Sustainable Cities defined

There are numerous definitions of what a sustainable cty really means, however all of these have similar threads and lines of thought.

Regional Environmental Centre: “improving the quailty of life in a city, including ecological, cultural, political, institutional, social and economic components without leaving a burden on future generations”.

International for Sustainable Cities: “A sustainable city enhances the economic, social, cultural, political and environmental well-being of current and future generations”.

A number of other definitions can be found on REC’s site: Sustainable cities

Visual Exploration

A visual mindmap of the issue and my organisation’s brand essence.

Mission for a Vision

Vision  A world where humans are able to live in harmony with their natural environment.

Mission  To create sustainable cities and promote a sustainable lifestyle among their residents by educating the public and collaborating with governments, developers and businesses to develop and implement sustainable design infrastructure into the cities and provide a forum for discussion on emerging technologies and issues.

Issues to tackle

To develop a better idea of the companies mission and vision i have selected a few of the issues my organisation will attempt to tackle.

• Deforestation and the destruction of the Amazon
• Destruction of natural resources
• Carbon footprint
• Throw away society
• Ill- informed citizens about recycling, reducing use, global warming etc
• Unsustainable infrastructure of cities

These issues can be corrected to some degree by:

• Petitioning governments to implement laws and policies regarding infrastructure and business sustainable and ethical practices.
• Encouraging the use of renewable resource by manufacturers and businesses
• Collaborating with governments and developers in creating better public infrastructure, amenities, services and better urban design in general (sustainable urban design)
• Setting targets to attain a carbon neutral society, where human footprint on Earth is zero
• Educating people and promoting a sustainable and healthy lifestyle

Sustainability issue

Over half of the world’s population call a city their home…

It is not surprising then to know that today’s cities consume 75% of all resources and  create 75% of all the waste. They contribute to more than half of all our CO2 emissions and there’s no sign of a quick relief. This is primarily due to the fact that cities the world over have developed over many decades, even during the periods of history where the environment was a low priority. Some have grown from little settlements to major economic, social and political centres in a little than 200-150 years. Yet such a quick growth was not sustained by our knowledge of the environment and our disastrous effects on it. Humans have long lived a lifestyle that is unsustainable and we are now reaping the consequences as a result of climate change.

In the light of this my community organisation is going to focus on the development of sustainable cities and a sustainable way of life among its residents. It will do this by working and collaborating with governments and businesses alike to develop a sustainable infrastructure and practices. It will also encourage the public to live a sustainable lifestyle and try to improve the standards of living.

Kidnapping: “the truth’s beyond us”

Kidnapping is something we tend to accept as being out there but never to the extent of it becoming a major issue. However, of those who make their living in the southern America’s it’s a totally different story. Kidnapping has been jested as Latin America’s fastest growing, spurred on by rebel guerrillas and drug lords.  Yet it is uncertain of the exact number of kidnappings that occur in these Latin American countries. Colombia, Mexico and Brazil are among the highest hit countries on record but their statistics differ from different sources. Colombia’s Ministry of Defence has released statistics showing a curtailing of kidnappings as new counter kidnapping teams are being trained. Statistics reveal that by 2005 around 750 kidnappings have been reported. However, other sources place the figures around 3,000, the same figure for Colombia’s Ministry of defence in 2000. A good explanation is that many of the kidnappings do not actually get reported to authorities for fear of the increased brutality or even death to the hostages.

What makes it worse is that as high ranking business men and wealthy individuals flee the country or safer compound areas, the middle class is now being targeted, and no longer do you have to be rich to be kidnapped. However, numbers in kidnapping hopefully will drop as governments put up a harder fight to get control. Special tactical teams are being developed and rebels are being pushed further and further into  rural areas, thus alleviating some of the stress. Yet as more people are becoming targets there needs to be a greater push and public awareness of what can be done to prevent the likeliness of being kidnapped.

See Articles: Inside Colombia’s War on Kidnapping, Kidnapping in Colombia, Kidnapping epidemic hits Latin America, COLOMBIA: THE WORLD LEADER IN KIDNAPPINGS,
 

 

Research Strategy

A research strategy is to be devised for the development of my own community project or oranisation. The aim is to identify a problem or issue in the comunity and then develop a research strategy as to how i would inform myself and my target audience of the concern and put forth a viable solutuion. The next series of posts will monitor my progress on the development of my organisation and a research strategy to be able to undertake the issue at hand.

Avatar Artefact

Sea Shepherd avatar explanation can be downloaded here: Artefact

Artefact development

For my avatar artifact I have chosen to create a character that represents the likeness of Neptune (Roman god of the sea) and a pirate. Neptune creates a feeling of authority and commands attention. He is also able to take the law into his own hands much the same way Sea Shepherd does. His trident is seen as a deliverer of justice, which Sea shepherd attempts to do at sea.

The pirate like figure and clothing calls to attention of the “Jolly Roger” flag that Sea Shepherd flies on every voyage. They believe that sometimes good pirates have to do all the dirty work as governments squabble in diplomacy. With this pirate I decided to not use boots as part of his clothing as boots are seen as a destructive force which leave a bad imprint on the environment. Bare footed characters are more connected to their natural world.

A photo of characters that i used in the development of my avatar can be downloaded here: avatar character study

Avatar Narrative

An avatar narrative that aims to describe the type of people the organisation represents. It seeks to tell the story of each individual as part of one conglomerate group. A pdf version can be downloaded here:

Avatar Narrative

Hi, I’m Chuck. Chuck Davies… I’m an engineer in my mid twenties, I live my life to the full. I enjoy my life and the people that fill it. I love riding my bike, playing chess and meeting new acquaintances. We have one shot at life so why not make good use of it. I love animals and wildlife, I have my own dog, Spike, he’s a character that one. I found him on one of my trips, abandoned almost left to dead. Yeah, I took him in took care of him and now we’re best buddies. It’s hard to understand how some people have no regard for life.

I also enjoy my adventures out on sea. Just love starting early, before the sun heads out. Making my way through the thick smog, with a numb noes and snap frozen hands. Breakfast in one hand equipment in other, nothing more to worry bout. Quite times those, gives me an opportunity to ponder. To think about all the things important to me, our environment, global warming, those cruel things that happen to animals. It gives me that inner drive for the day, gives me that conviction and determination… a reassurance of the rightfulness of what I do.

I believe in more than just political negotiation, I think we need to take action. I cannot remain a passive spectator as generations of seals are slaughtered, whales murdered all in the name of scientific research. It’s outrageous! That’s why I do these little trips from year to year. To try make a difference. It does take courage to risk your life for animals, risk arrest. But it’s the only hope they (animals) have. Nothing is going to change my determination to protect these helpless animals from those ruthless murderers.

The stakes are higher but so are the rewards. Knowing you saved a hundred whales., knowing your actions can make a difference is the best experience anyone can enjoy. I’m out there to make a difference… it is my home… where I belong…