Cape Town will run out of water within weeks | World | The Times & The Sunday Times

Source: Cape Town will run out of water within weeks | World | The Times & The Sunday Times

Unless the city’s four million residents drastically cut their water usage immediately, the local authorities would have to switch off the taps on April 12..

What will happen April 13th?  No one knows.  Residents have been asked to conserve water for months, but they haven’t, apparently not understanding the urgency of their problem.  There is no Plan B.

A Nasty, Nafta-Related Surprise: Mexico’s Soaring Obesity – The New York Times

Yemen’s Man-Made Cholera Outbreak Is About to Break a Record | Foreign Policy

In Haiti, it took seven years for the number of cholera cases to surpass 800,000. In Yemen, it’s taken several months.

Source: Yemen’s Man-Made Cholera Outbreak Is About to Break a Record | Foreign Policy

The proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, fought in Yemen, has created the worst outbreak of Cholera the world has ever seen.  The Saudi’s have bombed hospitals and water infrastructure, and led to a lack of clean water for the citizens.

aid groups are unable to reach those most affected due to the fighting.  cholera is treatable, but not if the people don’t have clean water or clinics.

What stage of the Epidemiologic Transition is most subject to disease pandemics?  What does that say about Yemen?

No More Oysters for Us

Oyster lovers will shell out more for the marine delicacy this fall, as freshwater runoff from Hurricane Harvey’s historic floods killed virtually all of the bivalves in the prolific seabeds of Galveston Bay. The storm was the latest setback to a multimillion-dollar commercial fishing and seafood-processing industry that appeared poised to finally rebound from floods, including two devastating tropical weather systems, and an extended drought in less than a decade. Shrimpers, crabbers and other fishermen who work the bay also will feel an impact. But it’s most lethal in the case of the oysters, as Harvey-spawned rains and rainwater runoff drove down the bay’s salinity to fatal levels.

Source: Harvey decimated Galveston Bay’s oyster population – Houston Chronicle

Tell Your Story and Win Prizes!

If you are interested let me know

Source: Tell Your Story and Win Prizes!

Everyone has a story to tell. Harness the power of maps to tell yours and win cool prizes.Yes, the Esri Storytelling with Maps Contest is back again this year. And we’re challenging you to send us the best story maps you’ve got! The grand prize winner will receive a drone and a one-year license of Drone2Map for ArcGIS for one user. Winners will be announced and honored for their storytelling skills at the Esri User Conference. Now’s the time to get your creative mapping juices flowing, make a story map, and share it with the world. So what are you waiting for? I Want to Tell My Story and Win P.S. Sign up to receive Planet Story Maps, our new e-newsletter, to get the latest story maps news delivered directly to you. We’ll point you to blog posts, tips, tricks, and best practices, and we’ll spotlight interesting story maps and storytellers from around the world that we think you will enjoy. Welcome to our storytelling community!

Secret State of North Korea | FRONTLINE | PBS

FRONTLINE shines a light on the hidden world of the North Korean people, revealing how ordinary citizens are resisting one of the world’s most oppressive regimes.

Source: Secret State of North Korea | FRONTLINE | PBS

April 4 on PBS

Trump says he really wants Israel-Palestinian peace deal, warns both sides to be ‘reasonable’ – The Washington Post

Since Trump’s inauguration, Israel’s pro-settlement government hoped Trump would give a green light to a building boom in the West Bank on land that Jewish residents believe was promised to them by God and that Palestinians want for a future state.

But apparently that’s not going to happen.

Source: Trump says he really wants Israel-Palestinian peace deal, warns both sides to be ‘reasonable’ – The Washington Post

 

President Trump warned Israel on Friday that building more homes in Jewish settlements was not “good for peace” and said he wanted Israel to “act reasonably” as his administration explores paths to broker peace talks.

More than 60 percent of the West Bank is under complete Israeli military and civilian control, where even permissions for Palestinians to add a barn or plow a field must be approved by the military government. The same territory is home to more than 400,000 Jewish settlers living in 125 established communities and another 100 outposts, many of them deemed illegal even under Israeli law.

Texas Map Contest

Source: Texas Map Contest

Theme: Texas has chosen to keep the possible topics wide open, with no special theme, just focused inside the borders of Texas.

When: Deadline to submit maps is 6pm CST Monday, May 1st.

Across the U.S., high school and middle school students are exploring their world and creating interesting map products with ArcGIS Online. Esri now challenges students to create and share maps about something in their home states, working to be among the best in the school, state, and nation. The ArcGIS Online US School Competition 2017 is open to high school (gr.9-12) and middle school (gr.4-8) students in the U.S who can analyze, interpret, and present data via an ArcGIS Online presentation, web app, or story map.

100 People

Are You at Risk?

A study in mice suggests that Zika virus could damage brain areas responsible for learning and memory.

Source: Zika can infect adult brain cells, not just fetal cells, study suggests – The Washington Post

Although the virus is primarily associated with infant brain abnormalities, the study shows that even adult brains are susceptible to damage from Zika virus, primarily in the region of the hippocampus.  It could lead to depression or Alzheimer’s like memory problems later in life.

What places in the US are at risk of mosquito-borne infections?

Map highlights U.S. cities with conditions that could put them at risk for Zika virus outbreaks. IMAGE BASED ON DATA MAPPED BY OLGA WILHELMI, NCAR GIS PROGRAM