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On Tuesday, January 11 2009, a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The quake was followed by two strong aftershocks with 5.9 and 5.5 magnitudes, compounding the devastation of the original rumble. There are fears that hundreds of thousands may be dead, but the extent of the damage is still uncertain.

This is Haiti’s works quake in two centuries. The quake hit hard south of the capital at Port-au-Prince, destroying the presidential palace, the UN headquarters and other buildings. The Red Cross estimates that up to three million people have been affected by the disaster.

Haiti’s envoy to the US approximates that the cost of the damage runs in the billions of dollars. A number of nations including the US, UK, and Venezuela, are preparing to send aid as quickly as possible.

Immediately following the quake, phone lines in Haiti began to fail. There is no official word on the number of casualties and the extent of the damage is only now being assessed as dawn breaks.

Some speculation has been occurring from various nations. China has indicated that eight of its peacekeepers are buried and feared dead. Another ten peacekeepers are unaccounted for. The Jordanian army has been quoted saying that three of its peacekeepers have been killed and at least 21 wounded. The Brazilian army lists four of its peacekeepers as deceased and a large number of them are missing. A French official has stated that about 200 people went missing in the Hotel Montana, a popular tourist attraction, which collapsed in the quake.

As is familiar in many natural disasters, there were reports of looting occurring overnight. The capital was in total darkness, making it an easy target for criminals.

Bodies covered in white dust have been seen piled into the back of pick-up trucks as groups tried to get injured individuals to the hospital.

Haiti has suffered several natural disasters recently including four hurricanes and other storms in 2008 that killed hundreds of people. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

For a visual of the aftermath of the Haiti quake and the disaster it has wrought, check out the video from CBS news below.

2009 has come and gone. Whether you loved it or hated it, it’s always good to take a step back and reflect on the year before diving head-first into 2010.

An internet personality going by the name of Erikso (or @erikso on Twitter) has made it easy for us to take some time to contemplate 2009. Erikso has been gathering images and video all year long to show natural changes throughout the course of one year and created a time lapse video entitled “One Year in 90 Seconds”. In a little over a minute, Erikso captures dramatic natural changes as well as smaller everyday details that tend to go unnoticed. So, take some time to reflect and check out Erikso’s video below:

McDonald’s is trying to “go green,” too.

It’s exchanging the red in its European logo for a “deep hunter green” evidently to show those overseas that it cares about the environment.

About 100 German McDonald’s restaurants will make the change by the end of 2009, according to a report from the Associated Press. Also, some franchises in Great Britain and France have already started using the new color scheme.

Click here to see a rendering.

CNN reported on 14-year-old boy who built his very own power-generating windmills after he had to drop out of school because he couldn’t afford the tuition. Now William Kamkwamba is back in school and has become an international ambassador for renewable energy.

Malawian boy uses wind to power hope, electrify village (CNN)

Every year, the alternative extravaganza known as Burning Man blossoms forth into a mini-city of 40,000 people in the middle of the desert of Black Rock, Nev.

Despite all the shenanigans and wild art, Burning Man has proven to be an orderly and environmentally friendly event for 14 years. Time magazine conducted an excellent interview of Burning Man founder Larry Harvey on what the festival can teach modern cities about infrastructure.