Entries by Circle of Blue

Perspective: Water, Energy, Economy, Poverty, and Haiti

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The average Haitian has been living the life of a disaster victim even before the earthquake. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Its human development and other indices were about what one would find in some of the poorest sub-Saharan countries. Mismanagement, corruption and just plain venality have forever been human-caused security earthquakes in this sad country.

The Orphans of Yuang Shi Dong: China Cave Reflects Spiritual, Scientific Worlds

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Zhou Mungqiu, who is 11 years old and whose name means “dream of spring,” pointed up to the top of Yuan Shi Dong, the “Fate Lion Cave,” where a fragile sliver of light descended from a small hole. Beside her, Shi Shanhong, whose name means kindness, also looked up and giggled.

China Karst Credits

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Acknowledgments Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars China Environment Forum Dr. Jennifer Turner, director Peter Marsters, program assistant Western Kentucky University Hoffman Institute Dr. Chris Groves, director Circle of Blue J. Carl Ganter, managing director Project Producers Aaron Jaffe Nadya Ivanova Senior Editor Keith Schneider Reporter Christina Larson Interactive Editor Eric Daigh Text and Research […]

Karst Landscapes in China, Across the Continents

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Although caves and karst landscapes often serve as a destination for fourth grade field trips, they certainly have direct relevance to the 1.5 billion people who live in karst regions — many of whom rely on karst aquifers for drinking water.

‘Romeo and Juliet’ of China Captured in Karst

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Among all the scenic spots in Shilin, the rock of Ashima in the Small Stone Forest is the most famous. This rock resembles a girl, with a kerchief on her head and a bamboo basket on her back. The shape and expression are surprisingly lifelike. Tourists dress up in traditional Sani — a branch of the Yi ethnic group — dresses to strike the same pose next to the stone girl.

Connecting Caves, Karst Landscapes and Climate Around the World

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Scientists who study caves and karst landscapes are like all researchers. They look for data that addresses the broadest and most significant questions possible.
It turns out that caves do a good job of providing significant answers. Those that contain animal fossils and records of ancient humans, for example, have been shown to have great value for understanding climate change and past environmental conditions.

Perspective: Sudan – Land of Water and Thirst; War and Peace

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Circle of Blue introduces the first contributing column from Dr. Paul J. Sullivan, an expert on resource conflict in the Middle East and parts of Africa. In his first piece, Sullivan discusses the water crisis in one of the world’s most spotlighted failing states — Sudan.