenfield Geography website, was the BBC article called “Are call centres the factories of the 21st Century?” by Alex Hudson. It says that a number of factories have turned into call centres. An interesting quote from this article was “"More people have worked in call centres than ever worked in the mining industry, and I researched that in 1998," says Matt Thorne.” Many people are starting to work in the call centre industry and it is starting to become a very popular industry. There is even MSc courses for in contact centre managing. As well as, some people in the industry even have university degrees. It is usually a career that people go into before they move on to a better job, or it is possible to move up in the call centre industry. 

Many manufacturing countries have now turned into call centres. There are more people working in call centres rather than the manufacturing and service industry, but labour conditions have improved.

Question:

Do you think that working in a service sector will result in a brighter future?

Political Outcomes: European Union (EU)

Article: For £150,000, You Can Buy Bulgarian-EU Citizenship

Author: Cecilia Rodriguez

Picture: (Article has no pictures)

Summary: 

Countries in the European Union are allowed to sell citizenship to their country, though how much is costs to buy citizenship in a country depends on how rich the country is. This time Bulgaria is selling citizenship for £150,000, as well as without requiring the minimum conditions set by the other EU countries.

My own thoughts: 

I think that if I were to need an EU Citizenship this is a smart thing to do. But, if i were one of the countries that are part of the European Union (EU) I would not be happy about this scandal that Bulgaria has. People who have an EU Citizenship can pay for things such as houses, schooling, etc... less than people who are foreigners. 

"The article explains that an EU or British student studying Preclinical Medicine at Oxford University, for example,  would pay £9,000 a year in tuition fees, compared to the £16,545 paid by an overseas student." (Forbes)

I think that they should stop selling EU Citizenships based on how much money a person has. Rather than selling EU Citizenships to anyone, the people who are buying the EU Citizenship should follow all the minimum conditions needed to become a citizen. I would say that they should stop selling citizenships but, many countries have offered to sell citizenships to attract foreign capital such as, Great Britain, France and Ireland. 

This shows a great deal about the EU and it makes me think that the EU is starting to struggle financially and they are running out of options to gain more revenue. 

Socio-cultural exchange - Cultural Diffusion

Using specific examples explain how transnational corporations either intentionally or unintentionally spread consumerism through your chosen concept.

Transnational companies operates in different countries, which can then influence the people living in those countries. Transnational companies either have intentionally or unintentionally spread consumerism through many ways, such as fashion trends, gadgets, different types of food/beverages, etc...

When it comes to fashion trends there are many advertisements that show clothes that people wear around the world, and how stylish they look. Or, the transnational companies bring in stores where you can buy those certain fashionable clothes. Which then makes people from the country want to buy it. For example, many companies have setup stores in places around Asia, and as time goes by people from the country where the store has been placed can buy the clothes, and wear it. Another example is blue jeans, blue jeans started in america and has spread all over the world and now people from different countries wear it. Even people from very deep into the countryside even wear it. As well as gadgets for example many countries are starting to put in stores that sell gadgets, which then convinces people to buy their product to be more 'in the 21st century' and keep up to date with what all the other countries have, which may ruin cultural values. 

Though, when it comes to different types of food the many companies such as McDonalds have come and set up restaurants for people to buy. for example, in the Philippines the people have become so indulged in the fast food business which has then led to people creating similar companies such as Jolibee, Brothers Burgers, etc... Many people are starting to eat more McDonalds instead of eating the food from their country. 

These companies can adapt to what the consumer wants, to try and make them feel as though this food is specifically for their country.

Pros and Cons of Globalization

Pros	Cons
Economic Integration. So companies, can trade and invest with less barriers and tariffs.	Increase in illicit trade. There are major consequences such as; money laundering, corruption and government collapse. Governments are not powerful enough to stop it.
Reduce in poverty. (Countries such as; China, India, Uganda, Vietnam, etc…)	Rich stay rich, poor stay poor. Inequalities in the current trading system, due to the weak institution, corrupt violence, etc…
Countries can share different ideas and culture.
Technology has improved the way the economy works, with more economic opportunities, easy transfers of assets and it is easier to come together with other countries.

Links used: 

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/0,,contentMDK:23272496~pagePK:51123644~piPK:329829~theSitePK:29708,00.html?argument=value

http://www.globalization101.org/what-is-globalization/

Explain the characteristics and spatial distribution of the following hazards using at least two specific examples. [10 marks]

'Drought is an extended period of dry weather leading to conditions of extreme dryness.’

A drought is a long period of time where there is not enough water to suffice the needs of the people (water stress) drought can happen anywhere, though most droughts happen along the equator, in certain areas of the world. In countries such as: Australia, Brazil, The Sahel, China, India and parts of the U.S and Mexico.

Most droughts occur in dry areas of land and regions that are dry.

There are many reasons as to why droughts occur it is mostly because there is very little rainfall, and if rainfall does occur it is absorbed quickly into the ground or it is blown away by the dry airflow along the ground. Countries may suffer droughts because of physical water scarcity, or economic water scarcity.

Droughts harm the livelihood of the people because if there is not enough rainfall, then the plants will die. Animals cannot survive without plants, if plants die animals will start to die. Some droughts are seasonal, though sometimes droughts can last for years.

The effects of droughts are hunger & famine, thirst, disease, fires, social conflict & war and migration or relocation of animals and people.

Characteristics of droughts can be measured in drought index and intensity duration frequency.

The spatial distribution of droughts are usually continentality, cold ocean currents, the influence of the ITCZ migration and the rain shadow effect.Though many droughts happen in different countries.

2 examples of droughts are Europe's droughts in 2003, and the 2013 drought in New Zealand.

The 2003 European heat wave was the hottest summer recorded in Europe since the 1500s. The heat and drought affected large parts of Western and Central Europe. It lasted from May to September but the maximum air temperature happened in June and August. The country of France was hit badly amongst all of the areas affected with an estimated death toll as high as 30,000. Harvests were down up to 50% and the electricity grid was also affected, as the demand for energy increased exponentially as the population relied on air conditioning and fridges. Over the duration of the disaster, the monthly mean temperatures were more than 4 degrees centigrade higher than the long term mean values. The drought experienced in the summer of 2003 is due to the severe lack of precipitation and above normal sunshine duration. It cause the vegetation growth across Europe to reduce by 30%.

In 2013, the droughts in New Zealand has been the worst in past 70 years. it is the most widespread droughts that ever happened in New Zealand. It was caused because of the slow-moving or blocking high pressure systems over the Tasman Sea and New Zealand over summer, not El Nino. The drought is currently on-going. “The recent drought was different, being related to persistent high pressure centers over New Zealand during summer- a trend that is increasing according to long pressure records.” (New Zealand Heralds) The most affected areas were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and others. The risk of the drought will keep increase and will suffer from water resources and access. 

This shows that droughts occur quite often at the equator and causes a lot of damage to the environment and livelihood of the people living in that area.