The Top 10 Events That Will Happen in 2012
Feb 23, 2012
Feb 23, 2012
As the saying goes, “Hope springs eternal” (or something like that). Suffice to say, as we usher in a new year, there is certainly a degree of optimism and hope that we carry with us. We have our New Year resolutions and a resolute desire on how we are going to approach the upcoming months. Fate, however, tends to play a part in the eventual outcome of our considered plans.
Well this year, you can get ahead of the curve (depending on when you read this, one supposes) by making your plans around and/or in conjunction with what can be expected to take place in 2012. The whole Mayan “end of the world thing” notwithstanding, TopTenz.net wants to keep its readers in tune with the quickening pulse of 2012 – so if you didn’t know what to watch out for this year, here are the top 10 events that will happen in 2012!
10. Natural Disasters
Ok, this may sound like a given. After all, what year doesn’t come with a slew of natural disasters? From earthquakes to erupting volcanoes, we can certainly expect Mother Nature to rear her head in 2012. The question, really, is how bad of a disaster season will the world experience? If 2011 was an indication, we can expect some serious carnage.
While one shouldn’t expect apocalyptic level disasters, we still better brace ourselves. Major earthquakes (those that register 6.0 or higher on the Richter scale) are on the rise. There were 205 major quakes last year- up from 2010 and 2009 that registered 173 and 161 quakes, respectively. It’s not improbable that a major quake will be seaborne, which in turn, could trigger another massive tsunami like the one that devastated the coast of Japan last year. Remember the volcanic eruption in Iceland last year that shut down air traffic on both sides of the Atlantic? Well dear readers, there are a number of simmering hot spots around the world that are primed to blow. Hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, sink holes, mud slides, and the like are all on tap for 2012.
Scientists pretty much agree that the earth is warming up, though they can’t come to a consensus on why. What has been evidenced, however, are definite changes in weather patterns around the world. 2012, unfortunately, is primed to bear the brunt of these changes. So batten down the hatches, make sure your insurance is paid up, and good luck.
9. Middle East Conflict: Target – Iran
The Middle East will continue to be a hotbed of international attention and intrigue. In particular, the confrontation with Iran will come to a head. Expect to see military action of some kind carried out against the Iranian regime. The pressure is already being amped up. Several world leaders have already publicly proclaimed that Iran cannot acquire a nuclear weapon, with the implication that if they do, military action will be imminent.
In this, increasingly heavy economic sanctions have been levied against Iran. To further exacerbate the growing tensions, a top Iranian nuclear scientist was apparently killed recently under questionable circumstances. Iran is crying foul play and pointing fingers at the various nations that are lining up against them. With stronger economic sanctions in the pipeline, Iran is also threatening to close down the strategic Strait of Hormuz (where 20% of the world’s oil transits through). The US, for its part, has stated that it will not allow this to happen, and has moved more military assets into the area as a response.
While America is making an effort to withdraw itself from military conflicts around the world, it will find itself drawn into another one. In fact, with the tension between Iran and Israel being equally as tense, an independent action by Israeli forces could also be the trip wire that ignites a conflict involving US military forces. One thing is for certain, with the constant threat of nuclear proliferation and oil flow disruption, Iran is a major problem that is not only not going to go away peacefully, but one that will have to be dealt with in 2012.
8. Sports, Sports and More Sports
Professional sports are a $70 trillion+ industry worldwide. That’s a lot of money folks. It’s also a sure indicator of the passion and love that we all share for our sport of choice. We feel good when our teams march, run, and jump to victory and we feel the weight of despair when they come up short. We follow the every move of every player – on and off the field of play. So it’s no surprise that we are interested in what can be expected (and hoped for) in the world of sports in 2012. Obviously, we can’t cover the entire spectrum of sporting events – but we can touch on a couple that a lot of us follow.
First up is our main man and golfer supreme Tiger Woods. Yeah, ol’ Tiger has had a bad stretch the last couple of years. But the drama of his extra-marital flings and subsequent divorce are finally behind him. We’ve seen a reemergence of sorts at the close of 2011 when Tiger finally was able to place himself back in the win column with a victory at the Chevron Invitational. Expect Tiger’s mojo to remain intact in 2012 and for him to launch a major challenge at breaking the Jack Nicholas record for number of wins at a major. Tiger only needs 4 wins to tie and he will get 2 of them in 2012. Look for Tiger to make a victorious showing in the Masters and the U.S. Open. Without a doubt the world will be watching.
Speaking of the world watching, there’s the UEFA Champions League championship game. Drawing a record audience of 178 million in 2011, this number is expected to be just as large when the final pairing is decided in 2012. Soccer (or football for the international crowd) is, without doubt, the most popular sport in the world, and the European professional leagues feature some of the world’s best players. The UEFA Champions League, which features at least 4 of the best clubs from each of the top European football leagues, pits the best against the best. With a fervor that is difficult to quantify, fans follow the pitch of their teams with a passion that is akin to reverence. 2012 is no different, with national prestige hanging in the balance. Expect perennial favorite Manchester United to make another run at the gold, along with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid. While it’s easy to go with the depth and talent of Man U you can expect the English to be upset (again) by the Spaniards. Real Madrid has a bit to prove after rival Spanish club Barcelona’s magical run last year and will take home the coveted cup in 2012.
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