geographica |
Intermittent wanderings exploring elements of geography and cartography. |
A recent news item is that President Trump decided not to continue the process of entering into the so-called Paris Accords, which is a global-scale agreement about carbon emissions between the nations of the world. Carbon dioxide is a known greenhouse gas with known physical properties, and the more of that particular gas that is in the atmosphere (modern or historic atmospheres), the warmer the planet becomes. It is not the only greenhouse gas, and it is not the most efficient greenhouse gas in terms of delaying the transmission of heat from the atmosphere to outer space. It is definitely a byproduct of human economies, and as such, a gas over which we (collectively) have some measure of control... namely, how much we produce and release into the atmosphere each year.
Here is a New York Times article that has two animated maps. One map shows how many days are predicted to be above 95 degrees Fahrenheit if the Paris Accords are fully implemented and carbon emissions are restricted as provided under the Accords. The other map shows predicted distributions of the number of days above 95 degrees Fahrenheit if there is no such action taken; no carbon restrictions as provided by the Accords. It's an interesting look into possible futures.
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More than 3,000 Indigenous communities in Canada have been added to Google Maps - and it's about time, Indigenous people say... click here for the original article. In Canada, indigenous people are also known as the "First Nations", acknowledging that they were in what is now modern Canada before Europeans and those from other continents encountered North America.
An NPR report on a special map of Native American tribes using their own language and names (toponyms) to show the distribution of Native peoples across North America. In the United States, indigenous peoples are those who are also known as American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Hawaiian Natives and Pacific Islanders. Related to the previous map is one created for Alaskan tribes and indigenous peoples. The study of place names is a cross between historical, linguistic, geographic, political, and religious or cultural interests. Who gets to name a geographic location or landscape feature? Does the name have any cultural or historical significance? Has it changed over time? On August 21 of this year, a Total Solar Eclipse will occur and transit across North America. The path of the total solar eclipse will intersect the state of Idaho, conveniently, on the first day of classes for Fall Semester. If you are lucky enough to be located somewhere along the path of the eclipse, take advantage of this opportunity to experience the phenomenon. Here are links to a couple of resources, the Eclipse Megamovie site (check out its Simulator page) and the official NASA website for Total Solar Eclipse 2017 (the Resources page has a lot of printable maps and other neat stuff).
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AuthorNo matter where you go... there you are. - BB Archives
October 2018
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