Sunday, April 30, 2006

Mount Everest

Mount Everest is really famous for being so so high that you have probably heard of it before. It has been known all over the world (wow!) ever since the early 1950s when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay first climbed to its super summit. Hillary looked at Everest comprehensively at the time and determined that it was 29,000 ft/8840m high - a figure amazingly close to the current reading of 29,035 ft/8850m, which was confirmed using radar and global positioning satellite technology.

When Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay (pictured) climbed to the top of Everest they had to wear oxygen tanks, because of the lack of air. Climber’s brains and muscles require the same amount of oxygen to perform, as they would at sea level. That is what makes it really tough to climb Everest.

Cool Stats on Everest:
The Location: Himalayan Mountains, Nepal
Stats: the top of Everest is a breathtaking 29,035 ft/8,850m above sea level.
Scientists that study this really cool stuff are called geologists.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Reasons that my Blog is cool

1. I put cool things on it.
2. It’s got cool link’s to cool blogs on it.
3. Because my post’s are cool.
4. Because it look’s cool.
5. Because it just is!!!!


If you agree with me, please comment and tell me what YOU think is cool about it, but if you do not think my blog is cool, please do not comment :).


By the way, if you want to know what are the best blogs that have links on my blog, then I would advise you to look at onscreen, Frank, and Mutant Babe.

Hope

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Easter Eggs


The chocolate used in Easter eggs, is NOT fair-trade chocolate. Therefore you are not supporting the farmers that produce the cocoa beans that make your Easter especially yummy!

Chocolate used for Easter eggs is bought cheaply, but at a huge cost to our planet. Cocoa farmers are paid less than it costs to produce the cocoa beans. They cannot afford to send their children to school or put good food on their tables (if they have any table!). All, so that our tummies can be full of delicious chocolate. In New Zealand it is difficult to imagine what their lives must be like.

Easter eggs are more expensive than a chocolate bar yet chocolate bars have MORE chocolate than Easter eggs. The chocolate companies are happier than ever to take your money and buy cocoa beans cheaply at this time of the year. The more they buy the cheaper the price, but at what cost to peoples lives?

A better alternative is to buy Fair-trade chocolate – you could even buy chocolate moulds and melt it down to make your own eggs. I am asking my parents to buy me trade aid chocolate this year instead of an easter egg.

I just found out when I looked at their website that children in West Africa MY AGE (9) have to work hard on cocoa bean plantations - is child slavery one of the ingredients in your easter egg this year?

Hope

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Fair Trade Chocolate

Because of Jacob's request - I have written a blog about Fair Trade.

Fair Trade is an organization that works to get more money for the cocoa bean farmers. Many cocoa farmers go hungry because of the poor amount of money they are paid for their cocoa beans. If big companies like Cadbury used “fair-trade” cocoa beans then a lot more cocoa farmers will stop starving and be able to provide for their families. As it is, these farmers don’t even get enough money to pay for the cost of producing the beans.

One of the companies involved in fair-trade is The Body Shop. They use Cocoa Butter made from coco beans produced by farmers who are paid a fair price for their produce. The Cocoa Butter is used in their range of mosturising products. The Cocoa Beans The Body Shop buy are supplied by Kuapa Kokoo Ltd in Ghana. The town of Sefwi Asawinso have used the extra amount that is being paid for their cocoa to build a day care centre providing educational facilities for the children in their village.

Choosing to buy fair-trade products is not an act of charity – the goodness of the chocolate, is enough to make you want to buy it over other brands. I think that it is DELICIOUS! So you are getting value for money and the knowledge that the people producing the ingredients are getting a fair price for it. Slave trade or Fair trade?

Monday, April 03, 2006

Roller Coaster Tycoon

I have this really cool computer game called Roller Coaster Tycoon. This is what you do when you play: you chose a scenario, then you chose a name if you want to change it, then you build ride’s and achieve your goal that is set for you. For example I have a park named Elle’s World. It’s a theme park for little kids. If you play for a while you manage to get good rides and shops. You also get a good time.

Bye for now, Hope