National Geographic Photograph: The Arctic North

This National Geographic Photograph shows two arctic adventurers dragging their sleds across the ice. Since the arrival of the famous American Explorer Robert Peary at the position he believed to be the geographic North Pole of the Earth in 1909, expeditions to the far north have continued over the past century. Although current calculations show that Perry was in fact about 60 miles short of the pole, his historic journey is credited as the first known venture of man into this extreme polar region.

I enjoy this photograph because it shows the extremity of climate on the Earth. Even today, as man has effectively subdued and inhabited much of Earth's surface, areas like this remain untamed and untouched by man. Yet even across the harsh arctic ice, the same sun sits above the horizon.

I confess to having a fascination with desolate places and with journeying across the wilderness. Although all of my adventuring experience is on a very small scale and limited to what I still consider to be habitated places, the lure of exploring new places never grows old. I don't think that it's the beauty or physical features of a place that fascinate me so much, it's more the thought of being somewhere someone else has never been, or at least few people have ever been.

I am always reminded of the words of King David in Psalm 139. I feel that they capture the beauty of existence for me as I consider that nowhere on, inside, or outside this Earth is out of the direct line of sight of my God. No matter how far man may roam, the Almighty God will be everywhere around him.

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your Presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you, the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."

-Daniel Uden 2-19-2009

Cuban Travel Ban

Since Fidel Castro's 1959 siezure of power in Cuba, the United States has maintained a hardline approach in its opposition of the communist regime. In 1962, under the leadership of President John F Kennedy, the United States enacted a trade and travel embargo against Cuba. Forty-six years later, the embargo still stands, but is currently being challenged by a bill in Congress. The proposed bill would drop travel restrictions between Cuba and the United States.


This proposal comes at a crucial point in Cuba's history, as long-time Cuban President Fidel Castro has recently stepped down and the nation continues to experience economic hardships. A lifting of the ban would likely pump United States tourism dollars into the Cuban economy and serve to strengthen the Communist regime now under the leadership of Fidel's brogher, Raul. The prospect of economic benefits and better relations with the United States may make reform-based dialogue between the neighboring nations possible. However, it is unlikely that Cuba will significantly alter its stance on human rights and individual liberties for its people. Unless the Cuban Government is willing to address these fundamental issues in regard to the treatment of its population, I do not believe that any form of financial support of the Castro regime is appropriate at this time. The United States must focus on ways to support the Cuban people, not the Cuban Government.

-Daniel Uden 2-19-2009

Venezuela Suspend's Oil Sales to Exxon Mobile

http://xrl.us/begh3v

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Venezuelan oil boom brought livlihood to Venezuela and the surrounding region. Today, Venezuela, an OPEC member, still relies heavily on its ability to export oil to the rest of the world. Venezuela is currently the fourth leading source of United States oil imports.

Late last week, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez cut off his nation's oil sales to Exxon Mobile, an American based oil and gas corporation. The announcement follows a recent dispute over the attempted Venezuelan nationalization of Exxon's oil assets in the country. Historically positive Venezuelan-US relations have been strained since Chavez's election in 2000. Chavez has often threatened to cut off all Venezuelan oil exports to the United States altogether. If carried through, this act would severely strain the economies of both nations. As United States President Barack Obama considers future United States foreign policy with Venezuela, the continued availability of United Sates oil resources will undoubtedly remain an important factor.

-Daniel Uden 2-16-2009

Cartogram: Worldwide Drought

This cartogram shows deaths by drought worldwide. Although drought is a normal occurence in many areas of the world, the destructive power of it in regard to loss of human life is felt most heavily, and almost solely, on the continent of Africa.

Nations such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Tanzania in southeast Africa cite the shortage or unavailability of safe water sources as the main catalyst of suffering among their populations. Often times, this is not because the countries lack the water resources neccessary to provide for the population, but is instead due to the fact that the available water resources are underdeveloped and underallocated. Water is abundant during rainy seasons, but supplies dwindle over long dry seasons, and subsistence farmers are barely able to get by.

In southern Africa, water resources that are already strained and insufficient during periods of normal precipitation virtually disappear in times of drought, multiplying the suffering of the populations that depend on them. This has been observed over the past decade, as unrelenting drought has resulted in shortfalls of both food and water, factors heavily contributing to the Global Food Crisis.

Today, fertility rates remain high across Africa, and populations are expected to continue to grow. This increase in population will further strain the continent's water resourcs, especially in drought affected areas. Africa and the world must continue their work to provide the water neccessary to support the African people. I chose to write about this Death by Drought cartogram because of the great importance involved in securing water resources now and in the future. Water is arguably the most valuable resource man possesses today, and that value will only increase with time.

-Daniel Uden 2-4-2008

Ireland vs Haiti: Comparison by Population Pyramid

The population pyramids I compared are Haiti (an LDC) and Ireland (a MDC). As can be seen, Haiti has a much younger population than Ireland. This follows the trend observed between LDC's and MDC's.

Haiti is officially the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, ranking 148 of 179 on the Human Development Index. Meanwhile, Ireland ranks 5 out of 179 on the HDI, and is relatively wealthy. The total fertility rate for each Irish woman sits at 2.0, keeping the Irish population relatively stable. Haitian women, on the other hand, average 4.0 births in their lifetime, a full 2.0 children per woman higher than Ireland.

There are several factors that contribute to this trend. It is likely that most Irish women have demanding careers throughout their childbearing years. Because of this, and the wide availability and practice of birth control methods in Europe, Irish couples limit the size of their families to cater to their desires. Hatian women can not afford luxuries such as these, and have characteristically larger families. In the slums of Haiti, women are usually not a part of the workforce. Instead, they spend time caring for their children. Children in 3rd world countries can aid the family's survival by becoming a source of work and income.

As far as can be determined, the Irish population will continue to grow older and live longer, while the population of Haiti will remain young with children constituting the most significant portion of the population.

-Daniel Uden 1-29-2009

Firsthand Glimpse into the Past

I got a letter in the mail from my grandma today, and part of her letter described growing up in the Nebraska Sandhills during the Great Depression. What experience and insight...

"I am still working on my organization project and it sure is going slow! I guess I don't know what to do with stuff and it is hard for me, having lived through the Great Depression when I was a kid, to throw things out. I remember that we were issued stamps so one pair of shoes per person was allowed. You could buy one banana for each member of your household-you couldn't get much sugar unless you had fruit to case and my mom had bought lots of jars of sour plums from a neighbor before we moved to Brown County so we could get plenty of sugar which we shared with our neighbors. We made our own fire by burning cow chips in Garden County and lots of cobs both places and my dad also raised hogs back then. We ate lots of rabbits and pheasants and then fish too after we moved to Goose Creek. We had big gardens, had our own milk, creams, eggs and butter-We sold cream and eggs via the barter system. I guess that paid for our groceries. We wore lots of hand-me-downs and were glad to get them. We were lucky to live in Nebraska. I guess we didn't even know we were poor! We had no electricity or plumbing, of course-Had kerosene lamps-our house was "3-room and a path!" I wrote a song about that-How things have changed! My dad drove our cattle from Garden County in 1942 when we moved-21 days on the trail with 3 teenage boys helping him-tent, chuckwagon and all! I was 6 years old that spring."

Only someone who has seen the Nebraska Sandhills can imagine what a trek across them in a wagon while driving a herd of cattle would be like. What I wouldn't do to witness this and events like it...at least I have a first-hand description.

-Daniel Uden 1-27-2009

Favorite North American Place

Of all the places I’ve visited in North America, the Mira Valley near Ord in central Nebraska is my favorite. The Mira Valley lies just south of the town of Ord, with the Mira Creek winding through it. Both Ord and the Mira Valley are near the larger North Loup Valley, one of the most beautiful of Nebraska’s rivers.

My uncle, Keith Peterson, who grew up in the valley and now farms and ranches there, introduced me to the Mira Valley. When my family travels to Ord for holidays and special occasions, I often spend the better part of the day walking the rolling Mira Valley hills hunting upland game birds with my uncle and his brother.

The Mira Valley and the surrounding terrain resemble the Sandhills or northern Nebraska, which lie relatively close to the north. Yet, the area is distinctly different, especially in regard to the soil. While the soil of the Sandhills is very sandy and unsuitable for farming, the Mira Valley is a very fertile and farmable area, especially alongside the Mira Creek. Even though most of the land there is farmable, the few residents of the valley make a living through a combination of farming and ranching. This combination is evident in the landscape, as corn and soybean fields border alfalfa fields and unplowed pasture. Horses are still the choice work vehicle in many jobs that involve moving and working cattle.

Many kinds of wildlife thrive in the Mira Valley. When walking the valley, one passes beaver dams on the creek, spooks both whitetail and mule deer across the hills, hears turkey flocks gathering beneath cottonwood trees, sees coyotes and raccoons crossing the roads, and flushes out upland game birds such as quail, pheasant and grouse.

One reason that I am so interested in and impressed by the Mira Valley is that I am attracted to areas of Nebraska that have remained largely unchanged over the past several centuries of human settlement. Perhaps this is because I come from a highly plowed area, where the fertile land spells profit, and the landscape looks nothing like it once did. Although the human presence has certainly been made known in the Mira Valley, areas of traditional Nebraska prairie remain and offer a glimpse into the past that long was the American Midwest. I also enjoy the memories that my relatives and I have made walking those Mira Valley hills. It's the place I learned to hunt, shoot a gun, and ride a horse. I hope this place can continue to be enjoyed by me and those that call it home.

-Daniel Uden 1-27-2009