Herbert Girardet Research Paper
Phu Hoang
SOC 321K
Essay One
According to Herbert Girardet (author of Cities People Planet), “sustainability enables all its citizens to meet their own needs and to enhance their well-being, without degrading the natural world or the lives of other people, now or in the future (Page 6-Planet).” Cities have been at the heart of this question because it is where the human population is at its highest and densest. Just look at the history of human civilizations for example, from Jericho to Rome (Chapter 2), from Beijing to London, and from Hong Kong to New York. What do they all have in common? They are all highly populated cities and most of them are near the coastal regions where pollution and sea levels are rising due to global warming. …show more content…
Should we practice it? Definitely. Sustainability is ethical for our survival, and most importantly, preserving the natural resources and ecosystem of our planet from the destruction of global warming. We have to understand the obligations, values, and consequences of sustainability because it is self-apparent as humans to practice sustainability and maintaining a livable planet. We will look at the link between humans, cities, and the natural world, why are we talking about sustainability today. Then we will look at the impact of globalization and global warming on our planet and what we can expect to happen in the future if this trend does not stop. Finally, we will look for possible solutions to our planet’s current crisis and why we should work towards an ethic of sustainability according to Randall …show more content…
Ice caps with high albedo are melting faster than before while the ocean (93% of global warming) is absorbing more heat than before. According to Surface Temperature Analysis from NASA, global temperature has warmed at the highest rate at 1.12 degrees Fahrenheit anomaly in 2010 and is expected to get worse. The 1990s was the hottest decade on record but the 2000s were even hotter according to the NRC. The UK’s Met Office (National Weather Service) predicted that if we allowed the earth’s temperature to increase to 4 degrees Celsius then the impact will be catastrophic. A 2-foot rise in the global sea level is expected by the year 2100 while oceans become more acidic as carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere dissolve in the ocean. This acidification will harm the ecosystem (about 60% of ocean life depends on coral reefs) that is sensitive to the pH of the ocean water. The average land temperature will be 5.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, agricultural yields are expected to decrease for all major cereal crops in all major regions of production, and half of all Himalayan glaciers will be significantly reduced by 2050, leading to 23% of the Chinese population deprived of the vital dry season glacial melt water source.
SOC 321K
Essay One
According to Herbert Girardet (author of Cities People Planet), “sustainability enables all its citizens to meet their own needs and to enhance their well-being, without degrading the natural world or the lives of other people, now or in the future (Page 6-Planet).” Cities have been at the heart of this question because it is where the human population is at its highest and densest. Just look at the history of human civilizations for example, from Jericho to Rome (Chapter 2), from Beijing to London, and from Hong Kong to New York. What do they all have in common? They are all highly populated cities and most of them are near the coastal regions where pollution and sea levels are rising due to global warming. …show more content…
Should we practice it? Definitely. Sustainability is ethical for our survival, and most importantly, preserving the natural resources and ecosystem of our planet from the destruction of global warming. We have to understand the obligations, values, and consequences of sustainability because it is self-apparent as humans to practice sustainability and maintaining a livable planet. We will look at the link between humans, cities, and the natural world, why are we talking about sustainability today. Then we will look at the impact of globalization and global warming on our planet and what we can expect to happen in the future if this trend does not stop. Finally, we will look for possible solutions to our planet’s current crisis and why we should work towards an ethic of sustainability according to Randall …show more content…
Ice caps with high albedo are melting faster than before while the ocean (93% of global warming) is absorbing more heat than before. According to Surface Temperature Analysis from NASA, global temperature has warmed at the highest rate at 1.12 degrees Fahrenheit anomaly in 2010 and is expected to get worse. The 1990s was the hottest decade on record but the 2000s were even hotter according to the NRC. The UK’s Met Office (National Weather Service) predicted that if we allowed the earth’s temperature to increase to 4 degrees Celsius then the impact will be catastrophic. A 2-foot rise in the global sea level is expected by the year 2100 while oceans become more acidic as carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere dissolve in the ocean. This acidification will harm the ecosystem (about 60% of ocean life depends on coral reefs) that is sensitive to the pH of the ocean water. The average land temperature will be 5.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, agricultural yields are expected to decrease for all major cereal crops in all major regions of production, and half of all Himalayan glaciers will be significantly reduced by 2050, leading to 23% of the Chinese population deprived of the vital dry season glacial melt water source.