The Task

Groups working on this task are reminded that they must first offer an abstract or summary to introduce / induct the reader to the event before offering their answers to the questions.

Questions

1. What implications do these statistics have?

Thailand watches more television than any other nation per capita

The kingdom of Thailand, formerly known as Siam, the country renamed itself Thailand in 1939 - "The land of the free." It has a population of 61,797,751.
Thailand’s communications infrastructure is rapidly growing. In 1955, Thailand became the first country in continental Asia to start regular television broadcasting. As of 2000, there were six national TV stations, eight regional stations, and two cable stations. Five of the six national stations are run either by the government or by the armed forces.3 For the most part, private TV stations are free to determine entertainment programming. All stations, however, must carry the state-run evening news. The number of television sets in Thailand grew from 198 to 284 per 1,000 between 1995 and 2000.
Television stations in Thailand
TV 3
It provide news and entertainment. All information is in Thai.
TV 5
The Royal Thai Army Radio and Television provides daily TV broadcast programs.
TV 7
Provides daily TV broadcasts.
TV 9
Live news and information by The Mass Communication Organization of Thailand
Distance Learning Television
TV 11
Managed and broadcast by the Government Public Relations
Thai Cable TV - UBC
The Thai Cable TV website provides daily programs and games
Thai ITV
The Thai Independent Television site provides information about its daily program schedule, live broadcasts on the internet, and more. All information is in Thai.
Thai TV Global Network
Thai TV Global Network broadcasts Thai programming 24 hours a day, spanning 144 countries around the world. All information is in English.
UBC 8
It provides 24 hours news broadcasting, also providing real-time news.

With all these different channels and Section 40 of the Thai constitution which states:
‘Transmission frequencies for radio and television broadcasting and radio telecommunications are national communication resources for public interest.’ shows that Thailand watches more television than any other nation per capita.


by andrea and jeremy

The World's fastest growing tourist attraction: United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is a Middle Eastern country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, comprising seven islands: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharja and Umm al-Quwain. Before 1971, they were known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference to a nineteeth-centuary truce between Britain and several Arab Sheikhs.

What are the tourist attractions of United Arab Emirates?

Dubailand

Situated on the Dubailand roundabout on Emirates Road, the headquarters, now open to the public, is uniquely designed as a mini Dubailand, featuring a 3,200 sq ft scale model of the entire development.

The exhibition area of the headquarters will feature a host of interactive features, both audio and visual. A snow dome will delight visitors with its virtual ice cracks. Adding to its attraction is a 35 metre high motorbike positioned at the top of the sales centre, a 220 m roller coaster, a man made volcano, miniature space shuttle and a racing car. Two Bengal tigers, housed in a dedicated secure enclosure, will add to visitors’ excitement to the centre.

Conceived as the largest destination for family-oriented, tourism and entertainment in the Middle East, Dubailand will have a number of theme parks, including one of the largest water parks in the world.

Dubailand, situated alongside the Emirates Road, will cover an area of three billion square feet. It will feature several attractions catering to the entire family. These include the 'The Restless Planet’, a dinosaur theme park being developed in cooperation with the Natural History Museum in the UK; a Sports City, featuring large state-of-the-art stadiums; the Great Dubai Wheel; the Islamic Culture and Science World; the Mall of Arabia, set to become one of the largest shopping centers in the world and the Tiger Woods Dubai.

Shopping Paradise

Dubai has been called the "shopping capital of the Middle East."The city draws large numbers of shopping tourists from countries within the region and from as far as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. Dubai is known for its souk districts. Souk is the Arabic word for market or place where any kind of goods are brought or exchanged. Traditionally, dhows from the Far East, China, Sri Lanka, and India would discharge their cargos and the goods would be bargained over in the souks adjacent to the docks. Dubai's most atmospheric shopping is to be found in the souks, located on either side of the creek, where bargaining is part of the buzz.

Modern shopping malls and boutiques are also found in the city. Dubai Duty Free at Dubai International Airport offers merchandise catering to the multinational passengers using Dubai International Airport.

While boutiques, some electronics shops, department stores and supermarkets may operate on a fixed-price basis, most other outlets consider friendly negotiation as a way of life.

Cultural tourism

Tourism come to Dubai for sight seeing too. Aspects of Dubai's old culture, while occasionally overshadowed by the boom in economic development, can be found by visiting places around the creek, which splits Dubai into two halves,Bur Dubai and DeirThe buildings lining the Bur Dubai side of the Creek provides the main attraction of the old city. Heritage Village offers a simulacrum of old Dubai. The adjoining Diving Village offers exhibits on pearl diving and fishing. The Diving Village forms part of an ambitious plan to turn the entire "Shindagha" area into a cultural city, recreating life in Dubai as it was in days gone by.

BY: Jordan, Wei Hong, Jerald 07S23

Indonesia has the largest no. of endangered mammals.

Indonesia is famous for its great biodiversity. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 animal species are inhabit its many ecosystems. This equates to 17% of worldwide fauna species, these across only 1.3% of the world's landmass. With 515 species, Indonesia has more species of mammal than any other nation. There are 1539 bird species and 50% of all the world's fish species can be found in its marine and freshwater systems.

However, Indonesia also has the most endangered species. The World Conservation Union (IUCN, 2003) lists as endangered 147 mammals, 114 birds, 91 fish and 2b invertebrate species. Major conservation efforts are vital if these species are not to become extinct in the near future. Trade in wild animals is a serious threat to many species in Indonesia. Over 95% of animals sold in markets are taken directly from the wild and not from captive breeding stocks. More than 20% of animals sold at market die in transportation. Despite this, many endangered and protected species are traded freely, with the rarer species commanding higher prices.

Babies of orangutan sold at bird markets freely

Other some facts:

v Approximately 115,000 parrots are trapped each year in the wild in Papua and Maluku, including the highly endangered palm Cockatoo (Probosciger atterimus), Black headed Lory (Lorius lory) and Yellow Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita).

v In 1999, around 27,000 turtles are slaughtered each year in Bali for satay ( a food delicacy) and their shells used to make cheap ornaments for tourists. Although there has been a degree of success in fighting and reducing the trade by 80%, the illegal smuggling of the turtles to Bali still takes place.

v Each year 1000 Kalimantan (Borneo) Orangutans are smuggled to Java and overseas.To capture the Orangutan babies, the hunters will kill the mothers. At least one Orangutan dies for each baby taken.

v At least 2500 Javanese ebony langur (Trachypithecus auratus) each year are hunted for illegal trade and for meat.

v At least 3000 Gibbons are hunted each year for domestic wildlife trade or to be smuggled overseas.

v 40% of trapped wild animals die as a result of cruelty and pain inflicted during their capture, transportation, cramped cages and inadequate food and water.

v 60% of animalss illegally traded in the local wildlife markets are from endangered species and which are by suppose to be protected by law.

v 70% of primates and cockatoos kept as pets suffer from physical and behavioral problems

It is common in Indonesia for people to keep wild animals in cages, often without realizing that this can be cruel to the animal and damaging to the species. Singing bird competitions are common in some regions of the country, particularly Java, stimulating hunting and trade of certain species, some of them endangered.

Bears part trade

The above issues demonstrate the great complexity and diversity of problems facing Indonesia's wildlife. Enforcement must be undertaken wholeheartedly and awareness programs for wild animal protection consistently carried out if more species are not to become extinct in the country. ProFauna therefore acknowledges the importance of support from all sources to efforts to protect the uniquely rich biodiversity of this beautiful country.

Sea turtle slaughter

Posted by Nelson & Vivien of GP3. =)

Heart Disease- The World's Largest Killer

Heart diseases are more frequent in people who show peculiar personality physical and mental traits. Coronary heart disease is considered to have multiple causative factors as listed:

Heredity:There is ample evidence to show that incidence of heart disease is more in persons whose direct predecessors like fathers, grandfathers, mothers, brothers have suffered from similar disease. Coronary artery disease is found to run mainly in families. A strong family history of the disease is important in diagnosis.

Stress:Heart disease has often been identified with certain personality patterns. It is labelled as personality disease or a high executive disease, that is, it strikes persons with a certain personality. A certain study has shown that there was four times as much coronary disease among aggressive type of individuals.In addition to this other factors such as family responsibilities, interpersonal relationship, financial worries, leisure interests, habits of eating drinking and smoking etc. may play a part that may effect one's heart.

Smoking:It has been found by some workers that death rate among those who had heart attack was 50-150 percent higher in those who were heavy cigarette smoker than non-smokers.

Physical Exercise:There is a fairly general trend towards encouraging regular physical effort of a kind suited to age and condition of the person concerned. As a preventive as well as a remedial measure exercise is of great importance. There is abundant evidence to suggest that a stressful sedentary life without much exercise provides a situation fraught with coronary danger. Death rate from coronary heart disease is lower among those who do strenuous physical work.Even for patients, who have survived coronary attacks, there has lately been a change in the thinking in marked contrast in earlier ideas. The doctors are now a day advocating, after the initial prescribed rest, walking up the stairs, going on hikes, bicycles and other forms of exercise.

Diet and obesity:Studies have shown 50 percent increase in heart attacks in employees who were over weight. Similarly diet and amount of fat are matter of vital importance. The advice which could be given is to lead a life of moderation in matter of diet and activity an also to avoid obesity. Large fatty meals and strenuous exercise after them is not conducive to a healthy heart.Saturated fats such as whole milk, cream, butter, cheese meat, fat, etc raise blood cholesterol level. On the other hand unsaturated fats are of vegetable origin and they tend to lower blood cholesterol levels like maize oil, cottonseed oil sunflower oil and fat of fish.

By: Yanping and Kaiwu