Urban Earth - Recently Updated Pages

Nature Network Portal

ShinoTanikawa — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:29:59 CST

Welcome to the Nature Network Portal!

This is the home page for the Nature Network on the Urban Earth wiki.

About the Nature Network

Nature Network is a collaboration among organizations dedicated to nurturing a healthy natural environment in the NJ-NY-CT Metropolitan region. Nature Network inspires ecological citizenship by creating and disseminating knowledge and fostering dialogue on critical environmental issues. It is a framework within which member organizations can work together on research, education, public information and scientific assistance for community organizations and others working on public policies.

Nature Network Website
http://www.nature-network.org/index.html

Updates

Next Nature Network Meeting:
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
10 am - 12:30 pm
Hudson River Foundation, 17 Battery Place, Suite 915

Find out more about using this wiki as a collaborative productivity tool!

Click on the image to the right to see Jason Nu's powerpoint presentation on how Nature Network members can take advantage of the functions of this wiki.

Nature Network Projects
New York Environmental Atlas
Nature Education White Paper

Calendar

This is a Google Calendar set up by the CISC wiki site administrator. To receive permission to edit this calendar, e-mail Jason Nu at ciscwikiadmin@gmail.com.

Nature Network Meetings
7/16/08 Members Meeting
9/09/08 Atlas Meeting

Urban Earth Home

CISCWikiAdmin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:09:59 CST

Welcome

Over half of the world's population now live in urban centers. By the year 2050, that figure will rise to 80%. How life is lived in cities, and the decisions made in them, will play an increasingly important role in our ability as humans to thrive on our planet. Urbanites and their infrastructure stand at a pivotal point in history.

The Urban Earth wiki is an on-line community and meeting space for educators, students and sustainability experts to exchange information and inspiration on the topic of urban sustainability. It is a user-driven tool that encourages personal expression as well as collaborative learning and content creation. It is a place to share data, ideas, papers, poems - there is no real limit on what you can contribute. Quickly and easily editable by all, Urban Earth is a great resource for tapping into the pulse of the urban sustainability community both within CUNY and beyond.

Together, we can create something great.

Welcome to Urban Earth…

Getting Started
New users, click here for an introduction on how to use this wiki.

Topic Portals

About this wiki	Nature Network	New York Environmental Atlas	CISC Portal	Student Space	Coursework Portal
Editorials, Essays and Commentary	Sustainability Knowledge Base			Getting Started with Urban Earth	HELP

Recent Updates

Nature Network Members:
Find out more about using this wiki as a collaborative productivity tool!

Click on the image to the right to see Jason Nu's powerpoint presentation on how Nature Network members can take advantage of the functions of this wiki.

Help
For help on how to use the Urban Earth wiki, please refer to the "Getting Started with Urban Earth" and "HELP" pages accessible from the navigation menu on the left side of the page. To contact the site administrator with additional questions, please e-mail Jason Nu at ciscwikiadmin@gmail.com.

New York Environmental Atlas

CISCWikiAdmin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:07:07 CDT

This is the homepage for the Nature Network's working group on the proposed New York Environmental Atlas.

Next Nature Network Meeting:
Wednesday, October 22nd
10 am - 12:30 pm
Cornell Cooperative Extension, 16 E. 34th St. 8th Floor
Agenda

Nature Network Atlas - Members survey
Survey questions on the proposed Biodiversity Atlas to be completed by Nature Network members can be found here.

Please note these pages are publicly viewable by everyone. If there is any desire to keep certain information private within the working group, this information will have to be published within a separate private wiki set up for Nature Network members. Please contact Jason Nu, the CISC wiki administrator, at CISCWikiAdmin@Gmail.com for more information on this.

About the New York Environmental Atlas
Nature Network members, please fill this space in!

Working Group Members
Who are the members of the working group charged with spearheading the atlas project?
Name: Bill Shore
Responsibilities:

Name: Liz Johnson
Responsibilities:

Name: John Mickelson
Responsibilities:

Meetings
A directory of Nature Network meetings can be found here.

To-Do list
A to-do list for the New York Environmental Atlas project can be found here.

Schedule and Calendar
Use this link to see the schedule and calendar for the New York Environmental Atlas.

Discussion Forum
Use this link to enter the discussion forums for the New York Environmental Atlas project.

Data sources
Information on data sources for the New York Environmental Atlas project can be found on this page.

Existing On-Line Atlas Tools
A catalog of existing on-line atlas tools can be found here.

Nature Network 10/22/08 Members Meeting

CISCWikiAdmin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:04:36 CDT

Nature Network

Meeting of Member Organizations

Wednesday, October 22, 10-12:30 a.m.

Cornell Cooperative Extension, 16 E. 34th St. 8th Floor

Agenda

Please RSVP via e-mail reply or 914 922-1542. Expected attendance: Howard Apsan, J. T. Boehm, Brian F. Cabezas, Helen Forgione, John Halenar, Jane Jackson, Don McCrimmon (by phone), Rud Platt, Bill Shore, Bill Solecki, Shino Tanikawa (If you’re not listed, please RSVP!)

1. Self-Introduction of those attending, with their organizations’ news.
2. Speaker: William Schlesinger, President, Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies: Global Changes in Cities: What can New Yorkers expect? The basics and basis of the current global warming trends--what this will mean for northeastern cities and for New York in particular and some suggestions about what can be done to mitigate and avoid the greatest impacts of climate change.
3. Reports and discussion about Nature Network’s 7 Working Groups, currently working on: (1) Organizing to prepare a regional Biodiversity on-line Atlas, (2) Improving nature education in NYC schools, (3) Collecting experience with citizen science, Monitoring with Volunteers, (4) Controlling invasives, (5) Identifying NYC sites that should be preserved, restored or better managed for natural protection, (6) improving the sustainability of what is built staring in the Mid-Hudson, and (7) alerting the Region to the true state of global ecosystems. The Atlas discussion will take the most time. Please see 2 attachments in preparation.
4. Outdoor meeting next spring: proposals to consider. (Please see 3rd attachment.)

RE: Bill Schlesinger:

On 1 June 2007, William H. Schlesinger was named President of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, a private ecological research institute on the grounds of the Cary Arboretum in Millbrook, NY. He assumed this position after 27 years on the faculty of Duke University. Completing his A.B. at Dartmouth (1972), and Ph.D. at Cornell (1976), he moved to Duke in 1980, where he retired in spring 2007 as Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and as James B. Duke Professor of Biogeochemistry. He is the author or coauthor of over 180 scientific papers on subjects of environmental chemistry and global change and the widely-adopted textbook Biogeochemistry: An analysis of global change (Academic Press, 2nd ed. 1997). He was among the first to quantify the amount of carbon held in soil organic matter globally, providing subsequent estimates of the role of soils and human impacts on forests and soils in global climate change.

RE: Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies:

The work of the Institute contributes to an understanding and resolution of pressing environmental problems in two fundamental ways: Basic science is the foundation for environmental problem solving. Indeed, basic science often is the window through which critical environmental problems are first recognized. Examples include acid rain in North America, eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems, the ecological origins of Lyme disease and the global CO2 increase. Environmental problems cannot be evaluated or solved without answers to questions like, "How much? How extensive? What has been the change with time? What is the impact on different system components? What are the feedback and amplification pathways?" Research programs at the Cary Institute contribute answers to such questions. For example, Cary Institute staff can state how their research projects relate to global environmental change, biodiversity, air and water pollution, eutrophication, forestry practices, and sustainable development. Second, Cary Institute staff members are committed to making scientific information available to the public, managers, and decision-makers. The consensus document on "Sustained Ecological Research: A Critical Need" arising out of the international 1989 Cary Conference organized by the Institute, reflects this commitment. Other examples include workshops on science and the media, public field trips and ecological excursions led by Cary Institute staff, concerted staff review of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation plans and programs, and interactions with local, state, and federal officials and agencies. Specific examples include regional commissions concerning the Hudson River, town planning boards and conservation commissions, the New York Governor's Environmental Advisory Board, the New York City Parks Department, and the USDA Forest Service. In addition, the Cary Institute Education Program attempts to increase scientific literacy in elementary and high schools, and the National Science Foundation funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program aggressively recruits women and students from minority groups, and from schools where research is not likely to be an option for college undergraduates. The intense involvement of Cary Institute staff in these pursuits is remarkable and unusual even when compared to centers of ecology at leading universities.

Members Survey

Click here for survey questions to be answered by Nature Network members.

Biodiversity Atlas Survey - NN Members, 10/22/08

CISCWikiAdmin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:01:31 CDT

This is a survey drawn up by Bill Shore and Nature Network members to help determine what members want to see out of a biodiversity atlas project. This is currently a static page simply posting the questions. The capability of collecting responses electronically via the wiki or associated on-line survey application could be developed, depending on interest from Nature Network members.

Nature Network
Inquiry about a web-based Biodiversity Atlas for the NY-NJ-CT Region

Nature Network proposes to produce an on-line Atlas consisting of overlays of spatial data with information and educational materials that will together provide an environmental picture of the greater, 31 county, NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan Region (the Regional Plan Association Region). The service will be based on existing data and (later) data to be collected in the future: habitats, vegetation patterns, water, geology, soils, air and water quality, wildlife, human impacts (buildings, roads, railroads), human health, climate, etc…

Our ultimate goal is to map ecosystems and relate the species that use them. Sources of data not publicly available will be identified and linked. Needed data for various purposes not yet produced will be identified and research and creation promoted.

All members, please reply to these questions:

What spatial information and maps would most help you and your organization to do your work better? (e.g. parcels, soils, critical ecological areas, etc..)

How much you do you now use online or desktop mapping resources?

What resources might you or your organization contribute (data, staff time, guidance, funds)?

If the project obtained funds, what resources could your organization provide?

Should the Nature Network Atlas Working Group seek funds? Do you have suggestions about sources?

To help us formulate a persuasive fund proposal, please list all the possible uses you can imagine and all the kinds of organizations who would benefit from it.

Members knowledgeable about spatial information and all others interested, please answer these questions as well:

In order to help insure that the nature, content, audience served and general utility of the project is unique and functionally different from the wide and rapidly growing array of current online services, we are asking for your input.

In your opinion (in *very* short, ideally bulleted responses), please reply to the following:

1. What should the main purposes of an "Atlas" be?

2. Who are our target audience(s)?

3. What data would you see being included as: (ranked) a. Critical b. Important c. Useful.

4. Where should it be hosted?

5. If we were to consider partnering with an existing project can you suggest one? (name, pros\cons)? (See attached Meeting Minutes)

6. What would a reasonable budget be\resources needed?

7. What on-going resources are available to maintain it over the long-term?

8. How will we identify\obtain start-up\development funds?

Nature Network Meetings

CISCWikiAdmin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:38:37 CDT

This is a directory of Nature Network Meeting agendas and minutes.

Nature Network 07/16/08 Members Meeting
Nature Network 09/08/08 Biodiversity Atlas Meeting
Nature Network 10/22/08 Members Meeting - Agenda

Next Nature Network Meeting:
Wednesday, October 22nd
10 am - 12:30 pm
Cornell Cooperative Extension, 16 E. 34th St. 8th Floor

Nature Network 09/08/08 Biodiversity Atlas Meeting

CISCWikiAdmin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:30:45 CDT

Nature Network
Meeting on a Biodiversity Atlas for the NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan Region 09/09/08
Host: Bill Solecki, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities
Agenda: John Mickelson

Attendees:

In person:	On speakerphone:
David Burg	Susan Elbin
Steve Clemants	Liz Johnson
Nathanial Eisen	Don McCrimmon
Lisa Garrison	John Mickelson
Erin Jarvis (Sustainable South Bronx)	Nellie Tsipoura
Erica Johnson (Sustainable South Bronx)
Margaret O'Gorman
Jason Nu
Deborah Popper
Bill Shore
Bill Solecki

Action Items

Task	Person/s responsible
1. Put up 9/8/08 meeting minutes / summary on wiki	Jason Nu, Nathanial Eisen, Bill Shore, Everybody
2. Create workspace on wiki for atlas project action items	Jason Nu, Everybody
3. Create and populate a list of existing map and data sources	Everybody, John Mickelson, Bill Solecki, Jason Nu,
4. Discuss whether to partner with an existing mapmaking entity, discuss who to partner with, criteria for partnering, etc.	Everybody
5. Discuss what thematic elements to include in the atlas. What makes the Nature Network atlas unique? How do we create a value-added product?	Everybody
6.Discuss and identify potential funding sources	Everybody
7. Provide information on previous surveys of what users might want out of a Nature Network atlas	John Mickelson, Everybody
8. Post a fund proposal framework to which everyone can add	Bill Shore and John Mickelson

Minutes

Introductions

Website host

John: CERC at Columbia University, partially funded by Ted Kheel, contracted with CIESIN to build a prototype NY biodiversity database. It still exists, and we can still have access to it. One downside though would likely be high overhead. The site lists regional research projects and links to maps and a catalog of those biological projects There are several web-based mapping and data portals being built and in many ways it’d be silly for us to “reinvent the wheel” Establishing a partnership with one of these could be our best option. One of the best (in my opinion) is. Landscope—a partnership between Nature Serve (the data branch of the Nature Conservancy) and the National Geographic Society.. It would likely cost between about $100,000-$150,000 to develop a local project of our own, using their servers, approach and technology, filled in with pertinent data from our region.. I have had initial talks with them and several other possible regional partners (e.g., NY Natural Heritage Program).. : This Atlas Working Group should set up subcommittees on content, funding and spatial footprint.

Bill Shore: OASIS another possible host website--operating out of the CUNY Graduate School, now mainly covers NYC but is extending out and has expressed willingness to extend further.

Who are our audiences and what should we provide them?

David: (1) scientists in government agencies and corporations and planners, (2) decision makers in government and business and community leaders and (3) the general public

Steve: These audiences can use Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s plant database to understand changes in the NYC area, plan conservation activities, identify species that are declining, ask generic questions about urban environment. Layered data on maps allows consideration of associated data. We need a timetable--identify products that can be completed in a couple years. Birds?

John: We could start with birds, relating them to habitat quality. We need two fund components: (1) start-up money to build the data base and (2) $100,000 to maintain the data base. After we post bird data, we should educate people on how to use the website.

Steve: Brooklyn Botanic Garden has an on-line data base, but Nature Network’s will add users and different map layers, e.g., plants related to birds related to development.

John: Different groups have different data formats. To integrate them is difficult but a value added. Data providers will want credit.

Liz: The Museum of Natural History can provide historic specimen data.

David: There also are extensive herps and butterfly data.

Bill Solecki: The Atlas would be used by specialists, but it also should attract people to the issues, like Chicago Wilderness. We need to better catalogue existing searchable databases not only within our group but also with all groups in the Region. Our website should be considered the principal environmental data source. The CUNY Institute can do an extensive survey of what’s out there. Habitat value or condition, a single layer, composed by a group, would be a good start—interesting a wide range of people. Let’s get one layer, whether habitat or birds.

David: Several different layers of value. Richness, abundance, getting people attached to nature. Will developers use low values as justification for development? Showing interaction of humans and nature would be valuable.

Margaret: NJ has Landscape project data and lots of bird data. The uniqueness of Nature Network is relating nature to urban areas.

Steve: NY Natural Heritage Program has been conducting habitat-value surveys and identifying rare communities. Relating rare communities to proximity to people would be valuable.

John: We should develop a Wiki for the Atlas and develop a metric of sustainability for terrestrial uplands systems, indices of biological integrity, a state of the Region measured by locality.

David: We can start with birds as a model; many species need large areas.

Bill Solecki: It should be of interest to our members. We should post on the Wiki a catalogue of what exists.

Steve: The atlas should contribute to environmental justice and to citizen science.

Erica: How can we make the neighborhood disparities in nature apparent and relate them to public health to inform policy makers? We’re interested in an Equity Atlas, such as Portland, Oregon, has done. Can we replicate that?

John: Google maps are free so equity can easily be layered.

David: Include pollution.

Lisa: We should bring in CT and NJ.

Bill Shore: and LI.

Steve: Strategically, we should adopt a theme and approach to persuade the public this will be valuable.

Margaret: Can we sell it as unique?

John: The data layers will enable us to tell useful stories, though we should start with one layer.

Lisa: Make it applicable to people’s backyards. A range of people will want to use it—political people, managers, scientists. I have compiled 120 data sets now 3-4 years old; how can they be sued?

Steve: Brooklyn Botanic Garden data are already mapped; Museum of Natural History data are not mapped. We as a group should find what’s at NY Botanical garden and Rutgers and use the Breeding Bird Atlas on Google Earth. The value added for me come from the layers and links.

Erin: Use it to show where there is a deficit of nature. The Bronx as a whole has a lot of natural areas, but broken down by neighborhoods there is inequity.

Partners?

John: We should have a subcommittee consider the several data content types we might use and include as well as discuss the pros\cons of the different existing map services: Landscope, OASIS, Oceans and Great Lakes, Google Earth etc and let people comment via the Wiki.

Steve: We could put examples of each on the Wiki.

John: There should be a conference of the operators of these programs. I’d like to set one up for March/April of next year.

SUMMARY FROM NATHANIEL EISEN

What are the main purposes of an Atlas? Why is our project unique? What is needed?

I. Lisa Garrity: Particularity: Start with people’s backyards or blocks.
II. Bill Solecki: Tool for people trying to protect natural environments in Metro Region.
III. Bill Shore will create framework for this question, turn it into a fundraising document.
IV. David Burg: Have it be a Nature Network document and give credit to the groups that collected the data.

Who are we considering partnering with?
1) Landscope (Nat’l Geographic)
2) NBII (through CIESIN, LDEO)
3) Oasis
4) Oceans and Great Lakes

What are our Models?
Google Earth IUCN Portland Equity Atlas Green Maps Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Atlas.

What are our criteria for whom to partner with?
I. Bill Solecki: Partnering with an entity is appropriate and strengthens organization. Time commitment is large, need to partner.
II. Bill Shore: Between Oasis and Nature Conservancy/National Geographic (Landscope)
III. John: National Geographic people are very interested in developing a local franchise.
IV. Bill Solecki: Oasis is locally well known - Effectiveness in building regional connection - Theme and approach that will meet public approval.

Where will we get funding?

- The educational realm
- National Geographic?
>Connect it to quadricentennial of Hudson’s arrival?

Specific assignments:

John: Assemble a sub-committee to frame a decision about the partner data structure

Bill Shore: Framework for everyone to introduce concerns

Bill Solecki and Jason Nu: Put 5 points on Wiki
Develop forward looking report for October 22nd at Cornell.

Liz: E-mail survey to everyone of what different groups want.????.

Next Meeting: October 22nd at Cornell.

AGENDA

Nature Network
Meeting on a Biodiversity Atlas for the NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan Region
Host: Bill Solecki, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities
Agenda: John Mickelson

Expected Attendance:

David Burg, Steve Clemants, Susan Elbin (SP?), Lisa Garrison, Erin Jarvis, Liz Johnson (Speaker Phone) Erica Johnson, Don McCrimmon (SP), John Mickelson (SP), Margaret O’Gorman, Deborah Popper, Janine Selendy, Bill Shore, Bill Solecki, Jaime Stein, Nellie Tsipoura

AGENDA

PART I (NEW)
- If a Nature Network Atlas project is adopted, what would you like your agency’s part to be in it?
- What would you like to get out of it?
- What time\resources would you have to contribute?
- How much would those depend on funds for your time?

PART II
One of the main things I want to do in our NN "Atlas"
conversation, is to help ensure that the nature, content, audience
served and general utility of any project is sufficiently unique and
functionally different from the wide and rapidly growing array of
current online services.

I think it'd be wise for us to identify the following, in order to
more effectively approach a project:
What are the main purposes of an "Atlas"?
Who are our target audience(s)?
What data do we see being included (ranked: 1.Critical, 2.Important,
3. Useful.)
Where would it be hosted?
What would a reasonable budget be\resources needed?
What on-going resources are available to maintain it over the
long-term? How will we identify\obtain start-up\development funds?

New York Environmental Atlas Discussion Forum

CISCWikiAdmin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:01:35 CDT

Use the discussion threads below to discuss the Nature Network Environmental Atlas.

As per the 9/9/08 Nature Network meeting, the following are important issues to discuss:

Identify and catalog existing on-line atlas resources
Identify potential partners to collaborate with

Discuss criteria for finding a partner organization

Identify a target audience
Identify potential funding sources
Identify available data sources, both within Nature Network member organizations and outside
Discuss thematic and content possibilities

Existing On-Line Atlas Tools - Catalog

CISCWikiAdmin — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:28:36 CDT

Name of Atlas tool:	OasisNYC.net
URL:	http://www.oasisnyc.net/
Other contact info:	For general questions about the NYC OASIS Cooperative contact: Matthew H. Arnn, NE Area Regional Landscape Architect USDA Forest Service 26 Federal Plaza, Room 3513 New York, New York 10278 212-542-7134 marnn@fs.fed.us For specific questions about the OASIS interactive maps contact: OASIS, Center for Urban Research The Graduate Center/CUNY 365 Fifth Ave., Room 6202 New York, NY 10016 212-817-2033 oasisnyc@gc.cuny.edu
Descriptive keyword(s):
Geographic coverage:	5 boroughs of NYC, plus Westchester, and Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, Essex, Union, Middlesex, and Monmouth counties in NJ.
Thematic coverage:	Aerial photos and imagery, including classified landcover Boundaries and labels Town/neighborhood, county/borough, community districts, city council districts Transportation Highways/Major roads Subway stations and routes Ferry stops and routes Parks, Playgrounds & Open Space NYC Parks, NJ State Parks, NY State Parks, open space, community gardens, playgrounds, green spaces along streets, golf courses, baseball/soccer fields, tennis/basketball courts and tracks, cemeteries, greenmarkets Property and Land Use Block/lot boundaries, building footprints, piers, NYCHA properties, schools, historic houses, zoning boundaries (1&2 family residential, commercial, etc.) Trees Greening for breathing trees, neighborhoods trees, NJ forested areas Environmental characteristics HEP Acquisition sites, HEP restoration sites, living memorials to 9/11, stewardship organization, stewardship spheres, natural areas, forever wild sites, wildlife refuges, federal land, superfund and other remedial sites Water and Wetlands Waterfront access points (boating, fishing, etc.), streams, lakes, waterbodies, beaches, aquifers, freshwater wetlands, national wetlands inventory (estuarine, lacustrine, etc.), tidal wetlands (formerly connected, fresh marsh, etc.), coastal storm impact zones
Detailed description:	Open Accessible Space Information System Cooperative (OASIS NYC) is comprised of private and public sector representatives that seek to develop an accessible information system that helps enhance the stewardship of open space so these areas are linked, diverse and sustainable for the benefit of all people, organisms, and ecosystems in and around New York City. The *New York City Open Accessible Space Information System Cooperative (OASIS)* is a partnership of more than 30 federal, state, and local agencies, private companies, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations to create a one-stop, interactive mapping and data analysis application via the Internet to enhance the stewardship of open space for the benefit of New York City (NYC) residents. How: A community-based undertaking, local organizations design and test the first city wide, web-based, open space mapping resource for NYC. OASIS facilitates and focuses the delivery of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) resources to provide timely and accurate information about the green infrastructure of NYC. What OASIS Will Do:OASIS will enable NYC community residents, for the first time, to: create maps of open space by zip code, borough, tax block and lot, and/or neighborhood; identify key open space resources within or near a user- defined area; locate these resources by name, type, and other attributes in addition to geographic-based searches; identify other natural resources and landmarks near or adjacent to open spaces in the city; calculate statistics based on open space patterns by zip code, borough, tax block and lot, and/or neighborhood; undertake “what if” scenarios, such as, what would my neighborhood look like if these vacant lots remained community gardens, or how would new bike lanes or bus routes improve my access to a park in the Bronx?; and use other mapping and data analysis tools. Why:OASIS is based on the belief that a common, free, open space inventory – really a web-based GIS mapping resource – is invaluable to NYC’s greening and planning communities. In NYC and across the Nation, GIS and other GeoData Systems are critical planning tools for enhanced spatial visualization and data analysis. They integrate socioeconomic profiles and demographic analysis with data set creation, strategic mapping and comprehensive community and regional planning services. GIS is an invaluable resource for environmental, design, health, safety, economic and planning decision making.
Other:

Name of Atlas tool:	LandScope America
URL:	http://www.landscope.org/preview/Home.html
Other contact info:
Descriptive keyword(s):
Geographic coverage:	Nation-wide; currently more in-depth data available for Colorado, Florida, Maine, Virginia, and Washington
Thematic coverage:
Detailed description:	Our Goal: To inspire and inform collaborative place-based conservation in the U.S. by increasing the pace and effectiveness of land-protection investments in every state. LandScope America — a collaborative project of NatureServe and the National Geographic Society — is a new online resource for the land-protection community and the public. Planned for release in fall 2008, LandScope America will bring together maps, data, photography and information about our environment from a variety of sources and present them in dynamic and accessible formats. That NatureServe and the National Geographic Society have partnered to develop this resource is no coincidence. NatureServe fulfills its clear mission — to provide the scientific basis for effective conservation action — by sharing the information developed by a network of member programs that contains nearly 1,000 conservation experts and field scientists in every state. Since 1888, the National Geographic Society has traveled the Earth and shared amazing stories with each new generation, inspiring people to care about the planet. Together, the two organizations are leveraging their respective strengths to help others dramatically increase the pace and effectiveness of conservation in the United States.
Other:

Name of Atlas tool:
URL:
Other contact info:
Descriptive keyword(s):
Geographic coverage:
Thematic coverage:
Detailed description:
Other:

Name of Atlas tool:
URL:
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Descriptive keyword(s):
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Thematic coverage:
Detailed description:
Other:

Name of Atlas tool:
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Other:

Name of Atlas tool:
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Name of Atlas tool:
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Other:

Name of Atlas tool:
URL:
Other contact info:
Descriptive keyword(s):
Geographic coverage:
Thematic coverage:
Detailed description:
Other:

New York Environmental Atlas To-Do List

CISCWikiAdmin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:07:30 CDT

Task Title:	Create a workspace on this wiki for atlas project action items
Description:
To be completed by this person:	Jason Nu, everybody
To be completed by this date:
Completed by this person:
Date of completion:

Task Title:	Create and populate a list of existing map and data sources for the wiki
Description:
To be completed by this person:	Everybody, John Mickelson, Bill Solecki,
To be completed by this date:
Completed by this person:
Date of completion:

Task Title:	Discuss whether to partner with an existing mapmaking entity, discuss who to partner with, criteria for partnering, etc.
Description:
To be completed by this person:	Everybody
To be completed by this date:
Completed by this person:
Date of completion:

Task Title:	Discuss what thematic elements to include in the atlas. What makes the Nature Network atlas unique? How do we create a value-added product?
Description:
To be completed by this person:	Everybody
To be completed by this date:
Completed by this person:
Date of completion:

Task Title:	Discuss and identify potential funding sources
Description:
To be completed by this person:	Everybody
To be completed by this date:
Completed by this person:
Date of completion:

Task Title:	Provide information on previous surveys of what users might want out of a Nature Network atlas
Description:
To be completed by this person:	John Mickelson, Everybody
To be completed by this date:
Completed by this person:
Date of completion:

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Description:
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CUNY Student Groups - Suggestions on what to do with this wiki

CISCWikiAdmin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:44:26 CDT

CUNY students: Please use this page to offer suggestions and commentary on how this wiki can best be used to enhance the work and productivity of student sustainability groups across the CUNY system.

The following are some of the broad suggestions mentioned at the CUNY Sustainability Coalition meeting on Friday, March 7th, 2008:

A centralized student sustainability group calendar or bulletin board, listing events and news concerning student sustainability groups throughout the CUNY system
An archive of the current and past activities of CUNY student sustainability groups. Actual contributions can consist of items such as event announcements, meeting minutes, newsletters, etc. The maintenance of this archive would hopefully improve the continuity and coordination of student led efforts over time.

Please add and expand to this list! - Jason Nu

Student Space

CISCWikiAdmin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:42:21 CDT

Welcome to the Urban Earth Student Space! We envision this little corner of the web as a multi-purpose resource for individual students and student groups, both within the CUNY system and beyond, to learn about, discuss and promote sustainable urban lifestyles. CUNY student environmental groups: We want the Student Space to be the THE HEADQUARTERS for your sustainability advocacy efforts! Use the Events Board to post upcoming activities and the Message Board functions (coming soon) to discuss and coordinate projects with other interested parties.

Upcoming Events

Listings: Upcoming CUNY Sustainability Student Groups Events

Past Events Archive

March 2008

April 2008

CUNY Student Groups

Uses of this Wiki - Suggestions

CUNY students, please use this link to offer suggestions and commentary on how this wiki can best be used to enhance the work and productivity of student environmental groups across the CUNY system.

Non-CUNY Student Groups

Student Work

We all know how hard students work on their papers and presentations for their classes. Oftentimes, student papers, essays and research assignments wind up just sitting at the bottom of a drawer after they are handed in, never to see the light of day again. Why not share the fruits of your hard labor? Use this link to post up work you've done for courses that you're proud of and would like to share with others.

Coursework Portal

The Coursework Portal can be used by students as well as professors as a resource to discuss and collaborate with each other on coursework. Coursework Portal

Upcoming CUNY Student Group Events

CISCWikiAdmin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:40:50 CDT

CUNY student groups - add your events listings here!

CUNY Student Groups

CISCWikiAdmin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:38:24 CDT

Upcoming CUNY Student Group Events

Nature Network 7/16/08 Members Meeting

CISCWikiAdmin — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:48:15 CDT

Preliminary Agenda
(additions welcome)

Expected Attendance: PLEASE RSVP IF YOUR NAME IS MISSING:

Marielle Anzelone, Daniel Avery, Christina Colon, Susan Elbin, Gretchen
Ferenz, Carole Griffiths, Joy Garland, Liz Johnson, John Jordan, Veronique
Lambert, Don McCrimmon, John Mickelson, Jason Nu, Bill Shore, Bill Solecki,
Shino Tanikawa

Installation of a new President: Bill Solecki succeeds Don McCrimmon, who
served for more than two years

1. Brief reports on what Member organizations are doing

2. Citizen Science and Phenology; (Relevance for Nature Network's Volunteer Monitoring Project?)

Daniel Avery, Climate Change Project Manager, and Christina P. Colon,Curator of Curriculum Development and Evaluation Children's Education, The New York Botanical Garden

3. Using the Institute for Sustainable Cities WIKI for Nature Network

Jason Nu and Bill Solecki

4. Working Group Reports

Education: Shino Tanikawa

Survival:Bill Shore and Paul Mankiewicz (with an added dimension of ecosystem threat)

Invasives:Susan Elbin

Sustainable Development: Bill Shore

5. Biodiversity Atlas

Bill Solecki, John Mickelson, Liz Johnson

OPEN DISCUSSION:

What are the main purposes of an "Atlas"?

Who are our target audiences?

What data do we see being included (ranked: 1.Critical, 2.Important, 3.Useful).

Where might it be hosted?

What would a reasonable budget be\resources needed?

What on-going resources are available to maintain it over the long-term?

How will we identify\obtain start-up\development funds?

Should we seek collaborators among organizations already posting environmental data on maps, particularly, Landscope?

How should we try to involve NJ and CT data-gathering organizations?

New York Environmental Atlas Schedule and Calendar

CISCWikiAdmin — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:10:59 CDT

Schedule

Date	Time	Title	Location	Description
09/09/2008	2 pm	Biodiversity Atlas meeting	CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities Conference Room E1216, East Building, Hunter College	Discussion of roles to be played by individual NN members. Discussion of nature, content, format, etc. of the atlas.

Calendar

This is a Google Calendar set up by the CISC wiki site administrator. To receive permission to edit this calendar, e-mail Jason Nu at ciscwikiadmin@gmail.com.

New York Environmental Atlas Data Sources

CISCWikiAdmin — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:06:03 CDT

Data Source/Organization:	New York Ocean and Great Lakes Atlas / NYS DEC
Contact:	WWW.NYOGLATLAS.ORG
Data keyword(s):	on-line atlas, storm drains, wetland boundaries, underwater vegetation, park locations, and fisheries
Data Description:	Department of Environmental Conservation Chair Pete Grannis and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez Announce New Internet-Based Atlas to Monitor Health of State’s Resources ALBANY – (July 23, 2008) – Under the auspices of the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Council, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Pete Grannis and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez today announced the launch of the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Atlas, which allows the public to incorporate hundreds of data sets of New York State’s resources into an internet-based atlas. Governor David A. Paterson commended the Council for its work in making this new information available. “New York State has always been a leader in protecting the environment,” Governor Paterson said. “This valuable new tool will help build on that legacy, improving the ability of government to manage our resources, while also promoting greater environmental democracy.” The atlas is an online mapping program that makes it possible to download data into Google Earth Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Currently, more than 200 data sets that contain information on such resources as storm drains, wetland boundaries, underwater vegetation, park locations, and fisheries are available through the atlas. Eventually, more than 900 datasets will be included. The atlas can be accessed at WWW.NYOGLATLAS.ORG . The atlas has been created to help advance ecosystem-based management statewide. The philosophy of ecosystem-based management takes into account environmental and human interrelationships. Its goal is to manage human activities in order to create healthy, productive and resilient ecosystems that can deliver the resources people want and need. For more info: see WWW.NYOGLATLAS.ORG .
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Data Source/Organization:	The Lower Hudson - Long Island Bays & Atlantic Ocean Watershed web page / NYS DEC
Contact:	http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/42109.html Jason C. Smith State Wildlife Grants Biologist DEC Region 2 Marine Resources 47-40 21st Street Long Island City, NY 11101 phone: (718)482-4919 cell:(347)840-2013 fax:(718)482-4502 email: jysmith@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Data keyword(s):	Lower NYS watersheds
Data Description:	The page itself provides basic background on SWG project being accomplished within the basins. When the Watershed Action Plan is finalized it will be posted on the page for everyone. The plan is scheduled for completion this coming September. The page will be updated with information as it becomes available but I would appreciate feedback from those of you who visit if there is something else you would like to see. For those of you who are involved in these projects please send me your photos. http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/42109.html
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Education Working Group

ShinoTanikawa — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:40:26 CDT

Chair: Mary Leou, Director, Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education

Nature Education White Paper

Project Description:
While the city’s PlaNYC 2030 is an ambitious first step towards a sustainable city, the plan misses one very important component: nature education of our young people. If we do not invest in our children, we will not have future generations that will carry out our vision of a sustainable city. The Education Task Force is preparing a white paper that outlines the importance of nature education in the region and steps we need to take to remedy the problem. It will initially target education in K-12 schools but will also include recommendations for the professional development of teachers and educators in community-based organizations. It will make recommendations for policy reform by targeting policymakers and educators in the city and the metropolitan region.

Phase I will include compiling relevant research on why nature education is important and its impact on learning, and stewardship. The paper will also include a compilation of resources that provide curriculum materials and programs for schools, teachers, and families. The paper will go through a review process first by the members of the Education Work Group and then the Board. Once completed, the paper will be mailed to policymakers, NYC DOE, schools and organizations within the region that would like to incorporate nature education in their curriculum.

A companion power point will be developed by the Education Work Group to present at conferences, meetings, and by special invitation to interested parties These materials will be available to Nature Network member organizations. Particular emphasis will be placed on NYC as an initial target audience, given the magnitude of the city within the region. However, the document will have relevance for the entire Nature Network Region.

Green Roofs in New York City

Crimmens — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:10:21 CDT

This page provides information about the existing research, known benefits, and potential research opportunities for Green Roofs in New York City, based on the success of such projects elsewhere. New York City's green roof culture is growing! Also, building owners in NYC who install green roofs can now recieve a significant tax credit under a bill (A. 11226) sponsored by Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr. that passed the state legislature on June 24, 2008.

Within New York, helpful resources for green roofs are: Gaia Institute: http://www.gaiainstituteny.org/, Sustainable South Bronx: http://ssbx.org/, Habana Works: http://habanaworks.typepad.com/main/garden-works.html, Green Home NYC: http://www.greenhomenyc.org/page/forum0304, Earthpledge: http://www.greeninggotham.org/intro.php

Sustainability and Cultural Ecology

CISCWikiAdmin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:15:12 CDT

Introduction

Globalization, fueled by the Western mass consumption culture, threatens life for future generations as we know it. This concern officially arose in 1972 at United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm and became well known in 1987 when the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, headed by Gro Harlem Brundtland, published “Our Common Future,” also known as the Brundtland Report. The Brundtland Report addressed global sustainable development issues, which include questions of social equity, economic prosperity, and environmental stewardship. Sustainable development is commonly misunderstood to mean sustainable economic growth alone, while ignoring social and environmental dimensions. This common misconception presents a problem because as globalization continues to spread the western economic model of mass consumption and as countries worldwide “modernize,” the ecological sources that allow such economic activity will eventually be destroyed (Nadarajah and Yamamoto 2007, p. 13). The exclusive economic view of sustainable development is a characteristic of the modern worldview, which currently dominates mainstream popular culture. Although the masses continue to hold the modern worldview and consume at unsustainable rates, many others are well aware of the threats that this lifestyle poses to current and future generations. Awareness of the problem has begun to check this imprudent worldview and allow more sustainable cultural views to emerge. Ecological limits are causing a change in the way people view their relationship with the environment and are therefore influencing cultures worldwide. A glimpse into this instance of cultural ecology can be viewed in the ongoing diffusion of sustainability ideas.

An unsustainable worldview Urbanization driven by the consumer culture worldview is unsustainable. More than half of the world's population lives in urbanized places (Solecki and Leichenko 2006, p. 12). Cities continue to grow as people move toward city centers and space is made available from decentralization and urban sprawl (Solecki and Leichenko 2006, p. 12). Urbanization can be viewed as an attempt to pursue the modern worldview and attain a modern urban lifestyle. Aside from ecological pressures posed by the in-migration of these modernity-seeking people towards city centers, "[t]he urban sprawl now observed in most large and medium-sized cities has been fostered by the rise of a transnational consumer culture and a global emergence and diffusion of suburban living as a preferred “modern” lifestyle for the middle and upper classes in cities in developing and rapidly developing countries" (Solecki and Leichenko 2006, p. 12). As population levels in urban areas continue to rise and the consumer cultural lifestyle spreads globally, the ecological limitations will continue to come to the fore and challenge the global modernization trend. Inherent in the modern culture is an ecological contradiction and any chance at realizing sustainable economic, social, and ecological conditions depends on the abandonment of this worldview.
The seemingly limitless amount of resources that are available and the success to which we have figured out how to use them has created the perception that we can do anything with our environment (Lamm 2006, p. 3). Past scientific discoveries and an abundance of natural resources have created a false sense of security that there is nothing beyond our capabilities. This may be the case now, so long as the finite resources are still available. The Brundtland Report defined sustainable development as “... development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (WCED 1987, p. 43). At the heart of this definition is the ethical component of ensuring inter-generational equity of natural resources. Disregarding this ethical component of sustainability seems to be a fundamental characteristic of the modern worldview as proponents position themselves in contradiction to environmental sustainability. This view has its roots in the Western culture sometime after the scientific revolution about 500 years ago (LeFay 2006, p. 36). The scientific revolution ended an organic worldview that previously dominated Western culture and replaced it with a mechanistic one (LeFay 2006, p. 37). Scientific discovery allowed people an advantage over nature, which led to a view of superiority and dominion, leading to the notion of self-importance. “Nature was perceived to be separate from man, a wild and unruly force that ... had to be tamed, subdued and conquered, and bent to man's will for the purpose of creating a 'civilized' world" (LeFay 2006, p. 37). This view is still supported today by modern worldview proponents although some may not even be aware. The scientific revolution was beneficial to humanity in that attaining a livelihood became easier as technological advances overcame natural obstacles. Because of the benefits they offered, these advances became the building blocks for “civilized” societies and provided a guide for Western cultural development. The result was an overconfident and imprudent culture.
There are various sociological perspectives to analyzing human-environment interactions. When tested for sustainability according to an accepted sociological model, the modern worldview, as supported by the modernization theory, does not seem to hold. The study “Footprints on the Earth: The Environmental Consequences of Modernity” (York, Rosa, and Dietz 2003), empirically tests three general sociological perspectives in regards to sustainability: human ecology, modernization, and political economy, which all make different assertions about how humans effect the environment. The study provides descriptions of the three perspectives as follows:

Human Ecology: the view that, although humans have developed the capacity to distance themselves from other species, this capacity is bound by ecological limits. In other words, human ecologists hold that social and political variables (technology, public policy, etc.) might partially check the key factors of environmental impacts, but they will never overcome them. This view is consistent with a neo-Malthusian perspective, which focuses on the importance of population size, growth, density, and social structure for explaining environmental impact (York, Rosa, and Dietz 2003, p. 283).

The Modernization Theory: the view that environmental problems are caused by economic activity and further economic activity will solve those problems. From this perspective, a quality environment is a luxury for affluent societies and come about when an economy is stable and a society can afford being concerned with such matters. For environmental improvement, free markets are necessary. By creating environmental public policy, governments will make investing in environmental protection technology cost-effective for businesses, which will then become environmentally oriented. Similarly, some have argued that capitalism itself provides incentives for environmental research, which could provide environmental innovations. Additionally, neoclassical economic reasoning holds that an economy allowed to mature will become primarily service based, which will alleviate stress on natural resources. A controlling government would hinder this process, so the free markets and economic growth associated with modernization would be key to solving the environmental problems. This process is illustrated in the environmental Kuznets curve, which creates an inverted-U curve proposing that environmental impacts are large in the early development of an economy and eventually level off and decrease as an economy matures (York, Rosa, and Dietz 2003, p. 283-285).

The Political Economy Perspective: the view that the only way for businesses to make profits is to expand and companies would not willingly internalize environmental costs because doing so would reduce profits. Also, this perspective exposes the capitalist contradiction that the necessary continued growth would lead to the depletion of the finite resources, which will reduce profits as time goes on. This will inevitably lead to an environmental crisis. This view holds that the only answer to the problem of sustainability is to curb economic growth and restructure the economic system. The world-system theory, a type of political economy perspective that is global in perspective, as described, provides a good argument against the environmental Kuznets curve, which supports the modernization theory. According to the world-system theory, the Kuznets curve only applies in a local economy context, but when viewed globally, it does not take into account that core nations are predominantly consumers and extracting resources from and dumping waste in periphery regions is a side effect. This means that an apparently environmental and modernized area may only be shifting its environmental impact outside of its borders. Focusing on this total impact, which goes beyond political borders, does not produce an inverted-U shaped curve as the environmental Kuznets curve, but shows the environmental impact proportional to economic growth. This point effectively undermines a strong modernization theory argument and reinforces the threat that such a lifestyle poses to sustainability (York, Rosa, and Dietz 2003, p. 286-288).

To empirically test these views in a common framework, the study considers these perspectives according to a modified version of the IPAT model, a well-known model in sociology studies, which relies on ecological principles and is designed to assess the predictive capabilities of environmental impact theories. According to the IPAT model, environmental Impacts are the multiplicative product of Population, Affluence, and Technology, I=PAT. The indicator for environmental impact used is the “ecological footprint,” “[which] allows comparison across types of impacts by estimating the quantity of land that would be required to support the material consumption of a nation” (York, Rosa, and Dietz 2003, 280). The study considers the ecological footprint to provide good insight into the sustainability of societies because it measures land use, which is the bases for living space, a source of resources, and a sink for wastes, which are the main benefits provided by the environment. The study found that, consistent with the human ecological perspective, environmental impact increases proportionately with population. Contrary to modernization theory, the study found that an increase in economic maturity (determined by Gross Domestic Product (GDP)) did not follow the Kuznets curve, but instead environmental impact increased with economic growth. Additionally, the study found that urbanization increased environmental impact and free markets and other mitigating human impacts (i.e.: state environmentalism) have no impact on the environment, contrary to the modernization perspective. In short, the study found that, contrary to modernization theory and consistent with the human ecological view and political economy perspective, population and economic growth threaten ecological sustainability.
The study above provides evidence that the modernization theory promotes an unsustainable lifestyle. Although it may appear that modernizing holds good prospects for development, there is a limit to this type of development and the likely end result is crisis. A modernization theory supporter may argue that, although it is possible that problems may arise, it is not feasible to change the force of modernization without completely restructuring the global economic system. This may hold true, but it could also mean that the root of the problem will then have to be dealt with to thwart the dangers that are inherent in the modernization view. Dealing with the root of the problem would require a change in the worldview for many.

Sustainability and cultural change
A change in worldview is inline with American Pragmatism claims and current environmental theory. American Pragmatism "... is the distinctively American philosophical school which, roughly, holds that our ideas, theories, and worldviews should be examined and evaluated in the light of their impact on lived experience, according to how well they enable us to maneuver through experience successfully"(Reitan 1998, p. 2). Current environmental theory holds that “... the contemporary consumerist worldview is largely to blame for our current environmental crises, and any solution to that crisis must be driven by a change in worldview" (Reitan 1998, p. 2). Therefore, according to Pragmatism and environmental theory, the modernist worldview must change in order to realize sustainable conditions. In addition to providing a valid argument against the modern worldview, the pragmatic method, a device to evaluate the validity of cultures, provides guidance with identifying valid worldviews that embody sustainability principles.
American Pragmatism provides a clear argument for why the modern worldview is illegitimate and should be abandoned. In his paper “Pragmatism, Environmental World Views, and Sustainability,” drawing from American Pragmatism, Eric Reitan supports the claim that there are two pragmatic criteria for evaluating world views called: the Criterion of Meaning and the Criterion of Truth. The Criterion of Meaning uses the pragmatic method, which “... is to try to interpret each notion by tracking its respective practical consequences" (Reitan 1998, p. 2). In other words, if an alternative worldview with different attributes could exist, what would the practical difference be? When two worldviews are compared, if there is no difference in consequence in a topic of interest then two alternative views are practically the same and one is not better or worse than the other in respect to the specified topic, and they have the same meaning. The pragmatic method, maintains the assumption that there is a direct link between worldview and human behavior, so it is behavior that causes the threat of crisis. Because of this, the pragmatic method is concerned with the type of behavior that a worldview produces. In this case, the impact that a worldview has on the environment through measured expressed behavior would have to be compared to the practical effects of an alternative worldview on the environment. If the impacts are determined to be the same, then, with respect to environmental impact, the two worldviews have the same meaning. The Criterion of Truth takes “truth” to “mean ... nothing but this, ideas ... become true just in so far as they help us to get into satisfactory relations with other parts of our experience ... " (Reitan 1998, p. 4). According to this criterion, then, a world view's truth depends on how well it helps us get through our lives, that is, how well it works to help us live in accordance with values as prescribed by that world view. If we look at the modernist view in this light we find a contradiction and, therefore, it is pragmatically false. The modern worldview defines success in terms of the ability to consume (Reitan 1998, p. 4). If modernism does not help us consume in a sustainable manner, then it is not a truthful worldview. Because unsustainable consumption will eventually lead to the depletion of natural resources, the mark of success according to the modernist culture will not always be possible. A contraction like this one found in the modern consumerist worldview is an example of how a worldview can be untrue and, therefore, pragmatically false (Reitan 1998, p. 4). The strength of the pragmatic method is that it shows us that, even though a worldview seems to be working in a society, the success may only be apparent and may not reflect reality. The eventual end to the “success” that appears to be provided by this worldview warrants the need to change to a more sustainable and pragmatically true worldview.
In order for an alternative worldview to be considered as a suitable replacement, the element(s) of the modern worldview are responsible for its disadvantage first has to be determined. What causes the disadvantage is the unsound understanding of the human-environment relationship that modernists maintain. “The modern worldview is built upon a paradigm of dominating nature, of transforming and controlling nature to suit human preferences, not on realizing harmony with it" (Reitan 1998, p. 4). The view that we are separated and in a dominant position over nature have led us to believe that our consumer based culture can persist without any threatening ecological repercussions. That there are ecological limits, however, makes this belief false and the worldview contradictory. Because “our worldview ... has more direct impact on how we live our lives than any other single thing” (Reitan 1998, p. 4), the modern view of our relationship with nature is the underlying cause of the unsustainable condition and therefore the cause for the disadvantage. If we consider the Criterion of Meaning, a worldview that does not share this disadvantage (and therefore, its consequences) is an alternative worldview that has a different meaning in terms of environmental impact. This quality alone would make such an alternative worldview worth considering as a suitable replacement. The element of the modern worldview that needs to change, therefore, is the modernist view of the human-environment relationship.
A new cultural worldview that does not maintain the modern culture disadvantage inherent in their view of the human-environment relationship will also alleviate those harmful cultural elements that depend on it, opening the way for a more sustainable culture. A culture that is based on consumption places an emphasis on maintaining a prosperous economy. This emphasis has shown to be detrimental to the environment, but it also creates harmful conditions that bleed into the social fabric of a society. A clear example of this is the well-established, now globalizing, capitalistic system that creates conditions where equity cannot be maintained because those that are in a disadvantaged position in the system may be unable to meet their basic needs. A less obvious example of how the modernist view creates unsustainable social conditions is the intergenerational equity that is at stake if natural resources are overexploited, leaving the means of production exhausted for future generations, who will then be unable to meet their needs. In this way, the consumer culture puts people at odds with one and other in that competition to attain as much material goods as possible usually comes at the expense of something or someone else. As the psychologist Philip Cushman argued, the consumer culture might also put a person at odds with oneself. “He sees … urbanization industrialization, and secularization as having created an increasingly isolated an individualistic American self that bears the dual trademarks of narcissism: appearing “masterful and bounded” on the outside, yet “empty” underneath" (Roszak, Gomez, and Kanner 1995, p. 79). A culture that is less profit-driven and encourages a healthy balance between environmental, economic, and social prosperity is crucial for a sustainable worldview.
The modernist worldview supports behavior that is ecologically unsound, but principles for sustainability include more than just the environmental concern. “Sustainable development is a multidimensional concept involving complex interactions and trade-offs with economic, technological, environmental, political and social aspects”(Nadarajah and Yamamoto 2007, p. 13). It “is at the intersection of environmental, economic, and societal stewardship" (Arizona State University 2008). A sustainable culture is one that balances these three dimensions. The economic aspect focuses on maintaining a prosperous economy that does not diminish productive capacity over time and equitably meets present and future needs. Social aspects include maintaining equity in society now and for future generations as well as employment issues. The environmental concern is, of course, sustaining the societal and economic sustainability factors in an ecologically sound way. “Even when [sustainability] is applied to the social dimension, it is still often used in an ecological sense to focus on maintaining the stability of biological and physical systems, thus preserving access to a healthy environment”(Nadarajah and Yamamoto 2007, p. 17). A sustainable way of life will be sensitive to this multidimensional system and will strive to maintain this important balance.
Increased awareness of the problems associated with the modern worldview and the need to embrace a worldview that promotes a better relationship with the environment is influencing the way some people think. An example of this is a new American culture that seems to have emerged in the 1970's. In his paper, “The Emerging Culture,” Paul Ray calls the new culture “Culture Creatives" (Ray 1997, p. 1). Culture Creatives believe in issues such as environmentalism, feminism, global issues, and spiritual searching. According to the study, one-fourth of American adults embrace this worldview and they “… tend to be affluent, well educated, and on the rutting edge of social change" (Ray 1997, p. 1). The study suggests that there are three different worldviews of meaning in value that Americans live by, Traditionalism, Modernism, and Cultural Creatives. According to the study, 29 percent of Americans hold the traditional worldview, 47 percent hold the Modern worldview, and 24 percent hold the Cultural Creatives worldview. Traditionalism is a worldview held by the heartlanders of the country who value small towns, have strong religious adherence, and rebel against the influence of globalization forces. Modernism, according to the study is marked by personal success, materialism, consumerism, and technological rationality. The new culture, Culture Creatives, emerged as Western intellectuals became exposed to non-western religions and philosophies and in the 1960s it “caught fire”, providing guidance for political movements, such as the civil rights movement. Culture Creatives are turned off by the other world views and think of modernism as an antique system that is starting to come to an end. Their worldview is more in line with sustainability principles than the other world views are. They are not as concerned about making money and being successful, in modernist terms, but are more interested in gaining new experiences and tuning in to global issues. The study describes the Culture Creative values, which include: ecological sustainability, globalization, women's rights, altruism, self-actualization, and spirituality, among others (Ray 1997, p. 1-9). The Culture Creatives represent a more sustainable culture. Their awareness and involvement in social and ecological issues makes their worldview appear a good replacement for the modernist worldview.

Sustainability and cultural diffusion
Increased awareness of the earth's ecological limits and the need to provide sustainable solutions to keep up with globalization forces has sparked the diffusion of sustainability-related ideas throughout societies. Beginning in the early 1970’s, perceptions of the environment began to change as literature on population growth and environmental degradation accumulated (Nadarajah and Yamamoto 2007, p. 15). Due to the complexity involved with finding sustainability solutions, the search for best practices has created a global dialogue between all levels of society. The need for best practices has therefore encouraged a pattern of cultural diffusion that can best described as hierarchical and reverse-hierarchical expansion diffusion. The cultural diffusion reveals how ecological limits are stimulating new cultural perspectives.
The concerns for the environmental impact of over population and industrialization first circulated among scholars and world leaders. The book, “The Limits to Growth" (Meadows, Meadows, Randers, Behrens III 1972) made the problem known to world leaders as they warned that ecological disaster was immanent if action was not taken to check population growth and industrial production (Nadarajah and Yamamoto 2007, p. 15). The UN Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972 was the first to officially treat the environmental concern as a critical global issue. As a result, the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) was established to take the lead of communicating the problem to nations and communities worldwide. In response to growing awareness of the environmental problem, UNEP established the World Commission on Environment and Development (Nadarajah and Yamamoto 2007, p. 15). In response to a request to propose solutions to the environmental problem, the Brundtland Commission report, “Our Common Future,” in 1987, offered the concept of “sustainable development.” This concept has since been widely used in environmental literature and policy planning (Nadarajah and Yamamoto 2007, p. 15). The concept of sustainable development was key in the issuance of the Rio Accord (Agenda 21), a plan for sustainable development, which resulted from the UN Conference on Environmental and Development in Rio de Janeiro. To implement the plan, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created (Nadarajah and Yamamoto 2007, p. 15).
The history of how the concept of sustainability emerged and spread throughout high levels of international governmental organizations reveals the “leapfrogging” of ideas from important groups to other important groups that is characteristic of hierarchical culture diffusion. Since the emergence of sustainable development as a concept, awareness of it as a global issue has spread to other members of societies. An example of this trickling down of the awareness of sustainability issues, are university-wide initiatives to incorporate sustainability concepts into curriculum. Universities worldwide have taken the initiative to educate future generations about sustainability issues in an attempt to influence their lifestyle choices and worldviews. University-wide “sustainability initiatives are influencing curriculum decisions, operation budgets, faculty plans, and campus culture" (Herman Miller 2005). Universities treat sustainability as an interdisciplinary focus that includes subjects that range from the physical sciences to the humanities. This all-inclusive approach to delivering sustainability concepts to students brings together faculty and students of various disciplines that would normally not collaborate. This increases the number of students that will gain exposure to sustainability-related concepts and therefore other members of society.
Although increased awareness of sustainability issues helps with motivation to find solutions, the problems that societies face with realizing sustainability varies by location, revealing some of the complexity with the issue. In the case of Third-World countries, economic development is the priority while environmental and societal sustainability seems to be of less importance. The opposite is true for countries that have well-established economic systems, but are faced with finding ways to sustain their current lifestyles without threatening the prosperity of future generations. The worrisome prospects that "modernized" countries face with regards to sustainability exposes the ambiguity thought to exist in the concept of sustainable development. The ambiguity of the concept arises when the two elements of the concept "sustainability" and "development" are viewed as contradictory. In terms of development, the majority view maintains that a great deal of economic growth will be needed to spread benefits of a larger proportion of the growing world population (Willbanks 1994, p. 544). Due to ecological limits, however, global economic growth in accordance with the European and American model would put too much pressure on the environment, making development in this way unsustainable. World development, then, by way of historical means, would spread unsustainable conditions. "Accordingly, it will be necessary to develop new paths for economic and social development--paths that emphasize renewable resource use patterns, resource-use efficiency, and environmental management--without slowing down the development process ...” (Willbanks 1994, p. 544). Since the solutions that have guided historical paths of development threaten to create unsustainable conditions, new innovations are needed to make sustainable development possible.
New paths of development being created involve the reverse-hierarchical diffusion of sustainability ideas. Innovations of sustainable methods for development have been diffusing from developing areas to the developed world, going against the global current of modern culture ideas. This diffusion has been in line with The United Nations Environment Programme, which has stated that capacity building would be the means to sustainability" (Mihelcic, Zimmerman, and Ramaswami 2007, p. 3415). "Capacity can ... be increased by facilitating knowledge transfer across developed and developing world boundaries[, t]herefore, the ideal operational model for sustainable development would be a global partnership, enhanced by integrating the best and most appropriate knowledge, methodologies, techniques, principles, and practices from both the developed and developing worlds" (Mihelcic, Zimmerman, and Ramaswami 2007, p. 3415). Most efforts to advance global sustainability have focused on transferring ideas from the industrialized world to the developing world, but the successful application of innovations that have occurred in the opposite direction, show that capacity building for sustainability is a two-way system. One such idea is thermal cooling technologies that use water as a building material. Water has been used for cooling homes and preserving foods by many ancient cultures and is still practiced in many developing countries today (Mihelcic, Zimmerman, and Ramaswami 2007, p. 3418). The U.S. and Europe also used water and ice for cooling, but the invention of mechanical refrigeration has since taken its place. As the energy needed to run mechanical refrigeration systems poses a challenge for sustainability, the historical origins of water-cooling is beginning to make a comeback (Mihelcic, Zimmerman, and Ramaswami 2007, p. 3419). In rural Nigeria, a man named Mohammend Bah Abba has developed a pot-in-pot refrigerator system, which uses water as a coolant. In this system, one pot is placed in a larger pot and wet sand is placed between the two. The inside of the pot is cooled as heat energy is used to evaporate the water. The downside to this cooling method is that, because evaporation occurs best in dry places, it would not work well in humid climates. To overcome this problem, engineers are experimenting with materials that have high adsorptive capacities of water that would drive evaporation in humid environments. These refrigerating systems have been tested in Japan and Germany and are "being researched at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory for application for ... cooling urban buildings" (Mihelcic, Zimmerman, and Ramaswami 2007, p. 3415). This reverse-hierarchical diffusion of the water-based refrigerating system provides an example of how ideas that originate in the developing world can diffuse to the developed world. Although the pot-in-pot system is very simple, if the concept is extended to larger systems, such as cars, homes, and buildings, it could provide great relief to the ecological environment.

Conclusion
As the modern worldview spreads with globalization forces, the faults in the lifestyle that it encourages become more and more apparent. Inherent in the modernist lifestyle is a contradiction with ecological limits. The modernist lifestyle assumes that infinite economic expansion is possible, but natural resources are finite and therefore expansion is limited. Increased awareness of this contradiction is occurring as modernism spreads and the focus shifts to ecological limits. The ecological limits are causing a change in the way people view their relationship with the environment and are therefore influencing their culture. This process of cultural ecology is evident in the diffusion of ideas that is occurring globally as people try to find sustainable solutions to the problem.

Works Cited
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