By: Leena Sen

This summer, places all over the world were rocked by disastrous events.  China faced two, and they were not too far from one another.

In August, two deadly explosions occurred in Tianjin and the eastern province of Shandong.  The explosions both occurred at chemical plants, the explosion in Shandong occurring just two weeks after the Tianjin blasts.

In Tianjin, two major explosions killed over one hundred, leaving hundreds of others injured.  The blasts devastated major areas of the city.  It is unclear what triggered the blasts; they occurred at a warehouse which contained flammable chemicals like calcium carbide, sodium cyanide, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, and sodium nitrate.  Preceding the explosions at Tianjin, firefighters sprayed water to control the fire.  It is possible that this triggered the blasts, as calcium carbide, which was present at the site, reacts with water to produce highly explosive acetylene.  This explosion may have lead to a chain of other blasts from other chemicals.

The first explosion had the power equivalent to three tonnes of TNT detonating, and the second blast was equivalent to 21 tonnes. It was so powerful that Earth’s satellites in orbit were able to capture the second explosion.

While the impact on the land and port were significant, reaching into residential areas, the impact on the environment and people was immense.  720 were taken to the hospital, over 60 critically injured.  The final death toll has come to 173, and the search for survivors has ended.  The remaining 8 missing (five of whom are firefighters) have been declared dead. China’s citizens also face potential health hazards following the Tianjin explosions, as sodium cyanide, which was present at the site, is “rapidly fatal” if inhaled or ingested.  It is also water soluble, which raised concerns that it may have gone into drain water.  Another potential hazard is sodium cyanide;  when dissolved or burned, sodium cyanide releases hydrogen cyanide, a highly poisonous gas.  A number of other chemicals pose potential health concerns as well.
The second deadly chemical blast occurred in Shandong province.  The death toll is at 13.  Shandong province is about 190 miles from Tianjin (300 kilometers).  The Shandong explosion caused tremors up to 1 mile away from the scene, and it destroyed a factory that produced adiponitrile, a colorless liquid that produces poisonous fumes and gases when reacted with fire.

The Shandong and Tianjin explosions have raised questions about the safety standards in China, where such industrial accidents are much too common and cause disastrous destruction despite its rapid economic growth.

By: Leena Sen

Since 2011, the raging war in Syria has led 10.6 million people to flee their homes. Today, one in five displaced people in the world is Syrian.  Following the rise of ISIS, the number of refugees has only climbed.

Most Syrians who left their homes registered as refugees with the United Nations when they left Syria.  A majority of refugees are moving to countries closeby, particularly Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.  Many are also going to Europe to seek asylum– a status in which they can work and live legally in another country.

Three in five Syrians seeking asylum in Europe are in Sweden, Serbia, or Germany.  Large numbers are also seeking lives in Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark and the Netherlands.  The United States is also settling Syrian refugees; 1500 have been settled since 2011, 1199 of whom were settled in the US this fiscal year, which ends September 30th.  President Obama has ordered his administration to increase this number to at least 10000 refugees in the next fiscal year.

However, not all countries are being very welcoming to the Syrian refugees.  Recently, Hungary has gained attention for its attitude towards the migrants.  Human Rights Watch’s emergency director remarked that the refugees were being held as if they were “cattle in pens”. Migrants have been kept in “abysmal” conditions, lacking food and medical care.  Images released by Human Rights Watch may fuel allegations that Hungary is not meeting the minimum standards for the treatment of migrants.  Hungary has become a sort of bottleneck in the route for refugees, as many refugees go through Hungary to reach Germany.  The lack of transportation is limiting the number that can travel at a time.

The Central European states have rejected the plan for a quota system limiting the number of migrants (people who have not yet completed the legal process of claiming asylum).

As the refugee crisis continues, a generation of children faces a life where many cannot go to school due to the conditions in Syria.  Thousands of people have lost their lives, and most recently, a small child and his family who drowned washed up on a beach in Turkey. They were trying to reach Canada, but their boat capsized, killing them.  The refugee crisis continues as a reminder of the devastation occurring in war-torn Syria and the troubles refugees and migrants face as they are forced to transition into new lives in other countries.

By: Claire Kim

Hong Kong is home to a unique species of dolphin known as the Chinese white dolphin–contrary to that name, the species is actually famous for its pink coloring. The dolphins were the official mascots of the ceremonies in which Great Britain formally handed over Hong Kong’s sovereignty to China, and to this day, they are a major tourist attraction that draws thousands to Hong Kong’s western waters each year.

However, this colorful dolphin is under threat of extinction.

The habitat that the pink dolphins live in is slowly shrinking, depriving the species of food and shelter. Samantha Lee, conservation manager of the World Wildlife Fund in Hong Kong (WWF-Hong Kong), explains that this has seriously impacted the number of pink dolphins in the wild.

There are five factors that are causing the decline in the dolphin population: habitat loss from coastal development, water pollution, underwater noise pollution, vessel collision and overfishing. Their natural habitat happens to span across one of the most congested marine traffic areas in the world, which increases the risk of injuries from boat propellers. There are also many new projects that are disrupting the habitat, such as the 21-mile bridge that stretches between Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai that is set to open next year.

The WWF is working on conservation initiatives to help prevent some of these threats to the pink dolphins. To decrease the number of accidents, Lee and the WWF are working on a pilot program that would increase and enhance the dolphin-watching business. It would also install propeller guards on all tour boats to protect the dolphins in case they stray too close to the boats.

But for now, Lee says, Hong Kong needs to change its priorities. Instead of putting development first, the government should make conservation of greatest importance. “In this nice area we can still host this kind of lovely marine mammals,” says Lee, “so this is so important to us in order to try our best to fight for a safe haven for these dolphins.”