Global Issues / Environment

A fantastic set of photos about industrial pollution in China and the effects on communities and the natural environment.

All levels: sustainability

Those of you paying attention to the discussions during Sustainability Week may find this article in the Guardian interesting. It draws direct links between our carbon footprints, health and consumption of meat and dairy. How valid do you find the case made? Are lifestyle changes by individuals realistic solutions to global problems?

"Eat less meat and dairy: official recipe to help health of consumers - and the planet"

Source: The Guardian 11/12/09

Tofu pic by yomi955 on Flickr

Cement
All levels:
Environment and Sustainability

Shoreham Cement Works by Howzey on Flickr

Source: The Cement Sustainability Initiative Progress Report, June 2005. www.WBCSD.org

As the Copenhagen Conference continues we should take a look at one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emission: cement. the graph shows cement's share of global CO2 production.

The Environmental Literacy Council website has an article on what concrete is and its environmental impact.

"Manufacturing cement is an energy-intensive process. It requires 3 to 6 million BTUs (British thermal units) of energy and 1.7 tons of raw materials, mostly limestone, to make one ton of clinker... ...Worldwide, cement production is estimated to produce approximately 5 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions from human sources."

Cement

Higher: Development and Health.

Here are two documents that you may find useful when studying the control of malaria. First is a factsheet from the Roll back Malaria campaign on the importance of insecticide-treated bednets and how to use them. the second document is from a scientist arguing that DDT is so useful for mosquito control that it should not be banned.

Higher: Development and Health

A reminder of how widespread malaria once was in the U.S.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl

Sustainable Development: more on this here.
source

Higher: Development & Health.

Don't forget that it is important to have up to date information for this unit.

For example: the rollback malaria campaign.