1. In the case study I have chosen, scientists compared 344 plots from Latin America, Africa and Asia and discovered that crop yields were lower in farming plots with fewer bees present during flowering season. This study can be found in All Africa’s website: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602220806.html. The goal of this development is to notify the public of the positive effects of using bees to help one’s crop yields. Researchers studied these effects and concluded that a variety of bees present are good for the environment and for food security. This relates to the “end uses” definition of the term development, in which development can be measured by the “ultimate purpose of the specific economy”, In this case, the purpose of the economy focused on food production of developing, or low-income countries. This study also focused on the biodiversity of the areas in which research was conducted, as well as the environmental factors that affect the bee population.

2. This next case study deals with oil companies polluting the land, air and water in the Nigerian Delta. The study focused on one company, Shell and the spills they caused, which had tremendous effects on the surrounding environment, home to the Ogoni tribal group. More details can be found at http://www.umich.edu/%7Esnre492/cases_03-04/Ogoni/Ogoni_case_study.htm. The goals of the development are to stop Shell from destroying their land. They have been partially successful because through a series of non-violent protests and growing support from large international organizations, Shell withdrew. However, oil continues to spill onto farmland, and air and water are still polluted. The Ogoni tribe and Shell are working together to aid development of the area, but much progress needs to be made. This case study relates to the environmental justice movement. The Ogoni people lived in poverty during the drilling of oil and continue to live in such conditions. At first, their voices could not be heard, but through continued media attention and international support, their protests had positive effects for a short period of time.

3. In my hometown of Harrisburg Pennsylvania, there has been a lot of talk about lead in our water coming from buildings that house the water system. The lead also affects plants and animals in the area used for human consumption, which can cause disease. With this has come a lot of talk about how to reduce any chronic effects of lead exposure and how to encourage a cleaner environment. This new public scare relates to the Ogoni tribe case study because in both locations, there is some kind of contamination to the water. There is also a call to action to spread awareness of some kind of issue. These two cases differ in that their susceptibility to contamination relates to the location. For example, in a poor environment such as the home of the Ogoni tribe, there are less resources available to prevent contamination of the air and water. However, Harrisburg has the resources to inspect our water and take preventative steps to decrease the amount of lead in our water.

1. The first case study I focused on is the Texaco oil production in Ecuador’s rainforests. The study was developed by students at the University of Michigan and can be found at, http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/Jones/texaco.htm#Problem. The issue is Texaco was to set up an extraction plan for the oil in Ecuador. The extraction produced what is called “production water,” which is water brought to the surface after extracting oil. Texaco was then to pump the water back into the ground as to not harm the environment. Instead, they dumped the water into over 300 small waste pits. The pending solution to the problem is still ongoing. An issue which relates to the module is sustainable development. The rate of oil being extracted and the environment being polluted exceeds Ecuador’s ability to replenish it. Future civilizations are put in jeopardy by this meaning that the current civilization is not sustainable. The extraction of oil now and the pollution compromises the future country’s revenue as well. This can also influence the GDP in the future if not treated.

2. The second case study I focused on is about the Three Gorges Dam in China along the Yangtze River. The study was developed by the University of Buffalo and can be found at, http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/three_gorges_dam.pdf. The case describes how the dam is both beneficial and economically unfit. The dam produces about 84 terrawatt-hours of electricity annually which is four times as much energy produced by the largest US dam. However, the dam was a costly 10.4 billion dollar to build, which put more strain on Chinese citizens who earn an average of less than $5000 a year. The reservoir created by the dam also flooded 156,000 acres of land with more than 1 million residents forced to find new homes and jobs. The observation is that although the dam produces energy for China’s growing population, it might actually be doing more harm than good.

3. My hometown of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania can relate to my case studies because we too have major issues with one of our rivers. The Susquehanna River is highly over polluted mostly due to the runoff of water from coal mines. The orange sulfur water runs off into the river through streams. This is very much like the water pollution issue in Ecuador due to Texaco’s negligence. The “production water” is polluting water in Ecuador and it is all due to production for an energy source in oil, much like the coal in Wilkes-Barre. It does not matter how high a country’s GDP or ends are, it can still have non-economical factors. I feel that it is important to look at development at a more local level to get a better idea.

For the first case study, the location of this development is focused in central Namibia, primarily in the city of Windhoek. It’s predicted the city of Windhoek will run dry by September of this year, unless the rainy season refills the three main dams supplying the towns in Namibia. The link to the web page i’m drawing all this information from is, http://allafrica.com/stories/201601130754.html. In the article they spoke about how the water shortages will affect households, businesses and the Namibian economy at large, saying the only solution would be to tap underground water sources. They’re also looking at other various options to relieve the current water scarcity. It’s believed that recycling of sewage water would not eradicate water shortages, but could possibly increase the supply source and ensure that water is used for a longer period.

For the second case study, the location of the development study is in Europe. In this case, their focus is on potential water scarcity and how it is of immediate relevance to the brewing sector. In other words, their focus was on how to make more beer with loosing less water. The website for this case is: http://www.erm.com/en/insights/case-studies/case-study-the-brewers-of-europe/.  Over the past few years a broad range of guidance documents, tools, standards and schemes focused on more sustainable and integrated water management practices have been developed by various organizations. The Brewers of Europe wanted an online operational water source tool library, that would inform the workers about the diversity in approaches to sustainable water management and provide clarity on the current most applicable and relevant water stress identification and assessment tools and methodologies for the beer sector. The tool provided an opportunity to ensure that the brewers understand that water vulnerability requires a holistic approach that considers not only on-site water consumption and wastewater treatment but also issues around water availability, ecosystem management or supply risk.

Although water scarcity and quality is an increasingly urgent and politically sensitive issue, fortunately where i’m from, Syracuse, New York, I haven’t personally been affected by this rising issue. The primary water supply for the City of Syracuse is Skaneateles Lake, a “Finger Lake” located approximately 20 miles southwest of the City. Although we get our water supply from a lake, this specific lake is part of the Finger Lakes, which is composed of 5 different bodies of water. On top of that, we have a back up water supply, which comes from Lake Ontario. The City normally relies upon Lake Ontario water during times when drought conditions limit the available supply from Skaneateles, during emergencies, or during periods of high consumption. Therefore, the likelihood of water becoming scarce is far less likely than it is from places like Windhoek, where their water supply is dependent solely on rainfall. As referenced back in our model, they stated how the simplest and most common measures for development, are those based on monetary statistics like income or gross domestic product. I liked how neither of my cases were measured by monetary statistics.

1. I found a case study from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development on titled “Supporting local economic growth in Ghana: Newmont”. This case study primarily focuses on the economic development of the Ahafo Mine region in mid-western Ghana. Newmont Mining Corporation is a leading gold producer on five continents and they chose to open this project in Ghana in 2006. At the end of 2007, they had over 17 million ounces of gold reserves, representing nearly 20% of Newton’s global gold reserves. Along with the gold, the community around the area improved a lot. The development of the Ahafo Mine provided many local hires for contractor jobs and the project helped improve local infrastructure, including mobile phone coverage, road upgrades, and improved access to electricity supply. In relation to course topics, this region of Ghana has seen an increase in their gross domestic product for their economy by increasing engaged businesses and the value of goods and services produced from this area. Link: http://wbcsdpublications.org/supporting-local-economic-growth-in-ghana-newmont/
2. My second case study was from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, titled “Pennsylvania Wilds Case Study”. This case study also focused on the economic development of a region. Pennsylvania Wilds is a region in north central Pennsylvania that encompasses 12 counties and over 2 million acres of public lands. Those who have lived in this region have seen the “boom and bust” of industrial development, with timber, railroads, and mining, though they have struggled with economic development. During some time, the region had a net decrease of about 250 businesses and 1400 jobs, accompanied by high unemployment rates between 10-18%. The goals of the “Governor’s Task Force on the Pennsylvania Wilds” set to support and grow private business and locally made products, promote the renewal of the region’s communities, and invest in the visitor experience, since the area has an “outstanding natural resource base” and is within a day’s drive of 50 million people. Economic analyses of the region showed growth in the gross domestic product and tourism spending in the region. Link: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/d_001847.pdf
3. These two case studies connect in many ways to the economic development of my hometown of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Beaver Falls has suffered economically due to a decline in the steelmaking capacity in the region. Currently, though Beaver County may have a new industry on the rise – natural gas. The Royal Dutch Shell company has proposed building a new cracker plant right along the Beaver River in Potter Township near Monaca. This plant could exponentially increase business and economic growth in my region for several years to come. The relationship between Beaver Falls and the regions described above is very similar – an area with economical possibilities is revamped to support growth. I think a lot can be learned through the two case studies above about possible impacts on local communities and small business. If this plant develops, Beaver County will see a growth in development of homes and small business may see an increase in their production. Economic development is an important subset of development and is something that should be looked at thoroughly.

Lucas Skiba

2/21/16

Geog 030

Module #5

Development Case Studies

            The first case study I researched was an article from IRIN called COP21: How Glacial Melt and Toxic Waste Could Spell Disaster in Kyrgyzstan. This development was about a gold mining pit partly owned by the Kyrgyzstan government through a company called Kyrgyzaltyn, and also Canada’s Centerra Gold. They own the largest gold mine in Central Asia. The mine’s tailings pond sits a little more than 3 miles below Petrov Lake. The issue is the glaciers have been melting from waste dumping and climate change, and the Petrov Lake is expanding. If this keeps happening there is risk of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF). This happens when the lake fills up with water from glaciers melting and the water burst through the natural moraine dam made of soil, rock, and ice. If a GLOF happened in the lake it could wipe out part of the tailings pond running chemicals into the Kumtor River, which runs into a water system millions of people use everyday.

The second case study I researched was an article from E & E Publishing called Coal: As China’s Demand for Coal Soars, So Does its Water Scarcity. This development is about coal mines in Xilinhot, the coal mining city of inner Mongolia, China. Xilinhot is one of China’s driest cities and water is already scarce. According to E & E China’s coal mines have been dumping 80 million tons of wastewater into the Yellow River every year. The Yellow River is China’s second largest river, but due to over withdrawal of water its been on high alert. Chinese policymakers decided to create 16 large-scale coal industrial hubs. These coal mining hubs use lots of water for mining, preparation, power generation, coal-chemical factories, etc. E & E says, “those hubs are estimated to consume nearly 10 billion cubic meters of water annually, equivalent to more than one-quarter of the water the Yellow River supplies in a normal year.” With China’s water scarcity and water contamination it seems that coal mines are a threat to the environment.

I currently live in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania its not near any major cities but there is still affects from industrial development in Pennsylvania. Some of the affects happening in Pennsylvania are water contamination from fracking for oil and natural gas. Now this relates to both of these case studies because each of these developmental problems all are causing water contamination. Each case studies reason for water contamination are different like Kyrgyzaltyn’s gold mining company, China’s coal industry, and Pennsylvania’s fracking oil wells. They all are causing water contamination and they all are examples of development. Each of these areas are in different countries and all have different climates but you can still see the side affects of the industrial developments in each area. What we have to be able to take from these case studies and information on these developments is that being a developed or first world country is not always good, there can be its side affects to its environment. We need to be more aware of the damage we cause from these developments.

Citations/Bibliography:

1. IRIN News (December 2, 2015). Retrieved February 21, 2016 from http://www.irinnews.org/feature/2015/12/02/cop21-how-glacial-melt-and-toxic-waste-could-spell-disaster-kyrgyzstan

2. GreenPeace (March 21, 2014). Retrieved February 21, 2016 from http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/coal/Water-impacts/#a0

3. E & E Publishing and News (July 1, 2013). Retrieved February 22, 2016 from http://www.eenews.net/stories/1059983712

4. EcoWatch (June 5, 2015). Retrieved February 23, 2016 from http://ecowatch.com/2015/06/05/josh-fox-fracking-contaminates-drinking-water/

Domestic Environmental Justice Case Study:
The Dearborn, Michigan Arab American Community and Industrial Air Pollution
http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/berry.html#Background
This study goes over the automobile and steel industries’ environmental damages in Dearborn, Michigan, which have been around that area since the 1920’s. Studies show that local industries release more than ten carcinogens into the environment due to lack of effort for pollution control. Low-income Arab-Americans are disproportionately affected by the pollution in comparison to other demographics in the region, showing a case of what the author and I both believe to be environmental racism, and a display of a community’s vulnerability when financial focuses lie away from clean environment. The author makes several recommendations, most of which focused on pollution control, but also on clean-up efforts, health studies, medical solutions, and shifting the burden of proof from the community to the polluters. The main suggestion to the general reader is community engagement, and playing an active role in contacting local factory representatives, clinics, and service directors.

Global Environmental Justice Case Study:
Human Rights Impacts of Oil Production: Ecuador
http://business-humanrights.org/en/human-rights-impacts-of-oil-pollution-ecuador-8
Since the 1960s, Chevron began drilling for shale oil near the Amazon river, one of the most sensitive and fragile ecosystems in the world, mostly within the Ecuadorian stretch of the river. From open-air pits, to damaged soils, to hazardous water conditions, local indigenous communities living near the Amazon are the main victims of the drilling malpractices. These practices shows what the author and I think is a company choosing profit over people. Asides from damaging such a powerful environment and important part our biodiversity on Earth, local tribes have suffered from serious birth defects, miscarriages, different forms of cancer and other difficulties for several decades. The author claims that Ecuador’s loose environmental policy practices make indigenous communities vulnerable and for that reason, Chevron has taken advantage of this for years. Chevron has claimed to have gone back to clean-up and push forwards efforts to help the crisis in the Ecuadorian Amazon, but constant evidence surfaces, showing that little or no progress comes from these efforts. The authors recommend contacting lawyer plaintiffs, Chevron spokespersons, and active environmental lawyers on this case.

Both of my studies tied the subjects of vulnerability and environmental racism together. I strongly believe these two topics are more alike than people acknowledge it to be. I used to live Amman, Jordan, the capital of a third-world nation in the Middle East, and community vulnerability was very evident in terms of wealth. From waste sites to industrialized areas, low-income communities were much more likely to be affected by pollution, which shows vulnerability’s heavy correlation to financial capabilities and stability. Sustainable development is making a late appearance in Amman, it seems like every time I go back to visit, areas look cleaner. Third world nations can sometimes fall back on education, and I believe that Jordan is steering in the right direction in terms of a healthier and more environmentally justified territory. Unlike both of these studies, Amman’s environmental racism issue isn’t as visible, however it’s there and it’s mainly affecting Egyptian and Filipino communities.

1. The case study I chose is from the Colby-Sustainable Development page. The case study focuses on alternative energy sources in Denmark. It specifically focuses on wind power. Here is a link to the case study http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Vogel.htm. The initial goal set by the Danish government the year 2000 was to maintain 10 percent wind generated electricity. This goal has continuously been achieved and a new goal of 20 percent been set. This topic relates to development in regards to the boost it provides to Denmark’s GDP. Denmark produces 60 percent of the world’s wind turbines. These wind turbines are exported which helps to raise the GDP.It also improves GDP by reducing the amount of fossil fuels that are being used for energy.
2. The second case study I chose is from the New Zealand wind energy association. Here is the link to the case study. http://www.windenergy.org.nz/store/doc/Farming_the_Wind_Case_Study.pdf. This case study focuses on  wind power specifically in relation to farming. The goals of the development are to establish a reliable source of renewable and sustainable energy while also helping to improve farming operations. The wind farms help to improve farming operations by creating proper roads to travel around the farm on and also providing an additional source of income through  royalties and other payments.  This relates to sustainable development. Wind power decreases the amount of fossil fuels used to produce energy. The extra source of income the farmers receive could lead to more sustainable improvements in their farming methods.
3. I am from Pittsburgh,PA. The two case studies I chose both focus on the benefits of implementing wind power as a source of energy. Pittsburgh is an area that is beginning to put a heavy focus on sustainability. However, Pittsburgh is a city unlike the areas described in the two case studies. Installing wind towers requires large open spaces of land which are difficult to find in cities. Much of Pittsburgh’s sustainability efforts have been focused on solar panels because they are easy to implement in a city. A take away from the two cases that would improve development in my area would be that wind power is a profitable and beneficial business. Though not very feasible in the city, wind towers could be installed in the suburbs or on farms like in the new zealand case study. This could in turn improve the quality of life for many.

1)Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions in Japan

Colby- Sustainable Development

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/ener-jap.html

The goals of this case were for Japan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. During the 1940s Japan was reliant mostly on coal for energy, but as the price of petroleum decreased they became more reliant on petroleum for energy. The production of energy from both coal and petroleum creates greenhouse gases. In the 60s Japan set a goal to lower the sulfur content in their oil. In the 70s Japan began to implement environmental laws to combat the oil shortage of 1973, which was expected to slow the economy, but actually did the opposite. Japan continued to increase regulation throughout the 1980s and their economy continued to grow despite their search for alternative energy sources. Japan has strong economic growth from 1980-1991, “which coincided with the implementation of strict environmental protection laws and energy conservation programs.”

2)Husk Power Systems, India

Renewable Energy Focus

http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/22511/renewable-energy-in-the-developing-world-case-studies/

Husk Power was founded by 4 people, 3 from Bihar, India and one from the United States. Bihar is one of the most poorly served areas in India when it comes to electricity. Husk Power came up with the idea of providing reliable energy to Bihar by using rice husks as a source of energy. As of 2011, Husk Power operated 65 plants to gasify rice husks, which provided electricity to 180,000 people throughout India. After 400 people agree to a small monthly fee for the electricity services Husk opens up new plants in those areas. Husk hopes to have more than 2,000 plants up and running by 2014.

3)Cases one and two are very different, because they both deal with regions of different economic power. The Japan case can be easily related to my industrial home of New York, while the India case cannot. The case in Japan can easily be related to the problems that we are having in the United States, because we are amidst an environmental debate in our country. Japan proved that increasing environmental protection laws does not necessarily hurt the economy; in fact it proved the exact opposite. The environmental laws set forth in Japan in the 1980s can not be easily related to the problems faced in India, because the problem in India is not finding a more environmentally friendly energy source, it is finding a reliable energy source that creates the least amount of waste with the resources that they already have available. The case in India is not easily applicable to the United States because we are, economically, at the same level as Japan.

1. Cost-Effectiveness of Solar Cookers, Kenya

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/sol-ken.html

The first case study I chose to observe is the “Cost-Effectiveness of Solar Cookers in Kenya” prepared by Jill M. Maccaferri, an undergraduate student at Colby College in Maine. The case study focuses on the sustainable development associated by the introduction of newly designed-designed solar cookers in Kenya. This case study specifically focuses in the refugee camps of Kakuma and Dadaab. The goal of the development is to create a better environment for women in Kenya, to reduce the use of fuel wood and to advance the economic savings of the country. Fortunately, the implementation of solar cookers in the two refugee camps were considered successful. However, the case study mentions that since this is the introduction of the solar cookers, one cannot predict if the success could carry on to the future. Moreover, this case study relates to the idea of environmental justice movement in the module. By focusing on the enhancement of human health, it not only focuses on the population suffer from the burdens of economic but also who has the access to environmental goods.

2. Saving mother’s lives in Sri Lanka

http://www.cgdev.org/page/case-6-saving-mothers-lives-sri-lanka

The case study that I researched on is the “Saving mother’s lives in Sri Lanka” organized by the government of Sri Lanka and illustrated in the Center for Global Development website. This study focuses on the development of health system in Sri Lanka, specifically the maternal health care. The goal of the development is to provide citizens of Sri Lanka with a free service of a strong, systematic health system, to enhance the maternal health care, to encourage the use of midwives, and to improve the overall quality of lives of vulnerable groups. The overall result was successful based on where they started off. The health system may not be great compared to other countries, however, Sri Lanka has achieved much better health status and had a steep decline of maternal mortality. What is more, this relates to the module’s idea of using life expectancy or mortality as a tool to measure development. In the study, they compared the before and after of the implement by using female mortality and declines in the maternal mortality.

3.

I used Seoul, South Korea to connect the two cases. The first one relates to the development of South Korea because they share the concept of both the advancement of women’s lives and improvement of economy. South Korea used to have a low quality of lives to women and was labeled as a low income country. However, the country developed in to one of the OECD countries and gave more opportunities to women. The only difference is the scale of success; South Korea had significant improvement. The second case relates by introducing the improvement of health system. According to The World Health Report 2007, South Korea had the biggest advance in health system in half a century, and now rank first in the OECD for healthcare. Both the country focused on the development and easy access to health care system. However, Sri Lanka had impacted strongly on the maternal health care compared to South Korea. By comparing the developments, I think South Korea should learn the determination of both Kenya and Sri Lanka and try to focus on the advancement of the vulnerable groups as we have successfully developed over the half century. Place and time are essential components in this case because the longer we wait to implement, the more lives would be suffering from the poor environment they have.

I decided to focus on air pollution, and I will talk about Inefficient Automobile Regulation. The regulation was released in 1989 in Mexico because of high levels of air pollution. By determining license plates, each car in Mexico City could not be driven on one specific day. However, the interesting thing is that the purpose of this passage is to prove the regulation is considered to be both inefficient and ineffective. This is an action to sacrifice individuals and benefit group. In addition, the concept of this regulation is related to sustainable development. By reducing the use of automobile, less air pollution will be produced, and the atmosphere will become high quality. However, the regulation does not achieve the goal of sustainable development; instead, it seems that automobile usage and gasoline consumption increased.

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/air-mex.html

For my second case, I will talk about air pollution in India. This is a report analyzing air pollution and its control measures. In this research report, the scholars list pollutants produced by human activities, such as Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon monoxide, and other Volatile organic compounds. In addition, they present major measures to reduce air pollutions. First method is by using pollution filter, carbon, to absorb pollutants. The second one is by using microorganisms to dissolve pollutants. The third measure is to improve fuel usage so that less pollution will be released, and they compare different types of fuels’ advantages and disadvantages. All these three methods are based on the concept of sustainable development. They can improve environment by both controlling its original resources and dealing with outcomes.

http://www.ripublication.com/ijeem_spl/ijeemv4n5_06.pdf

I live in Hang Zhou, China. As everyone knows, China now has very serious air pollution, and the situation hasn’t been improved at all. The pollution doesn’t relate to place and time I believe. May be because we are developing country so industrial development is the most important part in today’s China. Almost a half of China is suffering from haze. We also released Automobile Regulation in some cities, including my city. I didn’t find these negative results as case 1 in my city. It seems the regulation works in China. Maybe that is because China’s Public transport is very developed so people have more choice. Similar to control measures in India, we also are trying to change fuel resources to reduce pollutants. Moreover, we are planning to renovate high-emission industries. All those action are based on the concept of sustainable development.

Joshua Wilkins

1. Colby – Sustainable Development

   Latin America (Mendoza, Argentina)
   http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/wat-arg.html

The problem discussed in this case study is the water management in the city of Mendoza, Argentina, and how the system is not sustainable or efficient for the people in the area. For an area that receives very little rainfall every year (about 7.8 inches annually), the distribution of the exploited groundwater to supply farms and citizens with usable freshwater is commanded by a system that is designed for its own destruction. The taxation system, which is the main source of revenue for the government organization in charge of the water supply, does not produce enough money to sustain adequate service or regulation for future generations. This region would be considered a region of non-sustainable development. Better regulation of the water supply in this region could dramatically change the economy of the region and the life of its citizens.

2.) Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/africa

This webpage highlights the many, vast problems that plague the entire continent of Africa, and the general steps that the UN would like to take towards aiding the people of this area. It describes how while some of the continent is considered to be developing, other areas show issues with poverty, hunger, education, and sanitation. Some of the specific problems the continent faces are problems with child mortality rates and also citizens’ lack of access to sanitation facilities. 41% of the people living in Africa live on less than $1.25 per day, and over half of the global out-of-school children can be found in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is another example of a non-sustainable developmental system in a region with many issues to address in the future.

3.) Both of these case studies show the polarity between life in the United States and countries which are considered to not have reached the same level of development. In State College, Pennsylvania, the area which I currently reside, there is never a shortage of water or a mismanage of the freshwater sources. There is never a time that I can think of that the water supply in the future was predicted to be worse or less accessible. Also, the poverty in this area is significantly lower than that of the areas discussed in Africa, and there is most likely not a child that is not enrolled in some sort of educational system. The development of my area is much higher in many aspects than that of the areas discussed in the case studies. What we can take from these case studies is examples of how not to run our systems in this area. It is clearly evident how these systems do not work and how their practices need to change.

I chose the case study about a wood fired power plant near Flint, Michigan. The facility incinerates wood waste to generate electricity for sale to the Consumer Power Company, but creates a lot of pollution. The incinerator is located near the Dort/Carpenter Industrial Park which already has three hazardous waste facilities regulated by the EPA. Two facilities emit toxic air pollution and three facilities deal with multiple forms of toxic waste. The community has attempted to solve their problem through every legal action possible, but nothing has worked. The inerator was shut down for a year because it had a permit violation, but still continues to run. The goal of development was to for the facility to become more environmentally friendly, but it really should be shut down because it just isn’t doing any good- besides powering electricity, which can be supplied through other means. This relates back to sustainable development because obviously wood doesn’t last forever and for this incinerator to run, it needs wood. http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/Jones/flint.htm

The second case study I chose talked about eliminating measles in southern Africa. Measles is one of the most contagious infections to humans and is in the top four children killers worldwide. out of 30-40 million cases of measles, 454,000 deaths were reported in 2004 and half of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1996, seven south African countries came up with a plan to eliminate measles and it consisted of routine immunization and giving opportunities for all children ages 9-14 to get the vaccine, and follow-up vaccines. This relates back to world development because in the United States, up until the epidemic last year when people weren’t vaccinating their babies, people have always been getting vaccines and stuff. And sometimes it’s easy to forget that every country isn’t as advanced as what we are, because we really are privileged to live here and get the medical attention we need, if required. http://www.cgdev.org/page/case-17-eliminating-measles-southern-africa
I live in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and to connect my first case study back to where I live, there was a wire-making company called Syro and when it was in full operation, back in the 60s-80s, it made a lot of pollution and poured the waste products into Spring Creek, which for them, was conveniently located behind their plant. The second case I talked about doesn’t relate to my hometown at all, but I did find it extremely interesting. We can learn from these cases to for one thing, not pollute the environment that we live near because it’s toxic and can lead to disease or illness. I wouldn’t consider my hometown poor, but I wouldn’t consider it the wealthiest either. I believe most people get their immunizations and vaccines, we don’t have outbreaks of disease 

The study, Navajo-Hopi Struggle, is located at the Big Mountain, Nevada on a Navajo-Hopi reservation. The Peabody Ming Co is trying to expand their mining territory by 13,800 acres into the Big Mountain area, thus relocating the 300 families residing in the area because there is $10 million worth of coal there. This is intruding on the residents and would have a negative effect on the environment. Water supply is at a shortage in the American south-west, and the transportation of the coal will drastically deplete the supply even more. This water shortage will make necessary agriculture and livestock cultivation nearly impossible for the Native American communities. This relates to the module with environmental justice. This is supposed to provide them a right to a clean safe environment, however Native Americans are a minority which statistically puts them at a disadvantage. Also, this relates to sustainable development discussed in the module. Coal is a fossil fuel and not a sustainable energy source. Therefore, If Peabody wins, eventually environment will be damaged just to collect an unrenewable form of energy.  http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/parker.html

My second case study takes place in Bokoshe, Oklahoma, which is a small town being jeopardized by a coal ash dump site. Making Money Having Fun LLC is responsible for the massive amounts of hazardous powdery coal ash containing large amounts of lead, mercury, and arsenic being dumped in an uncontrolled manor. This toxic waste is causing landscape degradation, water and air pollution in the environment. It is also spreading harmful diseases and radiation to the population. This relates to end uses described in the module, because this is the final destination of the coal ash. However, this is unsafe and harmful the the surrounding area and residents. This also relates to sustainable development. This ash-coal is an unrenewable form of energy that could potentially cause waste overflow and further environmental and heath damages. http://ejatlas.org/conflict/coal-ash-dump-site-in-bokoshe-ok

Both of the cases are more rural than my hometown of West Chester, Pennsylvania (outside of Philadelphia) but PA is the 4^th biggest coal energy producing state which directly relates to both articles. My county is especially having environmental justice issues in Chester, a town close to mine. Since the 1980’s Chester has been affected by toxic waste treatment facilities, with affects much like the ones described in the other two articles. Although Chester doesn’t involve coal, the toxic waste is causing water and air pollution, and health problems like low birth rates. The Chester area is predominantly African-American and the issue of environmental racism has been a controversial argument for years, much like the Navajo—Hopi struggle.  Like both articles, the toxic waste treatment plants in Chester are not sustainable developments. From what I learned, in order to make Chester and West Chester more environmentally safe we must find a sustainable energy and waste system. This is a global issue as well because our current reliance on unrenewable energy sources are harmful and diminishing.

The first case study I found was from the Colby website and talked about how wind power has become such a successful source of alternative energy in Denmark.  The case study can be found at http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Vogel.htm. The goal of this wind energy development was to steer the country away from relying on fossil fuels and other unsustainable resources for energy.  Instead, Denmark was interested in implementing more renewable and diverse sources of energy.   Beginning in the 90’s, Denmark now maintains a rate of 20% renewable energy usage and produces 60% of the world’s turbines, most of which are then exported.  This topic relates to sustainable development, which was mentioned within the module.  Instead of using fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal for energy which are hard to replace, wind turbines create energy from the never ending wind, so its production will never end.

My second case study talked about dental hygiene in school aged children living in Jamaica.  The study can be found by going to http://www.cgdev.org/page/case-18-preventing-dental-caries-jamaica.   The goal of this development in dental care came after the widespread tooth decay experienced by school aged children of Jamaica in the 80’s.  Fewer than 3 in every 100 children were free of tooth decay or loss.  In 1987, Jamaica started to produce and sell fluorinated salt.  It was because of this that by the mid 90’s, dental health had improved and savings from the program were significantly high.  For every dollar spent on fluoride, 250 dollars was saved on future dental expenses.  This study brought up another way of looking at development instead of by monetary value.  Development here was based on health statistics in children and how they were not being provided the education or diet needed to practice good dental hygiene.

Discussing wind turbines in Denmark and their renewable energy is an issue of development I am familiar with living just outside of State College.  While I have seen a few wind turbines in Centre County, I feel that the area has so much room for more.  In my hometown, there’s a lot of empty land at higher elevations perfect for these energy machines.  I feel that the area would benefit from sacrificing some land for a sustainable, renewable energy source.  The case about tooth decay in Jamaica was very different from heath development where I live.  Growing up, I remember taking fluoride tablets in school and visiting the dentist regularly.  I work in a preschool where brushing, flossing, and eating good foods is already something young children are learning.   I liked that this study was about something other than development in terms of GDP.  Often we tend to think of countries as being higher or lower income, but it’s very important to think of how they differ in terms of health, another facet of development.

For my first case study I found an article from the Colby college based on Agriculture in Indonesia (http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/ag-ind.html). The focal question for this case study was “How has Indonesia’s desire for food self sufficiency in rice compromised it’s ability to address the issues of sustainable agricultural development?” The goals of the Indonesian government were to increase their rice production so they could be self sufficient in food. In which case they would be free to focus on other aspects of life and work on science and technology which has been seen to be the basis for developing and developed worlds; starting in agriculture and moving to science and technology when obtaining/cultivating food is no longer a concern. However they compromised their agricultural sustainability in the process to become self sufficient. This lead to many problems in health, economy, and pollution similar to those discussed throughout the module. Having learned from this, however, Indonesia has since implement more effective pest management programs (IPM) and agricultural policies to ensure their food is sustainable and reduce the harmful effects production causes on the environment.

My second case study was on sustainable agriculture in Thailand, focusing on the village Talad and specifically a single family/farmer there in. The goal of the study was to show how other farmer around the world are implementing sustainable agriculture and how they are achieving it. I found the article at http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_c/mod15.html?panel=3#top under the Thailand link. The study describes how the farmer, Thongdee Nantha, set up his farm in order to use integrated farming methods, like using ducks, fish, pigs, plants, rice, etc to create a nutrient replenishing circle allowing his farm to be self sufficient. The article discusses how the farming style was taken up by other farmers in the village and how it is not sustainable for “absentee landlord[s]” or “industrial farmer[s]”. However it does give an insight into how farming is done in other areas of the world. It shows how important Nantha’s attention to the details of the farm and the day to day chores, decisions, etc. are and how consuming it is. He has no time for other focuses, no time to work on other things because he must be paying attention to his farm and his source of food, which ties into the development throughout history concept and why Thailand, which is fertile, is not as developed as other countries.

These cases are slightly similar to where I live and different at the same time as well. I live in State College current (Souderton, PA when I’m at my parents, both are very similar areas though). The idea of sustainable agriculture with an integrated farming and pest management program discussed in both studies with how they relate to where I live now. The farms here focus on crop rotation, biological and chemical pest control, nutrient replenishment, etc. which is what the farmers in the case studies were also trying to do and accomplish. They are different however because here there is a much more established and highly developed system that allows us to spend time on other areas of interest than the farms in the two studies. It is important to examine the ideas, concepts, failures, and successes of other countries so that we can avoid making the same mistakes (like the health and environmental issues in Indonesia) and so we can become better at establishing a sustainable food system (similar to the small farm in Thailand) so we can be better at taking care of ourselves, our neighbors, and our planet. It will also allow us to help out other countries if we know they are struggling and lost so they too can improve their standard of living, development, etc.

GDP and Energy and Development

1. 1. Nigerian delta in Africa – University of Michigan Case Study – http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/cases_03-04/Ogoni/Ogoni_case_study.htm

   The goal of this development was to provide revenue and jobs for the Nigerian delta.  It appeared to be a win-win, the drilling company, Shell, received their oil while it also provided for 80% of the government’s revenue.  The company was able to bring in revenue and helped the government tremendously.  However, in time, the negative effects appeared.  For example, 40% of Shell’s oil spills were in Nigeria which caused the river to be so polluted that fishing as a way of supplying food is no longer an option.  Development can be measured in numerous ways but one of those ways is GDP per capita and while the drilling made the government richer, it still caused the Ogoni people to live in poverty.  As the lesson discussed, increasing GDP is not always the best way to achieve sustainable development, because it does not always give an accurate representation of all sects of society.  In this case, the Ogoni tribe had their way of living negatively impacted by Shell although the country appeared to benefit.

   2. Queensland, Australia – Rural Development Sociology from Wageningen University – http://www.rlarrdc.org.in/images/Mining%20Development%20adn%20SIA.pdf

   The goal of this development was to provide economic stimulation to the area with coal mining activities.  The mining took place in the Australian inland and towns sprung up around them.  These towns experienced terrible quality of life.  They also impacted economies around the towns.  The mines paid more and thus most other businesses lost staff, rents sky rocketed, and crime rose.  Once again, we see an increase in income and GDP caused by the mining and energy industry and yet the development of the area could be questioned.  The mining also obviously increases gas emissions and creates health problems which are also downsides of this supposed development, as was discussed in the lesson.  As in the previous example, the economic boom caused by this mining was not beneficial to many of the people.

   3. Williamsport, Pennsylvania

   In the 2000s, fracking hit Williamsport.  There was a boom in jobs (Beauge 2010).  Companies spent large amounts of money in the area, as occurred in Australia but not in Nigeria.  Eventually in all situations the long term impact on the development could be seen as negative.  This is beginning to be seen in Williamsport as we have seen crimes occurring and now with the oil and gas industry declining, there are more foreclosures and tax sales occurring.  Therefore, the fossil fuels industry in all three cases brought in lots of money into the areas and yet also brought many negative factors.  In the case of my hometown and Australia, the residents were not left in as much despair as they were in Nigeria.  Also, in the case of Williamsport, the state government ensured that the drillers were unable to harm the area as much as in the other two examples (2013 Act 89).  However, in all three instances, the development brought on by increased GDP did not necessarily translate into development for the people.

    

   Beauge, John. 2010. “Impact of Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling is widespread in Williamsport.” August 24. PennLive. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/08/impact_of_marcellus_shale_dril.html

   “2013 Act 89.” 2013. Pennsylvania General Assembly.  Retrieved from http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/li/uconsCheck.cfm?yr=2013&sessInd=0&act=89

Indonesia and self-sufficient rice production

1.)    The focal question of this case study is, “how has Indonesia’s desire for self-sufficiency in rice compromised its ability to address the issues of sustainable agricultural development?”  During the time span from 1970-1984 Indonesia had increases its irrigated land from 3.7-4.9 million hectares.  With all this new land the government needed people to work it, so they forced out families living in the cities to live in the country.   With huge subsidies for herbicides, pesticides, and rice crop the farmers in turn over sprayed and over irrigated the rice land.  Which in turn had devastating environmental effects due to runoff and water pollution along with economic effects due to inefficient use of pesticides.  Also, the use of extensive sprays created a pesticide resistant bug that damaged 50-60,000 hectares of cultivated rice.  So in short Indonesia’s government led approach to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production backfired horribly, leaving behind extensive environmental and economic damage.  This relates back to previous models because it shows exactly how to not achieve sustainable agriculture.  The green revolution was the first indicator of this, massive amounts of fertilizer coupled with irrigation and sprays may produce a lot of food in a short time, but in the long run it’s not morally correct, it’s not efficient, nor is it environmentally safe. http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/ag-ind.html

2.)    The second case study I chose to research was about the application of waste water for agricultural use.  This takes place in Haroonabad, Pakistan.  So what happens in this case study is the effects of waste water irrigated fields in terms of public health, water, and soil quality.  Then they compared that to regular water taken from a canal.  The main reason these farmers were using the wastewater to irrigate their crops was because it is readily available, and these farmers planted much more high value crops, such as vegetables.  On the other hand farmers who used the canals or ground water for irrigation found it increasingly difficult to use water during the dry summer season due to increase in cost of extraction.  The wastewater had levels of E. coli and worm eggs that exceeded the international standards for irrigation and could pose a threat to human health.  When asked about their health it was reported that the families exposed to the wastewater reported more cases of diarrhea, and the men had 80% higher reports of round worms.   However the farmers who use the wastewater are saving money on fertilizers and hired labor, they also make more money from their crop because of the availability of wastewater.  They have access to this water all year long, and oftentimes over water their fields, a luxury the canal water farmers cannot afford. Even with the human health risks clearly present the farmers are using more and more wastewater to irrigate their field, which means they need a health program to limit the transmittance of worms.  This shows that communities in underdeveloped countries do not have the resources needed to grow food in a secure manner, they are relying on wastewater simply because it’s more available.  The next problem is that technological advancements won’t reach these areas any time soon, simply because their governments aren’t stable enough to allow this to happen.  If countries could reach these small communities and bring technological advancements then we can get more people out of poverty, and take a step in the right direction toward development. 

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qWXUBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=international+case+study+on+agriculture&ots=6Plb1rp8wO&sig=O0BRdqd6Zdch3-QJ5Mq5BnVhLeI#v=onepage&q=international%20case%20study%20on%20agriculture&f=false

3.)    Connecting these two cases to where I live seems like a difficult task.  At home, in Wellsboro P.A. there isn’t a need for wastewater because we have springs and lakes, and rivers at easy access for water should we need to irrigate.  Secondly we receive a ridiculous amount of rainfall every summer, so much so that we actually lost 15 acres of snap beans due to rot.  However I do see some similarities, when times of no rainfall we have filled up tanks of water to irrigate corn, soybeans, and wheat.  Though the thought of having to use wastewater is a scary thought, not only because it’s unsanitary it can also cause serious health effects to our consumers.  It really makes me appreciate how easy we have it here in terms of water quality, and water safety.  However the thought of water spiked already with natural fertilizers isn’t a bad thought, however you need a site that can safely handle the wastewater and clean it of all bacteria, and pathogens.  That would save my family alone thousands on fertilizer every growing season.  In a sense this can already be happening, because pig farmers spread liquid nitrogen on their fields, while we also spread manure onto our fields during the growing season. 

For my first case, I selected a Land Care System that arrived in the Philippines in the late 1990s.  In order to make a more sustainable environment, the new Philippine constitution of 1987 added specific provisions for the management of natural resources and the environment.  This case specifically focuses on Barangay Ned in the province of South Cotabato.  For Barangay Ned, erosion was an issue to due logging and cultivation.  The Land Care System helped to create groups of farmers who could learn from each other in order to manage their lands, but over time, has decreased in popularity due to a decrease in training.  For those who used the program, they did learn a lot about erosion and ways to prevent it.  The conclusion of this case is that a program must take the time to understand the livelihoods of the people involved, otherwise it will fail to achieve its goals.  This case study relates to a sustainable development because Barangay Ned was in need of having a sustainable environment that they can continue to harvest from.  Link: http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Smith.htm

My second case study is of a smaller scale, but still important.  A company called Lafarge built a new river crossing at one of its quarries on Reunion Island (off the coast of Madagascar).  The crossing in question was rebuilt to use better pipes, which aided any species such as migratory fish and crustaceans (even some endangered ones) move along through the river.  What makes this river crossing even more effective is the continuation of monitoring it. The monitoring efforts involve a number of engineers, local fishermen, and stakeholders.  The monitoring has shown that the new river crossing is proving to be effective for the species that live in the area.  As I said before, this is smaller in size, but is still important to contributing to a sustainable environment.  In this case, the local aquatic species.  Link: http://www.lafarge.com/en/reunion-innovative-project-protect-unique-local-biodiversity

To relate these cases back to where I live, relatively close to my house there is a small “dam” as we call it (no more than 15 feet wide) with a small bridge to walk over.  A few years ago, the “dam” was in need of repair.  Behind this dam was a small lake that many fish and other creatures occupy.  On the front end of the damn, a small stream that makes its way down to an even bigger lake.  If this dam were to have been allowed to crumble away, the creatures that rely on the lake would be in trouble.  In addition, erosion would occur along all of the stream as well as flooding due to the high amount of water being added to the stream.  Just like the other two case studies, this dam helped to keep the environment more sustainable for the people that live near it as well as any species that occupy the lake.

1. Environmental Justice Case Study: Ecuador’s Huaoraní Indians Fight Against Maxus Energy Corporation’s Plans to Extract Oil on Their Traditional Territory, is a case study collected by Environmental Justice Case Studies by University of Michigan students. This study takes place in the Huaorani Indian territory, located deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon also known as the Oriente. (http://www.umich.edu/%7Esnre492/paul.html) The Ecuadorian government gave permission to the Maxus Energy Corporation to explore oil on the Huaorani’s native land in 1992. The Ecuadorian government is in favor of Maxus because the country depends on the oil resource for nearly half of the country’s income. This concept ties into course content on development because of the environmental justice movement and how it is a global issue targeted in regions that are the poorest and least powerful. The Huaorani tribe does not seek money but, instead these people want their land and streams unharmed by toxic chemicals being released by Maxus. The company has a history of deforestation of rainforests, river pollution, and intimidation or communities in the places they have drilled.

2. According to International Environmental Justice: Building the Natural Assets of the World’s Poor by Krista Harper and S. Ravi Rajan, a case study on page 6, Fighting for Clean Air in Urban China discusses people in Tianjin and Beijing, China are suffering negatively from development (http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/working_papers/working_papers_51-100/WP87.pdf) This case study discusses how pollution is known as the price the citizens have to pay for “China’s economic miracle.” The goal of this development is to supply the people of China with jobs and to increase the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In module 5, it was discussed how GDP are monetary statistics that can be used a measure for development. Compared to Western Countries, such as the US, China is still not as developed. The “economic miracle” or industrialization of China has also caused extremely dangerous air and water pollution, which largely impacts the poor and children of this country. This ties into course content similarly with Ecuador in the concept of how poor regions geographically and those least powerful are the largest impacted by the pollution.
3. These two case studies tie into the environmental justice issue of fracking in the State of Pennsylvania. The issue of fracking in Centre County, PA is similar to the other studies because these impacts of development negatively affect human health in these regions by the release of harmful chemicals in the water supplies and it disturbs the land. This map, http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/drilling/ show where natural gas drilling has been conducted in regions that are urban or poor. The geographical region around the Pittsburg Area, shows a connection to an urban area, like Beijing, China, experiencing development that is negative for human health from the biproducts of development. If Pennsylvania would focus more on using wind and solar energy instead of natural gas as a developmental alternative, then human health would be less at risk. In the areas impacted by harmful pollution due to development, all three of these geographic regions have lower socioeconomic status. This further proves that poor and often minority populations are more likely to live closer to facilities that have negative health effects.

1. For my case I chose to an article from the “AllAfrica-Sustainability- Kenya: Experts Gather in Nairobi to Fight Water Crisis” webpage (http://allafrica.com/stories/201602230603.html) This case deals with water experts from various countries in Africa are in Nairobi discussing ways of ensuring sustainable access to the commodity and sanitation on the continent. Of the 1.8 billion people worldwide who do not have easy access to water, two thirds live in Africa. The issues that is being discussed includes management of sewage, public-private partnerships for financing water and sanitation organization, and help for the poor. The provision of clean drinking water in the country and in Africa remains a great challenge that governments must strive to tackle. Five percent of Africa’s gross domestic product is lost every year due to water quality-related issues that impact health and productivity, pushing the poor further into poverty. Only fifty-six percent of Kenyans have reliable access to clean water and seventy percent have access to sanitation. The livelihoods and the security of African countries are threatened by the shortage of water. These water experts must move fast and effectively in order to make advances in the water shortage of Africa.

2. For my second case study I have chosen to talk about global food loss and waste around the world on the “World Resources Institute” website. (http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/01/champions-call-reduce-global-food-loss-and-waste) Currently, thirty leaders have launched an effort to reduce food loss and waste around the world. The focus is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, reduce food loss and waste in order to increase food security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help lessen poverty. This level of wastefulness has huge economic, social, and environmental impacts. Food loss and waste causes $940 billion in economic losses annually. It worsens food insecurity and malnutrition. Food that is ultimately lost or wasted consumes about a quarter of all water used by agriculture. It is responsible for an estimated eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts of reducing food loss and waste, can save money for farmers, companies, and households. Wasting less food leads to feeding more people and lessens pressure on climate, water, and land resources.

3. I am from Northern Pennsylvania in a small town called Athens, Pennsylvania. I live in a rural area where we rely on various resources in order to survive. Although the issues stated above in the two case studies, water or food shortage is not a common problem in the area I live, it is still very possible that due to the lack of other resources, my life and the others around me could easily be affected without the necessary resources that are provided. In Africa and other countries we see how families are struggling to survive due to the lack of water and sanitation in their country. In countries around the world we see how malnutrition is becoming a problem due to food loss and waste. These resources are the key to survival and without the farm’s productions, clean water, and functioning electricity around my area I could easily be having a hard time surviving myself. With the advancements and development in the U.S I have been fortunate enough to have had a healthy life so far.

My first case study is India’s Greatest Planned Environmental Disaster: The Narmada Valley Dam Projects, categorized by Environmental Justice, is a case study of Indian government creating big dams on Narmada River with hope of a better future of Indian citizens. This river passes through three different states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Link to the webpage: http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/Jones/narmada.html . Purpose behind this project was to provide Indian citizens with more water and to ease their poverty troubles. This project is another example of development’s downsides, relating it to the module. Even though dams were built to improve Indians’ lifestyles, still there was a lot of carelessness involved. Indian government did not decide how the bills will be paid; also they were unaware of the side effects of big dams. Instead of providing water and better health these dams became a good source of flooding, water-logging, salinity, diseases etc. causing citizens’ health to weaken even more. Usually development’s downsides reason is environment but in this case it was Indian government being careless and trying to convert their ideas into actions without proper evaluation.

The second case study I chose was Kenya : Groundwater Governance. The link to the study is http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/06/16583819/kenya-groundwater-governance-case-study This relates to the module by being an example of sustainable development. The study explains the importance of groundwater specially in a water scarce state. It tells us how implementing policies and regulating the number of wells and boreholes helps in keeping the water source safe and renewable. It also highlights some of the weaknesses of the policies but mainly, we can learn that when a resource is so important and scarce, there is need to take actions to conserve it, which is why Kenya’s government implemented Water acts and policies to ensure sustainability of the groundwater as a water resource for the country. From the case study, we learn that keeping the governance of groundwater is also important because it is a source for agriculture and Kenya’s economy majorly depends on agriculture as well.Connecting it to the module, we can see that the module says the same: we need to change some ways of using scarce resources in order to keep them sustainable.

I am from Jaipur, India and its development level is similar to both case studies. Jaipur being in a desert state, is a water scarce place as Kenya, therefore, most people in Jaipur use groundwater as their major water source for all activities. Looking at recent statistics, the state is going to face a shortage of water with extremely low groundwater levels if nothing is done. Also, Kanota dam is the only one near Jaipur. It does help but the returns on the overall costs of the dam have not been much, therefore having a similar development’s downside as Narmada dam. I think we can learn from both the case studies, firstly if government is implementing a project it should evaluate all consequences and costs properly and secondly if a resource is scarce, it needs to take actions in order to conserve it for future generations. Geographically speaking, depending on location, some countries have more natural resources than others, and if they evaluate and implement plans properly they can use it to their advantage and add to the country’s development whereas other without the resources would take more time to develop in those areas. Overall, it made me realize evaluating places with regard to time and otherwise (especially government policies regarding environment) is essential for development.

The first case study that I chose was Wind Power in Denmark and it came from Colby-Sustainable Development (http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Vogel.htm). Investments in alternative energy sources have become more important for countries that rely heavily on fossil fuels and other limited resources because of the increasing levels of scarcity. Many countries are looking for renewable energy sources that are sustainable and will not have a negative impact on future generations. Wind energy is a great way for a country to develop both environmentally and economically. Since the 1970s, Denmark has been looking for a way to save limited resources by conducting a wind power project as their new source of energy. Today, they currently generate more wind power per person than any other country in the world. Implementation and technological development has provided unmatched cost and energy efficiency for Denmark in which they can continue to expand to help future generations.

The second case study that I chose came from Center for Global Health Development and it focused on Curbing Tobacco Use in Poland (http://www.cgdev.org/page/case-14-curbing-tobacco-use-poland). Since the 1980s, Poland has been conducting research to see the impact of smoking and how it links to lung cancer. They found that tobacco is the second deadliest threat to adult health as one out of every ten adults die from it. In the eighties, Poland had the highest rate of smokers in the world. Nearly 75% of middle aged men smoked every day and this caused Poland to have one of the highest rates of lung cancer in the world. In 1995 the Polish parliament stepped in and passed groundbreaking tobacco-control legislation. It banned smoking in health centers and enclosed workspaces, banned electronic media advertisement, and banned sales to minors. This law has led to positive development for the Polish people. Cigarette consumption dropped ten percent in the next decade, which lead to 10,000 fewer deaths and a thirty percent decline in lung cancer.

Both of these case studies can be related to Hatfield Pennsylvania in which I have been living my entire life. In comparison to Denmark, there are several wind turbines in the town as a source of renewable energy. Another major project that is currently being implemented is solar power. All of the roofs in my neighborhood have switched to solar energy as a way to protect the natural resources and as a way to increase energy output that is safe for the environment. The second case also relates to not only my hometown; instead, America as a whole. The government has increased limitations for tobacco usage to protect the well being of the citizens. The percentage of smokers has gone down dramatically in the past century due to raised awareness on the effect that it has on the people. Examining a place where these cases exist is very important to understand because we must take into account the resources available. For Denmark, it was stated that they used to rely heavily on fossils fuels and natural resources but they were aware this practice would not be sustainable for the future. Time is also very important in development because for Poland, they had such high numbers of deaths due to lung cancer, which was limiting their development as a whole. This new law that was put into place was served to increase the wellbeing of the people as well as development of the country.

For my case I chose “Environmental Justice Case Study: Union Carbide Gas Release in Bhopal, India” from the Colby- Sustainable development webpage (http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/lopatin.html). This case study deals with the release of toxic material from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. The pesticide plant was located near the poorest sector of the population (similar to the Camdem, New Jersey video linked in the module 5 text) and when the leak occurred, nearly 40 tons of methyl isocyanate flowed from its containers over a two hour period. According to the report, even if plant workers knew about the leak earlier, safety standards at the plant would not allow them to do anything about it. The leak killed 2,500 people, and injured about 400,000, with the toll still rising as of this current day.

For my second case study, I chose “Environmental Justice Case Study- Marcropper in the Phillippines” by Gerald Christopher Aguila, Joy Anne  Aplasca, Paolo Miguel Babasa, Loisa Castro and Beverly Ann Gulaga from the docslide webpage (http://docslide.us/documents/environmental-justice-case-study.html). This case study also deals with environmental justice issues. In this case study, Marcropper, a mining corporation was dumping mining waste into the bay and waterways on Marinduque island in the Philippines. According to this case study, it was dumping waste at the rate of 2.5 tons per second (length of time unspecified). This dumping of waste destroyed the fisheries (The government actually declared the fishery dead in this area, major upset for local fisherman), caused major health problems (skin rashes, respiratory problems including cancer) and affected the land that the people rely on heavily for agriculture. Once again, this mining operation was located on an island with very low poverty levels, just as in Bhopal. 

These two cases have a strong connection to where I currently live. Currently there are plans underway to construct a new Methanol  plant in Tacoma, Washington. This plant, (scheduled to break ground in 2017) would be the largest in the world. Placement of this plant, just as in India and the Philippines is in the industrial portion of Tacoma, which is also intermixed and adjacent to the lowest income housing portion in the city. With the negative effects of Methanol production (Environmental, health and even water consumption) we could stand to learn a few valuable lessons from both the Marinduque Island and Bhopal examples. Local tribes and city government see the associated economic benefit of having the methanol plant, but not nearly enough attention has been given to the possibilities of catastrophes, the massive amount of water required during the production process (nearly equal to the usage for the entire city) and the health concerns for those living near the plant, as well as the fisheries and wildlife likely to be affected by the plant. With water in the Greater Tacoma are already being asked to lower water usage by 10% due to little snow pack (still an issue) this is definitely not the time or place to consider building the plant here, in the Puget sound. The negative effects of  building the world’s largest methanol refinery in the Puget Sound region are far-reaching. This area is too sensitive ecologically to accommodate such an industry.

• The case study I researched from the WBCSB at http://www.wbcsd.org/cement-industry-calls-for-long-term-policy-certainty-as-it-aspires-to-reduce-co.aspx , involves the global cement industry and their quest to become environmental friendly. The goal of the Low Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative) is to reduce CO₂ emissions by 1 Gt by 2030. As of now the cement industry produces 5% of all CO₂ produced by humans, a greener cement industry can be key for the fight against global warming. This case study applies to several concepts in this module including environmental justice and human-environmental interactions. With greener cement factories, nearby residents will not have to deal with as many drawbacks that come with living near a factory. This initiative shows that the cement industry cares about the surrounding residents and values their option on factory pollution. It is clear that human system of cement production has an effect on the natural environment, if the industry can minimize the impact on the environment, the environment could in turn provide more resources to produce cement. A greener cement industry could create a symbiotic relationship with the environment.

• I found my outside source case study about reducing child mortality in Nepal at http://www.cgdev.org/page/case-4-reducing-child-mortality-through-vitamin-nepal. Studies have shown that vitamin A deficiency is responsible for nearly a quarter of all child deaths around the world, the lack of vitamin A compromises the immune system. With a damaged immune system prevalent diseases in Nepal like measles and malaria can easily be contracted. Vitamin A deficiencies arise mainly from undernourishment, and the effects can be as extreme as complete blindness. The NVAP is trying to combat vitamin A deficiency by delivering two rounds of vitamin A capsules to children annually. This development is very similar to the situation in Cuba, outlined in this module. Focusing on healthcare will hopefully allow Nepal to have a life expectancy similar to many high income nations. This program is also facilitating women’s rights within Nepal. The NVAP have employed women, who have minimal rights in Nepal, to help spread this program to mothers all over Nepal. Equal rights for women can be a huge step for the overall development of Nepal.

• I will be comparing these case studies to my hometown of Ramsey, NJ. Ramsey is mainly a residential town expect for one large industrial park on the south side of town. The residential area surrounding this industrial park has seen the value of the property decrease as factories expand. Nearby residents are feeling voiceless, like the people of Camden, NJ, as these factories expand. There has been a large argument for these factories to practice greener manufacturing to hopefully allow these property values to rise again. This situation is very similar to my first case study as they both involve environmental justice, a greener industry will have less negative effects on the environment and the surrounding human population. Fortunately, Ramsey has access to plenty of food capable of properly nourishing the entire population, so the situation in Nepal is not prevalent in my hometown.

1. After checking out Irin news, I found a very interesting case study. The study involves a particular situation that has risen in Somalia. Somalia is currently undergoing a significant drought in which they have many problems that have resulted. The first issue, is a food crisis. The Somali people claim that a “large-scale abnormal outmigration of livestock”. This means that as a result of the drought, animals that they would use for food are dying off. The land of Somalia is not particularly great for farming, so livestock is the main source of food. Of course, the drought has affected farming situations as well. People cannot afford to keep their livestock healthy and are therefore trying to sell what they have. The value of their livestock is also dropping significantly because of this. In order to help the situation, the people of Somalia are moving from rural areas into city towns. This is because the drought has affected people of the lands way more than in the city. In order to control water flow, the government has rationing securities in effect. http://www.irinnews.org/node/255998
2. For my second case study, I have chosen to research the air pollution situation within Japan. The air pollution levels in central Tokyo are so serious that thick smog exists in the air at almost all times. This smog as flown over to parts of China as well. The air pollution is listed between 88-98 micrograms per cubic meter. Anything over 80 micrograms per square meter is considered too dangerous to breathe the air outside. This means that every time the people of Tokyo go outside, they are putting their lives at risk. This is a majorly serious problem for the people of Tokyo. In order to lower these pollution levels, Tokyo has taken measures to curb air pollution levels. Believe it or not, since 2001, they have been successful in lower rates over 55% with these restrictions. Many bureaus in Japan regulate the air pollution emissions and place heavy restrictions on transportation uses. Many people in Japan ride bikes and walk to where they need to go in order to keep emission levels low. I find this case study very interesting because the emission levels are so high, yet the people of Japan continue to fight back. https://www.env.go.jp/en/aboutus/pamph/html/00pan090.html
3. Back home, I am from New York. As many people know, New York City has a major air pollution problem as well. Although it is not as bad as that in Tokyo, the millions of people that call this city home add to pollution everyday. Taxis, buses, and cars fill the streets of New York, emitting more poison each and everyday. By examining the situation in Tokyo and learning how they have lowered their pollution rate, we can do the same here in New York and attempt the same methods. If we are not successful, Tokyo can become my New York reality. As for the first case study on Somalia and their current drought, I do not share as much of a similar situation. Luckily for me, I have never experienced a water drought in anywhere I have been. In order to ensure that I do not ever have to deal with that nightmare, I can take part in rationing water by only using water when I need it. I can eliminate methods that waste water such as taking long showers; letting sinks run when not needed, and much more. These two case studies were extremely interesting to me. They helped me realize that although I don’t have to deal with these horrific situations, I should still be apart of something to prevent/help these issues.

The case study that I chose was the new efforts being taken by African nations to combat the illegal logging being done in Tanzania and Mozambique.  The Zanzibar Declaration on Illegal Logging is supposed to improve the communications between customs authorities and forest officials, according to http://allafrica.com/stories/201509091188.html.  This declaration will hopefully reduce the amount of deforestation, which is largely due to “terrorist organizations” using the lumber to fund their activities.  In fact, according to the article, over 4 million hectares have been cut down just in 12 years.  This issue directly deals with environmental justice, which was prevalent in this module.  The trees not only important for the wildlife in the area, but also important for lowering the carbon dioxide levels for the entire planet.

In Maryland the Chesapeake Bay is a very important natural feature of the area.  But recently, the bay has seen a huge drop in its oyster population which brings a pretty big concern for the health of the bay.   The oysters act as natural filters and provide habitat for aquatic life.  Recently, the oyster populations have been down to only two percent of the usual population because of pollution. According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s website, in response to this, an oyster gardening program where people grow adolescent oysters to adulthood, has been set up to combat the dwindling oyster population.  This issue relates to the topic of how development has environmental downsides.  The Chesapeake Bay has become a foothold for many industries on the east coast, and as a result of this
this development pollution has caused oyster populations to be diminished, which in turn resulted in poor water quality because of the lack of the natural filtration the oysters provided.

http://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/maryland/oyster-restoration

http://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/maryland/oyster-restoration/oyster-gardening-program

My hometown of Pittsburgh, PA was once the hub of steel manufacturing of the world.  Pittsburgh was ideal for manufacturing because of its convenient location at the intersection of three rivers, the Allegheny, Monongahela, and the Ohio Rivers.  As industry boomed for decades, the rivers ecosystems’ took a toll as pollution and toxins leaked into the rivers.  Just like how in Africa, the illegal logging negatively affected the African forest ecosystem, the illegal dumping of pollution in the Pittsburgh river ecosystem adversely affected it.  Also, similarly to the oyster situation in the Chesapeake Bay, pollution due to development also hurt the ecosystem.  Like the African illegal logging, governmental intervention was necessary to cull the illegal dumping in the rivers. Moreover, like the oyster growing initiative in Maryland, environmental groups in Pittsburgh came together to restore the rivers to their natural beauty.

1. The case study I chose to focus on was air pollution and transportation in Mexico. Mexico City has a problem with air pollution that is attributable to the car use there. This air pollution problem is growing and leading to negative health effects. Transportation contributes to about half the city’s total emission, so they tried to implement a program that would not allow cars to be used on a certain day. Not allowing people to drive their cars one day a week ended up doing the opposite of what it was supposed to. This program was inconvenient for the people because they couldn’t get to wherever they needed to be on certain days, so it would cause them to drive more on the days they were able to drive. A result of this program was increased demand for gasoline which meant that people weren’t driving any less and may be driving more than before. This issue involves environmental justice because the development of cars in this area has caused harm to people through negative health effects of air pollution. http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/air-mex.html
2. A case study that I researched was one in Greece that tried to solve the problems of putting wastewater directly into the ocean and high withdrawals of groundwater. There are large drink companies in Greece that used to just dump their wastewater into the sea. This led to a cement factory taking the wastewater instead of letting it go to sea. The factory uses this water to de-dust the gases from the cement kiln. This caused the cement factory to use less groundwater because the wastewater can be used the same way. It also offers a more environmentally friendly way for the drink company to dispose of their wastewater. This issue relates to the topic of sustainable development. Water is not an unlimited resource and the less water that is wasted now will lead to more being available in the future. http://www.lafarge.com/en/greece-a-partnership-reuse-waste-water-our-industrial-process
3. I come from a town in the suburbs of Philadelphia called Doylestown. Doylestown still experiences development problems like the ones in Mexico City and Greece, but on a much smaller scale. Being a fairly wealth area, Doylestown has many residents who own a car and in many cases more than one. The emission from these cars has an effect on air pollution, but it does not cause any negative health effects for the drivers of these cars. People in Doylestown are contributing to air pollution, but nothing is being done about it because its effects are not noticeable in the area. If the town decided to restrict which days people could drive their cars it would have similar results to Mexico City because it would be ineffective in decreasing the emissions. Doylestown doesn’t have a drink company that has plants in the area, but does use a lot of groundwater. The town’s main source of water is groundwater and any other source of water would be beneficial to reducing the amount of groundwater needed. If Doylestown reused water from a plant or factory of some kind, it would be benefit the town the same way it was in Greece.

1.) http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/trans-jap.html

I chose the case study found on the Colby – Sustainable development page. The case study that I decided to read is titled, “Bicycles as Transportation Policy”. This case study discusses how Japan continues to develop after World War 2 and one of the main reasons for their development is the growing use of bicycles. They have encouraged citizens to ride bikes by making it easier to rent bicycles, and have made it more difficult to travel around by automobile. Japan has a limited geography and has a lack of petroleum. This lack of petroleum makes it hard for Japan to develop, so it is important for citizens to reduce fossil fuel usage.  One of the topics that is covered in the module is how these transportation methods are helping Japan develop economically. Their GDP is increasing and many of the citizens are purchasing automobiles again as the economy develops. The study discusses how it will be difficult to continue to promote bikes as the population wealth increases.

2.) http://www.cgdev.org/page/case-14-curbing-tobacco-use-poland

The site that I was able to find as an external case study was found on the website titled, “Center for Global Development”. The article I found on this page is titled, “CASE 14: Curbing tobacco use in Poland”. This case study discusses a health development in Poland and how the tobacco use in Poland was causing so many problems to their population. The goal of the study was to determine how to reduce the negative impacts of smoking on the population. Poland was able to reduce the tobacco use by 10% by requiring the largest warning labels to be printed, the ban of electronic advertising, and the ban of smoking in certain areas. This case study discusses some of the topics talked about in the module because this case does not show an economic development. This development is for the health of the Polish citizens, and the environment that the Polish citizens live in. This development leads to healthier children and an overall healthier population, which will lead to development in other areas.

3.)

The location I will be comparing these cases to is my hometown of Pompano Beach, Florida. The discussion of promoting bikes in Japan is very similar to what I see in my hometown. This is because I live in a dense area close to the beach in Florida. This allows for bikes to be almost quicker than driving a car. There are also areas that offer bike rentals in the area. However, unlike Japan the city is a larger geographic area and there is still a high demand for cars. My experience in this area tells me it is possible to promote development in health and to cut back on fossil fuels by riding bikes. The second case is very similar to Tobacco in America. This case study shows the movement against smoking over the years. The bans of advertising and smoking in certain places. The tobacco campaign is now putting out advertisements against smoking. There are also products that attempt to offer nicotine without the burning of tobacco.

1. The first case study is from Costa Rica, a serious topic on deforestation and the effect it has on the environment and the native people. From the source of ‘The Gaia Atlas Of Planet Management’., this article focuses on the goals of development that follow along the lines of sustainability. At an alarming rate, Costa Rica has been losing its cultural diversity, land, and forests due to action such as logging, ranching, and the development of large scale commercial agriculture. As discussed in the module, sustainability focuses on what’s important for the present, rather than pursuing further ideas to benefit the future. As a result, many natural resources we use cannot be used in the future, which is why growing a new tree in Costa Rica is simply too difficult. Because of the monetary incentives, Costa Rica has one of the highest rates of deforestation. Thanks to the Development Agreement that was signed, Costa Rica is proposing the use of economic incentives to achieve environmental goals such as preserving future conservation, like the rainforests.

LINK: http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/defor-costa.html

2. The second case study is from New Jersey, a topic about preserving a specific wildlife seal; the pinnipeds. Because of the high use of motor boats, kayakers, overfishing, and overhead aircraft, these seals have limited mobility both on land and in water. This source stresses the development of preserving this species, and how end uses are affecting marine life. In New Jersey, this specific economy is so focused on the the idea of fishing and making profit for local restaurants that they’re not thinking about the punishments for the marine wildlife. The first step that New Jersey pursued to develop a conservation plan is to detail the challenges the species, or group of species, face in their habitat. Due to entanglement in fishing nets, oil spills, and mortality caused directly by other pollutants, this weakens the immunity and causes mortality in not only pinnipeds, but other wildlife species. This is otherwise known as another way the module looked at development; a facet of determining mortality, health, and life expectancy, that will save the marine wildlife.

LINK: http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/species/spotlight/pinnipeds/

3. I live in Belmar, New Jersey, directly a few blocks from the water. The two cases from paragraph 1 and 2 relate directly to the development in the place where I live. In regards to similarity, my hometown is so focused on ends use that we don’t really think about the future consequences of what we do until they slowly start to show. For example, we can learn from the first case study that there are better ways to save trees rather than overcrowding my hometown. New apartment buildings are being built every month, and we used to believe this was a great way to increase our town’s population until we realized more roads and houses were visible than trees and grass. Trees give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil and give life to the world’s wildlife. In order to advance development in wildlife, my town simply needs to be more smarter about overfishing and the overuse of boating. It may be fun, but we clearly don’t think about these effects until they start to occur.

After looking through many of the case studies offered, I chose one in Africa, involving the construction and effects of the building of a dam. The source of the information is from a site called “All Africa,” and the link to it is: http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00040610.html. This case study in Africa is the joint effort of the three countries of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan to make advances on the energy efficiency and environmental status of their area. This case study is an ongoing process that started many years ago, and has been progressing. The main component of the study is the impact of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam. After much preparation, research, and conflicting discussions, the dam is scheduled to be completed in 2017. Being able to hold 74 billion cubic meters of water, it will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa. This is definitely a key aspect of world development, as the effects of this dam will be huge. In addition, this development is sustainable in that a project this large will obviously need to be able to sustain itself for many years to come.

Another case study I decided to focus my time and interest on was one located in the United States, in Alaska. This case study was done by the oil company, BP, a company that has a heavy impact in sustainability, energy, and positive change in the world. Here is the link to the study: http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/sustainability/bp-and-sustainability/case-studies-library/oil-spill-preparedness-and-remediation-in-alaska.html/. The case study I chose was titled “Oil spill preparedness and remediation in Alaska.” It describes BP’s response to oil spills in Alaska, and provided detailed plans as to how they were to go about their solution. They focused on different steps of solving the oil problem, including emergency responses, long-term responses, recovery, remediation, and restoration. It definitely connected to sustainable development and even global development, in that fixing the problem here in Alaska could prove to be an example or template for how other countries may fix the same problem they are also facing.

Most case studies can impact and be applied to many places around the world. That is a key aspect of global development because an advance or change in one place can impact many locations throughout the world. I can connect these two cases, in Africa and in Alaska, to where I live, which is in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, right near the city of Philadelphia. First off, the energy case study in Alaska involving the dam ripples over to my hometown because we can also make advances to be more efficient and sustainable with our energy sources. In addition, oil is used all around the world, so to hear that BP is making important advances regarding oil in Alaska will impact us as well on the other side of the country. By preventing oil spills, there will be a larger amount available, which on a personal level means lower prices for oil.

This particular case study, from the source All Africa, is in regards to the starvation and malnutrition facing the people of Ethiopia (http://allafrica.com/stories/201602191414.html). Nearly 10 million people in Ethiopia are affected by hunger and Ethiopian authorities have complained of the difficulty faced in terms of ability to provide, what little food there is, to the needy because of the bustling activity in the seaport. In an attempt to fix this problem of access, the ships are required to discharge their goods more efficiently so that trucks and trains may transport their goods. The government has made food aid and fertilizers a top priority by setting aside a single dock at the seaport. The World Food Program (WFP) has delivered relief food rations to nearly 7.6 million people. Food rations are an effort to save and sustain as many lives as possible during this crisis where people have nothing else to live on. The WFP is also purchasing additional food for rationing from local farmers and traders around the region that may have a surplus. This case study relates to sustainable development and the ways in which it differs between developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries.

I used Sage Journals as the source for further information regarding starvation in regions across Asia (http://sas.sagepub.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/content/14/1/129.full.pdf+html). In South Asia, improvements in per capita food availability along with women’s education provide the most optimistic outcomes for the future reduction in the prevalence of child malnutrition. An improved status for women is particularly prioritized as well as improvements in national income growth and democratic development. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) has set forth aspirations in hopes of eventually eradicating this problem, but the goals will only be achieved if the international community acts now, along with political will. UNICEF strongly enforces raising nutritional issues on government agendas, using success stories such as China’s as models, and placing the primary focus on pregnant women and children under the age of two. Finally, the World Bank report suggests a number of simple solutions for improving children’s diets, such as the use of fortified foods and Vitamin A. Each of these organizations (MDG, UNICEF, and World Bank) agrees that the nutrition of children must be made a priority amongst national policies and budgets.

I currently live in State College, Pennsylvania, which is surrounded by farmland and mountains. This agricultural setting allows for sustainable development since crops are readily available. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present population and environment, without compromising the ability of prosperity to meet and maintain their own needs. People in developed countries usually live to an older age, more desirable living situation, as well as more career opportunities. Though the most common standard for comparing development is through gross domestic product (GDP), another way is based on the comparison of various health statistics between developed, developing, as well as underdeveloped countries. Generally, money and health are directly correlated, which is evident when comparing development between State College and Ethiopia or South Asia. The more developed area, State College, does not have as large a problem with hunger as underdeveloped countries. Agriculture in an area is also important for availability of food and supplies for maintenance of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. The increase in food and supplies in State College, as compared to Ethiopia and South Asia, allows for growth of a larger population to be adequately maintained, as well as the availability of society to focus on tasks other than producing food.

1. My case study has to do with the shrimp industry in Ecuador. For years during the 1980’s, the shrimp industry in Ecuador was able to thrive off the increase demand of shrimp to the United States and across the world. During Ecuador’s shrimping success, they destroyed many of the mangroves that provided protection for post larval shrimps to make room for more facilities to handle the older shrimp.  Without the protection the young shrimp need, many of them were not able to reach adulthood, causing the industry to sharply decline.  The goal is now for Ecuador to revitalize its diminished shrimping industry quick enough to rejoin the market, but not too quickly that they create the same problems again.  This is a sustainable development issue, with fish as a resource quickly diminishing.  The end uses of the shrimping industry is to provide money for the families of the shrimpers.  This development also highlights humanity impacting the environment, in this case negatively. Ecuador must address the issue soon before it is too late.

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/aqua-ecua.html

2. 1. This case study has to do with the low-income, developing countries where young children do not attain the education they are entitled to. The children suffer from poor health, and live in a cycle of poverty and inadequate education.  These are some examples of environmental bads. The goal is to help these children to escape poverty and lead successful lives.  The organization Restless Development works with young girls in various developing, low-income countries to overcome the environmental justice issues that are out of their control.  Restless Development helps to keep girls, around the age of 15-25, educated and teaches them about reproductive health, gender bias, and life skills.  They also teach girls to be leaders and ways to better other girls around them.  The organization also works with poor boys to help them gain insight and experience that will allow them to get jobs.   This is considered development through human and societal advancement.  As the organization works more, the children can contribute to the developing India for the better.

http://restlessdevelopment.org/our-work-with-girls-1

3. The location I will use is Westfield, New Jersey. The issues of India are very similar to the areas that I live by.  I live very close to Camden, Atlantic City, and Newark in  New Jersey. They are included in the top 100 worst cities in the United States.  While I do not have the issues as discussed in Ecuador over food industries, I do have several large issues with education and poverty in the cities around me.  Many of the young students there do not finish high school or attend college, and some even become part of organized crime.  Just last week, 3 Crips members were arrested in the town next to me.  Organizations like Restless Development are necessary to keep struggling students, regardless of background, in school.  Place and time matters in my situation because the longer we wait, more kids are going to fall out of school, making the areas worse.  The sooner organizations, like the Boys and Girl Clubs of America, help, the better the areas will be.

1.

The first case study I selected focused on the development associated with the use solar cookers in Kenya. Specifically, in the refugee camps of Kakuma and Dadaab. The source of this information is from an undergraduate student at Colby College in Main, Jill M. Maccaferri, who analyzes two related sources. The goal of this development is to reduce air pollution associated with burning wood to cook, free up to five hours a day that would have been spent looking for firewood and save up to 60% of earned income that is used for cooking. The secondary benefits are related to social betterment as a result of the extra time and money women will save. The development of solar cookers in refugee camps relates the closest to the health disparities of poor populations living locations in the U.S. While both populations live in different countries, the contrast between rich and poor is apparent.

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/sol-ken.html

2.

The second case study I selected focuses on methods to combat air pollution in India. Specifically, the main challenges of reducing air pollution are discussed and possible solutions are outlined. The source of this information is the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office for India. The goal of this development is to address the issues of household air pollution, which relies on making clean sources of energy available through liquefied petroleum cooking gas and solar power. In addition, outdoor air pollution is identified as an issue and the benefits of lessening automobile use and the relocation of heavily industries is discussed. The impacts of the aforementioned solutions to air pollution challenges relates closest to the constraints that natural resources place on the developmental process. Specifically, The use of fossil fuels and their impact on the environment and health.

http://www.searo.who.int/india/topics/air_pollution/air_pollution_media_note.pdf?ua=1

3.

The two cases I reviewed relate closest with my time spent living and working in Karachi, Pakistan. The most relevant case in terms of similarity of development in Pakistan would be the challenges of air pollution in India. This is due to the fact both areas have extremely similar issues in terms of air pollution and the use of fossil fuels with little regulation. The development of solar cookers relates closest with the impact of using wood for cooking fuel in Pakistan, as opposed to natural gas or other cleaner sources. I selected both areas to compare and contrast to where I lived for two reasons: their development level and political relationship with Western culture. The development level of each country, as well as situation discussed, are very similar to include common goals. However, I think that relationship that both Kenya and India have with Western nations allows for greater aid. If Pakistan had a similar relationship, I think that greater development could occur.

The first case study comes from the Colby-Sustainable Development website. The article, “Pricing Traffic Congestion”, describes the crowding of traffic in London, England. The congestion leads to an increase in pollution near the cities. In order to solve these problems, London implemented a congestion charge. Any person who drives into central London from 7:00 am to 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday, must pay 8 pounds. As a result, people have been using the bus system to travel into the city, which reduces the number of vehicles on the road and pollution. This kind of development may only be available to those who live in countries which have a high gross income and GDP. Those who live in the lower classes of London might not have the luxury to travel downtown because they cannot afford the charge. Additionally, England needs to have a stable economy in order to cover the costs of the system. Some countries may not have the flexibility to spend government money on patrolling the congestion charges of its citizens. Link: http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Allison.htm

The second case study comes the Center for Global Development website. The article, “Improving the Health of the Poor in Mexico”, describes an attempt to reduce illness, low birth weights, infant mortality, and poor nutrition of the poor in Mexico. The program, Oportunidades, involves the Mexican government giving participants financial support. Then, the family uses the money to take their children to the doctors or to send them to school. Participants also have access to nutrition counseling and supplementary foods. In Module 5, we learned one way to view development is to look at the health statistics of a nation. Mexico is continuing to improve their health statistics with the program Oportunidades, thus developing into a better country. Additionally, the case study can be related to Hans Rosling’s TED talk. Many of us have might believe child mortality rates are not very high. Oportunidades is attempting to fix this misconception by bringing to light the problem and solution to the high death rate and poverty of its children. Link: http://www.cgdev.org/page/case-9-improving-health-poor-mexico.

The two case studies I have discussed are related to the development in my home town of State College, PA. The first case study is related as certain roads are known for being congested in my town. Atherton Street and Park Avenue are congested nearly every day. However, the congestion is much worse in major cities than in State College. Residents of my town are encouraged to ride their bikes or take the bus as much as possible. Yet, citizens still drive all the time. We should make more of an effort to conserve our environment by riding a bus or bike. The second case study can relate to my town as well. State College contains a small group of poor citizens. A program similar to Oportunidades would most likely flourish as many families don’t have access to food or shelter. The money would probably come from the state or local level as the government might not be willing to participate. The program would encourage lower class citizens to live a healthier and productive life.

The case study from the Colby- Sustainable Development website concentrates on traffic congestion in London, England. Traffic congestion in the inner city is detrimental to the population and environment, ultimately causing constant traffic, inefficiency to drivers and an increase in air pollution. To fix this issue, London has implemented a license system, which charges a single flat-rate to ones license in the inner city between 7 am to 6:30 pm on Mondays to Fridays. As a result, there’s been an enormous decrease in miles driven and an increase in public transportation, which inevitably decreases traffic congestion and pollution. Socially, this system saves time, reduces accidents and reduces CO2 emissions. The license system exemplifies the geography term, sustainable development. Throughout time, the people of London recognized the depletion of gas as it becomes scarce, the cumulative role of pollution, and the social role that traffic has on individual lives. Therefore, to sustain a life where future generations will be happy and have unlimited resources, it is necessary to adopt a system to limit congestion.

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Allison.htm

The case study from the “Farming First” website focuses on the “Family Program” in Peru, which exporters Comercio&Cia set up, to give farmers credit for coffee sold. Previously, coffee producers had low levels of fertilizer and low incomes. Neither banks nor the government provided farmers with any credit when they were at this high risk. As a result, Comercio&Cia launched the “Family Program” which not only provides credit but also trains farmers in agronomic management. This program gradually expanded and helped farmers diversify their farm production and increase their income. Socially, this program improved family relationships and promoted biodiversity. The term historical geography is important in this case study because through this program, coffee farmers were able to diversify and specialize their farm produce. By learning throughout history, Comercio&Cia started a program that provides credit, increases incomes, and teaches skills to farmers in order to be successful.

http://www.farmingfirst.org/2011/01/credit-for-fertilizer-helps-peruvian-coffee-growers-improve-livelihoods/

The case study on the license system for traffic congestion and the case study about the “Family Program” connect with my hometown Potomac, Maryland. I live about 40 minutes from Washington, DC, so I understand the congestion of traffic. As a result of this congestion, we have express lanes that have different toll prices during rush hour in order to decrease the demand. Similar to London, Maryland provides numerous methods of public transportation such as the metro or buses. In the past, toll expressways and public transportation did not exist; however, neither did this high demand of traffic. Therefore, it is necessary to decrease driving to protect the environment. The second case study does not relate as well to my hometown because farmers in Maryland don’t have the same issues as Peruvian farmers. Our farming conditions are very different so it is challenging to compare the two different countries. Nonetheless, two issue Maryland farmers have are an increase in suburban development along with an increase in pollution of chemicals into rivers.

1. This specific case study revolves around The Narmada Valley Development Project which takes place in the Narmada River in India. This is the link to the case study; http://www.umich.edu/%7Esnre492/Jones/narmada.html. This specific case study is focused on the largest river development in India and considered one of the largest hydroelectric projects in the world. The goal of this development is to create over 3,000 dams in the Narmada River in order to produce power, control flooding, and maintain irrigation especially in an area known for monsoons. However, this developmental plan has major flaws and destructive issues to both the environment and the humans living in that area by destroying biodiversity. The major issue behind the construction of these dams involves economic justice. By creating these dams, many tribal families below the poverty level will be displaced and their homelands will be taken away from them. The downsides to this environmental development is not necessarily in the best interest of the people of the area or the environment in this area.

2. This case study takes place in Laguna San Ignacio, which is a lagoon on the west coast of New Mexico. This is the link to the case study; http://www.mhhe.com/Enviro-Sci/CaseStudyLibrary/International/CaseStudy_SavingaGrayWhale.pdf. This case study describes how a sea salt extraction facility was built in this bay. This facility is considered to be the largest in the world. Plans were made to construct an even larger facility that would surely endanger the Pacific Gray whales in this area. This case study does not specifically point out things such as economic justice, however it does relate to the idea of protecting biodiversity from environmental development. However, this case study could be related to the idea of sustainable development. This module talks about how much of the environmental resources are being depleted in order for the end product. No consideration is taken into account of how the environment is being depleted or being affected because all that is in mind is the end product which is exactly what is happening with the whales and the production of salt.

3. The place I picked to connect these two case studies was my hometown which is New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Just like the first case study which involves people with a low poverty level and a minority group, my hometown has a relatable situation for the area. Not too long ago, there was talks of tearing down an entire area of run down houses and buildings in downtown New Kensington. Just like my first case study, this would displace many people who couldn’t afford to live elsewhere. There was also lots of question as to where the money to do this would come from. The second case was about the conservation of a specific wildlife. For a decent amount of time, there was a lot of poaching and deer hunting in the area that was causing a sharp decline in the species. Action had to be taken in order to stop this decline, however the difference in the case study is that environmental development was causing this decline. This is about as close of a relation that I am able to make to the second case study because since the area is an area with a low poverty level; not often is a new development made in recent years. Examining different case studies and relating them to different areas and different times allows improvements for the future of developments. Also, knowledge about mistakes from previous developments will allow for better developments that have consideration for humans and the environment in order to create a sustainable environment.

This information comes from Andrew Pease from Colby College. In Brazil, deforestation is a “local problem with global consequences”.  The increase rate of deforestation raises major concerns for biodiversity loss and global warming.  Because of the Brazilian governmental tax policies and tax incentives, an economic distortion is created that harms the environment by the increasing demand in farm or ranch land. Large corporations quickly claim the land close to roads, but small farmers are being pushed further into the forest in order to farm.  Small farmers are being harmed the most because the low tax rate level transitions into land, which cause the small farmers to go into the forest to unclaimed land. Land and income taxes are the two types of taxes that directly affect deforestation.  Different parts of Brazil employ different programs that promote deforestation. The policies of the Brazilian government have shown to promote deforestation, increase size of land holdings, and hurt small farmers.

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/defor-brazil.html

This information comes from Katie Weeks from Eco Building according to a Dartmouth College Study. A study was conducted to show if deforestation was a good thing. The study proved to show that more frequent logging or deforestation may actual benefit the environment. At higher attitude areas where the timber productivity is low and where snowfall is more common, it could actually benefit the area if all the trees were cut down because the snow would reflect solar energy off the snow and into the forest around it. The effects of hardwood and softwood forest rotations (tree is planted to tree is harvested) where modeled in the forest. The study argues that albedo should be valued in a manner like carbon to be adequately factored into forest management. The end result of the study was “high-latitude low-productivity forests with minimal carbon sequestration potential and frequent snowfall are more likely to be harvested more frequently.”

http://www.ecobuildingpulse.com/news/could-deforestation-be-a-good-thing_o

Being a hunter from Lancaster PA, forests are vital for animals and provide them with all the resources to survive. Lancaster County is different from Brazil in the way that the government isn’t pushing farmers into the forest. Also, in my area farming is a dying career and hardly anyone wants to become a farmer. The two case studies are different in the way that the first one blames the government for causing deforestation to increase and the second one is explains a study done that is actually shows that logging trees can be a good thing. We can learn from both of these cases, the first thing is to not push farmers into the forest because that will just increase deforestation. The other thing is that if we correctly cut down trees in the right areas, we can actually help out the environment. Geographically, the top of the mountain will help when it snows so timing for the winter is everything that way new trees can grow in the spring.

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Vogel.htm

For this case study I decided to focus on alternative energy sources, specifically wind power in Denmark and why its been successful. The idea started in the 1980s and early 90s when they began to put emphasis on advancing their economy environmentally and quickly became the pioneer and world leader in wind turbine energy. The plan was basically to flood the wind energy field combining manufacturers, suppliers, research and educational institutions to create and advance with the best products. This can be seen as a success in how they produce 60 percent of the worlds wind turbines 2/3 which are exported. This connects directly to this module in that it uses the idea of sustainable development, using a wind turbine which can be used over and over forever with only improved efficiency apposed to using up fossil fuels for energy. Also, Wind turbines are super clean, creating lots of energy with little to no emissions or harmful waste product.

http://sesinnovation.com

For my second case study I decided to focus on a company called SES or Sustainable Energy Solutions  innovation who works to solve sustainability problems in the energy industry.One of these problems that they highlighted is the rising level of CO2 and other pollutants due to the use of fossil fuels. Their method for doing this, a new device called the Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC) which is a new technology that is the most cost effective and efficient process for reducing C)2 emissions in plants. To do this, it they freeze the C02 out of the exhaust from the plant and then serpsrating the solid from the gas prior to the gas going in to the atmosphere,  reducing carbon and other emissions by 96 to 98 percent. This connects to this module since it tackles one of the main problems brought up with factories being placed near low income homes and neighborhoods. Even though the area still my be considered poor, a lot of the negative effects of their surrounding area can be negating, improving air quality for the people living there.

These two case studies significantly effect the area I live in since it is only 25 minutes from camden which was highlighted in this module. The first case study more directly connects to my town, East brunswick, New Jersey where a lot of families as well as my local government emphasize the use of clean energy. While the movement in my town is more towards the use of solar panels for electricity it still falls under the idea of sustainable energy and we can learn and try and implement new ideas to further our impact on the environment. The use of wind turbines can especially be influential in my suburban town where there are lots of fields placed within an urban setting that aren’t being used and are perfect spots for energy plants. The second paragraph is more a an area connection in that my parents work in the city and everyday drive to work past tons of factories spewing pollution in the air, so bad you need to hold your nose. With new technologies like the Cryogenic Carbon Capture we can start to fix the over air quality of Northern New Jersey.

Last December on the 14^th, at the United Nations meeting in Paris, the African nations secured a developmental victory. The African delegations had recently created the African Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI). In the past, the African nations had been put aside due to their third world country status. They wanted to be given a chance to prove they can be more developed countries than the rest of the world thinks they can be. The deal they cut was $10 billion to be given to the AREI. This would help establish 300GW of renewable energy for these countries through 2030. The African countries were ecstatic that they were given such a deal, as it is a large step forward in development. These countries in Africa have a much smaller GDP and have less access to energy than us in the US, making this a huge deal for them in the future. Here’s the article: http://www.irinnews.org/report/102292/cop21-counting-money

Continuing to focus on Africa, I found an article about the fastest growing countries in Africa, mostly in the southern half of Africa. This article focuses on the African success before the Paris Conference. The southern half of Africa has greatly increased its GDP. Angola tops the charts in the GDP increases of the past year and is shortly after followed by Congo, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The well being of their populations have also improved too, with Angola at the top of that list. These countries are improving with better economies and healthier people, but are still very poor in comparison to the rest of the world. Some countries have also increased their economic value but have lessened their well being. The article is listed on the Economist at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2013/05/development-africa

Both of these articles deal with a whole different world than the one I live in, in the United States at State College. The development of these countries in the past few years has taken leaps and bounds to become what they are today and what they will become in the next few years, but are still on a very low developmental level than what I am used to. I am typing this now on a laptop that I charge up every night while I sleep. These African countries are still struggling with getting energy to turn to a light on. That difference is due to the large difference in development. Both Africa and the US are trying to get more efficient and more renewable energy sources, but the primary difference being that we already have a lot of energy sources while they have as little as none.

1.The location of the case study I chose was Chad and Cameroon. The source of the information in this case study came from the University of Michigan. The link from which I was able to find the case study is http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/Jones/pipe.htm.  The goal of this case study is environmental justice for the people of Cameroon and Chad. The World Bank, the government and the oil companies decided to construct a large pipeline through the local’s villages and forests. Their argument is that it will help the economic growth of these two areas and the people of Chad and Cameroon will have the opportunity for more jobs. This case represents the side of development that may not always be considered a good thing, environmental justice. The impacts that development has on the people and the environment while they run a large pipeline through their villages and forests is not in everyone’s best interest.

2.The Link that you can find the case study for question 2 is, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=400&nr=35&menu=35. If you want a direct link to the PDF copy the link is, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/publication.pdf. The area that this case study was done was Tanzania, called the Lufumbu Village Water Project. The source of the information in this case study was published by the United Nations. The initial goal of this project was to be able to get water to villages that did not have an easy access to it. Once the villagers and the engineers completed the tasks of creating this process it also posed as a great benefit to their health, forests and the process of building homes. This case increased the health of these individuals, which in turn, could be the start of a higher life expectancy.   This case also represents, end uses. The end use of creating access to water in their villages was the output of agriculture which in turn will keep the villagers healthier. The task of creating a water system in this village helped the village thrive and be able to be profitable with their crops, become healthier due to better nutrition and water and time management.

3.The location I used to connect to these two cases is Fort Worth, Texas. The first case I picked was about the creation of a pipeline, which to the government, investors and oil companies was a great idea but to the communities it had a lot of disadvantages. This is similar to where I live because we have so many wells in our area which the companies and investors see it as a success but to those living near those wells see the problems in these developments. The second case was about a village creating access to a water supply. This case does not relate to where I am from since we have access to clean water daily. In some small communities in the metroplex, the only source of water is contaminated. The only way for them to have drinkable water is purchasing cases of water to eat, shower and drink. What could be learned from the Village is that if everyone pulls together we could create a project to help cut out the contaminated water in these communities. Examining the place where these cases exist is important to help better understand the resources that they do or do not have readily available and how ideas can be implemented. The time matters in development because some developmental goods or bads could have a desperate need to be implemented in order to solve a dire problem.

The topic I chose to focus on is Solid Waste Disposal.  The case originates in the Washington region of the United States, specifically King County.  This case poses the question of whether economic incentives can successfully control waste disposal and promote recycling. I found this case from the Colby Sustainable Development source; the case can be found on this webpage: http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/swm-wa.html. The main issue began in the 70s and early 80s with landfills filling at a very high rate and without consideration of the environmental impact on King County. To solve this problem officials came up with the idea to provide economic incentives for people to recycle. Charging money for more than one bin of waste motivates people to produce less waste. By 1996 the county was able to obtain a rate of 53% of waste being reduced or recycles. The main goal of this case is sustainable development. By reducing the environmental impact of past generations, King County was allowing future generations to meet their own waste disposal needs. Without this development initiative, the county would be facing huge disposal issues in the present and in future generations.

The second case study I focused on concerned The Three Gorges Dam located on the Yangtze River between Chongqing and Yichang City, Hubei province in south-central China. This study was found on the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science website, University of Buffalo and can be found on this webpage: http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/three_gorges_dam.pdf. The case addresses the benefits and negative side effects of the Three Gorges Dam. China is a developing country, meaning there is an increased demand for energy. China’s energy use has increased by 56.6% from 2005-2011. The costly Dam project provides s 84 terawatt-hours of electricity annually but was a controversial project for several reasons. The Dam caused massive flooding, forced many residents to relocate, decline of fish vegetation, changes to downstream temperature and flow and much more. The goal of this development is to provide a source of energy for the ever increasing Chinese population. It turns out that this Dam project is more of an unsustainable development than it is sustainable. Building this dam causes an alteration in the wildlife and freshwater systems. The increased usage of Dams to produce energy is affecting biodiversity in a way that will prevent us from maintaining positive development.

I currently live in Colts Neck New Jersey, a town close to the eastern coast of the United States. Both cases can relate to where I live because they concern the relationship between human needs and the impact on our environment. My town’s waste also goes to a landfill facility. These types of practices cannot be sustained forever and it would be very beneficial for my town to create some sort of incentive to recycle and reduce waste. Unlike in Kings County we do not have a government mandated rule or goal for recycling but I think this could be a great idea for the future. Unlike in China, my energy is not produced from a dam because we are not located near a river source. In America, we depend on China for many of our resources and imported products. The price of energy and how it is sustained for the future is very important to America’s ability to trade and conduct business with China. My region is not facing such steep population growth as China and therefore does not have to deal with issues like building water Dams just to have enough energy. What is important to recognize is that China relies heavily on its fishing and vegetation to feed its population. Tampering with their food sources can be very detrimental to the future, which is something they must be very careful of and something we can learn from in my region.

World Danger’s Need to be Fixed

 Cameroon, located in West Africa, is currently being eaten by the sea. Families and shelters have been destroyed multiple times from ongoing storms that create regional erosion and costal flooding. Being a third world country, citizens of Cameroon cannot afford to rebuild their home more than once, forcing thousands of people to migrate to Kousseri, a village close to Cameroon.   Since climate change is almost inevitable, especially in an underdeveloped country, the government has limited power. Some means of fixing that the government implemented is flood prevention and mitigation strategies, dry area water management, policies for citizens’ movements to safer areas, and improving agriculture productivity. Hans Rosling’s claim that, “the division between the more-developed and less-developed countries no longer exists. Instead, there is a continuum of development around the world with no gap in the middle,” supports Cameroon’s decision to implement policies to help prevent the dangers of climate change. On the GDP map, Africa is ranked under the one of the lowest GDPs. This is because they are still strategizing on how to better their country’s conditions which categorize them as a developing country rather than an underdeveloped country as mentioned above. Knowing the history of Africa’s agricultural production makes it credible that it is a developing country. Since agriculture did not originate in Africa, it is a setback to their productivity compared to other countries. Also another setback is the pollution from developed countries. Sometimes developed countries’ waste products end up in developing countries, polluting their land and air, making their produce life-threatening.

http://www.irinnews.org/node/255785

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a workshop that aims to create cheap technologies that improve living conditions of poorer countries. Once they realized that 90% of the research development was devoted to improving technology for the wealthier people, they came up with solutions to switch the development research to help the poor. Scientists worked with materials that could be afforded by the world’s poorest people, materials that could be fixed easily, and fit technology that is easy to live with. These researchers are trying to create a sustainable development for the poor. Materials being used are eco friendly and people friendly, in other words are healthy and safe. It is known that poor people live in bad conditions and usually die young. In the development maps in Module 5, the countries with the least gross GDP also have the least life expectancy. This is because poor people cannot get their daily needs and resources they need to keep a healthy life.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/11/science/11mit.html?_r=0

 Over the summer I live in East Hampton, New York. Case one is similar to where I live because East Hampton is affected by storms as well. A few years ago a massive hurricane named Sandy destroyed my house. My house was located on the beach near the water, similar to the citizens of Cameroon, and was flooded and gone. However, unlike the people of Cameroon, I was able to rebuild my house stronger than before. Advanced government policies like insurance allowed me to improve my living conditions such as building it farther away from the sea and putting the house on stilts, rather than leading me to move to another town. In case two, a similarity is that the people of my town are always aiming to help the poor. Not necessarily in the technical way but in other ways such as donating clothing, donating food, and donating personal time to help them. Further, technology is always improving in my town, specifically for the wealthier. Alarm systems are constantly being installed and new cars are constantly bought, rather than putting money towards technology for the ones who cannot afford luxurious items. Both of these cases taught me that government regulation can play a huge part in advancing development in my town, whether its for the poor or for the wealthy. People should donate time to help both social groups to enhance lives for the better of the world.

1.Toxic Waste in Chester, Pennsylvania

http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/polk.html

An investment company has continued to build multiple toxic and hazardous waste treatment facilities in Chester, PA. Since the waste treatment facilities were established, there has been a drastic inclination in negative health effects. Chester’s residents quality of life is being degraded, resulting in many disorders, such as, asthma, cancer, sore throats and skin disorders. The population in Chester is made up of 65% black ethnicity and the city is said to have the lowest family income in the entire state of Pennsylvania. Although only 8% of the county’s population lives in Chester, the city is handling 67% of the county’s total waste. Some are calling this “Environmental Racism,” pushing for these polluting facilities to be shut down. It took years for goals of development to be put into effect but many Grass Root Level organizations are empowering residents to make a change. Public hearings are being held and statewide conferences are spreading awareness, forming strategies to better these poor environmental conditions. The internet is also playing a vital rule, recruiting others to spread awareness hoping to ultimately get environmental justice. This case study was very similar to the pollution occurring in Camden, NJ. The environmental degradation is causing serious health effects to their residents and with the globalized nature of our economy, pollutants are becoming concentrated in certain regions of the world.

2.Poisoning Bhopal

Bhopal, India

http://www.mhhe.com/Enviro-Sci/CaseStudyLibrary/International/CaseStudy_Poisoning_Bhopal.pdf

Bhopal, India is an industrial city located in Central India. Unexpectedly, the residents of Bhopal were awakened one night to a cloud of toxic gas. As the residents were trying to escape their homes, unfortunately, many did not even make it past their door step. This gas cloud resulted in more than 15,000 deaths and 800,000 suffered medical problems. The noxious gas came from a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal which makes the pesticide Temik. A component of Temik, methyl isocyanate, was stored in large tanks at the plant. Water mysteriously got into the tank, creating the deadly chemical reaction that swept the city. This incident is claimed to be the greatest industrial disaster in history and pushed families without medical care, into even deeper poverty. 20 years after the incident, no one was ever punished for this horrific catastrophe. Although nothing was really done to improve development, this disaster served as an alert to the world of the various negative effects of air pollution and the risks associated with storage, and manufacturing highly toxic industrial chemicals. This case study also related to the industrialization in Camden, New Jersey. The children are developing asthma from the “black dust” pouring out of these industries. The cancer rate is also skyrocketing because of these noxious agents. Although nothing to this scale has yet to happen in New Jersey, it serves a warning to potential dangers, if this industrialization persists.
3. A few years back, I lived with my boyfriend in Havertown, Pennsylvania. Chester is located right next to Havertown, and every time we would drive through Chester, I remember a sense of fear and sadness that consumed my body. The trash that covered the town was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before. The streams were polluted, I saw many residents in wheelchairs, and children were playing in parks full of garbage and plastic. Adversely, Havertown is a clean, beautiful town located about 15 minutes from Chester. Most of the neighborhood is Caucasian, and they do not have a toxic waste facility in their town. The environmental conditions were completely opposite when comparing the two towns. When the Bhopal incident occurred, some of the bordering cities were also harmed from the toxic gas cloud. That was a big reality check because if something similar to Bhopal occurred in Chester, Havertown could be negatively affected along with all the family and friends we have there. Before reading this article, I had no idea why Chester was in such a poor condition, and it was the first time I heard about the incident in Bhopal. I believe it is very important for all residents, and surrounding residents, to be aware of the potential risks of harboring these toxic waste/pesticide facilities and the development downsides. It is also evident that geography plays a big rule in measuring pollution. Lower income cities are predominately at a greater risk of environmental bads than higher income cities. Also the greater the concentration of population, the more likely these industries will located closer to them, geographically.