Non-US Jemsiters - need help with school project

[jay ratkowski]

Hi,
I am in a class called "Environment & Consumption" and part of the class is a large paper on attempting to solve a specific environmental issue. The kicker is, we are not supposed to focus on an issue in the US. So one example might be: "helping solve the energy crisis in London by installing compact fluorescent bulbs in street lamps." (I don't know if that is an issue or if London already has CF lamps, just making up an example)

So those of you outside the US, if there is a specific issue that affects your region or metropolitan area, throw it my way. I'm looking suggestions and really haven't begun to thought about any sort of direction with this project.

Thanks!

[alex10]

The price of Petrol (gas) In England !
Its about $8 - 9 a gallon over here

[GuitarBizarre]

Why not do something on the Smog at the olympics? Theres lots of info about that around. They even seeded the clouds to make it rain, so that the rain would calm the pollution there. (A tactic borrowed from the Russians, who did the same thing to make sure the clouds wouldn't rain on military parades.)

[andy7jem]

No widespread cf lighting in London, you'll find the vast majority are high pressure sodium

[jay ratkowski]

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

Why not do something on the Smog at the olympics? Theres lots of info about that around. They even seeded the clouds to make it rain, so that the rain would calm the pollution there. (A tactic borrowed from the Russians, who did the same thing to make sure the clouds wouldn't rain on military parades.)

Nice! That's what I'm talking about... very relevant issue as we all just heard about it with the Olympics and it deals with smart/sustainable growth and tons of other pressing issues. Thanks!!!

Originally Posted by alex10

The price of Petrol (gas) In England !
Its about $8 - 9 a gallon over here

That's not an environmental issue. The UK has over a 100% total tax/duty on gasoline. Talk to your government. ;-)

[newbieguitarmaker]

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

Why not do something on the Smog at the olympics? Theres lots of info about that around. They even seeded the clouds to make it rain, so that the rain would calm the pollution there. (A tactic borrowed from the Russians, who did the same thing to make sure the clouds wouldn't rain on military parades.)

or the Smog in Mexico City, its pretty bad there.

Also check out stuff like Rain forest deforestation since that causes issues with many parts of the environment, it changes the way the water flows down hills and can alter life for many places around the rain forest.

[kotornut]

Only social problems in Japan recently. But if there is ever anything else ask again I could help.

Unless you want to talk about people still hunting and eating whales.

[MFB]

Um, why not do the ice-caps melting? Or the deforestation thats happening around the world? Global warming?

[newbieguitarmaker]

I have a question, aren't there people who are hired to break through the ice in the north so that boats can get through? Wouldn't that help contribute to melting since it is creating greater surface area

[kotornut]

Well it contributes in a small way. But your talking about millions of square miles and a boat punching through a hundred or so at a time. A drop of water in a ocean so to speak.

[Devo]

Do you want existing examples or current problems?

in a few european countries they introduced a plastic bag tax, in Ireland for example it cut the number of plastic bags being land-filled from around 1 billion a year to only a couple of million over night. The production and disposal of plastic being particularly bad for the environment. It was an inconvenience for about a week and then the whole country got used to it. You could use this as a model for solving land-fill and plastic production requirements for a large european city like london.

[jay ratkowski]

Good stuff, Devo. I am looking for current/future problems though. I wish we could do stuff in the US as a few of the things you mentioned were ideas I had before I found out we had to do a foreign issue. We are way behind on some of those things here.