WASHINGTON – The National Research Council has released a report containing 11 questions for geographical sciences research in the coming decade.
The report acknowledges that we live in a time when populations are moving and natural resources are being depleted. The questions aim to provide a more complete understanding of where and how landscapes are changing to help society manage and adapt to the transformation of Earth’s surface.
The geographical science community provided input to a committee, which then wrote the report. They were attempting to identify research priorities and the approaches, skills, data, and infrastructure necessary to advance research, but the questions are important for all of us.
1. How are we changing the physical environment of Earth’s surface?
2. How can we best preserve biological diversity and protect endangered ecosystems?
3. How are climate and other environmental changes affecting the vulnerabilities of coupled human-environment systems?
4. Where and how will 10 billion people live?
5. How will we sustainably feed everyone in the coming decade and beyond?
6. How does where we live affect our health?
7. How is the movement of people, goods, and ideas changing the world?
8. How is economic globalization affecting inequality?
9. How are geopolitical shifts influencing peace and stability?
10. How might we better observe, analyze, and visualize a changing world?
11. What are the societal implications of citizen mapping and mapping citizens?
The report was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, National Geographic Society, and Association of American Geographers. Click here for a pdf containing more information.
Source: National Academy of Sciences
I wonder how the world would be if everyone just got over their b.s. Not only are we on an over populated planet with limited resources but there’s entire galaxies of creation out there & earth is the only known 1 to support life. With all our advances in technology you’d think mankind would put aside its differences and move forward space. Many people don’t realize is this is all we have. Were borrowing it from our children. And if we don’t start taking better care of the place we’ve been blessed with we are not gonna have it anymore. earth is our most significant asset. earth is our home. yet we destroy her everyday with the poison we create & the lands we rape. Greed has gripped the heart of man. it is an evil that knows no limit. it is the worst plague to date. we have a choice. willingly change our way of thinking or it will be forcefully changed for us. our equilibrium as humanity is out of wack. we continually numb ourselves to sleep cause no one sees the true beauty of the world anymore. we are empty, we are hungry. searching for truth. we are lost b/c we revel in our man made concrete walls & live in ignorance of our global fingerprint. weve lost touch with the creator & creation. were running out of time. were a plague that has engineered our own demise, we are a society committing global suicide. we must re-imagine, we must create or we risk falling into a terrible dark age. we must utilize justice, fairness, & common sense to design the capacity to sustain in the long run. love is the universal language & the key to our survival. were on the brink of a major transition & only we choose where we go from here. choice is our greatest gift, we choose to bless or we choose to curse. we choose what heals & we choose what hurts.
Raymond, I agree with you. Not about the “our future is in space” part. But about pretty much everything else. On the other hand, sometimes I wonder if people in every age look around and see destruction, greed and pain and feel a dark age may be coming.
Sometimes dark ages do come.
But we still have a chance to move forward in a good way here. I love the Internet because it connects people’s thoughts and ideas. I think connection is part of the answer.
10-20 years down the road, more laws more government control. Possible mass panic or revolt and complete break down of society. What you only see in movies may be come a reality. This planet can’t sustain the amount of people coming in the future. Solar energy, cloning, space, all seem like probable solutions at this stage. The people against these things aren’t in the right state of mind. Technology and science are our only hope. If we can’t be logic or use our common sense then we are all doomed. Whatever happens, just stay optimistic and survive.
I wonder why question 4 says “10 billion” as opposed to 9 billion. As I understand, the population is expected to plateau around 9 – 10 billion around 2050, and usually estimates are given as 9 billion by 2050.
That a good question, but probably they were just rounding up. No one really knows.
I mentioned this before, but we can solve our problem by limiting our birth rate to one child per couple globally. Even if we all tread lightly, 10 billion people make a huge impact.
Val, that is so true. There’s just no way around it. Humans are already dominating Earth, and more of us are being born every minute … http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
I get very surprised when people sometimes comment that “humans can’t affect Earth.” We humans are, after all, part of nature. We are of the Earth. We’re a natural force … as much as, say, blowing sand or a river cutting through a landscape …
what does the phrase “citizen mapping and mapping citizens” means? and I think out-space is unrealistic to use in the foreseeable future. what we can do is making good use of the remain resourse and educating the public reasonably.
Maybe next half of the 21century would be more focus on the agriculture rather than outspace. today’s agricultual products are deteriorating people’s body especially the people in developing countries.