Human Interest

This article is an enjoyable hodge-podge of maps, charts and graphs that collectively attempt to explain China's role the world today.  This is similar to, and complements this article which answers 7 question about China and the United States.  

Tags: economic, China, development.

This article is an enjoyable hodge-podge of maps, charts and graphs that collectively attempt to explain China's role the world today.  This is similar to, and complements this article which answers 7 question about China and the United States.  

Tags: economic, China, development.

And no, not everything has turned virtual! We still rely on concrete stuff. Cables network says a lot about the way our World works. 

This article deals with unit 1 because it has to do with maps. This map shows how underwater cables connect the internet throughout the world. The cables transmit 99% of international data instantly. On this map you can also see latency. Another map in this article shows 1912 trade routes and underwater cables today. The routes are similar and the interdependency has stayed but the methods and meanings for each of these things are different. To pass the ocean is risky by the investments, and trading. Sailors took tHess risks and now the tech companies are taking them. The cables are thin in the deep water equalling 3 inches across. In addition the cables are thicker in shallower water. The interesting thing is these cables can go as deep as Mount Everest is high. 

Because globalization.  

Tags: Time-Space Compression, development, technology, economic, globalization, industry, unit 6 industry.

The labor system keeps workers in Poverty. This is the argument that is transitioned by stating the fact that many factory workers are and will always remian in poverty if they have no oppurtunity to move up in the food chain and become educated in order to get themselves out of poverty. They need different skills in order to aquire a better job to create a better life.  

Its a very sad situation reading this. Seeing people go through all this to just survive. Kids don't even get any education and follow their parents footsteps to work at a plant just to be able to pay for bills. 8 dollars a day, and you wonder why they try to run to united states. Its very unfortunate that a lot of people go through this and i hope it changes soon, because to see that this is going on makes me thankful for what i have around me. Foreign investors are not great as they set out to be take advantage of the poor and get rich out of it, i think its pretty ridiculous.

Very cool!

Strateies for sustainable urban development 

APHG- HW Option 7

Pearl river delta

Cities in this region have experienced spectacular growth; they are at the heart of China's manufacturing and exporting boom.  For example, Shenzen was a small city with about 10,000 residents in 1980 but is now a megacity with over 10 million people.  China's SEZs (Special Economic Zones).  Cities that were once separate entities have coalesced into a large conurbation and if they are counted as one, it's now the largest metropolitan area.  Cities like London and New York become global cities over hundreds of years--this happened in one generation.  Click here for 5 infographics showing East Asia's massive urban growth.      

Tags: APHG, urban, industry, manufacturing, economic, unit 7 cities, megacities, China, East Asia.

This seems like a useful tool to a degree.  But if we could actually simulate every destructive event then we would be miracle workers.  This was a sad event.  We have left such an imprint on the earth that it's starting to fight back.  We need to be more aware and careful with the one planet we have.  Climate changes are in the news more and more.  We can't ignore climate changes anymore.  

Integração seletiva...

Very useful!

In the above picture of Cincinnati, Ohio it is clear how much change American cities have undergone in 60 years. In the process of urban renewal these cities have been affected tremendously with the addition of new roads, businesses, and most likely the turning of land over to private developers. All previous land has been renovated and changed into the typical urbanized American city. S.S.

A multicultural research project:  by foot, by car, or by plane

Select your site:  Detroit?  Kansas City? Feguson? New York?

Take some pictures.  Start observing.  Interview some people.  Assemble some facts.   Justify your opinions. 

Deindustrialization and globalization are some of the reason why Detroit fluctuates configurations in the geography of manufacturing. The reduction of production in the car industry and all activities along with it is harmful to Detroit’s citizens, leaving a lot of workers without jobs. Globalization was adopted and American companies became attracted to the very low wages of workers in other countries that produce similar quality products as the US. Unfortunately, since globalization became the preferred option for the US, deindustrialization in Detroit rapidly increased. On the other hand, with the continuing advancements in technology, it turns out to be manageable with a few employees. Wealthy Detroiters sprawl out in the suburbs out of the city.  Due to the elimination of manufacturing jobs and relocation of residents out of the state, Detroit city remains with a population of 700,000 people. The effect of deindustrialization has been devastating, not only for workers, but also for the city itself. The regions with the lowest population rate will find it hard to survive with the increase of infrastructure and less income in taxes.

unit 6

unit 6 key concepts: industrialization, development, technology  

Washing machine, the greatest invention of the industrial revolution. Hans Rosling further proves this point, highlighting many aspects of how industrialization not only changed the economy, but the people.

PepsiCo (which owns Tropicana Orange Juice) measures the amount of carbon emissions it takes to create a half-gallon of orange juice.

Check out this article! 

elements abundance

Morphisme du tableau périodique des éléments en fonction de leur abondance

Major cities in the world should take a deeper look into controlling pollution problems in their cities.  At some point, these places will no longer attract people to live in these areas, thus lowering the impact that these industries may have.  But as long as people are still living here by the millions and there is tourism, and buisness is booming, nothing will be done about the issue.

Summer reading KQ4: pollution, smog, megacity, sustainability

Pollution is a huge issue facing both Hong Kong, and the rest of China in general. So far the government  has done little to actually combat the problem. The Chinese governments response has been to pretend that the problem does not really exist. A fake skyline can just erase the problem. In reality dealing with the pollution issue would actually help the Chinese economy. When people seek to go on a vacation, they are seeking a destination that is clean and safe. Who wants to visit a place were, you have to ware a mask to prevent the breathing in of armful chemicals. A cleaner less polluted china would lead to an expanded tourism industry.

The Chinese government is seriously considering plans to build a new canal through Nicaragua that will rival the United States' Panama canal. The size of the planned canal will be much larger than the Panama canal, allowing much bigger freighters and cargo vessels to be able to pass through it to and from the Chinese mainland. While many Nicaraguans are enthusiastic about the potential jobs and money involved in the project, others can see through this and sense great problems for the country if completed. The canal would destroy many environments within Nicaragua such as Lake Nicaragua and the forest that are located nearby, displacing many people who live and depend on the area for food and work. China is fast becoming a world superpower, and is alarmingly similar to the old Soviet Union as far as a lack of environmental protection and the welfare of citizens. I fear the future environmental impact this will have on Nicaragua could be devastatingly similar to the fatal impacts of other old Soviet failures like the Aral Sea or Chernobyl (without the radioactive isotopes, of course). I think many Nicaraguans do as well.

Humans value, change and protect landscapes

I'm fascinated by massive geo-engineering projects.  Usually, the proponents of the project will support it claiming that by reconfiguring the geographic settings it will lead to the economic growth of the country and strengthen their political situation.  Opponents cite that traditional land use patterns will get disrupted, the poor will be displaced, and the environment will be degraded. This canal is not so very different from many other geo-engineering projects in that respect.

Tags: transportation, Nicaragua, globalization, industry, economic, environment, political, resources, political ecology.

how do these people not know what the crop they are producing is or tastes like? that is amazing to me how you can be so oblivious to what you are doing. and how the place that produces cocoa does not actually have access to it.

What is the geography of chocolate like?  This video was produced in the Netherlands, the global center of the cocoa trade, but the world's leading producer of cocoa is Côte d'Ivoire.  There is a dark side to chocolate production; the dirty secret is that slavery is commonplace on cocoa plantations in West Africa.  Although the worst of the situation is glossed over in this video, it still hints at the vast economic inequalities that are part and parcel of the global chocolate trade and the plantation roots of the production.  What are some of your reactions to this video?  

Tags: chocolate, Ivory Coast, Africa, poverty, development, economic, globalization, industry, labor.

Very cool

A great visual on shipping - Geographies of Interconnections (year 9)

An important aspect of global trade links and connections. 

in the global market, china has become the rising power in the exporting market with latin america which has risen more than 200 times since 1990 and is the fastest, but has also slowed down in more recent times but is still one of the largest exporters in the world

A new Standard Chartered report by Madhur Jha and other Standard Chartered economists, titled "Global Trade Unbundled," highlights just how much of a trading giant China has become. "China is a true mega trader-- a position last held by colonial Britain, with trade significant not only as a share of world trade but also of its own GDP", according to Jha. "China will likely become a champion of free trade." In 2013, China topped the United States for the first time. China's imports and exports of goods amounted to $4.16 trillion dollars. The United States is China's top destination for exports. This is obvious because if we look on half the items we use daily, they probably say "Made in China". China's exports with Latin America and Africa are still continuing to grow rapidly. Jha and others believe that China will remain the top trader mostly because the economic recovery is a positive for China. Also because a lot of attention is paid towards exports from China rather than imports. China's trade rates are likely to keep growing at a steady pace.

This article is highlights what we already know; China is a dominant force in global trade (although the map should be centered on the Pacific to show China's real shipping lanes and interregional connections).  Containers are symbols of global commerce that enable economies of scale to be profitable and the outsourcing of so many manufacturing jobs to developing countries (almost 90% of everything we buy arrives via ship).  The invention of these containers have changed the geography of global shipping and the vast majority of the world's largest ports are now in East Asia. 

Tags: transportation, globalization, diffusion, industry, economic.

Containers are part of globalization. It saves time and allows for extra space to store more products. Also, it is easier to handle using ships, railroad, and trucks while also facilitating more quality in terms of safety. However, on the other hand, with the creation of these containers employ mainly the use of technology which, unfortunately, downsizes the workforce. This, as a result, increases the unemployment rate for citizens. Although, when it comes to recycling, the idea of making houses with these containers helps families in diverse ways such as decreased costs, energy efficiency, and very short construction time. Containers have shaped the concept of shipping and living for many years, impacting regions with more business and expansion trades around the world.

This article describes the basics of globalization and what technology really allowed globalization to spread, the shipping the container. It allowed thing to be shipped organized and more efficiently. These containers fit together perfectly. It helps ideas and products transport all over the world and spread pop culture. 

This relates to the idea in unit 3 of globalization. These shipping container allow ideas and products to be shipped all over the world. The shipping container was the key to better connecting the world. 

I've posted here several resources about the global economy and the crucial role that containers play in enabling globalization.  In this article for National Geographic Education, I draw on many of these to to put it all in one nice container.  

Tags: transportation, globalization, diffusion, industry, economic.

Not surprisingly the DNA of cities is a follow-up of human DNA and understanding this will explain and predict how the body of a city will develop!

The idea that cities are just organisms that are satisfying the laws of biology is interesting. Especially because Physicist Geoffrey West brings the idea of Scalability which by definition is, the ability of a system, network, or process to handle a growing amount of work in a capable manner or its ability to be enlarged to accommodate that growth. What’s mind blowing to me is that the system that is referred to here is human interaction.  We create these cities through our interaction and experience. With a growth rate of 1,000,000 people every year the math adds up to an agreeable 15% rise in income levels, patents, and super creative people every year which is undoubted a win for civilization and society. But with that we must keep in mind also this means a 15% increase in things like deadly disease, crime, poverty, and ecological issues leading to further degradation of our planet. This unbounded growth means the system is destined to collapse. The math behind cities doesn't lie if we don’t prepare cities have a fate to die like every other organism in Biology. So it is up to us to create and innovate to sustain this growth and avoid the collapse. But we must do so at a forever increasing pace. Which subsequently is also part of another system predetermined to collapse. What I mean is what happens when we cannot innovate fast enough to sustain this growth?

- Caleb Beckett

While corporations rise and fall, it is quite rare for a city to entirely fail as an economic system.  Huge cities have some negative consequences, but the networks that operate in the city function more efficiently on economies of scale in a way that offsets the negatives.  Increasing a city's population will continue to improve the economies of scale (larger cities have higher wages per capita, more creative employment per capita, etc.).  However, this growth requires major technological innovations to sustain long-term growth.  

Tags: urban, planning, megacities, industry, economic, scale, TED, video.

50 years of communist rule still affect opportunities in Germany today, as these maps show. What they don't show is the social mirror that each provides to the other and the rich discussions about social policy that result. Reunification has been an expensive exercise for Germany, however one that it is committed to.

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, but its influence is still present in today's Germany. History plays a key role in the shaping of political boundaries and that history is clearly evident in Germany. The line where the Berlin wall once stood still divides the country economically. The western part of Germany is far more economically affluent than the east. The USSR may be gone, but its influence still remains. 

These two maps (unemployment on the left and disposable income on the right) are but two examples in this article that highlights the lingering distinctions between the two parts of Germany that were reunited 25 years ago.  The social geographies imposed by the Iron Curtain and the Berlin  Wall are still being felt from this relic border and will for years to come. 

Tags: Germany, industry, labor, economic, historical, political, borders.

I always enjoyed TED videos. What really struck me was the opening sentence of the video, "everything is everywhere these days." This is so true in so many ways. The video uses different examples that you can find in different stores from places all over the world. How many things can you could in your bedroom that says "Made in China" or some other place other than the US? This is very common as we all know. Products and goods come from all over the world and even over seas. This is a process that we call globalization. However, the video introduces a process called containerization. This process saves an ample amount of time for the workers. The process was a success. "shrinking the world and enlarging human choice."

Globalization has connected the world in such a way that we hadn't thought possible. This idea has created rising economies all over the world and has made transport of goods and services move faster and continues to increase this rate with advances in technology. Containerization is a staple of globalization and without it, none of these products would be able to get from country to country. In essence it has developed the world of import and exports. To add to this success, globalization has also created jobs and communities which revolve heavily around the transport of goods. It saves time by using massive containers to move goods and it creates opportunities in places where it had not been possible before. 

The economies of scale that globalization depends on, relies on logistics and transportation networks that can handle this high-volume.  In a word, the container, as mundane as it may seem, facilitated the era within which we live today.  This is a very useful video.