Comments for Building the World http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld Shaping the Course of History Tue, 14 May 2013 16:36:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://blogs.umb.edu/?v=3.4.1 Comment on Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia by zoequinn001 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/railways/trans-siberian-railway-russia/#comment-869 zoequinn001 Tue, 14 May 2013 16:36:49 +0000 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/?page_id=1562#comment-869 Thank you! Thank you!

]]> Comment on Eiffel Tower, France by Alex Godinez http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/iconic-monuments/the-eiffel-tower-france/#comment-868 Alex Godinez Tue, 14 May 2013 05:08:04 +0000 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/?page_id=1494#comment-868 Understanding why the French did not want the Eiffel Tower towering over their city was hard to actually understand why. The Eiffel Tower today is the most well known building in the world and iconic. Now, reading this blog post made me think about what I would react if I were there at that time when it was being built. I, myself probably would of thought it was tacky and ugly. Obviously, today it looks way more put together. Understanding why the French did not want the Eiffel Tower towering over their city was hard to actually understand why. The Eiffel Tower today is the most well known building in the world and iconic. Now, reading this blog post made me think about what I would react if I were there at that time when it was being built. I, myself probably would of thought it was tacky and ugly. Obviously, today it looks way more put together.

]]> Comment on Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia by Martin http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/railways/trans-siberian-railway-russia/#comment-866 Martin Thu, 09 May 2013 19:04:13 +0000 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/?page_id=1562#comment-866 Russo-Japanese war was in 1904-1905, not in 1914. Russo-Japanese war was in 1904-1905, not in 1914.

]]> Comment on Cycling in France by xing li http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/2013/02/26/cycling-in-france/#comment-865 xing li Mon, 06 May 2013 17:49:22 +0000 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/?p=2636#comment-865 The environment issue and economic growth is strongly interconnected with each other. Economic development provided people with better standards of living, health and education, but it also brought up some critical environmental problems, such as air pollution and global warming. The authors of Sustainable Development, Tracey Strange and Anne Bayley (2008) argue, “in the last 200 years the world’s economy has grown sixfold, and almost tenfold in the regions that were first to industrialize”, but they also point out climate is undergoing significant change due to human activities and the excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emission that cannot be absorbed by the ocean and plants. CO2 can be emitted mainly through combustion of fossil fuels for energy and transportation. The global emission of CO2 has become the main cause of global warming and “global warming that has occurred since the 1970s caused over 140000 excess deaths annually by the year 2004” (The World Health Organization, 2012). Researcher and writer Isidor Buchmann claims, “Concerns relating to burning fossil fuel were first published in the early 1970s, governments acknowledged the possible environmental impact in 1991, and 20 years later global warming is continuing at an alarming rate.” For example, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, CO2 emissions in the United States increased by about 10% between 1990 and 2011. It also suggests, “the increase in CO2 emissions corresponded with increased energy use by an expanding economy and population, and an overall growth in emissions from electricity generation”. History shows us even some governors were aware of the negative impact of excessive CO2 emissions; they did not take proper steps to reduce CO2 emissions. . Instead, they chose to sacrifice environment for the rapid growth of economy. “Unsustainable” practices in the history have put great stress on the environment. What can we do to save mother earth? Environmental problems cannot be solved if we don’t find a better mode of human development and strength international cooperation and coordination. Sustainable development meaning “development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Tracey Strange and Anne Bayley, 2008) is the best way to meet people’s needs while preserving the environment. Furthermore, environment protection is beyond geographic borders, every country in the world has responsibility to take care of mother earth. Not only a nation can make efforts to protect the environment, but individuals’ contribution will also make a difference to the environment. One can simply use public transportation, such as cycling as alternatives to using private vehicles to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In Paris, young man or woman riding a bicycle through the streets becomes a beautiful sight. Moreover, annual multiple stage bicycle race The Tour de is held annually in France and cycling becomes a popular form of sight-seeing for people in France. The environment issue and economic growth is strongly interconnected with each other. Economic development provided people with better standards of living, health and education, but it also brought up some critical environmental problems, such as air pollution and global warming. The authors of Sustainable Development, Tracey Strange and Anne Bayley (2008) argue, “in the last 200 years the world’s economy has grown sixfold, and almost tenfold in the regions that were first to industrialize”, but they also point out climate is undergoing significant change due to human activities and the excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emission that cannot be absorbed by the ocean and plants. CO2 can be emitted mainly through combustion of fossil fuels for energy and transportation. The global emission of CO2 has become the main cause of global warming and “global warming that has occurred since the 1970s caused over 140000 excess deaths annually by the year 2004” (The World Health Organization, 2012).

Researcher and writer Isidor Buchmann claims, “Concerns relating to burning fossil fuel were first published in the early 1970s, governments acknowledged the possible environmental impact in 1991, and 20 years later global warming is continuing at an alarming rate.” For example, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, CO2 emissions in the United States increased by about 10% between 1990 and 2011. It also suggests, “the increase in CO2 emissions corresponded with increased energy use by an expanding economy and population, and an overall growth in emissions from electricity generation”. History shows us even some governors were aware of the negative impact of excessive CO2 emissions; they did not take proper steps to reduce CO2 emissions. . Instead, they chose to sacrifice environment for the rapid growth of economy.

“Unsustainable” practices in the history have put great stress on the environment.
What can we do to save mother earth? Environmental problems cannot be solved if we don’t find a better mode of human development and strength international cooperation and coordination. Sustainable development meaning “development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Tracey Strange and Anne Bayley, 2008) is the best way to meet people’s needs while preserving the environment. Furthermore, environment protection is beyond geographic borders, every country in the world has responsibility to take care of mother earth. Not only a nation can make efforts to protect the environment, but individuals’ contribution will also make a difference to the environment. One can simply use public transportation, such as cycling as alternatives to using private vehicles to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In Paris, young man or woman riding a bicycle through the streets becomes a beautiful sight. Moreover, annual multiple stage bicycle race The Tour de is held annually in France and cycling becomes a popular form of sight-seeing for people in France.

]]> Comment on Multicultural Cities – Singapore by Angela Newton http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/2013/04/08/multicultural-cities-singapore/#comment-862 Angela Newton Sat, 20 Apr 2013 04:47:29 +0000 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/?p=2796#comment-862 Angela Newton, Traditional BSN Nursing Program, Angela.Newton001@umb.edu VOICES OF THE FUTURE: Discussions and Implications Question #2: Multicultural Cities- Singapore Singapore, a tropical island city-state, is the most economically developed country in South-East Asia. After becoming a profitable trading station and attaining independence in 1965, Singapore’s economic contributions have been affected by historical events contributing to the world’s war on terror. The vision and strategies to cope with the consequences of violence among the human race has been dubbed a ‘New Asia-Singapore.’ Ooi (2004) recognize Singapore’s goal to represent the hub of tourism within the region, whereby the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Destination Marketing Division states: “In short, ‘New Asia-Singapore’ expresses the essence of…a vibrant, multicultural, sophisticated city-state where tradition and modernity, East and West meet in harmony (pg. 247).” Can Singapore inspire more empathy and multiculturalism in our world? I believe the answer is yes. In a world of endless diversity and heartbreaking conflict, hope is a dove. Singapore is a world leader in maintaining racial harmony; the government is extremely sensitive to ethnic factors in every field of national life, whether in culture, politics, housing or education. Its present policy is to maintain the multi-cultural society, with each ethnic community preserving its distinct cultural identity (Lim, 1989). This is a true display of empathy, defined as “The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another…without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicate in an objectively explicit manner (m-w.com).” We as a society, can embrace the spirit of hope popping up all over the world and unify to create change for a safer world. Making the effort to understand one another’s position is on of the first steps of effective communication. If I could change the world, I would be an advocate to educate more people about ethical issues that the human race faces every day in their personal lives, jobs, and within the community. I would target young people enrolled in early education so that those whose parents have neglected to teach their children how to make decisions about what is right and wrong. I believe that if we, as a society, can teach kids about valuable moral issues such as honesty and respect for themselves and others, we can encourage our children to safely recognize and speak out against unethical behaviors. Rather than burying our concerns with blame and allowing disappointing parts of our history the chance to repeat themselves, we can start a discussion in the classroom, enhancing overflow into group settings. If we can gain enough support and momentum to get going, this initiative would allow the younger generations to take back the world as they use their power of their minds and words to hold adults accountable for their actions in an appropriate way. It is essential that we as a human race support each other to healthily express ourselves in a safe, non-maleficent manner. References Lim, H.P. (1989). Singaporean multi-cultural society- Opening or obstacles for non-governmental civic activities. Retrieved 4/19/13 from www.eaea.org Ooi, C.S. (2004). Destination Branding, 2nd edition; Creating the Unique Destination Proposition. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford, UK; pp. 242-314. www.merriam-webster.com. Accessed 4/19/13. Angela Newton, Traditional BSN Nursing Program, Angela.Newton001@umb.edu
VOICES OF THE FUTURE: Discussions and Implications
Question #2: Multicultural Cities- Singapore
Singapore, a tropical island city-state, is the most economically developed country in South-East Asia. After becoming a profitable trading station and attaining independence in 1965, Singapore’s economic contributions have been affected by historical events contributing to the world’s war on terror. The vision and strategies to cope with the consequences of violence among the human race has been dubbed a ‘New Asia-Singapore.’ Ooi (2004) recognize Singapore’s goal to represent the hub of tourism within the region, whereby the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Destination Marketing Division states:
“In short, ‘New Asia-Singapore’ expresses the essence of…a vibrant, multicultural, sophisticated city-state where tradition and modernity, East and West meet in harmony (pg. 247).”
Can Singapore inspire more empathy and multiculturalism in our world? I believe the answer is yes. In a world of endless diversity and heartbreaking conflict, hope is a dove. Singapore is a world leader in maintaining racial harmony; the government is extremely sensitive to ethnic factors in every field of national life, whether in culture, politics, housing or education. Its present policy is to maintain the multi-cultural society, with each ethnic community preserving its distinct cultural identity (Lim, 1989). This is a true display of empathy, defined as
“The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another…without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicate in an objectively explicit manner (m-w.com).”
We as a society, can embrace the spirit of hope popping up all over the world and unify to create change for a safer world. Making the effort to understand one another’s position is on of the first steps of effective communication.
If I could change the world, I would be an advocate to educate more people about ethical issues that the human race faces every day in their personal lives, jobs, and within the community. I would target young people enrolled in early education so that those whose parents have neglected to teach their children how to make decisions about what is right and wrong. I believe that if we, as a society, can teach kids about valuable moral issues such as honesty and respect for themselves and others, we can encourage our children to safely recognize and speak out against unethical behaviors. Rather than burying our concerns with blame and allowing disappointing parts of our history the chance to repeat themselves, we can start a discussion in the classroom, enhancing overflow into group settings. If we can gain enough support and momentum to get going, this initiative would allow the younger generations to take back the world as they use their power of their minds and words to hold adults accountable for their actions in an appropriate way. It is essential that we as a human race support each other to healthily express ourselves in a safe, non-maleficent manner.
References
Lim, H.P. (1989). Singaporean multi-cultural society- Opening or obstacles for non-governmental civic activities. Retrieved 4/19/13 from http://www.eaea.org
Ooi, C.S. (2004). Destination Branding, 2nd edition; Creating the Unique Destination Proposition. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford, UK; pp. 242-314.
http://www.merriam-webster.com. Accessed 4/19/13.

]]> Comment on COMSAT: United States by Damien Wilch http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/space/comsat-united-states/#comment-843 Damien Wilch Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:48:26 +0000 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/?page_id=1788#comment-843 When did solar panels start to become popular? Like when did you start to see solar panels on houses and solar garden lights? When did solar panels start to become popular? Like when did you start to see solar panels on houses and solar garden lights?

]]> Comment on Annual Frank P. Davidson Lecture by bobharris http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/frank-p-davidson-lecture/#comment-173 bobharris Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:06:10 +0000 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/?page_id=2322#comment-173 What a fitting tribute from and to Frank Davidson and the cause of Macro Engineering! I know that Frank and his admirers had worked with the former president at a school in Rhode Island to try to launch a similar effort but since that president left for Asia the school (and project) has floundered. Kudos too to Chancellor Keith Motley at U Mass Boston for his leadership and vision, far too often lacking in higher education. What a fitting tribute from and to Frank Davidson and the cause of Macro Engineering!
I know that Frank and his admirers had worked with the former president at a school in Rhode Island to try to launch a similar effort but since that president left for Asia the school (and project) has floundered.

Kudos too to Chancellor Keith Motley at U Mass Boston for his leadership and vision, far too often lacking in higher education.

]]> Comment on Grand Canal, China by zoequinn001 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/waterworks/the-grand-canal-china/#comment-163 zoequinn001 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:49:27 +0000 http://blogs.umb.edu/buildingtheworld/?page_id=224#comment-163 一千里的旅程始于足下 一千里的旅程始于足下

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