Climate change is most obvious in the polar regions and changes in the Arctic Region have been better documented than those in the Antarctic. One of the least obvious changes in the northern polar regions has been the melting of permafrost–the “layer of frozen soil that covers 25 percent of the Northern Hemisphere.” Scientists fear that as the permafrost melts, thousands of tons of carbon dioxide and methane will be released, aggravating the process of global warming. Additionally, some fear the release of ancient microbes to which modern humans have lost immunity.
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Aung San Suu Kyi is a hero of the human rights movement. She was under house arrest for years by the military junta that ruled Myanmar (Burma) but steadfastly held her ground in defense of democracy and won the Nobel Peace Prize for her courage. She is now the leader of Myanmar but finds herself under serious criticism for her inability to protect the Royingha, a Muslim minority located in the Rakhine district of the country. The Royingha are considered illegal immigrants by the primarily Buddhist population of Myanmar. Increasingly, violence is being used to drive the Royingha out of the country and the Royingha are beginning to fight back. Suu Kyi is now arguing that the information about the persecution of the Royingha is “fake” news.
Anti-Royingha Protest
Gauri Lankesh, a prominent Indian journalist highly critical of the emerging Hindu nationalism in India was shot dead outside her home in Bangalore. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, India is a dangerous place for independent journalists. The murder of Lankesh is a sign of how intense the spirit of Hindu nationalism has become in India–a worrying sign for a country dedicated to liberal freedoms.
Gauri Lankesh
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