Crystal Davis looks at urbanization and its impact on environment and development in Part I of a three-part series. Check out other analysis by Crystal at http://earthtrends.wri.org.

Now home to half of the world’s people, cities are increasingly at the forefront of our most pressing environmental challenges. While the current pace of urbanization is not unique in human history, the sheer magnitude of urban growth–driven by massive demographic shifts in the developing world–is unprecedented, with vast implications for human well-being and the environment. However, where cities pose environmental problems, they also offer solutions. As hotspots of consumption, production, and waste generation, cities possess unparalleled potential to increase the energy efficiency and sustainability of society as a whole.

Figure 1. Economic and Social Welfare in Urban vs Rural Areas

Cities generate a disproportionate share of gross domestic product (GDP) and provide, on average, greater social and economic benefits to their inhabitants than do rural areas. As a result, increased urbanization often correlates to higher national incomes (see Figure 1 above).

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A man making his own biodiesel. Photo by Mike Murrow from Flickr.

In Kilmarnock, Scotland, bus passengers will soon be able to pay their fare with used cooking oil instead of cash. Eight buses carrying over 15,000 passengers a week will run on 100% biodiesel generated from used cooking oil and tallow, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by an anticipated 82% and virtually eliminating air-polluting sulfur emissions. As an added incentive to boost the program during its six month trial period, free containers will be provided to those who want to take their used cooking oil to a nearby recycling plant in exchange for discounted bus fare. Read the rest of this entry »

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Using satellites to map pollution. Photo by kennethg from Flickr.

With the help of satellites, scientists are now measuring and mapping concentrations and global movements of air-pollution and, through a cool new project known as TEMIS, have made near-real time satellite images of pollutants available online. TEMIS allows anyone with an internet connection to download its data into Google Earth, which projects the images onto the globe in a series of short films.

From a public health perspective, the TEMIS project is an incredibly powerful tool. These images are the first to provide a vertical profile of gas concentrations, meaning that we can now see how much pollution people are being exposed to on the ground. They also show us the immediate and long-term implications of emissions-related policy decisions. When Beijing temporarily removed one-third of its private vehicles from the road between 4 and 6 November 2006, for example, TEMIS registered a 40 percent reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions. Ana Escalante recently reported on the upcoming 2008 release of the $2,500 Tata car in India. If you are wondering what impacts this super cheap car might have on Indian air quality, tune in to TEMIS to see the story unfold each day on your computer screen.

For more information, see a post I wrote for Earthtrends.

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A biker struck by a car in Beijing. Courtesy of pmorgan of Flickr.

It’s helpful to think about traffic safety with the following thought experiment: What would happen in a democratic forum, if the world’s population, represented by elected officials, sat down and collectively decided upon the appropriate costs of personal mobility? Would they agree that 1.2 million deaths every year would be the right trade off for the freedom that the car and other modes of motorized transport provide? Or would they think that such a sacrifice of life is not worth the benefit? What about the so-called “vulnerable road users,” pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and users of public transportation, often those who don’t own cars? Because they are the most at risk of being struck down on the road, is it fair that we sacrifice the people who very infrequently enjoy the benefits of cars?
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