Olympic firms 'abusing workers'

At the heart of the Olympics, and indeed of all sport, is a sense of absolute fair play. However, is the situation for the workers who produce sportswear fair?

A report by the BBC claims that some official merchandise for the 2008 Olympics in China has been made using child labour, forced overtime and low wages to boost profits. Who do you think should take responsibility for improving the situation for these workers?

This report should be of particular interest to Year 9 Geographers who are currently learning about fair trade in fashion.

Mc Donaldisation

Year 9 and Year 8 Geographers are currently learning about globalisation in terms of fashion and sport respectively. What about food and drink? How have Mc Donalds and Coca-cola spread around the world? What processes are involved in Coca-colaisation and Mc Donaldisation? How do these forms of globalisation affect people worldwide? Think about your role as a consumer.

Check out geographyalltheway.com for some McGeography resources and try the Mc Donalds video game.

London 2012 new brand

The logo for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics has been unveiled in a star-studded ceremony in London. The jagged emblem, based on the date 2012, comes in a series of shades of pink, blue, green and orange and will evolve in the run-up to the Games.

The new design, which cost £400,000, has received a mixed response, but Lord Coe was adamant it put across the image and message that he wanted the London Games to deliver to the world.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said: "This is a truly innovative brand logo that graphically captures the essence of the London 2012 Olympic Games - namely to inspire young people around the world through sport and the Olympic values."

However, MPs have signed a series of Commons motions calling for a rethink of the 2012 London Olympics logo. In one, the Conservative MP Philip Davies described the design as "childish and ridiculous" and "a pathetic attempt to appear trendy".

What do you think about the new logo?

The Zimmers "My Generation"

Some of you may have seen 'The Great Granny Chart Invasion' broadcast on BBC Two last Monday. This programme highlighted the plight of Britain's millions of pensioners, many of whom are bored and lonely? The programme concluded with the creation of a rock band made up of senior citizens called The Zimmers.

The Zimmers' video of My Generation (check out above clip) is already starting to become a cult hit on the internet, with tens of thousands of hits on sites including YouTube, while the group have their own page on MySpace.

Fewer young people entering the UK's population and more people living longer adds up to an ageing population. This means the poportion of older people in the population is going up. Therefore, how we treat and look after elderly people in the UK is an increasingly important issue. Visit sharegeography.co.uk for information about the causes and impacts of an ageing population.

Football Stadia

Year 8 Geographers are currently learning about world sport. The assessment for this unit focuses on the location of football grounds. Check out the above website for aerial photographs of football stadiums and other sports grounds / stadia (including Knowsley Road, home of the Super Saints!!). Think about the following questions:

• Where are football grounds located? Why?
• How do football grounds impact on people and environments?
• Why do some clubs decide to move rather than expand an existing stadium (e.g. Man City)?

You could use the Development Compass Rose (DCR) to help you further investigate the aerial images shown on the website.