Social networks and online shopping.

Are you on Facebook, youtube, myspace, or how about all 3? Here are some small facts I dug up as I was reading online about these networks.

Facebook is worth potentially $15 billion and has more than 40 million users

Myspace has more than 75 million users

Youtube has more than 200,000 video views a day!






Damn! Whats the big deal? Well, if everyone is going online to look for entertainment and socialising, whats the point of having cinemas, stores, DVDs etc? Well maybe there isn't.

Social networks and online shopping is so profitable because the cost to run a website is almost nothing. You can buy so much cheaper online and can reach many more people than going to the high street or the park. However, social changes online doesn't mean we shouldn't go out. That wont change but business will, and massively.

Although the cinema industry is growing healthily with all these new technologies, so is the online craze. Billions of pounds worth of merchandise are bought through the internet, and all those people are not going to the stores. Im prediciting that in 20 years time or less, the high street will no longer have a place, but we will all stay online (thats just me) and buy.

Technology boom : Portable gadgets control our lives

Do you have an ipod, a laptop, an mp3 player, an Iphone, mobile phone? 10 years ago, personal gadgets and portable devices were scarce and expensive. Since the late 90s the world has changed, and the fast growing economies of the west have been involved in a technology boom.

For example, ask yourself this question. Do you know anyone who doesn't have a mobile phone? I can't think of anyone, but that depends on where you live. I haven't had the opportunity to travel to Asia and Africa, but I know, these markets are developing fast and are becoming affordable even to very low income earners.

I find that I can't leave home without it. It has become such a social phenomenon that its almost part of you. People fear to go out without their mobile phones. Its crazy!

What about laptops? Only in the last few years have we really started to convert from desktop to portable, but the prices are falling fast. The IT industry is changing so fast that we can fit millions of songs and pictures on a card thats less than 2 inches in diameter. Scientists only dreamed of this back in the 80s, when computers were the size of factories!


However, gadgets are beginning to control us? Is this some kind of international experiment? Only joking. Or am I? Everywhere we go, we have to be connected. I fear these wifi hotspots, that encourage us to take laptops outside. Soon we wont be able to leave our homes without having some form of electronic device attached to us. Are we being controlled?

Climate Change

Something that has been on my mind lately. After years of speculation and scientific study, we finally agree that global warming is man made. Why has it taken so long? Back in the 80s the discovery of CFCs that burned a hole in the Ozone led to worldwide changes in the production and thankfully the Ozone is on the way to recover. However, why can't we all agree to do something now about the rise in co2?

Did you know that the California forest fires created 8 million tonnes of Co2 in 5 days? This is the number one element that is driving global temperatures out of control. Caps on emissions is not good enough, nor are voluntary reductions. Governments and large corporations can make a difference on an international scale to make people reduce their co2 through changes in technologies and habits.

However, we, the inhabitants are also responsible, and shouldn't leave it to the governments to sort out. Domestic use of electricity is not well managed. Leaving lights on, computers, gadgets etc. All these activities are putting more co2 in the atmosphere. Small changes can significantly reduce our 'carbon footprint'

Have a look at the links below, this will give you some idea of the waste that is taking place and what can be done to reduce it:





How to save power










Below you will find information about the Clinton Global Initiative which talks about climate change and programmes underway worldwide, including the fight to bring economic prosperity to people.