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ESOL Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced - Echegaray

August is Water Quality Month

Georgia is in dire need of more water for Atlanta and for agriculture in the southern part of the state.  Georgia seeks to tap into water resources from both Florida and Tennessee. 

After an inconclusive fight at the Supreme Court in 2018,

Florida argues that:

  • Water overuse by farmers in Southeast Georgia has decreased freshwater flow to the Apalachicola River so much that Florida oyster beds have been negatively affected by overly salty water.
  • Saltwater predators are now able to live in the river and have changed the ecosystem.

Georgia contends that:

  • Florida damaged its own oyster industry by over-harvesting oysters in the Apalachicola River after the 2010 oil spill.
  • Georgia will suffer major harm to its economy if its water withdrawals for Atlanta and for farming regions are cut, while Florida's economic impacts from losing this water would be minor.

Woodstock--August 1969

Woodstock was a rock music festival held for three days, August 15-18, 1969.  It was also called "An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music."  Over 400,000 people attended.

Panama Canal

Timeline

  • France was involved with building the canal from 1881-1889. 
  • The U.S. sponsored Panama's declaration of independence from Colombia in 1903.  
  • America took over construction of the canal in 1904 and finished it in 1914. 
  • The death toll of workers building the canal was about 27,500, the second most deadly construction project in history.

Look at the size of the workers compared to the locks!  Once the locks are filled with water, an observer doesn't realize how gigantic they actually are.

Time lapse journey of a ship through the canal.

National Aviation Day -- August 19

President Franklin Roosevelt chose Orville Wright's birthday, August 19, as National Aviation Day.