martes, 1 de mayo de 2012

Paying for breathing better?

According to what we commented in class about cities and as Fernando had promised, this is an entry devoted to a city La Paz in Bolivia. This is what Fernando writes:


            Nuestra Señora de La Paz, in English Our Lady of Peace, is the administrative capital of Bolivia. It is located at an elevation of roughly 3,650 m above sea level, making it the world’s highest capital city.
             
            La Paz metropolitan area, formed by the cities of La Paz, El Alto and Viacha, makes the most populous urban area of Bolivia, with a population of 2.3 million inhabitants. El Alto is part of the metropolitan area of La Paz and is located 4,000 m altitude making it the second highest city in the world.
             
           Social differences are expressed according to where the neighbourhood is. The upper classes live in the south of the city, in the lower areas where the weather is milder and there is more oxygen. The temperature difference is 10 degrees in relation to El Alto. There, the upper classes have built their houses. This area houses the most affluent and exclusive neighbourhoods of the city. It has been benefited from steady economic growth and is now the second commercial and financial centre of the city, housing international firms like Moody’s, Citibank, Nissan Motor Corporation and the “Megacenter”, Bolivia’s biggest shopping mall.
             
           As altitude rises, the temperature and the oxygen level decreases as well as the social stratum. The middle classes live on the slopes. In the northern and western areas and El Alto the poorest people live.
             
           La Paz is such an example of what happens in the world at the global level where resources, energy and water belong to those who can afford it, the rich countries. Climate change may further increase the differences between rich and poor people, between those who can afford basic needs, as water, clean air or oxygen, and those who can’t.

Find out more on these links: 
 wikipedia, no sin mi mochila, and miradas de Bolivia                     




Well, what do you think? It's an interesting post, isn't it? Thanks Fernando for sharing your knowledge with us. Keep on doing it, please.



1 comentario:

  1. It´s really sad. In this society, everything can be bought by the powerful money. Nowadays, things as free air or the drinking water which are basic, are free for almost everyone because there are a lot. At the time that resources begin to be more rare, we will see that the people who have money will have the rights about these precious resources.
    All of this if we don´t change the way of things. And we could if we really want it.
    Román

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