Comments on: From the ground up, the sky is the limit…

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:03:03 +0000

Tom taking the conversation a little way from nuclear plants to other nerve testing experiences…

Perhaps you can add phenomenonological experience to your list…some might say health and safety.

Why? Here is an example of an infinity pool by Moshe Safdie at the Sands SkyPark in Singapore. [ http://cubeme.com/blog/2010/06/29/infinity-pool-55-storeys-above-ground-opens-in-singapore-in-dazzling-new-4bn-resort/ ]

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:45:42 +0000

The hardest question is: what area(s) of human knowledge should the decisions be rooted in?
Science?
Religion?
Beliefs?
Economics?
Health and safety?
Aesthetics
Might it help if participants in the debate made a ‘personal statement’ about where they are coming from before making a comment?
Is it worth installing solar cells if the amout of energy used in their manufacture is greater than the energy they generate?

By: Christine

Christine — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 06:49:01 +0000

They say that Tokyo is now like a ghost town. [ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367309/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-Tokyo-ghost-town.html?ITO=1490 ]

Perhaps now is the time to start installing hybrid solar wind street lighting and gradually retrofitting Tokyo with alternative energy sources where possible? [ http://windweathersolar.com/Accessories/SolarPowerAccessoriesandHardware/tabid/148/CategoryID/1/ProductID/24/Default.aspx ] and [ http://kvcenterprises.com/solar_products.html ]. Japan has some existing domestic solar energy installation policy targets that could be accelerated.

Clean green light would hopefully return some optimism to the city.

With good will the international community could in the interim step up and provide portable solutions to the disaster stricken areas in northern japan. [ http://inhabitat.com/solar-stick-portable-power-generator/ ] and [ http://kvcenterprises.com/solar_products.html ].

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 06:19:58 +0000

I rather like the idea of the human species resuming its nomadic habits, at the city scale as well as the individual scale, so that cities become temporary encampments on a long time scale. Otherwise, I get too depressed about seeing rich habitats replaced by ‘concrete jungles’ (the person who invented this phrase deserves a memorial – maybe a vacated city should have his/her name).

By: Christine

Christine — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:22:47 +0000

The exact sequence of the age of cities is perhaps not as important as accummulating some long range data on the changes undergone to the landscape and climate contexts of cities over time.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 06:55:17 +0000

The list of ancient cities is very interesting but debatable. For example, the oldest Chinese city on the list (Luoyang) was, I think, centered on a different to the modern city (ie the old centre is now a suburb).

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 04:01:23 +0000

Perhaps archaeological studies might assist in building a long range picture of the effects of climatic change on cities?
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_time_of_continuous_habitation ]

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:44:29 +0000

In the long term all species become extinct and all stars die – so it is a question of when, not if! The oldest cities are perhaps 10,000 years old. How many of today’s cities will last another 10,000 years? It is a silly question to the extent that it cannot be answered. But if the natural climate change of the past ten millennia happens again then a great many cities will become unoccupied, in hot deserts, dry deserts, cold deserts or on the sea floor. Mark my words!

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 04:56:04 +0000

With rising sea levels soil the possibility of soil liquefication is likely to increase.
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_liquefaction ] To really have an understanding of what might occur a greater understanding of Orogeny [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orogeny ] and the behavior of glaciers [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier ] seems to be essential.

These maps suggest the possibility of a 7m sea level rise in New York.[ http://geology.com/sea-level-rise/new-york.shtml ] However, the broader hydrological and climate cycle needs to be understood. [ http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/7829/default.aspx ]

The foundation material of New York city is in the stage of mountain decline:
“It is estimated from mineral studies that the metamorphic rocks of New York City and Connecticut were once buried under about 7 miles of overlying rock.”
[ http://people.hofstra.edu/j_b_bennington/33notes/landform.html ]

I am not sure if we should consider cities as impermanent, so much a in a more dynamic and long range perspective?

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:15:38 +0000

The glass-bottomed roof swimming pool is wonderful.
Re cities, I think we need to get used to the idea that they are impermanent. If global warming proceeds and the pattern of earthquakes changes (as happens – Central Scotland had masses of quakes and volcanoes in geological time, but none today) then maybe we will have to say goodbye to some cities (no names mentioned) and build new cities elsewhere. I think NYC would make a great marine habitat!