You are here

Home

United States

The Economics of Rapidly Emerging Cities

Wed, 2011-08-31 08:25 — mdmcdonald

As the human populations of our small planet exceeds 7 billion on its way potentially to 9 million or 10 billion by the mid-21st Century, migrations of millions are becoming common place -- some out of desperation, others out of seeking opportunity and a better life.  According to a large percentage of climatologists and other scientists that are studying global change, the social ecologies of many large cities will become non-viable for their human populations and many other species due to climate change, the drying up of water supplies, the lose of food sources, natural disasters, wars, and other factors.  In other cases, new cities of opportunity or attractive culture will draws those seeking a better life and way of being.  

Tens of millions, and perhaps hundreds of millions will be forced to leave their homes in search of more viable communities.  Millions more will create new communities with intentionality, exploring new economic, social, and political models that improve health, human security, resilience and sustainability for the new citizens.  In some cases, simple shared principles will shape new, fast growing economies, and, in other cases, rules and conditions will be imposed on inhabitants of new communities and cities.

Country / Region Tags: 
Global
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Adaptation
Climate
Collapse
Community
Culture
Development
Economics
Ecosystems
Environment
Resilience
Sustainable Development
Vulnerability
Water
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions
Problem

When Capitalism Converges With Resilience

Tue, 2011-08-30 12:08 — mdmcdonald

It is hard to argue against that fact that the U.S. and even "Communist" China, for that matter, have great influence in global markets and on health and human security -- for their own people as well as human populations world-wide. The power of capital within global, regional, national, and local markets has been transforming the world since the growth of the industrial revolution, which has only accelerated since the broad introduction of global communication and computing in the 20th century. That said, there has been growing criticism of the destructive nature of market fundamentalism and laissez faire economics in the face of a growing awareness of ecosystem carrying capacities, and the problems inherent in growth economies in decline.  So what happens when capitalists become aware of the destructive nature of growth economies, where populations are exceeding the carrying capacities of ecosystems and mass consumption economies begin to collapse?

Country / Region Tags: 
Global
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Adaptation
Economics
Environment
Growth
Health
Infrastructure
Pollution
Population
Resilience
Security
Sustainable Development
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions
Problem

Al Gore's Critique Sparks Debate Over Obama's Record on Climate Change

Thu, 2011-06-23 09:28 — mdmcdonald

 

The following video looks at the key perspectives regarding the issue of whether the Obama Administration has engaged policies that effectively address the threat of climate change.

 

http://news.google.com/?ar=1308834370

Meeting / Event Tags: 
Roundtable
Country / Region Tags: 
Global
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Climate
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions
Problem

Simulation Fukushima Reactor 4-like Meltdown in a U.S. Nuclear Power Plant

Thu, 2011-06-23 09:08 — mdmcdonald

It has been proposed that there should be a serious game simulation of a Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant reactor 4-like accident in a U.S. power plant to test the U.S. public's preparedness and ability to utilize social media and government risk communication messaging to reduce health and human security concerns around U.S. nuclear plants.  Many U.S. power plants, often close to major U.S. population centers like New York City and Omaha, Nebraska, share Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power vulnerability of storing spent fuel rods on site.  The U.S. has not prepared the American public in projected plume areas for sheltering in place and evacuations that would dramatically reduce their risk in a Fukushima-like accident.  

This week's loss of power during flooding at the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant, near Omaha, Nebraska demonstrates that this problem is not theoretical.  Although power was only cut to the plant for 90 minutes, if the power shortage had continued for over 28 hours or so, a catastrophic meltdown could have threatened Omaha, Nebraska with high-levels of radiation.

Meeting / Event Tags: 
Simulation and/or exercise
Country / Region Tags: 
Global
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Radiation
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions
Problem

The Nation: Russia's Federal Atomic Energy Agency Claims a Near Catastrophic Meltdown of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant in Nebraska

Thu, 2011-06-23 00:52 — mdmcdonald

 This unusual story from Pakistan's "The Nation" claims that there has been a cover up of a near catastrophic meltdown for the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant near Omaha, Nebraska.  Evidence from the nuclear power plant and U.S. regulators indicate that the Pakistani story and Russian claims are significantly over-reaching.  The flooding that caused a Fukushima reactor 4-like spent fuel rod cooling pond interruption of power led to a 90 minute interruption of power, but the temperature of the cooling pond and the water coverage of the spent fuel rods did not approach circumstances that would cause a meltdown, according to U.S. officials. 

Country / Region Tags: 
Global
United States
US - Central
General Topic Tags: 
Flood
Radiation
Vulnerability
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Problem

Pages

Subscribe to United States
howdy folks