Friday 11 January 2013

Rhino Poaching Reaches Record Levels

I recently read a few articles about rhino poaching.

Summary on what I read:

Apparently, rhino poaching in South Africa has reached record levels in 2012. A record total of 668 rhinos were killed in the country, up almost 50 percent on the number for 2011. A total of 448 rhinos were killed in 2011. The majority of the animals were killed in the Kruger national park, the country's biggest wildlife reserve.

Poachers hunt rhinos mostly for their horns, as there is a high demand of it in Asia, especially Vietnam. They believe the rhino horn has medicinal powers and can impact diseases like cancer. The South African government has tried their best to stop the illegal rhino horn trafficking, but the numbers indicate they haven't been successful.

Five rhinos have been killed since the start of 2013 according to the government.

From the articles I have read, these are some points which I think is true and are facts:

A record 668 rhinos were killed for their horns in 2012
- A total of 448 rhinos were killed in 2011
- There is a high demand of rhino horns in Asia
- Five rhinos have been killed since the start of the year

From the articles I have read, here is one point which I think might be sensationalized:
In all the articles I have read, all of them said that the poaching has increased to almost 50 percent more than 2011. However if you calculate, 50 percent of the poaching that has happened in 2012 is 334, and 448 rhinos were killed in 2011. That is a difference of 114 rhinos, which, in my opinion, is not very close to 50 percent. That might have been sensationalized to add more interest to the article, because if there was a very big increase in something, audience would be more interested.

Different versions/articles of the story I read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20971182 
http://www.southafricamag.com/content/rhino-poaching-reaches-record-levels 
http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/south_africa/?207223/Rhino-poaching-toll-reaches-new-high 

How the versions/articles differ in language, style and design:

1. BBC News
- Very "to the point", all though has detail
- Talks more about the South African government, and what they are trying to do
- Also emphasizes that it doesn't only happen in South Africa

2. South African Magazine

- Very brief and short
- Doesn't go much into detail
- Just talks about the main point and the statistics

3. World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

- Detailed
- Has lots of statistics and numbers
- Talks mostly about who the poachers are



Sunday 6 January 2013

New Year. New Word.

Ask. Such a simple word. We use it in our everyday lives. Yet, it is so complex. The word 'Ask' leads to many other words. Inquire. Question. Answer. 

When you ask, you are curious. You become curious, demanding an answer to what you asked. The first words that come to mind when I think of the word 'Ask', is 'Question' and 'Answer'. When you ask something, it becomes a question. When I ask a question, I expect an answer. I get really frustrated and annoyed if I don't get one. It makes me want to find out that answer, no matter what it takes. A question needs an answer. 

When you get an answer, you think about it. You comprehend it. After you get an answer, you build your knowledge. You learn. Your general knowledge is based on asking. Because you asked, you learned. If you didn't ask, you wouldn't learn. 

Sometimes, you are not satisfied with the answer you got. You want to ask a question based on an answer. An answer could lead to another question. You might not realise it, but it happens very often. You need to ask more. You need to learn more.

Some people ask lots of questions. Some people don't. When you ask, it says something about you. It shows that you are not afraid to speak up, to give voice, to inquire. It shows that you are interested in the topic, that you want to know more. 

My word of the year last year was 'Courage'. I wanted last year's word of the year to be linked with this year's. And it does. Like I said before, asking shows that you are not afraid. Courage is all about not being afraid. Courage is about speaking up, voicing your thoughts. And that is exactly what asking does.

When you ask, you are curious. When you ask, you think. When you ask, you learn. When you ask, you ask more. When you ask, you are not afraid. 

Therefore, my word of the year is 'Ask'.