Americans are often unware of how other countries perceive the United States.  As our nation gears up for another presidential election, issues that may only seem important to people living in the U.S. are being closely watched by other countries.

 The politics of the U.S greatly affect other countries in a variety of ways.  This project includes interviews from different international perspectives.

Some still call it pseudoscience; some still call it myth. However, the controversy around the issue of global warming has diminished significantly in recent years. Now, the world scientific community has agreed nearly unanimously that climate change will have real impacts on our planet.

It could affect the selection of our next president and the direction of national policy. Effects could also be felt closer to home: it could change Nevada climate, wildlife and fire danger.

Zephyr staff reporters Amanda Hall, Chase Carpenter, Jim Gerweck, Josh Hejl and Neal Morton take a look at the complex issue of global warming and how it could change the lives of Nevadans. Follow this link to explore the issue.

Shaaron Netherton is the executive director of Friends of Nevada Wilderness, a non-profit organization devoted to securing wilderness designation for Nevada's wild lands. Shaaron has lived in several locations around Nevada and has worked as the Wilderness Planner for the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada. 

Shaaron, thanks for meeting with me this morning. My first question is: What motivates you to give so much of your time and efforts for this cause?

            You know what motivates me is just the excitement and my love for the land in Nevada. It's a beautiful state. I moved here in 1978 right out of college and immediately fell in love with the deserts and the wildlife and the beautiful mountains and the views that you see forever standing up on top of a mountain ridge. It just got in my blood and I wanted to do something to protect it.

Soldier Steven Larsen, from Reno, Nev., spent two years in Iraq and came back with a different perspective about why voting matters. Click on the image below to hear how serving in Iraq changed his views:

Larsen also described his perspective on what matters about our upcoming election (click on the image to hear the interview):

The number one issue in the West is water. View this slideshow (by clicking on the image) to hear interviews with two water specialists: Kate Berry, an associate professor of geography at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Mike Carrigan, Sparks City Councilman and chairman of the Truckee Meadows Water Authority:

Interview with Lou Christensen, UNR Biology Department Facilities Manager

How does draught affect fire danger in the Nevada ecosystem?

The lack of moisture in existing fuels makes them easier to burn. Fire behavior obviously depends on fuels at different levels -- in the ground, as shrubs, in trees and the tops of trees.

Any of those components, the drier they are, the more likely they will be to burn. Particularly in the lowest level, at ground level in the desert environment more so than in the forest environment, there is a lot of vegetative matter that is at ground level. The drier this material is, the more likely it is to burn.

The popular Beach Boys song Barbara Ann was given a new twist Wednesday when a veteran asked presidential hopeful John McCain when the United States is going to "send an airmail message to Iran?"

"You know that old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran?" McCain asked. "Bomb bomb bomb..."  

I thought it was funny. But, as can be expected, McCain has been under a lot of fire ever since he made his joke. The uberliberal group MoveOn.org has already released a commercial against McCain for his song, spending about $100,000.

The Chicago Tribune recently published an in-depth look at Michelle Obama. And just by nature of reputation, the Hillary inferences began within the first five paragraphs. All though never overtly stated, major media outlets, including the New York Times blog, began to draw the Hillary vs. Michelle conclusions .

So is Michelle the next Hillary? More importantly, are Americans ready for a strong first lady again? How heavily will this weigh into Barack’s image? Could he end up being “not black enough,” “substanceless rock star” and “whipped”?

The popular video sharing site YouTube launched YouChoose '08, in which
YouTube users can post videos posing questions to the presidential candidates who will respond by posting their own video.

A different candidate will be in the "spotlight" each week. So far, 14 candidates have signed up for YouTube accounts.

This is a fantastic idea by YouTube. Anything that allows the American people to interact with presidential candidates is good for our country and is good for democracy. This is a win-win situation for everybody involved.