Archive for January, 2010

Slime Mould Grows Emergent Network Like Tokyo Rail System

Posted: 28 January, 2010 • Category: News • Tags: Transport • Comments(0)

A recently completed slime mould experiment by a team led by mathematical biologist Toshiyuki Nakagaki of Hokkaido University in Japan and cell biologist Mark Fricker of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom used Physarum polycephalum to find the shortest route through a layout of oak flakes. The slime discovers and grows over its food digesting it through its body creating thin tendrils that manifest into an ever simpler and efficient network of tubes. The tubes carrying the largest ...

Climate Change – Emission reduction pledges interactive global map

Posted: 13 January, 2010 • Category: News • Tags: Climate Change, Pollution/Chemicals • Comments(0)

The Associated Press has put out an interesting interactive map of climate change data, including the emission trends from countries in the northern hemisphere, graphs of the various indicators of global warming such as glacier melts and global temperatures, and the pledges that different countries have made when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/associated-press-launches-interactive-map-of-climate-emissions-pledges-and.php

Hong Kong air pollution – Life threatening one in every 8 Days

Posted: 13 January, 2010 • Category: News • Tags: Health, Pollution/Chemicals, Transport • Comments(0)

A report, citing figures obtained from the government, says Hong Kong’s roadside air pollution reached life-threatening levels one in every eight days last year. The air pollution index was recorded by the Environmental Protection Department. It said there were 44 days of “very high pollution” last year. That number is up from the 39 reported days in 2008 and the 13 days in 2005. The impact of vehicular and industrial pollution on the health of citizens in major cities ...

Shrinking City – Detroit Michigan

Posted: 13 January, 2010 • Category: News • Tags: Built form, Economy, Peak Oil • Comments(0)

It is an open secret that the downtown of Detroit, Michigan is as empty as the residential districts that surround it. As heavy fossil fuel reliant industries and products become increasingly redundant due to rising fuel costs from peak oil shrinking local economies will continue to make some cities redundant.

Ordos – New city stands empty in China

Posted: 13 January, 2010 • Category: News • Tags: Built form, Economy, Governance • Comments(0)

China's economy is continuing to grow despite the global recession, helped by a massive government stimulus package of $585bn. But doubts remain whether such strong growth can be sustained by public spending alone. Al Jazeera's Melissa Chan reports from Inner Mongolia, where a whole town built with government money is standing empty.

Climate Change – 2 degrees of warming – Ocean Life in Danger

Posted: 12 January, 2010 • Category: News • Tags: Climate Change • Comments(0)

National Geographic

Climate Change – 5 degrees of warming – Civilisation Collapses

Posted: 12 January, 2010 • Category: News • Tags: Climate Change • Comments(0)

National Geographic

Climate change – 6 degrees of warming – Mass Extinction

Posted: 12 January, 2010 • Category: News • Tags: Climate Change • Comments(0)

National Geographic