C40 Cities (originally C20 Cities), also known as the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, is a group of cities committed to the reduction of urban carbon emissions and adapting to climate change. The group believes it has an important rule to play as cities contain around 50% of the world’s population, consume three quarters of the world’s energy, and produce 80% per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions.
In October 2005, representatives of 18 leading world cities met in London to discuss joining forces to tackle global warming and climate change. The representatives saw the need for action and cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pledged to work together towards achieving that goal. At the end of the conference, a communiqué was signed which recognised the need for cities to take action and to cooperate on reducing climate emissions. The cities also promised a number of action points, including most notably the creation of procurement policies and alliances to accelerate the uptake of climate-friendly technologies and influence the market place.
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Arup, a professional services firm providing engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment, and Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporate, as a client, have planned the world’s first purpose-built eco-city. Dongtan, located on the island of Chongming, near Shanghai, China, is designed not only to be environmentally sustainable, but also socially, economically and culturally sustainable.
Its goal is to be as close to carbon neutral as possible, with city vehicles that produce no carbon or particulate emissions and highly efficient water and energy systems. Dongtan will generate all of its energy needs from renewable sources including bio-fuels, wind farms and photovoltaic panels. A majority of Dongtan’s waste will be reused as biofuel for additional energy production and organic waste will be composted. Even human sewage will be composted and processed for energy and composting, greatly reducing or entirely eliminating landfill waste sites.
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These days everyone is talking about the current environment problems and how to solve them. Everyone is advised to behave in an earth friendly way. Actually you can find a “Combating Global Warming Mind Map” which outlines approaches to solving Global Warming. The focus is on doing something.
Map © Jane Genovese
This works well for every single one of us. It is easy to understand and more or less to implement these hints in everybody’s everyday life.
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General @ 31 Mar 2008 09:12 am by Robert Schmidl
The Eiffel Tower is an iron tower built March 31, 1889 (hoisting the flag to the top) for the Universal Exhibition in celebration of the French Revolution on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River in Paris. The tower has become a global icon of France and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.
Now, the Société d’exploitation de la Tour Eiffel has just announced that the tapering signature of the Eiffel Tower is to be reshaped, altering the skyline of Paris, in time for the structure’s 120th anniversary next year. Serero Architects of Paris have won the open competition to redesign the structure’s public viewing platform and reception areas as a celebration of the 120th birthday of Gustave Eiffel’s original creation. Aiming to “create a temporary horizontal extension of the third floor of the tower in order to increase the quality of the access of the public as well as experiencing the fantastic 360 degrees sight of Paris.”, the designers project will extend the top floor plate of the tower by grafting a high performance carbon Kevlar structure on it. The winning design (above), which will be 276 metres (905ft) above the ground, will not require any permanent modification of the existing structuref. It will double the capacity of the public viewing area on the tower’s top floor.
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General @ 13 Mar 2008 09:51 am by Daniel Appell
Recently our provincial government (British Columbia) proposed a budget that introduced a carbon tax. This was described by our finance minister, Carol Taylor, as a "small first step" to discourage the consumption of fossil fuels and support emerging sustainable technologies. Ours is the first large jurisdiction in North America to introduce a carbon tax.
Reaction has been moderately positive. Most of us in the environmental movement are giving it two thumbs up. I heard pundits on the radio talk about "tax restructuring". Instead of taxing positive things, such as productivity and the accumulation of wealth, we are taxing negative behavior; waste and unbridled consumption. I think our government deserves some kudos for this move, and I look forward to further ‘restructuring.’
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General @ 19 Oct 2007 09:48 am by Robert Schäfer
While some people are still sceptical about all the warnings that the world climate is dramatically changing, polar researchers at the University of Illinois reported in August that ever since measurements began in 1979, the ice on the North Pole has shrunk more than ever before. Anyone not alarmed about this yet must at least be wondering about the feverish excitement anticipating an ice-free Arctic.
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General @ 26 Apr 2007 01:06 pm by Irina Pleva
Megacities… urban phenomenon of 21th century, settlements and homes for huge amount of global population, the places of inspiration and opportunities, of technological development and industrial growth, locations of poverty and urban culture, centers of knowledge and leadership, spots of attracting financial and human resources, engines for economic growth and prosperity … and at the same time creators of huge and complex social, environmental and infrastructural challenges that requires innovative, efficient and rational solutions, and new approaches to governance!
Being interested in those issues, it was my pleasure to attend the World Business Dialogue in Cologne, and together with great people from all around the world - scientists, management leaders, entrepreneurs and international students - to discuss about the population dynamics, the opportunities and challenges of ageing societies and megacities in our today’s world. We were united to share experiences and ideas, with common efforts to find solutions for the future, that will ensure sustainability of our economies, society and environment.
I believe those topics are under the pressure of Your interest and attention as well 
, therefore responding on the invitation of PerfectCity.net team, it is my pleasure to share with you some of the key issues i found interesting and sensitive when talking about megacities and their urban challenges!
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General @ 28 Feb 2007 11:52 am by Niyi Oyeku
Cities are large settlements and major centers of population organized as a community. However, we now have such terms as mega-cities and megalopolis in our lexicon, this is indicative of the expansion, agglomeration and conurbation that the cities are constantly undergoing. The attendant challenges of this rapid growth have constituted a major threat to environmental quality. (more…)
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