Download Google Earth Activity #1

Google Earth Assignment #4
Name: Fonda Dyck
Date: April 28, 2015
Open the corresponding .kmz file in Google Earth. Double click on the place marks in
the Places menu on the left side of the screen to fly to the intended location and to answer
the following questions.
Type your answers on this sheet, directly after the questions (you can leave the
question on the sheet). Make sure to use correct grammar, complete sentences, and
fully answer each question.
Place mark A: Earth City Lights
Expand the Gallery layer and then the NASA layer. Turn on the Earth City Lights layer.
Question 1: According to your textbook what is meant by urban metabolism?
According to Maxwell (2014), the inputs and outputs of a city’s water supply, sewage
and trash is its urban metabolism (p. 286).
Reference: Maxwell, N.I. (2014). Understanding environmental health- How we live in
the world, 2nd edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803.
Place mark B:
It is estimated that about 1 billion people do not have access to clean water, exposing
them to a variety of waterborne illnesses. Go to The Water Project
(http://thewaterproject.org/) and select the Learn More tab and then scroll down to the
This is Gladys video. Go back to the homepage and scroll down until you see the photos,
short stories and gps link. Download the .kmz file to view the water projects in Africa.
Question 2: Zoom into the projects and read the Project Reports. Discuss one project
from an environmental health perspective. What preventative measures were taken and
how did it impact the community? This project is in Kenya and about 500 people are
served. This project involves the construction of a sand dam and shallow well. The major
challenges in the community are the lack of potable water and the erosion of soil so a
team came together to meet these challenges. The economic activities are Poultry
keeping; Farming and Goat keeping. There are two main water sources: River Kanyonga
and River Thwake. River Kanyonga only has water during the rainy season and it has
continued to erode away reducing the time it has water from 6 months to less than 2
months. The alternative water source Thwake is quite a distance away. Due to the lack of
water, women spend more time fetching water, livestock animals are dying, trees are
drying up that farmer’s plant. Agriculture in the area is rain fed and due to lack of rain,
severe famine and food insecurity has become an issue. Other factors contributing to food
insecurities are poor fertile soil, poor seed quality, poor farming practices, late planting
and pests and diseases. Through coming together with the use of sand dams and shallow
wells the hope is to create water security. The community plan to conserve soil by
digging terraces where erosion is a problem. With the availability of water, group income
levels will increase through the sale of vegetables, tree planting and growth will not be an
issue and water will be available for livestock. The group has constructed two sand dams,
the water supply is flourishing and is available for drinking and domestic use. A third
sand dam should secure the possibilities of keeping livestock healthy and able to survive
during drought periods. Reference: The Water Project (2015). Explore the project.
Retrieved from http://thewaterproject.org/community/projects/kenya/new-sand-dam-andshallow-well-in-kenya-4306
Place mark C: World Mapper
Visit Worldmapper (http://www.worldmapper.org/) and go to the A-Z Map Index page.
This website is a collection of cartograms where the size of countries is not based on
area, but on another factor. Look through the list and focus on maps showing
environmental health related topics.
Question 3: Discuss one map relating directly to a topic/term from Chapter 7 of your
textbook. Maxwell (2014) suspended organic solids that settle out during primary water
treatment are sewage sludge. Sewage sludge must be treated further and disposed of (p.
294). (Worldmapper, 2005) sewage sludge is a product of domestic and at times
industrial waste that makes its way into a public sewerage system. Africa, and to a great
extent Asia and South America have no public sewage collection system which means
there is no monitoring or recording of sewage sludge and thus they appear small on this
map.
According to the United Nations Environmental Program (2005) whilst sewage sludge
makes an excellent fertilizer but there is environmental health impacts which includes the
presence of heavy metals, organic compounds and pathogens. “A sharp water oxygen
decline is caused by sewage, and this sewage contains substances requiring lots of
oxygen for the biochemical oxidation process. This ... is killing fish en
masse"(Oleksandr Poliakvor, 2005). The least amount of sewage sludge generation
per person annually occurs in the territory of Iceland with a value of 1 kilogram
while the largest generation of sewage sludge is found in the territory of
Luxembourg with a value of 41 kilograms of sewage sludge annually.
References: Maxwell, N.I. (2014). Understanding environmental health- How we live
in the world 2nd Edition, Jones and Bartlett Learning, 5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA
01803.
Worldmapper (2006). Sewage sludge. SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark
Newman (University of Michigan). Retrieved from
http://www.worldmapper.org/posters/worldmapper_map306_ver5.pdf
Question 4: Choose two maps to compare and contrast. How does the information relate
and why? Waste Collected "How many of us feel happy about the amount of plastic and
packaging we ram into bins? We produce a ludicrous amount of waste ... It is completely
crazy, a gross waste of the planet’s resources ..." Jackie Ashley, 2006. Waste collected
from businesses, homes and schools are things such as packaging, organic waste and
paper. Then there is the bulky waste such as mattresses, refrigerators, sofas, stoves, etc.
China has the largest population, therefore produces the biggest amount of waste, but the
most waste per person is generated in the Russian Federation. The territory of
Napal generates very small amounts of waste. Napal like most other territories in
the world believes in reusing containers as opposed to treating them as single use
containers which is seen in the wealthier territories. What’s determined as waste
and is disposed of varies on an international basis. Ecological Footprint –
According to Maxwell (2014) is the portion of the Earth’s surface that is needed
to supply resources to an individual or population and to absorb the wastes of the
individual or population with a disposed standard of living (p. 343). According to
(Worldmapper, 2006) this standard of living includes the consumption of food,
fuel, wood and pollution such as carbon dioxide emissions. The United States,
China and India have the largest ecological footprints. Although China and India
have large populations, both territories are below the world average in resource
use, but the United States on the other hand per person footprint is nearly five
times the world average. In comparison: the United States or Western European
countries which is the more developed or richer countries generates enormous
amounts of waste, uses a lot of resources faster than the earth can replenish them,
they are the ones benefiting more from the modern development and are less
likely to recycle or reuse. The more developed countries are more likely to abuse
the Earth’s resources. In contrast: the less developed countries tend to generate
less waste, they are less likely to abuse Earth’s resources and are more likely to
recycle and reuse. The information in the maps are related in that the topics are
discussed relating various countries on the basis of population, location and
socioeconomic status (SES). It seems to reign true to fact that significant
disparities persists between the world richer and poorer countries and although the
wealthier countries have reaped the benefits of modern development, the negative
impacts are spread abroad. If the larger populated countries like China and India
decides to embrace the Western –style development; increasing its footprints, the
world will be facing an overwhelming challenge of devising a global future that is
definite more equitable and sustainable than it currently is (Maxwell, 2014, p.
344).
References: Maxwell, N.I. (2014). Understanding environmental health- How we live
in the world 2nd Edition, Jones and Bartlett Learning, 5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA
01803.
Worldmapper (2006). Sewage sludge. SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark
Newman (University of Michigan). Retrieved from
http://www.worldmapper.org/posters/worldmapper_map306_ver5.pdf
Place mark Ds: New York City and Phnom Penh
Question 5: Describe how a constructed or natural wetland purifies wastewater (textbook
pg. 298). A constructed wetland is a man-made marsh whose purpose is to act as a
wastewater treatment system. The constructed wetland has a lined basin and a layer of
soil, sand or gravel in which plants are rooted, depending on the location of the water
level in relation to the soil surface, water will flow above or below ground as the
vegetation slows down the flow of water in order to allow settling and filtering to occur.
The plants simultaneously provide a microbial environment in which the microbes digest
organic waste (Maxwell, 2014, p. 298).
Reference: Maxwell, N.I. (2014). Understanding environmental health- How we live
in the world 2nd Edition, Jones and Bartlett Learning, 5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA
01803.
Cambodia and many other developing countries have high infant mortality and disease
rates due to lack of clean water. Go to the Population Reference Bureau
(http://www.prb.org/) and select DataFinder and then Environment under the
International heading (select expand all to see all the topics). Select the following and be
sure to select Map for each category. This allows you to mouse over a country and see
the statistics. You will also need to look under the Demographics tab.
Population Using Improved Sanitation, by Region
Population Using Improved Water Supply, by Region
Infant Mortality Rate (infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Population Living Below US $2 per Day
Question 6: Describe geographically the relationships and patterns you found in these
statistics. It appears that geographically, the less developed countries are the most
conservative, the most environmental health conscious but has the lowest socioeconomic
status (SES) and the worst health outcome because there are unmistakably geographical,
social, cultural and economic inequalities. As a result of these inequalities, there is not
equal access to improved sanitation and water supply which are major contributors to the
poor health and education of our children living in underserved, economically stressed
countries. Urban areas have greater access to improved water and sanitation, but the gap
seems to be narrowing (WHO/UNICEF, 2014). For example: urban areas of South Africa
had 84% improved sanitation in comparison to 57% in rural South Africa. The urban
regions of Canada had improved sanitation of 100% whereas the rural regions had 99%
improved sanitation (Population Reference Bureau, 2015). Some of the highest infant
mortality rates are found in poor African countries. For example: Central African
Republic has an infant mortality rate of 116% and the Democratic Republic of Congo has
and infant mortality rate of 109% while the more developed or wealthier countries such
as Canada, Australia and the United States has an infant mortality rates of 4,8%, 3.3%
and 5.4 % respectively. Living on the US equivalent of $2 per day is considered absolute
poverty. There was 43% of the world population living on this minuscule amount in
2002. This $2 per day or less had to cover food, shelter and water. Medicine is not even a
priority. When forced to live on such as dehumanizing income, then you are going to get
undernourishment, poor education and a shortened life expectancy. It goes without
saying- the poor countries of Africa are some of the ones greatly impacted. For example:
in Nigeria and Mali 90% of the people lives on less than the equivalent of US $2 per day
(Worldmapper, 2006).
References: World Health Organization, UNICEF (2014). WHO/UNICEF joint
monitoring program (JMP) for water supply and sanitation. Retrieved from
http://www.wssinfo.org/
Worldmapper (2006). Sewage sludge. SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark
Newman (University of Michigan). Retrieved from
http://www.worldmapper.org/posters/worldmapper_map306_ver5.pdf
Place mark Es: Landfills
http://www.epa.gov/outreach/lmop/index.html
Question 7: How do some modern landfills deal with methane gas? Modern landfills
have pipes inserted all through the landfill to collect the methane gas. Consequently the
gas can be safely expelled into the environment or even better; collected and used as fuel
(Maxwell, 2014, p.318). According to the (United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), 2015), landfill gas (LFG) can be collected and used to fuel power plants,
homes, vehicles and more. References: Environmental Protection Agency (2015).
Landfill methane outreach program. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/outreach/lmop/index.html
Maxwell, N.I. (2014). Understanding environmental health- How we live in the world 2nd
Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning. 5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803
Place mark Fs: Slum and Favela
Your textbook includes this quote on page 324, “Many who live in theses urban slums are
cut off from opportunities for employment, health services, or education, as well as basic
municipal services.” Much of what you read about slums is negative, including the
environmental health conditions. Others contend that slums and increasing urbanization
are a positive development since health conditions in slums are oftentimes better than
surrounding rural areas and there is more economic opportunity. One recent book arguing
this point is Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter,
Greener, Healthier, and Happier by Edward Glaeser.
Read the following and your textbook:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0509/global-2000-11-edward-glaeser-slumsdharavi-lands-opportunity.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/12/city-solutions/kunzig-text
Question 8: Briefly argue the positives of urban slums, including the health benefits.
According to Glaeser (2011) urban slums offers colossal economic opportunities. The
close contact makes it easier to sell products and goods right there without the added
burden of traveling to sell them. The giant majority of the population that live in the
slums is there voluntarily possibly with the intent to escape rural poverty. Many that
comes to these areas are really looking to better themselves by starting businesses that
ultimately get them out of the slums with opportunities to become healthier by simply
starting with freedom. Entrepreneurship in slum areas is not at all uncommon because of
the need to fulfill the hunger by selling fruits, vegetables and milk. Urban slums are
deemed more important than rural poverty. There have been entrepreneurs that became
rich simply by selling products to urban dwellers. Urban slum dwellers that become
wealthy also become healthy and free.
Reference: Glaeser, E. (2011). New land of opportunity. Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0509/global-2000-11-edward-glaeser-slums-dharavilands-opportunity.html
Question 9: Briefly argue the negatives of urban slums, including the health issues.
According to Maxwell (2014) people that dwell in urban slums are cut off from
employment opportunities, healthcare, education and basic municipal services. Sewage
and trash are largely uncontrolled and people are forced to live in areas encircled by
wastes. The transmission of infectious diseases such as closeness or contact diseases,
fecal origin diseases and vectorborne illnesses are all a result of the absence of
wastewater management.
Reference: Maxwell, N.I. (2014). ). Understanding environmental health- How we live in
the world 2nd Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803
Place mark Gs: Urban Sprawl
Suburban living has been a part of American life since the 1950s and has transformed the
morphology of cities. It is also ultimately based on the use of automobiles. Read the
textbook section on suburban sprawl and the following links. Be sure to watch the video
from the CDC.
http://news.health.com/2011/02/10/obesity-tied-to-education-income-but-not-suburbiastudy/
http://www.cdc.gov/cdctv/ObesityEpidemic/
Question 10: What are the connections between where you live, your environment, and
increasing obesity rates? In the area in which I live, there are a plethora of restaurants and
more are under construction. There are literally no bike paths, bike lanes or crosswalks. It
is practically unsafe to go for a walk or run in my city. The schools do very little as far as
getting kids up and moving. The lunches are better nutritionally than they were two years
ago, but they could use some improvement. The most exercise most kids get on a
consistent basis is their hands wrapped around electronic devices. The video on the
Obesity Epidemic mentioned contacting the Schools’ Health Advisory Council for
assistance with getting quality nutritional programs and improved physical activity
programs in the schools. This process calls for no money and it will bring together a
diverse group of people from the community and school to accomplish these goals.
Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). The obesity epidemic.
Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/cdctv/ObesityEpidemic/