Cities forecast to expand by area equal to France, Germany and Spain combined in less than 20 years

[Dead_Parrot]

Urbanization choices to be fundamental to environmental sustainability, say experts; Equivalent of a city of 1 million needed weekly given population growth trend
Unless development patterns change, by 2030 humanity's urban footprint will occupy an additional 1.5 million square kilometres - comparable to the combined territories of France, Germany and Spain, say experts at a major international science meeting underway in London.

UN estimates show human population growing from 7 billion today to 9 billion by 2050, translating into some 1 million more people expected on average each week for the next 38 years, with most of that increase anticipated in urban centres. And ongoing migration from rural to urban living could see world cities receive yet another 1 billion additional people. Total forecast urban population in 2050: 6.3 billion (up from 3.5 billion today).

The question isn't whether to urbanize but how, says Dr. Michail Fragkias of Arizona State University, one of nearly 3000 participants at the conference, entitled "Planet Under Pressure". Unfortunately, he adds, today's ongoing pattern of urban sprawl puts humanity at severe risk due to environmental problems. Dense cities designed for efficiency offer one of the most promising paths to sustainability, and urbanization specialists will share a wealth of knowledge available to drive solutions.

How best to urbanize is one among many "options and opportunities" under discussion by global environmental change specialists today, Day 2 of the four-day conference March 26-29, convened to help address a wide range of global sustainability challenges and offer recommendations to June's UN "Rio+20" Earth Summit.

More: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/essp-cft032612.php

[Nihil]

1. Any more cheery news for me this morning?

"Signs of thawing permafrost revealed from space"

"1 million more people expected on average each week for the next 38 years"

Obama sucking API cocks in Oklahoma

Makes me wish I hadn't come back ...

[Dead_Parrot]

2. How 'bout starvation and disasters? no?

Sorry. Here, have a kitten.

[Nihil]

3. Very nice but one question ...

Did you have to include its cyanide tablets though?

[Dead_Parrot]

4. What's wrong with that?

When it grows up into a world devoid of fish to eat and butterflys to chase, and only the birdless husks of dead trees to climb, it can have it's nom noms, lay it's fluffy little head down on the cold hard dirt and pass into oblivion.

'Tis a kindness.

Wanna see a puppy?

[Nihil]

5. Poetical, maybe even prophetical ...

... yet still strangely unreassuring ...

[xchrom]

6. Most Cities Unprepared for Coming Population Boom

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=most-cities-unprepared-for-coming-population-boom

LONDON -- The world's cities are mushrooming at the rate of around 1 million people a week as the planet's population heads toward 9 billion people by 2050 from 7 billion now.

Urban areas are set to sprawl over an extra area equivalent to most of Europe within 20 years, yet little is being done to prepare for the major challenges that expansion will bring, scientists said Tuesday.

Already more than half the world's population is urbanized -- a fraction, they said, that would surge to some two-thirds by midcentury if current projections hold true. "Re-engineering cities is urgently needed for global sustainability," Shobhakar Dhakal, director of Tokyo's Global Carbon Project, said during the second day of the Planet Under Pressure conference.

Rehabilitation was a major theme of the meeting, held in the former industrial wasteland of east London's docklands area, adjacent to the site of the new stadium for this year's Olympic Games. Conferees learned that more than 70 percent of climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions are generated in cities, with emissions set to hit 36.5 billion metric tons in 2030 from 25 billion in 2010 and 15 billion in 1990.