03-Sep-2009
James Lovelock first coined the term Gaia, a word that means viewing the Earth as a single living, breathing organism. A new scientific trend views the world's biggest cities the same way. More than half the world's population today lives in cities, and the world's largest urban areas are growing rapidly. The number of megacities (metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 10 million) has grown from just 3 in 1975 to about 20 today.
Researcher Charles Kolb reports that the concept of urban metabolism has existed for decades. It views large cities as living entities that consume energy, food, water, and other raw materials, and release wastes. The releases include carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas; air pollutants, sewage and other water pollutants; and even excess heat that collects in vast expanses of concrete pavement and stone buildings. Humans directly produce a significant share of this waste, but emissions from industrial, power generation and transportation systems respire the largest quantities of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. Other urban metabolizers include sewage systems, landfills, domestic pets and pests like rats, which in some cities outnumber people.
Kolb says, "Carbon dioxide and other pollutants in megacities make them immense drivers of climate change. They impact climate on both a regional and global level because these long-lived greenhouse gases are dispersed around the world." One of his biggest concerns is that the most highly polluted megacities are in developing countries such as Dhaka, Bangladesh; Cairo, Egypt; and Karachi, Pakistan. Even the cleanest megacities like Tokyo/Osaka in Japan and New York City and Los Angeles in the United States, which are all in the developed world, still have serious problems. The bottom line: Most cities could be compared to sick people!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 130414.htm
Are Cities Alive
Moderator: Super Moderators
Re: Are Cities Alive
Shirleypal wrote: The bottom line: Most cities could be compared to sick people!
The great social science scholar, Edward C. Banfield , reached a similar conclusion on somewhat different grounds in his classic works, "The Unheavenly City" and "The Unheavenly City Revisited" in the 1970's.
racehorse
-
Shirleypal
- Pirate
- Posts: 45448
- Joined: 03-06-2003 03:00 AM
Green Cities in the US
America's 50 Greenest Cities
Want to see a model for successful and rapid environmental action? Don't look to the federal government—check out your own town. Here, our list of the 50 communities that are leading the way...
http://www.popsci.com/environment/artic ... est-cities
In everything from emissions control to environmental stewardship, cities across the country are far ahead of the federal government, and they’re achieving their successes with ready-made technology. Austin has pledged to meet 30 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources by 2020, aided by planned wind-power installations that will surpass their predecessors in efficiency. Seattle has retrofitted its municipal heavy-duty diesel vehicles with devices that will reduce particulate pollution by 50 percent. Boulder has enacted the country’s first electricity tax to pay for greenhouse-gas emission reductions. Something about the comparative speed of city government—a city-council member can greenlight a project and be cutting the ribbon a year later—leads to bold action, and as cities trade ideas, a very positive sort of mimicry is spreading.
The 10 trailblazing civic projects profiled in our list of the top green cities in America are among the most impressive success stories to date—examples of what’s possible when elected officials and local business leaders back up their green visions with scientific know-how, clout and creative funding.
Want to see a model for successful and rapid environmental action? Don't look to the federal government—check out your own town. Here, our list of the 50 communities that are leading the way...
http://www.popsci.com/environment/artic ... est-cities
In everything from emissions control to environmental stewardship, cities across the country are far ahead of the federal government, and they’re achieving their successes with ready-made technology. Austin has pledged to meet 30 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources by 2020, aided by planned wind-power installations that will surpass their predecessors in efficiency. Seattle has retrofitted its municipal heavy-duty diesel vehicles with devices that will reduce particulate pollution by 50 percent. Boulder has enacted the country’s first electricity tax to pay for greenhouse-gas emission reductions. Something about the comparative speed of city government—a city-council member can greenlight a project and be cutting the ribbon a year later—leads to bold action, and as cities trade ideas, a very positive sort of mimicry is spreading.
The 10 trailblazing civic projects profiled in our list of the top green cities in America are among the most impressive success stories to date—examples of what’s possible when elected officials and local business leaders back up their green visions with scientific know-how, clout and creative funding.