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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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What if you put all 7 billion humans into one city, a city as dense as New York, with its towers and skyscrapers? How big would that 7 billion-sized city be? As big as New Jersey? Texas? Bigger? Are cities protecting wild spaces on the planet?
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Urbanization has led to what are known as mega-cities, cities with a population of over 10 million people. These mega-cities have become so large that they often lead to terrible pollution, traffic, and extreme poverty.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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"In this fantastic sighting by photographer Horst Kiechle, we see the roots of a tree in Bangkok, Thailand (Lat Yao, Chatuchak to be exact) growing into the grooves and cracks of an interlocking sidewalk. Even the colour of the roots gradually fade into the pavement."
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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There will soon be 7 billion people on the planet. Find out why you shouldn’t panic—at least, not yet.
This whole year, National Geographic has been producing materials on the impacts of a growing global population (including this popular and powerful video). Now that the year has (almost) concluded, all of these resources are archived in here. These resources are designed to answers some of our Earth's most critical questions: Are there too many people on the planet? What influences women to have fewer children? How will we cope with our changing climate? Are we in 'the Age of Man?' Can we feed the 7 billion of us? Are cities the cure for our growing pains? What happens when our oceans become acidic? Is there enough for everyone?
Tags: population, National Geographic, sustainability, density.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Jerry Dobrovolny, Vancouver’s director of transportation, has a lot of nerve trying to spin a tale that the city’s new transportation plan isn’t “focused on a war on the car.” He should walk across the street from city hall to Yuk Yuk’s comedy club...
Not everyone (especially not the author of the linked editorial) is a fan of Smart Growth and other urban planning paradigms that promote alternative forms of transportation (categorized in the editorial as anti-vehicle bullying). Questions to Ponder: Does Vancouver's planning seem "anti-vehicle" to you? Are some places "anti-cycling" or "anti-walking?" What would these places look like? What do you see as the best transportation model for our cities?
Tags: transportation, urban, planning, sustainability.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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It was just over two centuries ago that the global population was 1 billion — in 1804. But better medicine and improved agriculture resulted in higher life expectancy for children, dramatically increasing the world population, especially in the West.
This is an excellent video for population and demographic units, but also for showing regional and spatial patterns within the global dataset (since terms like 'overpopulation' and 'carrying capacity' inherently have different meanings in distinct places and when analyzed at various scales). It is also a fantastic way to visualize population data and explain the ideas that are foundational for the Demographic Transition Model.
Tags: population, scale, visualization, Demographics, models, unit 2 population, sustainability, regions, spatial.
The green revolution has impacted almost every sector of the economy. Now, eco-friendly technology is revolutionizing the way we think about architecture. Every part of the architectural process is undergoing huge changes.
When people think of green architecture, they often picture simple modifications, such as the substitution of environmentally friendly materials for less sustainable ones. While this can certainly be a viable means of reducing a project’s carbon footprint, it is by no means the only way to make a positive impact. The best green projects are the ones that go above and beyond, completely altering the way people think of architecture as a whole. The following are just a few of the spectacular developments taking place in architecture today. - Vertical Gardens
- Disaster-Resisant Buildings
- Walkable Roofs
- Garden Skyscrapers
Tags: urban, urban ecology, sustainability, unit 7 cities.
Via Lauren Moss
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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After remaining stable for most of human history, the world's population has exploded over the last two centuries. The boom is not over: The biggest generation in history is just entering its childbearing years. The Los Angeles Times has produced an in-depth interactive feature centered around the impact of an increasing global population. With videos, population clocks, narrated graphics, maps, photos and articles, this is treasure trove of resources that cuts across many disciplines.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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A new global survey suggests world's the most wasteful countries feel the least guilty—and vice-versa. Our consumption patterns, ecological footprint and lifestyle choices have a significant impact on how we feel about sustainability initiatives and human/environmental interactions.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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The new Blackfriars station, which is being built on a bridge spanning the River Thames, is on its way to becoming the world's largest solar bridge after Solarcentury begun the installation of over 4,400 solar photovoltaic panels... "The solar panels will generate an estimated 900,000kWh of electricity every year, providing 50% of the station’s energy and reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 511 tonnes per year. In addition to solar panels, other energy saving measures at the new station will include rain harvesting systems and sun pipes for natural lighting."
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Suggested by
Brett Sinica
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From the food we eat to the energy, transportation, and water we all need, a warmer world will bring big changes for everyone. B Sinica: This article touches every aspect of geography from culture to climate [considering] how the growing population plays the biggest role in determining the future of life on Earth. People need to recognize the problems and potential future issues with global warming and the rapidly changing environment. Though not many issues can be prevented or even solved, the least we can do is try to lessen the severity of devastation and prolong the current conditions as much as possible before the world becomes too extreme to manage.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Guinea pigs are popular pets in the U.S., but in parts of South America, they're a delicacy. Some environmental and humanitarian groups are making a real push to encourage guinea pig farming as an eco-friendly alternative to beef.
Envisioning the urban skyscraper of 2050 Ars Technica The Internet of Things will be ubiquitous, Arup suggests; presumably to the point that it has been abbreviated simply to "things," the "Internet of" having been long since forgotten.
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Seth Dixon
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Britain's biggest supermarkets defend their practices after a report suggested that up to half of the world's food is thrown away.
Energy conservation starts at home....
This interesting National Geographic article emphasizes how consumption patterns in the home are connected to some of the serious global issues that we currently face. This article becomes an exploration into how to go about creating a more environmentally sustainable home.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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TED Talks As Vicki Arroyo says, it's time to prepare our homes and cities for our changing climate, with its increased risk of flooding, drought and uncertainty.
Our major cities are suceptible to environmental catastrophes for a whole host of reasons. Cities depend on a smooth of goods, money and services provided by infrastructure that we take for granted and assume will always work 24/7. Presented in the video are some ideas about how we should rethink our cities with a different ecological paradigm to protect our cities more in the future.
Tags: planning, urban ecology, environment adapt, sustainability.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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TED Talks Western countries throw out nearly half of their food, not because it’s inedible -- but because it doesn’t look appealing. Tristram Stuart delves into the shocking data of wasted food, calling for a more responsible use of global resources.
No one should be surprised that more developed societies are more wasteful societies. It is not just personal wasting of food at the house and restaurants that are the problem. Perfectly edible food is thrown out due to size (smaller than standards but perfectly normal), cosmetics (Bananas that are shaped 'funny') and costumer preference (discarded bread crust). This is an intriguing perpective on our consumptive culture, but it also is helpful in framing issues such as sustainability and human and environmental interactions in a technologically advanced societies that are often removed form the land where the food they eat originates.
Tags: food, agriculture, consumption, sustainability, TED, video, unit 5 agriculture.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Our modern society depends on greater connectivity between places. Regionalized economies, politics and transportation networks are increasingly integrated with far-flung places now more than ever before. Our biosphere and natural environments are exceptions to this pattern. Wilderness areas are 'islands' in an ocean of human controlled environments. We create transportation linkages that unite people economies and cities, but separate herds from there extended habitat.
We've all seen road kill on major highways. Species like deer, elk, and grizzly bears and other large-bodied animals need a wide range for numerous ecological reasons. These bridges are an attempt to ameliorate some of the problems that our roads pose for the non-human species that still call Earth home. From a purely economic standpoint, many argue that these bridges save society money given the accidents and property damage that can be avoided.
UPDATE: This is a hilarious/painful video of a woman who clearly doesn't understand these principles.
Tags: biogeography, transportation, environment, land use, sustainability, environment adapt.
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Suggested by
Tara Cohen
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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mixed used train-tracks/market place... I've used similar videos in my classes and students are usually quite shocked to see how a city like Bangkok, Thailand operates. I've used this as a 'hook' for lessons of population growth, urbanization, economic development, sustainability, megacities and city planning.
TED Talks 400 years after Hudson found New York harbor, Eric Sanderson shares how he made a 3D map of Mannahatta's fascinating pre-city ecology of hills, rivers, wildlife -- accurate down to the block -- when Times Square was a wetland and you... KC: The Manhattan Project created a picture of the area before the development of a city, the way Henry Hudson did during his 1609 exploration. After 10 years (1999-2009), the research project has expanded to study the entire city of New York. The Welikia Project analyzes geography and landscape ecology to discover the original environment and compare it to present day. Scientists have learned that world's largest cities once had a natural landscape of freshwater wetlands and salt marshes, ponds and streams, forests and fields with an equally diverse wildlife community. By focusing on the city's biodiversity of 400 years ago and the modern era, information can be gathered about what has changed, what has remained constant, where the city was done well and where it needs to improve. This source is useful because it allows for the visualization of NYC in a way never seen before. Urban environments, such as NYC, have a landscape largely created by humans, so the skyscrapers, pavement, and mass population is far removed from the landscape it once was. Find more information about the Welikia Project and more on New York City's urban ecology on this scoop.it topic.
Via Kate C
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Steel is strong, versatile and 100% recyclable. Learn how old steel shipping containers are given a new lease on life as liveable spaces. Reusing resources is a critical part of sustainability. This video looks at the recycling of steel including the creating of container homes.
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Not only is the ocean full of diverse wildlife but the fact they have been able to camoflouge with their enviroment is amazing. Australia seems to be the home of many different types of wildlife on land and in the ocean. It would be interesting if there could be a google earth view of australias coral reefs and wildlife. - M. Carvajal
The diversity in the ocean is amazing. The sharks are just beautiful and it is amazing the can blend in with their enviroment