Saturday, February 28, 2009
Poor Face Obstacles to Renew Public Health Insurance, Study Shows - NYTimes.com
Poor Face Obstacles to Renew Public Health Insurance, Study Shows - NYTimes.com:
"More than a third of New York State’s recipients of Medicaid and other public health insurance programs fail to re-enroll on time, losing coverage even though they remain eligible, because of daunting paperwork and other obstacles, according to a new study."
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap:
"OpenStreetMap is a free editable map of the whole world. It is made by people like you.
OpenStreetMap allows you to view, edit and use geographical data in a collaborative way from anywhere on Earth."
The Demon-Haunted World
a slide presentation on the rising urbanisation of the planet and the rapid digitalisation of that urban fabric, by Matt Jones
The Demon-Haunted World
The Demon-Haunted World
Broken Glass: Photographs of the South Bronx
Exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York
Made between 1982 and 1984, the photographs in Broken Glass: Photographs of the South Bronx by Ray Mortenson focus on the burned out, abandoned, and razed structures of entire city blocks in the South Bronx, documenting the aftermath of a widespread urban economic crisis that plagued the United States in the 1970s. Putting the political, economic and social causes for this collapse aside, Mortenson's photographs consider the land and loss in human terms. They project a haunting silence, reminding us that these neighborhood streets were cradles of the community, lined with the homes of individuals and families. Hints of a once prosperous district are revealed in Mortenson's work through a stark black-and-white portrayal of what remained.
Pippa Norris on globalization and communication
…My heart’s in Accra Pippa Norris on globalization and communication:
"Professor Pippa Norris of Harvard’s Kennedy School, is focused on “Cosmoolitan Communications” for her forthcoming book, titled “Cultural Convergence”. Working with Ronald Inglehart of the World Values Survey, she’s studying the ways that communications impact the strength of national identity and the trust in outsiders. Her findings - which surprise some of her colleagues - suggest that increased cosmopolitan communications leads to more trust in others and reduced nationalism."
Economics Discussions: Bikes, Electricity, and Global Inequality
...I think this is relevant to the course. A note about this: they aren't kidding when they say dialogue. When you go to these you have to RSVP and then when you go you are expected to talk.
The Editorial Board of Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development would like to invite you to join us for our ConsilienceDialogue Series for the month of March, co-sponsored by the Economics Forum.
The Consilience Dialogue Series is designed to promote intimate, meaningful discussion of the major issues of sustainable development with an interdisciplinary approach.
We hope that students will come to the table ready to share their considered opinions,thoughts, and questions.
“Bamboo Bikes: A Sustainable Development Initiative in Kisumu, Kenya”
With Katherine Athanasiades and Young Rhee
Wednesday, March 4 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Hamilton 316, Morningside Campus
“Is National Grid Extension the Best Way to Extend Electricity Access in Sub-Saharan Africa?”
With Lily Parshall
Wednesday, March 11 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Hamilton 316, Morningside Campus
“Beyond the Global Divide: From Basic Needs to Knowledge Revolution”
With Graciela Chichilnisky
Wednesday, March 25 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Hamilton 316, Morningside Campus
To RSVP to an event, contact Lucy at lhc2104@columbia.edu with your name, year, and field of study.
For more info on Consilience, see here.
Josef
The Editorial Board of Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development would like to invite you to join us for our ConsilienceDialogue Series for the month of March, co-sponsored by the Economics Forum.
The Consilience Dialogue Series is designed to promote intimate, meaningful discussion of the major issues of sustainable development with an interdisciplinary approach.
We hope that students will come to the table ready to share their considered opinions,thoughts, and questions.
“Bamboo Bikes: A Sustainable Development Initiative in Kisumu, Kenya”
With Katherine Athanasiades and Young Rhee
Wednesday, March 4 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Hamilton 316, Morningside Campus
“Is National Grid Extension the Best Way to Extend Electricity Access in Sub-Saharan Africa?”
With Lily Parshall
Wednesday, March 11 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Hamilton 316, Morningside Campus
“Beyond the Global Divide: From Basic Needs to Knowledge Revolution”
With Graciela Chichilnisky
Wednesday, March 25 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Hamilton 316, Morningside Campus
To RSVP to an event, contact Lucy at lhc2104@columbia.edu with your name, year, and field of study.
For more info on Consilience, see here.
Josef
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sustainable Development at Columbia University: Engineering and Sustainable Development
Date:
Monday, March 2, 2009 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location:
Columbia University, Morningside Campus, Schapiro CEPSR Building, David Auditorium
Contact:
Earth Institute Events, events@ei.columbia.edu
Event Description:
Speaker: Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute at Columbia University
The Columbia University Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science presents "Sustainable Development at Columbia University: Engineering and Sustainable Development", with Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute at Columbia University.
Black Panthers Protest ‘Drunken Negro Face’ Bakery
Black Panthers Protest ‘Drunken Negro Face’ Bakery -- Grub Street ...
Feb 26, 2009 ... Black Panthers Protest ‘Drunken Negro Face’ Bakery ... State Senator Thomas Duane is pressuring him to take a racial sensitivity course ...nymag.com/daily/food/2009/02/black_panthers_protest_drunken.html
2/26/09 at 12:34 PM
2Comments
Photo: Villager
Ever wonder what became of Ted Kefalinos, the “Drunken Negro Face” baker? He’s still in business, though Black Panthers have been picketing his store, and the Secret Service has paid him a visit, thanks to his alleged statement that Obama will “get what he deserves.” State Senator Thomas Duane is pressuring him to take a racial sensitivity course (presumably he’ll be classmates with the folks over at the Post), and Kefalinos has agreed, saying “maybe they’re right, I do need a little bit of sensitivity.” Best part of the Villager piece might be the customer who’s torn between going to Kefalinos’s shop and nearby Patisserie Claude, with its notoriously cranky former owner.
[Villager Panthers vow to shut down ‘Negro Head’ cookie baker [Villager]
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Cascade Farm 2009 Calendar of Events!
Cascade Farm 2009 Calendar of Events!:
"March 7th and 21st 8:30-11 a.m.
**Come and learn more about Cascade Farm Schools CSA program**"
Will a Car-Free Broadway Work? - TierneyLab Blog - NYTimes.com
TierneyLab | Putting Ideas in Science to the Test
Will a Car-Free Broadway Work?
By John Tierney
In 1997, one of my proposals was greeted with the usual thunderous silence. I proposed creating the Piazza Broadway by banishing cars from the the Great White Way near Times Square. It wasn’t a strictly original idea — a similar scheme had been proposed in the 1970s — although I do believe I was the first to suggest decorating the plaza with a statue of a three-card monte dealer and a pedestrian bridge modeled on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, to be called the Ponte di Tre Monte."
Will a Car-Free Broadway Work?
By John Tierney
In 1997, one of my proposals was greeted with the usual thunderous silence. I proposed creating the Piazza Broadway by banishing cars from the the Great White Way near Times Square. It wasn’t a strictly original idea — a similar scheme had been proposed in the 1970s — although I do believe I was the first to suggest decorating the plaza with a statue of a three-card monte dealer and a pedestrian bridge modeled on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, to be called the Ponte di Tre Monte."
Panel on Climate Change results
PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE PREDICTS NYC'S AVERAGE TEMPERATURE TO RISE 7.5 DEGREES - New York Post:
"The city's average temperature could rise by as much as 7.5 degrees this century, and once-in-a-century storms may occur as often as every 15 years, a climate-change panel said Tuesday.
The report by the city's Panel on Climate Change was requested by Mayor Bloomberg to better understand how global temperature levels could strain the city's infrastructure."
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Mixed race-ethnicity....
I thought this article was interesting, given the week's readings about race and health, our multi-racial president, and being of mixed ethnicity myself.
How does an increasingly multi-racial society now intersect with health?
How does an increasingly multi-racial society now intersect with health?
posted article change
I noticed the copy we posted of Nancy Krieger's Epidemiology and the Web of Causation is not very readable. I sent out a new one this morning, in case you have time to look at it before class.
DevEx
International Development - Home: "devex is a social enterprise bringing efficiency to international development through recruiting and business information services. Our members find jobs, projects, news - and professional connections - on devex.com."
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
White House Urban Affairs Chief Picked
Having surpassed the "honeymoon period" of this course, I am better understanding the need to address problems spawned by urbanization and to approach them through an interdisciplinary framework that is humbled by the complexity of the issues yet strengthened by the promise of its multi-disciplinary approach. As a "New Yorker", it doesn't take many blocks from where you are to see the disparities of clustered neighbordhoods and imagine the economic and social potential that all areas are capable of achieving.
President Obama, has acknowledged this through the creation of the White House Urban Affairs Office. Today, 80% of the United States population reside in urban areas, and are as a result, are aware of its many issues -- from poverty and hunger observed on the street as a result of policies from the past to the need for sustainable buildings and communities to ensure an energy-efficient future. This step, I am hopeful, will become the first of many in which we begin to address the critical issues of urban living and find the tools across the many disciplines in order to achieve a healthier and more habitable environment.
Click here to read the article.
President Obama, has acknowledged this through the creation of the White House Urban Affairs Office. Today, 80% of the United States population reside in urban areas, and are as a result, are aware of its many issues -- from poverty and hunger observed on the street as a result of policies from the past to the need for sustainable buildings and communities to ensure an energy-efficient future. This step, I am hopeful, will become the first of many in which we begin to address the critical issues of urban living and find the tools across the many disciplines in order to achieve a healthier and more habitable environment.
Click here to read the article.
Root Shock
For those of you who haven't had the chance to read Mindy Fullilove's book or articles about Root Shock, you should take a look. She offers a vivid example of how bad, racist policy and urban planning have done irreparable damage to African American communities around the country. She cites the policy of Urban renewal as one of the major catalysts of the health discrepancies we see today.
I posted the abstract below. To read the full article click here.
SpringerLink - Journal Article: "Root shock: The consequences of African American dispossession"
Abstract: Urban renewal was one of several processes that contributed to deurbanization of American cities in the second half of the 20th century. Urban renewal was an important federal policy that affected thousands of communities in hundreds of cities. Urban renewal was to achieve “clearance” of “blight” and “slum” areas so that they could be rebuit for new uses other than housing the poor. Urban renewal programs fell disproportionately on African American communities, leading to the slogan “Urban renewal is Negro removal.” The short-term consequences were dire, including loss of money, loss of social organization, and psychological trauma. The long-term consequences flow from the social paralysis of dispossession, most important, a collapse of political action. This has important implications for the well-being of African Americans. It also raises important questions about the strength and quality of American democracy.
I posted the abstract below. To read the full article click here.
SpringerLink - Journal Article: "Root shock: The consequences of African American dispossession"
Abstract: Urban renewal was one of several processes that contributed to deurbanization of American cities in the second half of the 20th century. Urban renewal was an important federal policy that affected thousands of communities in hundreds of cities. Urban renewal was to achieve “clearance” of “blight” and “slum” areas so that they could be rebuit for new uses other than housing the poor. Urban renewal programs fell disproportionately on African American communities, leading to the slogan “Urban renewal is Negro removal.” The short-term consequences were dire, including loss of money, loss of social organization, and psychological trauma. The long-term consequences flow from the social paralysis of dispossession, most important, a collapse of political action. This has important implications for the well-being of African Americans. It also raises important questions about the strength and quality of American democracy.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Race, Racism, and Health
Here are some ideas/questions to ponder regarding this week's readings on race, racism, and health.
1. Compare and contrast the "practical results of the attitude of most of the inhabitants of Philadelphia towards persons of Negro descent" offered by W.E.B. Du Bois (see "Color Prejudice") with the ways in which segregation can affect health articulated by David Williams (see his presentation posted on CourseWorks).
2. How do you understand Nancy Krieger's metaphor of "the spider"? Why did David Williams invoke her classic paper, "Epidemiology and the web of causation: Has anyone seen the spider?" in his presentation on race, racism, and health? What do you believe he considers the spider to be?
Finally, a tribute to my former departmental chair Richard Parker will be held from 1-3 pm on Wednesday, March 25, and the reception immediately following this event will be held--yep--in our classroom. Since the class topic that day is, "Urbanization and globalization: The challenge of complexity" and Richard Parker's work involves global public health, this is not such a bad fit in some ways, but it does conflict with students' other courses/responsibilities and transportation times. Let's discuss ways to accomodate the structural challenge/opportunity in class on Wednesday.
I'm looking forward to seeing you and hearing your ideas then, Mary
1. Compare and contrast the "practical results of the attitude of most of the inhabitants of Philadelphia towards persons of Negro descent" offered by W.E.B. Du Bois (see "Color Prejudice") with the ways in which segregation can affect health articulated by David Williams (see his presentation posted on CourseWorks).
2. How do you understand Nancy Krieger's metaphor of "the spider"? Why did David Williams invoke her classic paper, "Epidemiology and the web of causation: Has anyone seen the spider?" in his presentation on race, racism, and health? What do you believe he considers the spider to be?
Finally, a tribute to my former departmental chair Richard Parker will be held from 1-3 pm on Wednesday, March 25, and the reception immediately following this event will be held--yep--in our classroom. Since the class topic that day is, "Urbanization and globalization: The challenge of complexity" and Richard Parker's work involves global public health, this is not such a bad fit in some ways, but it does conflict with students' other courses/responsibilities and transportation times. Let's discuss ways to accomodate the structural challenge/opportunity in class on Wednesday.
I'm looking forward to seeing you and hearing your ideas then, Mary
Streetscapes: A Hodgepodge Block
Here's an interesting piece from the Times on the history of East 82nd Street. My favorite part is the graphic that lets you toggle between a picture of the street taken in 1917 and one from 2009. It's striking the extent to which the architectural changes that took place altered the feel of the street, particularly the addition of the high-rise buildings and the narrowing of the street's width.
This article also made me think about how cities continually build and rebuild themselves. For the most part, I think we view this evolution at a macro-level (in terms of neighborhoods or cities as a whole), but it's also interesting to consider the impact of these changes on a more micro scale (i.e. by block or by building).
Link to the article.
This article also made me think about how cities continually build and rebuild themselves. For the most part, I think we view this evolution at a macro-level (in terms of neighborhoods or cities as a whole), but it's also interesting to consider the impact of these changes on a more micro scale (i.e. by block or by building).
Link to the article.
Trust Art: a stock market for cultural renewal
Cassie will seek out frozen construction sites in areas that have been highly impacted by the recession, starting with New York City. She will solicit feedback from the local community about how these sites could best be re-purposed, and then create large-scale architectural models depicting these new uses. Read more »
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Jane Jacobs and "Slumdog Millionaire"
As this evening's Oscar ceremony approaches, media outlets have been reporting on protests taking place in India, particularly in Mumbai's Dharavi area, over the title of the film widely believed to be leading the Best Picture race, "Slumdog Millionaire."
Most of the reports I've read suggest that people are protesting the use of the word dog, but in the following Op-Ed piece from today's Times takes issue with the word slum, evoking Jane Jacobs to describe Dharavi as "the ultimate user-generated city." Those of you who have read Jane Jacobs' book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, will find that many of the features of Dharavi described in the article are relevant to Jacob's text.
Taking the Slum out of "Slumdog"
Its depiction as a slum does little justice to the reality of Dharavi. Well over a million “eyes on the street,” to use Jane Jacobs’s phrase, keep Dharavi perhaps safer than most American cities. Yet Dharavi’s extreme population density doesn’t translate into oppressiveness. The crowd is efficiently absorbed by the thousands of tiny streets branching off bustling commercial arteries. Also, you won’t be chased by beggars or see hopeless people loitering — Dharavi is probably the most active and lively part of an incredibly industrious city. People have learned to respond in creative ways to the indifference of the state — including having set up a highly functional recycling industry that serves the whole city...
Most of the reports I've read suggest that people are protesting the use of the word dog, but in the following Op-Ed piece from today's Times takes issue with the word slum, evoking Jane Jacobs to describe Dharavi as "the ultimate user-generated city." Those of you who have read Jane Jacobs' book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, will find that many of the features of Dharavi described in the article are relevant to Jacob's text.
Taking the Slum out of "Slumdog"
Its depiction as a slum does little justice to the reality of Dharavi. Well over a million “eyes on the street,” to use Jane Jacobs’s phrase, keep Dharavi perhaps safer than most American cities. Yet Dharavi’s extreme population density doesn’t translate into oppressiveness. The crowd is efficiently absorbed by the thousands of tiny streets branching off bustling commercial arteries. Also, you won’t be chased by beggars or see hopeless people loitering — Dharavi is probably the most active and lively part of an incredibly industrious city. People have learned to respond in creative ways to the indifference of the state — including having set up a highly functional recycling industry that serves the whole city...
...No master plan, urban design, zoning ordinance, construction law or expert knowledge can claim any stake in the prosperity of Dharavi. It was built entirely by successive waves of immigrants fleeing rural poverty, political oppression and natural disasters. They have created a place that is far from perfect but has proved to be amazingly resilient and able to upgrade itself. In the words of Bhau Korde, a social worker who lives there, “Dharavi is an economic success story that the world must pay attention to during these times of global depression.”
Friday, February 20, 2009
Geoffrey Canada Interview in Newsweek
Here's an interesting interview with Geoffrey Canada, founder and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, an organization that Mary has mentioned a few times in class and that I believe Ray might have done some work with in the past.
I thought Mr. Canada's response to the interviewer's second question was particularly relevant to our course and some of the issues that we've been grappling with.
He's the Angel of Harlem
I thought Mr. Canada's response to the interviewer's second question was particularly relevant to our course and some of the issues that we've been grappling with.
He's the Angel of Harlem
Geoffrey Canada leads a nonprofit that helps thousands of poor city kids. The secret: conquering one block at a time.
WHO | Commission on Social Determinants of Health - Final Report
WHO | Commission on Social Determinants of Health - Final Report:
"Social justice is a matter of life and death. It affects the way people live, their consequent chance of illness, and their risk of premature death. We watch in wonder as life expectancy and good health continue to increase in parts of the world and in alarm as they fail to improve in others."
MCH Library Knowledge Path: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health
MCH Library Knowledge Path: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health:
"This knowledge path has been compiled by the Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University. It offers a selection of current, high-quality resources about preventing, identifying, and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health. Separate sections present resources for professionals (health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, researchers) and consumers. A special topics area lists resources about cultural and linguistic competence to remove barriers to care and narrow health disparities."
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Walking with primates | Build it Kenny, and they will come...
Walking with primates | Build it Kenny, and they will come...:
found via Ethan Zuckerman, who describes this post as: "Ken Banks reacts to Nathan Wolfe's TED talk on viral chatter with a blogpost that serves as a primer on bush meat, the health and environmental issues associated with it, and what activists might do to slow or stop trade in bushmeat in an effective, grassroots fashion"
"...Primate conservation, bush meat hunting and deforestation are all inextricably linked. Tackling one without trying to address the others simply doesn’t work. In its simplest form, the whole thing goes something like this [...]"
found via Ethan Zuckerman, who describes this post as: "Ken Banks reacts to Nathan Wolfe's TED talk on viral chatter with a blogpost that serves as a primer on bush meat, the health and environmental issues associated with it, and what activists might do to slow or stop trade in bushmeat in an effective, grassroots fashion"
Mountain of forlorn shipping containers in HK port
Mountain of forlorn shipping containers in HK port - Boing Boing:
This photo by Bobby Yip for Reuters shows the mounting towers of shipping containers piling up in the port of Hong Kong as container ships, piled up in anticipation of orders from the west that never came. The shipping container may be the most potent totem of the 2000s -- up there with spurs and barbed wire, the locomotive, the sextant and other symbols of bygone eras."
Green Island Project
Green Island Project - Boing Boing:
"While Tokyo does have more greenery than other areas in Japan, it still could do with even more green - would be awesome if Tokyo looked like this. Probably not practical but would be very nice to walk on barefooted on a warm spring day. More pics of green Tokyo at Green Island who are raising awareness of the need for more green stuff in Japan [...]"
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Science podcast
Science/AAAS | Science Magazine: About the Journal: E-Mail Alerts & RSS Feeds: Science Podcast
The Journal Science keeps a pretty entertaining weekly podcast, covering emerging science issues and interviewing the researchers behind the articles. If you're a regular subscriber, you know that this week they've taken to daily podcasts, reporting from the AAAS convention in Chicago. I especially recommend listening to February 15th's episode on the origin of human emotions.
The Journal Science keeps a pretty entertaining weekly podcast, covering emerging science issues and interviewing the researchers behind the articles. If you're a regular subscriber, you know that this week they've taken to daily podcasts, reporting from the AAAS convention in Chicago. I especially recommend listening to February 15th's episode on the origin of human emotions.
NYC Shelter Policy Including Domestic Partners
An interesting article that incorporates a number of topics we've been discussing in class the past couple of weeks...I was unaware that in February 2007, the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) changed its position on domestic partnership and family shelter...
Here is the link to the article:
http://dprightsatnassau.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/nyc-shelter-policy-now-includes-domestic-partners/
Here is the link to the article:
http://dprightsatnassau.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/nyc-shelter-policy-now-includes-domestic-partners/
Broken Windows Skepticism
I was very intrigued by the “Broken Windows” and Gonorrhea reading for this week. Before moving to NYC, I worked in
The neighborhood where I taught would definitely have scored poorly on the “broken windows” index. And even though many of my students lived relatively close to school, they took great pride in their neighborhoods acting as junior block captains and just getting involved; essentially doing things that would make their neighborhoods score well on the index. So there seems to be a disconnect between where they live and where they spend most of their time. I wonder how the “broken windows” and gonorrhea connection would then apply.
I also understand that this connection is trying to stray from the individual level and move to the neighborhood level. Yet sometimes I feel that people get so carried away with making an impact at the population level that they actually forget about the individuals that are affected (i.e. my former students).
Interdsciplinary Approach to Climate
Hi, all.
I have read the readings and felt that the way of writing is different. For example, Bassett (2000) points out the correlation between race and health conditions without a quantitative model in the paper. For an Economist, it might be a little bit awkward because the discipline requires the careful analysis of causality or correlation.
Thus, the following blog interests me a lot today. The weblog tells us the importance of interdicsiplinary approach to climate impact, especially public health in this entry. It points out two common difficulties in interdisciplinary research. One is the different "language" among different discpline. Second, it claims that scientists or researchers are influenced by hiddlen rule within thier discpline. I totally agree with those points. How to see issues is totally different from one discipline to other discipline.
http://climate.columbia.edu/blog/2009/02/16/interdisciplinary-work-big-challenge-but-not-impossible/
Anyway, the above blog might interest you because it advocate climate issues from Columbia.
I have read the readings and felt that the way of writing is different. For example, Bassett (2000) points out the correlation between race and health conditions without a quantitative model in the paper. For an Economist, it might be a little bit awkward because the discipline requires the careful analysis of causality or correlation.
Thus, the following blog interests me a lot today. The weblog tells us the importance of interdicsiplinary approach to climate impact, especially public health in this entry. It points out two common difficulties in interdisciplinary research. One is the different "language" among different discpline. Second, it claims that scientists or researchers are influenced by hiddlen rule within thier discpline. I totally agree with those points. How to see issues is totally different from one discipline to other discipline.
http://climate.columbia.edu/blog/2009/02/16/interdisciplinary-work-big-challenge-but-not-impossible/
Anyway, the above blog might interest you because it advocate climate issues from Columbia.
Community, disciplines and language
A post by a colleague at the IRI raises some very interesting points about the role of disciplines, language/jargon and communities in the public health context. A few excerpts:
"As a physician, epidemiologist and lately, as climate-health researcher working within this framework, I have been faced with two interesting challenges. The first is language, not only the difficulty of working outside Spanish, my mother tongue, but the exclusive coded languages developed and used by disciplines (concepts, technical terms, and equations), which often have the potential to confuse outsiders. Concepts have different meanings for different disciplines...Interdisciplinary researchers must overcome these barriers in order to develop and work in a common language.
...
A second basic challenge is related to the sociology of science. Often, to grow within their chosen discipline, scientists must follow a set of unwritten rules that govern their discipline. This leads to the view that interdisciplinary research is “soft science” and doesn’t count because it does not match to disciplinary traditions or is published in less important journals."
You can view the entire post here.
"As a physician, epidemiologist and lately, as climate-health researcher working within this framework, I have been faced with two interesting challenges. The first is language, not only the difficulty of working outside Spanish, my mother tongue, but the exclusive coded languages developed and used by disciplines (concepts, technical terms, and equations), which often have the potential to confuse outsiders. Concepts have different meanings for different disciplines...Interdisciplinary researchers must overcome these barriers in order to develop and work in a common language.
...
A second basic challenge is related to the sociology of science. Often, to grow within their chosen discipline, scientists must follow a set of unwritten rules that govern their discipline. This leads to the view that interdisciplinary research is “soft science” and doesn’t count because it does not match to disciplinary traditions or is published in less important journals."
You can view the entire post here.
A Crack in the Broken-Windows Theory
......But wait a minute, say social psychologists Robert J. Sampson of Harvard University and Stephen W. Raudenbush of the University of Michigan. Taking such steps may clean up a neighborhood, but don't expect those measures alone to keep people from moving or bring people back, they assert in the current issue of Social Psychology Quarterly. They found that race and class may be more important than the actual levels of disorder in shaping how whites, blacks and Latinos perceive the health of a neighborhood.
***check out the full article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46381-2005Jan29.html ***
***check out the full article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46381-2005Jan29.html ***
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Medical Care
For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Medical Care - NYTimes.com
Many uninsured 20-somethings in New York City attempt everything from self-diagnoses to borrowing medications from friends in order to stay healthy.
Many uninsured 20-somethings in New York City attempt everything from self-diagnoses to borrowing medications from friends in order to stay healthy.
Online Community - Improving Health Outcomes?
In response to the discussion question relating to community and improvements in health, I immediately thought about how I have turned to the internet for many of my own health needs. People are increasingly turning to the internet for information on health topics, and self-diagnosis and self-help solutions for health problems are on the rise. The article, "How Internet Technologies Facilitate a Sense of Community Following a Major Health Incident", discusses these issues. While this article pays a great deal of attention to people who turn to the internet for social support after diagnosis with a health condition, I found it particularly interesting how community could be created through discussion forums, etc. I wonder if having access to internet sites that offer health information can lead to improvements in health? Could this access also affect health outcomes for historically under-served populations? Perhaps reaching out online can replace shortcomings in the communities in our cities.
Inclusion, Exclusion, and Belonging: Questions to direct part of our class discussion tomorrow, Feb. 18, 2009
1. David Harvey posed this fundamental methodological question: "What is the relationship between process and form?" What say you?
2. Based upon the required and additional readings posted under Session 5 on CourseWorks for our course, "Interdisciplinary Planning for Health," how might inclusion serve as a mechanism for improving the health of populations? Based upon your own experiences, how might belonging (to a family, a community, an organization) improve the health of an individual?
3. Josef agreed to discuss the book, "Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-being through Urban Landscapes" in class tomorrow. :) My doctoral student Erika Svendsen and her close colleagues wrote/edited this volume (Erika is an urban forester). I'm very interested in what Josef and others have to say about this new work. I'll share with you other gifts from Erika in class.
Please go ahead and pose your own thought questions to guide our time together tomorrow afternoon. See you soon, Mary
2. Based upon the required and additional readings posted under Session 5 on CourseWorks for our course, "Interdisciplinary Planning for Health," how might inclusion serve as a mechanism for improving the health of populations? Based upon your own experiences, how might belonging (to a family, a community, an organization) improve the health of an individual?
3. Josef agreed to discuss the book, "Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-being through Urban Landscapes" in class tomorrow. :) My doctoral student Erika Svendsen and her close colleagues wrote/edited this volume (Erika is an urban forester). I'm very interested in what Josef and others have to say about this new work. I'll share with you other gifts from Erika in class.
Please go ahead and pose your own thought questions to guide our time together tomorrow afternoon. See you soon, Mary
FRONTLINE: Sick Around the World
Reading this weeks articles, I recalled watching a PBS documentary that focuses on the health cares systems of several countries -- Britain, Germany, and Japan -- and how they can be adapted and incoportated into the upcoming healthcare reform in the United States.
It is an amazing documentary and provides great insight into the possible solutions for this pervasive problem that we face. Enjoy.
Here is the link:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/
It is an amazing documentary and provides great insight into the possible solutions for this pervasive problem that we face. Enjoy.
Here is the link:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/
I Dream of Denver
DAVID BROOKS
Op-ED Columnist, NY Times
Published: February 16, 2009
You may not know it to look at them, but urban planners are human and have dreams. One dream many share is that Americans will give up their love affair with suburban sprawl and will rediscover denser, more environmentally friendly, less auto-dependent ways of living.Read the rest of the article here
Op-ED Columnist, NY Times
Published: February 16, 2009
You may not know it to look at them, but urban planners are human and have dreams. One dream many share is that Americans will give up their love affair with suburban sprawl and will rediscover denser, more environmentally friendly, less auto-dependent ways of living.Read the rest of the article here
Trade in health-related services : The Lancet
Trade in health-related services : The Lancet
Trade in health-related services
Prof Richard D Smith PhD a 
,
, Summary
The supervision of a domestic health system in the context of the trade environment in the 21st century needs a sophisticated understanding of how trade in health services affects, and will affect, a country's health system and policy. This notion places a premium on people engaged in the health sector understanding the importance of a comprehensive outlook on trade in health services. However, establishment of systematic comparative data for amounts of trade in health services is difficult to achieve, and most trade negotiations occur in isolation from health professionals. These difficulties compromise the ability of a health system to not just minimise the risks presented by trade in health services, but also to maximise the opportunities. We consider these issues by presenting the latest trends and developments in the worldwide delivery of health-care services, using the classification provided by the World Trade Organization for the General Agreement on Trade in Services. This classification covers four modes of service delivery: cross-border supply of services; consumption of services abroad; foreign direct investment, typically to establish a new hospital, clinic, or diagnostic facility; and the movement of health professionals. For every delivery mode we discuss the present magnitude and pattern of trade, main contributors to this trade, and key issues arising.
Does the broken windows theory hold online?
I found this blog in which the author wondered whether the cyber space community was also affected by the broken windows theory....
Monday, February 16, 2009
Evolution of Skin Color
One of this week's readings, "The Pursuit of Equity in Health" by Basset, reminded me of Nina Jablonski's work. Jablonski is the head of the anthropology department at Penn State University and one of her most famous research studies is about the evolution of skin color. I searched online for recent articles and found this intersting article.
If you're interested in reading the entire paper she published back in 2004, the title is "The Evolution of Human Skin and Skin Color"
If you're interested in reading the entire paper she published back in 2004, the title is "The Evolution of Human Skin and Skin Color"
Drug giant GlaxoSmithKline pledges cheap medicine for world's poor
Drug giant GlaxoSmithKline pledges cheap medicine for world's poor | Business | The Guardian:
"The world's second biggest pharmaceutical company is to radically shift its attitude to providing cheap drugs to millions of people in the developing world.
In a major change of strategy, the new head of GlaxoSmithKline, Andrew Witty, has told the Guardian he will slash prices on all medicines in the poorest countries, give back profits to be spent on hospitals and clinics and – most ground-breaking of all – share knowledge about potential drugs that are currently protected by patents."
At New York City’s Synthetic Fields, High Lead Levels Fuel Debate - NYTimes.com
At New York City’s Synthetic Fields, High Lead Levels Fuel Debate - NYTimes.com:
"Synthetic sports fields have become battlegrounds, with New York City’s parks and health departments on one side and some elected officials and activists on the other. One side says the turf is safe; the other says it harbors dangerous levels of lead and possibly other toxins."
Microfinance Gateway: Site Content: Crisis Hitting Poor Hard in Developing World
Microfinance Gateway: Site Content: Crisis Hitting Poor Hard in Developing World: "Crisis Hitting Poor Hard in Developing World"
Almost 40% of 107 Developing Countries Highly Exposed to Poverty Effects of Crisis
The World Bank group has said that the spreading global economic crisis is trapping up to 53 million more people in poverty in developing countries. With child mortality rates set to soar, the crisis is posing a serious threat to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). New estimates for 2009 suggest that lower economic growth rates will trap 46 million more people on less than US$1.25 a day than was expected prior to the crisis. An extra 53 million will stay trapped on less than US$2 a day. This is on top of the 130-155 million people pushed into poverty in 2008 because of soaring food and fuel prices."
Almost 40% of 107 Developing Countries Highly Exposed to Poverty Effects of Crisis
The World Bank group has said that the spreading global economic crisis is trapping up to 53 million more people in poverty in developing countries. With child mortality rates set to soar, the crisis is posing a serious threat to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). New estimates for 2009 suggest that lower economic growth rates will trap 46 million more people on less than US$1.25 a day than was expected prior to the crisis. An extra 53 million will stay trapped on less than US$2 a day. This is on top of the 130-155 million people pushed into poverty in 2008 because of soaring food and fuel prices."
Suits Saying Pfizer Experimented on Nigerian Children Are Revived
"A federal appeals court on Friday revived two lawsuits brought against Pfizer by Nigerian families who say the giant drugmaker used their children in an illegal test of an experimental antibiotic."
The ethics of clinical trials is always a controversial subject.
The ethics of clinical trials is always a controversial subject.
BBC NEWS | Americas | US army 'wants more immigrants'
Wow. Talk about inclusion, exclusion, and belonging. Should joining the army be the way for people to get green cards (an otherwise arduous, confusing, frustrating, nearly impossible, red tape surrounded process)?
I think if people are willing to lay down there lives for this country, of course they should be granted citizenship. However, I think any service to the country should qualify.
What do you guys think?
BBC NEWS | Americas | US army 'wants more immigrants': "US army 'wants more immigrants'"
The United States army is to accept immigrants with temporary US visas, for the first time since the Vietnam war, according to the New York Times.
I think if people are willing to lay down there lives for this country, of course they should be granted citizenship. However, I think any service to the country should qualify.
What do you guys think?
BBC NEWS | Americas | US army 'wants more immigrants': "US army 'wants more immigrants'"
The United States army is to accept immigrants with temporary US visas, for the first time since the Vietnam war, according to the New York Times.
Human Rights: Cambodia
As we were speaking about human rights last week, I thought that this case is relevant. The people responsible for the genocide in Cambodia are being put on trial. One of the most difficult things about human rights is that the people who normally enforce laws, those in power within a country, are also those who abuse human rights. Sometimes they are never brought to justice; sometimes, like this, it takes over 30 years.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis worsens : The Lancet
Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis worsens : The Lancet:
"While political parties have been thrashing out a power-sharing deal, Zimbabwe's health crisis has deepened, with a staggering cholera outbreak claiming thousands of lives [...]"
BBC NEWS | Health | Pollution link to asthma in womb
BBC NEWS | Health | Pollution link to asthma in womb: "Pollution link to asthma in womb
One in ten children in the UK have asthma
Traffic pollution causes genetic changes in the womb which increase a child's risk of developing asthma, research suggests"
One in ten children in the UK have asthma
Traffic pollution causes genetic changes in the womb which increase a child's risk of developing asthma, research suggests"
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Iranian doctors' conviction could damage public health : The Lancet
Iranian doctors' conviction could damage public health : The Lancet:
"The recent conviction of two Iranian doctors could be detrimental to public health and sour relations between academics in Iran and the rest of the world. Kristin Elisabeth Solberg reports.
The conviction of the pioneering Iran-ian HIV/AIDS doctors Kamiar and Arash Alaei could have devastating effects on public health in the region and around the world, human-rights groups warn [...]"
Friday, February 13, 2009
Court Says Vaccine Not to Blame for Autism - NYTimes.com
In an era when the numbers of parents vaccinating there kids is on the decline, this marks a very important occasion in the world of public health.
Court Says Vaccine Not to Blame for Autism - NYTimes.com: "Court Says Vaccine Not to Blame for Autism"
Court Says Vaccine Not to Blame for Autism - NYTimes.com: "Court Says Vaccine Not to Blame for Autism"
Thursday, February 12, 2009
the Amish as technological geniuses
Kevin Kelly -- The Technium:
"The Amish have the undeserved reputation of being luddites, of people who refuse to employ new technology. It's well known the strictest of them don't use electricity, or automobiles, but rather farm with manual tools and ride in a horse and buggy. In any debate about the merits of embracing new technology, the Amish stand out as offering an honorable alternative of refusal. Yet Amish lives are anything but anti-technological. In fact on my several visits with them, I have found them to be ingenious hackers and tinkers, the ultimate makers and do-it-yourselfers and surprisingly pro technology [...]"
upcoming event
The Center for Family and Community Medicine and the Black and Latino Students Association cordially invite all CUMC Students, Residents, and Faculty to attend a Celebration in honor of Black History Month
Date: February 19, 2009
Time: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Location: Room 401 of the Hammer Health Sciences Center, 701 W. 168 Street
The celebration will begin with the third lecture in the 2008-2009 lecture series, "Discovering the Primary Care Imperative series," sponsored by the Center for Family and Community Medicine:
"Using a Community-based Participatory Research Approach to Understand
Barriers to Clinical Research in Washington Heights"
with
Suzanne Bakken, DNSc RN, FAAN
Principal Investigator and Director of the Center for Evidence-Based
Practice in the Underserved
Alumni Professor of the Columbia University School of Nursing
Professor of the Department of Biomedical Informatics
Following Dr. Bakken's lecture, there will be a performance by the
renowned Fordham University Gospel Choir.
Date: February 19, 2009
Time: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Location: Room 401 of the Hammer Health Sciences Center, 701 W. 168 Street
The celebration will begin with the third lecture in the 2008-2009 lecture series, "Discovering the Primary Care Imperative series," sponsored by the Center for Family and Community Medicine:
"Using a Community-based Participatory Research Approach to Understand
Barriers to Clinical Research in Washington Heights"
with
Suzanne Bakken, DNSc RN, FAAN
Principal Investigator and Director of the Center for Evidence-Based
Practice in the Underserved
Alumni Professor of the Columbia University School of Nursing
Professor of the Department of Biomedical Informatics
Following Dr. Bakken's lecture, there will be a performance by the
renowned Fordham University Gospel Choir.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion
New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion:
"Four hundred years after the Dutch first staked their claim on a patch of land east of the Hudson River under the guidance of Henry Hudson, they're returning to New York City in the form of the New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion to commemorate the event. Designed by Dutch architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, Amsterdam, the monument at the Peter Minuit Plaza at the Battery will play host public markets, provide seating and shade and a sizable food court and information center for the public. Van Berkel is best known for his work on the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the design and restructuring of the Harbor Ponte Parodi in Genoa and the Moebius house. Handel Architects LLP will serve as associate architect, working along with the Netherlands-based UNStudio.
A gift from the Netherlands Government scheduled to open later this year, officials expect the 5,000 square-foot plaza to draw five million people yearly—it's a natural hub for transportation with crisscrossing bicycles, subway lines and buses, as well as pedestrian traffic."
"A Human Rights Approach to TB", published by the WHO
This guide examines the human rights dimensions of issues affecting
people’s vulnerability to contracting TB and their access to TB cure. It looks
at specific groups and settings where people are particularly vulnerable to TB
and its impacts; and where, if they become sick with TB, are limited in their
access to treatment—limitations created by stigma, lack of adequate
information, and inadequate resource allocations to those most in need...
To read the rest of the WHO's "A Human Rights Approach to TB":
http://www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/2001/H.RightsReport2001.pdf
people’s vulnerability to contracting TB and their access to TB cure. It looks
at specific groups and settings where people are particularly vulnerable to TB
and its impacts; and where, if they become sick with TB, are limited in their
access to treatment—limitations created by stigma, lack of adequate
information, and inadequate resource allocations to those most in need...
To read the rest of the WHO's "A Human Rights Approach to TB":
http://www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/2001/H.RightsReport2001.pdf
Climate Information for Public Health Action
Climate Information for Public Health Action
There is some fascinating and exciting work going on at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) here at the Earth Institute. They are bringing public health practitioners and scientists from developing regions across the world to understand the role of climate in health and health planning. I am working at the IRI with the water group. Here's an intro to the health group's work:
"Now that the world’s attention is focused on climate variability and climate change adaptation, it is essential not only for public health communities, but also, for government central planners, to understand the role climate plays in driving disease burden and affecting economic growth. Public health emerges as the final common pathway for all impacts of climate variability and climate change on individuals as well as societies. Thus, climate information needs to be coupled with health information to develop and to improve the public health decision making process."
There is some fascinating and exciting work going on at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) here at the Earth Institute. They are bringing public health practitioners and scientists from developing regions across the world to understand the role of climate in health and health planning. I am working at the IRI with the water group. Here's an intro to the health group's work:
"Now that the world’s attention is focused on climate variability and climate change adaptation, it is essential not only for public health communities, but also, for government central planners, to understand the role climate plays in driving disease burden and affecting economic growth. Public health emerges as the final common pathway for all impacts of climate variability and climate change on individuals as well as societies. Thus, climate information needs to be coupled with health information to develop and to improve the public health decision making process."
Gender studies and causality
Hi,
I interestingly read this week's article especially in terms of gender studies and causality behinds social phenomena.
First, I never knew gender studies before. Since I knew the term of "gender" and "sex", it was interesting to find the difference between the Gender Identity and Gender Role. In particular, I found interestingly that there is a discussion whether gender identity is congenital or acquired.
Second, I liked the article of Krieger, "Framework matters." Krieger raised the framework that analyzed ecosoical and health and human rights perspectives on disparities in women's health. In Economics, we have to mention "the causality" striclty. However, I thought it is sometimes necessary to establish "loose" corelation among social phenomina and issues to solve a social problem like in this case.
I interestingly read this week's article especially in terms of gender studies and causality behinds social phenomena.
First, I never knew gender studies before. Since I knew the term of "gender" and "sex", it was interesting to find the difference between the Gender Identity and Gender Role. In particular, I found interestingly that there is a discussion whether gender identity is congenital or acquired.
Second, I liked the article of Krieger, "Framework matters." Krieger raised the framework that analyzed ecosoical and health and human rights perspectives on disparities in women's health. In Economics, we have to mention "the causality" striclty. However, I thought it is sometimes necessary to establish "loose" corelation among social phenomina and issues to solve a social problem like in this case.
CUPID event on reproductive health in emergency settings
The Columbia University Partnership for International Development (CUPID) held one of our Development Dialogues last week on the issue of reproductive health in emergency settings. if interested, please click here to visit the website and download the presentations from the panelists.
I found this to be one of the best panel discussions I have seen in the past two years. The presenters were extremely well-informed, engaging and, most of all, passionate about their work. I was also particularly surprised and pleased to note the composition of the audience - of the 50 or so students and alumni in attendance, around 2/5 were male! That's certainly not typical of events on reproductive health...so it was a pleasant surprise.
I found this to be one of the best panel discussions I have seen in the past two years. The presenters were extremely well-informed, engaging and, most of all, passionate about their work. I was also particularly surprised and pleased to note the composition of the audience - of the 50 or so students and alumni in attendance, around 2/5 were male! That's certainly not typical of events on reproductive health...so it was a pleasant surprise.
Letting Scientists Off the Leash
Guest Column: Letting Scientists Off the Leash - Olivia Judson Blog - NYTimes.com:
"...Fortunately, at key points in my career I lucked into special awards when conventional funding was not available. These awards — from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute – all represented turning points in that they allowed me to pursue ideas that were rejected as too crazy by the ordinary grant process. These include using discoveries from my basic research in single molecule biophysics to develop a new kind of DNA sequencer, plunging into the world of prenatal diagnostics by inventing a non-invasive alternative to amniocentesis and inventing microfluidic plumbing devices for biological applications as diverse as protein crystallography and single cell analysis [...]"
The topic of the "life course" and it's resulting impacts on the health of various populations was touched upon in last week's discussion. I thought that it was also pertinent to our discussions on gender for class today, as analyzing the life course can illuminate many of the shortcomings in health services and unique vulnerabilities of certain groups. This article focuses on women and how social roles may or may not contribute to health effects later in life. The majority of research I came across online, however, has focused on the life course and it's implications for aging populations, most likely due to the fact that aging has become a concern for many countries in the West. Another news piece, LSU Life Course and Aging Center seeks secrets to "aging successfully", describes the current efforts to link life course studies to aging.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Oxfordshire | Professor focused on cheap specs
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Oxfordshire | Professor focused on cheap specs: "A retired Oxford University physics professor has designed adjustable glasses that can be used by people in the developing world.
Professor Silver's spectacles are altered by injecting tiny quantities of fluid into the lenses.
The spectacles mean people can have glasses that suit their eyes without the need for a prescription.
The invention should enable millions of people in poorer parts of the world to get glasses for the first time.
One billion target
Professor Joshua Silver decided to develop an adjustable spectacle after a chance conversation in 1985. It took him 20 years to come up with a design which could be made cheaply on a large scale.
The tough plastic lenses have thin sacs of liquid in the centre of each lens. The lenses come with small syringes attached to each arm and the wearer uses a dial to add or remove fluid from the lens.
Once the lenses have been adjusted, the syringes are removed and the spectacles are worn like a prescription pair.
Thousands of pairs of glasses have already been distributed in poorer countries during a trial project, supported by the Department for International Development.
Professor Silver is now preparing to launch an ambitious scheme in India to distribute one million pairs in a year. Eventually he wants to reach 100 million people a year, with a target of one billion in total by 2020."
Professor Silver's spectacles are altered by injecting tiny quantities of fluid into the lenses.
The spectacles mean people can have glasses that suit their eyes without the need for a prescription.
The invention should enable millions of people in poorer parts of the world to get glasses for the first time.
One billion target
Professor Joshua Silver decided to develop an adjustable spectacle after a chance conversation in 1985. It took him 20 years to come up with a design which could be made cheaply on a large scale.
The tough plastic lenses have thin sacs of liquid in the centre of each lens. The lenses come with small syringes attached to each arm and the wearer uses a dial to add or remove fluid from the lens.
Once the lenses have been adjusted, the syringes are removed and the spectacles are worn like a prescription pair.
Thousands of pairs of glasses have already been distributed in poorer countries during a trial project, supported by the Department for International Development.
Professor Silver is now preparing to launch an ambitious scheme in India to distribute one million pairs in a year. Eventually he wants to reach 100 million people a year, with a target of one billion in total by 2020."
Transgender / Transsexual Bathroom - Restroom References
I believe one of the greatest problems that Transgender people are faced with is the usage of public restrooms. Due to the topic of this week, the following topic touches on the interdisciplinary focus of the course.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://etransgender.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=34
If you are a human resources manager in search of information pertaining to an employee's use of the bathroom the cites listed in this document will help you understand the legal and recommended dignified policy endorsed by the majority of corporations, citys, and organizations.
Employers facing the restroom issue for the first time are legally inclined to apply the "Principle of Least Astonishment", which is that a person who presents as a woman will be less astonishing using the women's restroom than the men's, vice versa for a person presenting as a man. If a concern arises, from the corporate Legal department or another employee the employer must provide alternative solutions for the employee complaining NOT the transgender individual.
(click on the link for the rest of the article)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://etransgender.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=34
If you are a human resources manager in search of information pertaining to an employee's use of the bathroom the cites listed in this document will help you understand the legal and recommended dignified policy endorsed by the majority of corporations, citys, and organizations.
Employers facing the restroom issue for the first time are legally inclined to apply the "Principle of Least Astonishment", which is that a person who presents as a woman will be less astonishing using the women's restroom than the men's, vice versa for a person presenting as a man. If a concern arises, from the corporate Legal department or another employee the employer must provide alternative solutions for the employee complaining NOT the transgender individual.
(click on the link for the rest of the article)
Texts used to tackle South Africa HIV crisis
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/01/hiv.text.messages/index.html#cnnSTCText
LONDON, England (CNN) -- One million free text messages will be sent every day for 12 months from Monday in South Africa in a bid to raise HIV awareness and encourage testing for the disease.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela launched a similar cell phone initiative in 2003.
The ambitious Project Masiluleke is being rolled out across the country after a pilot period that saw calls to a AIDS national helpline shoot up by 200 percent, organizers say.
The United Nations estimates that there are currently six million people living with HIV in South Africa and just one in 10 get the treatment they need. "South Africa is the epicenter of the global HIV epidemic," said HIV activist Zinny Thabethe in Octorber at an annual conference for the social innovation network Pop!Tech, an organization instrumental in developing the concept.
'Project Masiluleke,' or 'Project M' was set up to try to encourage people to seek testing and treatment in a country where cell phones are abundant.
(click on the above link to read the rest of the article)
LONDON, England (CNN) -- One million free text messages will be sent every day for 12 months from Monday in South Africa in a bid to raise HIV awareness and encourage testing for the disease.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela launched a similar cell phone initiative in 2003.
The ambitious Project Masiluleke is being rolled out across the country after a pilot period that saw calls to a AIDS national helpline shoot up by 200 percent, organizers say.
The United Nations estimates that there are currently six million people living with HIV in South Africa and just one in 10 get the treatment they need. "South Africa is the epicenter of the global HIV epidemic," said HIV activist Zinny Thabethe in Octorber at an annual conference for the social innovation network Pop!Tech, an organization instrumental in developing the concept.
'Project Masiluleke,' or 'Project M' was set up to try to encourage people to seek testing and treatment in a country where cell phones are abundant.
(click on the above link to read the rest of the article)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Davos, the Poor, and the Crash of '08
Philanthropy and the Stock Market...it's complicated
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates announced that his foundation would increase its support for health and development activities by half a billion dollars, despite loss of core equity. And Gates predicted that the Obama administration and Congress would follow suit, boldly supporting overseas aid programs.
But it's not that simple.
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates announced that his foundation would increase its support for health and development activities by half a billion dollars, despite loss of core equity. And Gates predicted that the Obama administration and Congress would follow suit, boldly supporting overseas aid programs.
But it's not that simple.
With this week's reading, I was really interesting with reading about SLAAP. I decided to google it and see if I could find more information. I found a few more groups that support the Asian population with HIV/ sexual orientation. Just thought I share the websites:
http://www.qay.ca/?q=aboutus
http://www.acas.org/english/mission.php
http://www.asia.bc.ca/
http://www.qay.ca/?q=aboutus
http://www.acas.org/english/mission.php
http://www.asia.bc.ca/
upcoming conference on environmental health
The Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, in collaboration with its lead community partner, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, is hosting a day-long conference (March 30, 2009) that will focus on three major environmental health concerns affecting children: air pollution, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors in consumer products. The purpose of the conference is to share research findings from the Center and other investigators over the past ten years in these specific areas, discuss interventions stemming from this research that have been implemented in New York City, and identify strategies to advance policies that will reduce and prevent environmentally-related diseases such as asthma, developmental disorders, and cancer in children living in urban communities.
Children in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx are disproportionately exposed to environmental pollutants. While there have been some successes in reducing exposures, children living in underserved communities continue to bear the unequal burden of poor health outcomes such as high rates of asthma, growth and developmental delays, and other poor health conditions.
The morning session of the conference will present three case studies on air pollution, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors, as well as interventions undertaken to address these issues. In the afternoon, two roundtables discussions will focus on how such scientific findings can be more effectively translated into policies to protect children's health.
For more information and to register for the conference, please visit www.ccceh.org/conference09.html.
Children in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx are disproportionately exposed to environmental pollutants. While there have been some successes in reducing exposures, children living in underserved communities continue to bear the unequal burden of poor health outcomes such as high rates of asthma, growth and developmental delays, and other poor health conditions.
The morning session of the conference will present three case studies on air pollution, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors, as well as interventions undertaken to address these issues. In the afternoon, two roundtables discussions will focus on how such scientific findings can be more effectively translated into policies to protect children's health.
For more information and to register for the conference, please visit www.ccceh.org/conference09.html.
The Politics Behind the Census
If there is a census and a person is not counted, does it make him nonexistent?
I find it hard to believe, but some people argue against including illegal immigrants in the census. Including illegal immigrant would mean more money and political power for large cities, such as New York and Los Angeles.
I find it hard to believe, but some people argue against including illegal immigrants in the census. Including illegal immigrant would mean more money and political power for large cities, such as New York and Los Angeles.
RT: Crisis Chronicle : Price hikes could lead to HIV
RT: Crisis Chronicle : Price hikes could lead to HIV: "Price hikes could lead to HIV
A sharp rise in the price of condoms could expose poor people to HIV infection, according to a Ukrainian think tank.
With the drop in value of the Ukrainian currency, imported condoms are now 40 to 60 per cent more expensive then they were in October last year, reports UNIAN news agency.
It’s believed the nation’s youth, the biggest consumers of condoms, but also the ones with the least money to spend, are most at risk."
A sharp rise in the price of condoms could expose poor people to HIV infection, according to a Ukrainian think tank.
With the drop in value of the Ukrainian currency, imported condoms are now 40 to 60 per cent more expensive then they were in October last year, reports UNIAN news agency.
It’s believed the nation’s youth, the biggest consumers of condoms, but also the ones with the least money to spend, are most at risk."
upcoming Grand Rounds
| February 11: Unequal America: Income Inequality and Population Health Ichiro Kawachi, MD, PhD [bio] Chair, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Professor of Social Epidemiology, Harvard University School of Public Health |
| February 18: The Mailman School's Vision and Strategy For The Future of Public Health Linda Fried, MD, MPH [bio] Dean and DeLamar Professor, Mailman School of Public Health |
Global and Local Perspectives on Education and Social Activism
Join the Peace Education Network (PEN) at Teachers College, for an evening of exchange about education, community organizing, and social activism. Come hear community organizer Kovit Boonjear, discuss the role of popular education in social movements in Thailand. Come exchange with educator Carly Fox about how schools in NYC can bring a social justice
framework into the classroom.
WHEN: Friday February 13th, 5:30-7:00pm
WHERE: 285 Grace Dodge Hall, Teachers College, Columbia U. at 120th st btw Amsterdam and Broadway
framework into the classroom.
WHEN: Friday February 13th, 5:30-7:00pm
WHERE: 285 Grace Dodge Hall, Teachers College, Columbia U. at 120th st btw Amsterdam and Broadway
Monday, February 9, 2009
Event: Vessel
GHF, SHAG & Medical Students for Choice present a lunch event with:
Diana Whitten, Director of VESSEL
VESSEL tells the story of WOMEN ON WAVES, an organization that offers abortions at sea to women with no other option.
Diana Whitten, Director/Producer of Vessel, documented the past two campaigns of Dr. Rebecca Gomperts and her organization, Women on Waves. She will present on these experiences, on the innovations and mission of the activists, and on making the film. Sneak preview footage will be shown!
Thursday, February 12
12:30 - 1:30pm
Hess Student Commons
722 W.168th St., 10th Floor
Lunch will be served! Hope to see you there!
Find out more:
www.vesselthefilm.com
http://vesselthefilm.wordpress.com
Diana Whitten, Director of VESSEL
VESSEL tells the story of WOMEN ON WAVES, an organization that offers abortions at sea to women with no other option.
Diana Whitten, Director/Producer of Vessel, documented the past two campaigns of Dr. Rebecca Gomperts and her organization, Women on Waves. She will present on these experiences, on the innovations and mission of the activists, and on making the film. Sneak preview footage will be shown!
Thursday, February 12
12:30 - 1:30pm
Hess Student Commons
722 W.168th St., 10th Floor
Lunch will be served! Hope to see you there!
Find out more:
www.vesselthefilm.com
http://vesselthefilm.wordpress.com
The Senate discovers women
The Senate discovers women - Nicholas D. Kristof Blog - NYTimes.com
The U.S. Senate is taking a welcome step: empowering a subcommittee specifically charged with global women’s issues. It’s the first time a subcommittee has had that mandate, and it will be led by Barbara Boxer of California, who will surely use her voice and spotlight to do some good on these issues.
Afghanistan's other voices: women's basketball team
Video: Afghanistan's other voices: women's basketball team | From the Observer | Observer.co.uk: "Afghanistan's other voices: women's basketball team
In a stadium on the outskirts of Kabul a new generation of young Afghan women, born in the midst of the country's conflict, train and talk about their hopes and fears for their country's future"
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Open Innovation | Innovation Management
INNOCENTIVE: Where the World Innovates
Open Innovation | Innovation Management:
Problem Solvers
* Use your knowledge and expertise to make a real impact by solving challenging problems for companies and foundations.
* Earn cash rewards from $5000 to $1,000,000 for solving problems.
* Join a community of highly creative and inventive problem solvers who are changing the world!"
"Sustainable breakthrough innovation is today's single most important requirement for growth and profitability. InnoCentive gives you the innovation edge you need to be competitive in even the most challenging economic times, with:
* Bigger Breakthroughs. Unleash the collective power of InnoCentive's worldwide Marketplace with over 160,000 of the brightest minds working to help you build a better product.
* Faster time to market. With thousands of minds worldwide working on a problem simultaneously, find solutions faster than with in-house R&D resources alone. Get up to speed quickly with ONRAMP
* Lower costs. Redefine the economics of innovation by paying only for success. Find hidden and underutilized talent within your company with InnoCentive@Work
Open Innovation | Innovation Management:
Problem Solvers
* Use your knowledge and expertise to make a real impact by solving challenging problems for companies and foundations.
* Earn cash rewards from $5000 to $1,000,000 for solving problems.
* Join a community of highly creative and inventive problem solvers who are changing the world!"
"Sustainable breakthrough innovation is today's single most important requirement for growth and profitability. InnoCentive gives you the innovation edge you need to be competitive in even the most challenging economic times, with:
* Bigger Breakthroughs. Unleash the collective power of InnoCentive's worldwide Marketplace with over 160,000 of the brightest minds working to help you build a better product.
* Faster time to market. With thousands of minds worldwide working on a problem simultaneously, find solutions faster than with in-house R&D resources alone. Get up to speed quickly with ONRAMP
* Lower costs. Redefine the economics of innovation by paying only for success. Find hidden and underutilized talent within your company with InnoCentive@Work
Keeping Africa Small // Current
Current TV pod - made me think about a point raised during our last class re: the role of NGOs in implementing development strategies in impoverished communities:
Keeping Africa Small // Current
Keeping Africa Small // Current
upcoming short course: SocialNetworks2009
SocialNetworks2009:
"This workshop introduces the basic concepts and procedures of social network analysis. The workshop will focus on measuring properties of complete social network data, including centrality, social cohesion, formal characteristics of global network structures and a brief introduction to statistical models for social networks. We will also cover analyses based on ego-network data, focusing on local structure and composition measures. The workshop will cover sources for network data and draws examples from multiple substantive areas. The last portion of day 2 will include working through some hands-on examples."
Built Environment and Health
another student project candidate???
Built Environment and Health:
Built Environment and Health:
"The Built Environment & Health (BEH) project is an interdisciplinary program of research at Columbia University. Led by epidemiologist Andrew Rundle, BEH uses spatial data to examine the implications of the built environment, including land use, public transit, and housing, for physical activity, diet, obesity, and other aspects of health. With a focus on New York City, BEH research will inform public policy to promote health in the city and metropolitan area. BEH is affiliated with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program at Columbia."
College and Grad School Graduates | EPA Careers | US EPA
College and Grad School Graduates | EPA Careers | US EPA:
"Public Health Fellowships
To enhance the training of highly qualified and motivated public health professionals, EPA has partnered with the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) to offer a professional development program for graduates of accredited US Schools of Public Health. Graduates apply to ASPH in December or January for one-year placements in EPA laboratories or offices to work on high-priority, environmental, public health issues. Applicants must be US citizens or hold a visa permitting permanent residence in the U.S. Additional information from the Association of Schools of Public Health. Exit EPA disclaimer"
Saturday, February 7, 2009
How long does it take to fix a streetlight in NYC?
At first, Martin Daniels let it go. Hey, streetlights die all the time. But after a few days, with the light on East 96th Street still out, he could no longer help himself. On Jan. 22, 2007, he called 311.
So it began, smoothly enough, as one of the 50,000 or so daily complaints to New York’s call center for nonemergencies. After all, how many months does it take to change a light bulb?
As it turned out, a year and a day.
Museum of the City of New York : Photographs of the South Bronx by Ray Mortenson
Museum of the City of New York : Photographs of the South Bronx by Ray Mortenson: "Broken Glass: Photographs of the South Bronx by Ray Mortenson
Nov 14 through Mar 8
Made between 1982 and 1984, the photographs in Broken Glass: Photographs of the South Bronx by Ray Mortenson focus on the burned out, abandoned, and razed structures of entire city blocks in the South Bronx, documenting the aftermath of a widespread urban economic crisis that plagued the United States in the 1970s. Putting the political, economic and social causes for this collapse aside, Mortenson's photographs consider the land and loss in human terms. They project a haunting silence, reminding us that these neighborhood streets were cradles of the community, lined with the homes of individuals and families. Hints of a once prosperous district are revealed in Mortenson's work through a stark black-and-white portrayal of what remained.
Broken Glass: Photographs of the South Bronx by Ray Mortenson, is generously supported by the Marlene Nathan Meyerson Family Foundation.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
ORDER TICKETS HERE
Tue, February 17, 6:30 PM
The Rebirth of the South Bronx"
Nov 14 through Mar 8
Made between 1982 and 1984, the photographs in Broken Glass: Photographs of the South Bronx by Ray Mortenson focus on the burned out, abandoned, and razed structures of entire city blocks in the South Bronx, documenting the aftermath of a widespread urban economic crisis that plagued the United States in the 1970s. Putting the political, economic and social causes for this collapse aside, Mortenson's photographs consider the land and loss in human terms. They project a haunting silence, reminding us that these neighborhood streets were cradles of the community, lined with the homes of individuals and families. Hints of a once prosperous district are revealed in Mortenson's work through a stark black-and-white portrayal of what remained.
Broken Glass: Photographs of the South Bronx by Ray Mortenson, is generously supported by the Marlene Nathan Meyerson Family Foundation.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
ORDER TICKETS HERE
Tue, February 17, 6:30 PM
The Rebirth of the South Bronx"
Friday, February 6, 2009
Dickson's at TED!
…My heart’s in Accra - Dickson Despommier and Vertical Farms:
"Dickson Despommier wants us to think vertical, because we don’t have enough space to grow our food [...]"
Willie Smits is saving Borneo, one orangutan at a time
…My heart’s in Accra - Willie Smits is saving Borneo, one orangutan at a time:
"...To save orangutans, Smits needs to save forests. To save forests, he’s trying an incredibly ambitious experiment - rebuilding a forest in Samboja Lestari, an area in eastern Borneo that had been turned into a biological desert through deforestation. With all large trees gone, all other plants died, leaving a waste of dry grasses… and desperate human poverty.
In cooperation with the Indonesian government, Smits has transformed the environment and created over 3000 jobs. The project has reintroduced bird, lizard and primate species, and has mitigated both floods and fires. But it hasn’t been easy [...]"
City Futures: Confronting the Crisis of Urban Development in the Global South
Date:
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Location:
Columbia University, Morningside Campus, 329 Pupin
Contact:
Amanda R. Christie, arc2140@columbia.edu
RSVP:
Register
Event Description:
Speaker: Edgar Pieterse, Director, African Centre for Cities, Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town
The Earth Institute, the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) and the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) present "City Futures: Confronting the Crisis of Urban Development in the Global South," with Edgar Pieterse, Director, African Centre for Cities, Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town. Open to the public.
Edgar Pieterse is also a founding director of Isandla Institute; an urban policy think-tank where he continues advocacy oriented research work. His publications include: Voices of the Transition: The Politics, Poetics and Practices of Social Change in South Africa (2004), Democratising Local Government: The South African Experiment. (2002) and Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South Africa Experience (2007).
Inside the new 'green' house
Looks like a nice combination of design, affordability and environmental friendliness....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7869615.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7869615.stm
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Shai Agassi: Green Invention
more from TED:
…My heart’s in Accra � Shai Agassi: Green Invention:
…My heart’s in Accra � Shai Agassi: Green Invention:
"How would you run a whole country without oil?
Shai focuses in on the electric car. You need a car that’s more convenient and more affordable than today’s cars. This isn’t a $40k sedan, nor is it something you drive for one hour and charge for 8 hours. So, how do you do this? [...] "
Big Box Stores - reuse them?
Big box stores were generally considered architectural blind spots - until now. This article describes how we can now look at big box stores (like K-mart or Home Depot) and see future cathedrals, museums, artists' communities, clinics, gardens, greenhouses, playgrounds, etc.
See what the designs look like here.
N.B. - All of the above is especially relevant in a time when the gentle hand is pushing big box stores out of business.
See what the designs look like here.
N.B. - All of the above is especially relevant in a time when the gentle hand is pushing big box stores out of business.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Bamboo Bike Project
Good example of Jane Jacobs chapter 2:
Bamboo Bike Project:
Bamboo Bike Project:
"The Bamboo Bike Project is a project by Scientists and Engineers at The Earth Institute at Columbia University, and aims to examine the feasibility of implementing cargo bikes made of bamboo as a sustainable form of transportation in Africa. The ultimate goals of the project are:
1.To build a better bike for poor Africans in rural areas.
2.To stimulate a bicycle building industry in Africa to satisfy local needs."
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
BBC NEWS | Technology | Google Earth dives under the sea
BBC NEWS | Technology | Google Earth dives under the sea:
"I cannot imagine a more effective way to inspire awareness and caring for the blue heart of the planet than the new ocean in Google Earth. For the first time, everyone from curious kids to serious researchers can see the world, the whole world, with new eyes"
Also interesting in the Google realm is the reviving of ancient Rome. However, I'm surprised that the city is being depicted with the supposedly classic all white buildings. While taking an art history class in Rome, we learned that the buildings were actually very colorful.
"I cannot imagine a more effective way to inspire awareness and caring for the blue heart of the planet than the new ocean in Google Earth. For the first time, everyone from curious kids to serious researchers can see the world, the whole world, with new eyes"
Also interesting in the Google realm is the reviving of ancient Rome. However, I'm surprised that the city is being depicted with the supposedly classic all white buildings. While taking an art history class in Rome, we learned that the buildings were actually very colorful.
Greener Gadgets Design Competition
Greener Gadgets Design Competition
Greener Gadgets | eco-neighbuzz | Korhan Buyukdemirci:
Eco-neighbuzz is an apartment buzzer & intercom system with additional features. Today's existing intercom systems work only between outside door and flat. However, we can improve this system to support the existing community inside the building. Even though today we are living in tall concrete blocks built in big metropolises, we are not communicating with our neighbours as we did years ago. Sometimes we even don't know who is living in the building and what they are doing."
Greener Gadgets | eco-neighbuzz | Korhan Buyukdemirci:
Eco-neighbuzz is an apartment buzzer & intercom system with additional features. Today's existing intercom systems work only between outside door and flat. However, we can improve this system to support the existing community inside the building. Even though today we are living in tall concrete blocks built in big metropolises, we are not communicating with our neighbours as we did years ago. Sometimes we even don't know who is living in the building and what they are doing."
Monday, February 2, 2009
Climate Change Legislation + Plastic Bag Tax
Environmental commentary and news on taxes:
The politics of carbon tax in the current congress
The politics of a plastic bag tax in New York City
(Sorry to be crowding the blog)
The politics of carbon tax in the current congress
The politics of a plastic bag tax in New York City
(Sorry to be crowding the blog)
upcoming CUPID event
Development Dialogue: Challenges and Frontiers in the Provision of Global Reproductive
Health Services
Thursday, February 5th at 7:30, Social Work Room CO3
Countries and regions around the globe in conflict and post-conflict
states, often endure extremely high maternal and child mortality
rates. Due to collapsed infrastructure, information to guide
reproductive health interventions is sparse though improving. Join us
in a discussion with experts in the field of reproductive health and
human rights as we learn about the challenges for reproductive health
service provision abroad.
Health Services
Thursday, February 5th at 7:30, Social Work Room CO3
Countries and regions around the globe in conflict and post-conflict
states, often endure extremely high maternal and child mortality
rates. Due to collapsed infrastructure, information to guide
reproductive health interventions is sparse though improving. Join us
in a discussion with experts in the field of reproductive health and
human rights as we learn about the challenges for reproductive health
service provision abroad.
To eat local, kill local?
A more ethical slaughterhouse? Is it possible or desirable to create a more humane and efficient slaughterhouse in an urban setting? Can the ultimate not-in-my-backyard factory become palatable? Are we encouraging or discouraging vegetarianism? Sustainable urbanism American style?
2 Kids 0 Husbands = Family - Some Mothers, Single by Choice, Stick Together
2 Kids 0 Husbands = Family - Some Mothers, Single by Choice, Stick Together - NYTimes.com:
"...In 1960, UNMARRIED MOTHERS accounted for about 5 percent of births in the United States. Now they are having almost 40 percent of the country’s babies. About half of these women are on their own, and the other half are living with a man at the time of the birth, according to Pamela Smock, a sociology professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The stock characters of the explosion of out-of-wedlock births are feckless fathers and hapless young mothers. It’s true that most unmarried mothers are still in their 20s — and less often in their teens — and have no more than a high-school education. But as television’s Murphy Brown predicted in the 1990s, an increasing number of unmarried mothers look a lot more like Fran McElhill and Nancy Clark — they are college-educated, and they are in their 30s, 40s and 50s [...]"
Google Earth Goes Deep With Ocean Simulations - NYTimes.com
Google Earth Goes Deep With Ocean Simulations - NYTimes.com:
"...“We had this arbitrary distinction that if it was below sea level it didn’t count,” recalled John Hanke, the Internet entrepreneur who co-created the progenitor of Google Earth, called Keyhole, and moved to Google when the company bought his company in 2004.
That oversight had to be fixed before the months and months of new programming and data collection could culminate in the creation of simulated oceans. On Monday, the ocean images will undergo the most significant of several upgrades to Google Earth, with the new version downloadable free at earth.google.com, according to the company [...]"
Urban Transformations Conference
American University’s "Urban Transformations: Public and Private Practices for Social Change" is a one-day conference scheduled for March 21, 2009. This interdisciplinary event is intended to bring faculty, students, and all agents of change from around the country into a critical discussion of the state of local, national and international cities. Participants will have the opportunity to present their research on panels with active and engaging audiences.
The conference themes are:
The conference themes are:
- Gentrification and Urban Renewal
- Public and Private Governance
- Language, Sexuality & Citizenship
- Public Health and Environmental Justice
If you have not visited the conference website, you may access it at http://auglc.com/urbantranformationsconference, where you may find detailed abstracts on the conference themes, a preliminary program, accommodation information, and submission and registration guidelines.
The worldwide economic and development crises we are currently facing will significantly impact the everyday experiences of city life and governance. I invite you all to explore the resulting implications of these crises and contribute to this important discussion that will take place at the Urban Transformations: Public and Private Practices of Social Change conference.
Experiments Bring Internet to Remote African Villages - NYTimes.com
Experiments Bring Internet to Remote African Villages - NYTimes.com: "Bringing the Internet to Remote African Villages"
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/technology/internet/02kenya.html
Not exactly an urban landscape, but I thought this was interesting from a development/health promotion perspective.
Enjoy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/technology/internet/02kenya.html
Not exactly an urban landscape, but I thought this was interesting from a development/health promotion perspective.
Enjoy.
Timetable For Puget Sound Restoration Suffers Setback
Timetable For Puget Sound Restoration Suffers Setback:
"...'An analysis of sediment core samples retrieved over several decades provides us with empirical evidence that environmental regulations have had a positive impact on the overall water quality of the Puget Sound,' said PNNL marine chemist and co-project lead Jill Brandenberger. She noted that some pollutants have returned to pre-industrial concentration levels.
'Unfortunately, our data also suggest that although pollution coming from a specific source or location may be decreasing, non-point sources, such as storm water discharges, are becoming more significant,' she said [...]"
Ending Homelessness: The Intersection of Research, Advocacy, and Policy
THE COLUMBIA CENTER FOR HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION STUDIES WELCOMES
NAN ROMAN OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS
AS ITS GRAND ROUNDS SPEAKER ON
FEBRUARY 5, 2009.
HER SUBJECT WILL BE:
Ending Homelessness: The Intersection of Research, Advocacy, and Policy
Over the past ten years, the homelessness system has undergone significant changes. Communities are undertaking plans to end homelessness in ten years. There is much greater focus on prevention, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing. Federal funding has increased, and there is bipartisan support for ending homelessness in Congress and the Administration. As a result, homelessness, at least until the recent economic and housing crises, had begun to trend downward in the nation. How did this movement to solve a social problem come into being, and what are the implications of that process for the future? Ms. Roman will discuss how research has informed the movement to end homelessness in the nation; how the advocacy community has used research to advance a national policy agenda; and how federal policy has changed as a result. She will also discuss the implications of this research/advocacy/policy nexus for the future, in light of the economic and housing crises, as well as the new Administration and Congress.
Nan Roman is president and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, is a leading national voice on the issue of homelessness. The Alliance is a public education, advocacy and capacity-building organization with over 5,000 nonprofit and public sector member agencies and corporate partners around the country. Under her leadership, the Alliance has developed a pragmatic plan to end homelessness within ten years. To implement this plan, Ms. Roman works closely with members of Congress and the Administration, as well as with cities and states across the nation. She collaborates with Alliance members to educate the public about the real nature of homelessness and successful solutions. She has researched and written on the issue, is frequently interviewed by the press, and regularly speaks at events around the country. Her unique perspective on homelessness and its solutions comes from over twenty-five years of local and national experience in the areas of poverty and community-based organization. Ms. Roman received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois.
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 2pm to 3:30 p.m. EST
Location:
Columbia University Medical Center
Psychiatric Institute, Sixth Floor, Room 6601, Director's Boardroom
Entrances: 40 Haven Avenue, 168th Street and Haven Avenue
(inside bridge goes to sixth floor), or
1051 Riverside Drive, on 165th Street and Riverside Drive
NAN ROMAN OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS
AS ITS GRAND ROUNDS SPEAKER ON
FEBRUARY 5, 2009.
HER SUBJECT WILL BE:
Ending Homelessness: The Intersection of Research, Advocacy, and Policy
Over the past ten years, the homelessness system has undergone significant changes. Communities are undertaking plans to end homelessness in ten years. There is much greater focus on prevention, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing. Federal funding has increased, and there is bipartisan support for ending homelessness in Congress and the Administration. As a result, homelessness, at least until the recent economic and housing crises, had begun to trend downward in the nation. How did this movement to solve a social problem come into being, and what are the implications of that process for the future? Ms. Roman will discuss how research has informed the movement to end homelessness in the nation; how the advocacy community has used research to advance a national policy agenda; and how federal policy has changed as a result. She will also discuss the implications of this research/advocacy/policy nexus for the future, in light of the economic and housing crises, as well as the new Administration and Congress.
Nan Roman is president and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, is a leading national voice on the issue of homelessness. The Alliance is a public education, advocacy and capacity-building organization with over 5,000 nonprofit and public sector member agencies and corporate partners around the country. Under her leadership, the Alliance has developed a pragmatic plan to end homelessness within ten years. To implement this plan, Ms. Roman works closely with members of Congress and the Administration, as well as with cities and states across the nation. She collaborates with Alliance members to educate the public about the real nature of homelessness and successful solutions. She has researched and written on the issue, is frequently interviewed by the press, and regularly speaks at events around the country. Her unique perspective on homelessness and its solutions comes from over twenty-five years of local and national experience in the areas of poverty and community-based organization. Ms. Roman received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois.
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 2pm to 3:30 p.m. EST
Location:
Columbia University Medical Center
Psychiatric Institute, Sixth Floor, Room 6601, Director's Boardroom
Entrances: 40 Haven Avenue, 168th Street and Haven Avenue
(inside bridge goes to sixth floor), or
1051 Riverside Drive, on 165th Street and Riverside Drive
Daily Kos: State of the Nation
One of the team bloggers at Daily Kos has spent several posts discussing public health in the US:
Daily Kos: State of the Nation:
Daily Kos: State of the Nation:
"Last week, we began an interview with senior public health figures, the reveres at Effect Measure, and began a discussion about public health infrastructure. Today, we finish the interview, and with events this week (including salmonella in peanut butter and a close look at what the HHS Secretary is in charge of) focusing on public health as well as health reform, let's dive right in."
Removing Roads and Traffic Lights Speeds Urban Travel
This article, from Scientific American and written by Linda Baker, states that a "controlled chaos" can bring forth efficient changes within transportation planning: in commuting times and improving pedestrian safety.
Similar to Jane Jacobs' argument -- of urban preceding rural areas --, the article introduces a perplexing thesis that allows us a better insight into the natural, human mind and how its relationship to urbanization can allow for improved conditions.
Similar to Jane Jacobs' argument -- of urban preceding rural areas --, the article introduces a perplexing thesis that allows us a better insight into the natural, human mind and how its relationship to urbanization can allow for improved conditions.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
upcoming lecture
Tuesday, February 10
The Earth Institute, the Center for Sustainable Urban Development, the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
Presentation: City Futures: Confronting the Crisis of Urban Development in the Global South, with Edgar Pieterse, Director, African Centre for Cities, Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Alfred Lerner Hall, Satow Room (5th Floor)
The Earth Institute, the Center for Sustainable Urban Development, the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
Presentation: City Futures: Confronting the Crisis of Urban Development in the Global South, with Edgar Pieterse, Director, African Centre for Cities, Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Alfred Lerner Hall, Satow Room (5th Floor)
Our Love Affair With Shopping Malls Is on the Rocks - NYTimes.com
Our Love Affair With Shopping Malls Is on the Rocks
By DAVID SEGAL
Published: January 31, 2009
DEARLY beloved.
We are gathered here today, in the midst of economic calamity, to ask if we really should be gathered here today, in a funhouse of merchandise designed to send us deeper into debt.
Specifically, we are gathered in the Chapel of Love, sandwiched between a LensCrafters and a Bloomingdale’s and tucked into a relatively quiet corner of the vast prairie of retail and amusements that is the Mall of America."
By DAVID SEGAL
Published: January 31, 2009
DEARLY beloved.
We are gathered here today, in the midst of economic calamity, to ask if we really should be gathered here today, in a funhouse of merchandise designed to send us deeper into debt.
Specifically, we are gathered in the Chapel of Love, sandwiched between a LensCrafters and a Bloomingdale’s and tucked into a relatively quiet corner of the vast prairie of retail and amusements that is the Mall of America."
South American skyscraper on hold
BBC NEWS | Americas | South American skyscraper on hold: "A plan to build the tallest skyscraper in South America has been put on hold because of the global financial crisis.
Work has already begun on the tower in the financial district of the Chilean capital Santiago.
But the company behind the project says there is no point in carrying on in the current economic climate.
The Torre Gran Costanera was supposed to be 72 storeys high - the tallest on the continent and one of the biggest anywhere in the southern hemisphere.
But it has been abandoned with just 22 storeys built. It is nothing more than a concrete shell covered in scaffolding.
Its owners, the Chilean retail group Cencosud, fear that if they finish the planned 300m (985ft) tower on time they won't be able to rent the office space and the shops because of the downturn.
So they want to wait a while until the world economy recovers.
Around 700 construction workers have been made redundant, and unions say that the decision will cost around 2,000 jobs in total.
Workers gathered in front of the building to express their anger.
Chile is one of the richest countries in Latin America and is in a relatively good position to weather the slowdown.
But this announcement shows that even here, the financial turmoil afflicting the world is starting to bite."
Work has already begun on the tower in the financial district of the Chilean capital Santiago.
But the company behind the project says there is no point in carrying on in the current economic climate.
The Torre Gran Costanera was supposed to be 72 storeys high - the tallest on the continent and one of the biggest anywhere in the southern hemisphere.
But it has been abandoned with just 22 storeys built. It is nothing more than a concrete shell covered in scaffolding.
Its owners, the Chilean retail group Cencosud, fear that if they finish the planned 300m (985ft) tower on time they won't be able to rent the office space and the shops because of the downturn.
So they want to wait a while until the world economy recovers.
Around 700 construction workers have been made redundant, and unions say that the decision will cost around 2,000 jobs in total.
Workers gathered in front of the building to express their anger.
Chile is one of the richest countries in Latin America and is in a relatively good position to weather the slowdown.
But this announcement shows that even here, the financial turmoil afflicting the world is starting to bite."
The Urban Blind Spot in Environmental Ethics
The book that Mary posted reminded me of one of my favorite articles of all time "The Urban Blind Spot in Environmental Ethics" by Andrew Light: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/philosophy/awaymave/onlineresources/andrew%20light.pdf
Andrew Light is an environmental ethicist and in this article he argues that urban environments must be considered to the same extent as “natural” environments by the (American) environmental movement. I find this article inspirational for anyone who wishes to establish the foundations for an environmental ethic in the city – I re-read it often.
Andrew Light is an environmental ethicist and in this article he argues that urban environments must be considered to the same extent as “natural” environments by the (American) environmental movement. I find this article inspirational for anyone who wishes to establish the foundations for an environmental ethic in the city – I re-read it often.
India's $10 Laptop to be revealed Feb. 3
India's $10 Laptop to be revealed Feb. 3:
"The $10 laptop project is the product of a collaboration among institutions including the Vellore Institute of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science, and IIT-Madras. The project began about three years ago in response to the proposed $100 laptop (the 'One Laptop Per Child' project), an idea from MIT's Nicholas Negroponte, which was going to cost $200. Currently, the $10 laptop is projected to cost $20, but India's secretary of higher education R. P. Agarwal hopes that price will come down with mass production.
The $10 laptop will be equipped with 2 GB of memory, WiFi, fixed Ethernet, expandable memory, and consume just 2 watts of power."
Pew Social & Demographic Trends: Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where’s Home?
Pew Social & Demographic Trends: Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where’s Home?:
(if you're interested in this topic, the side bar of the page has a series of very interesting related articles like this one)
"As a nation, the United States is often portrayed as restless and rootless. Census data, though, indicate that Americans are settling down. Only 11.9% of Americans changed residences between 2007 and 2008, the smallest share since the government began tracking this trend in the late 1940s.
A new Pew Social & Demographic Trends survey finds that most Americans have moved to a new community at least once in their lives, although a notable number -- nearly four-in-ten -- have never left the place in which they were born1. Asked why they live where they do, movers most often cite the pull of economic opportunity. Stayers most often cite the tug of family and connections [...] "
(if you're interested in this topic, the side bar of the page has a series of very interesting related articles like this one)
Official Google Africa Blog: Making information more accessible in Ghana and Nigeria
Official Google Africa Blog: Making information more accessible in Ghana and Nigeria:
"...In Africa, we've learned that mobile phones are easier to get to than internet connections and PCs, and that working towards our mission means working through mobile phones. At the beginning of 2008, there were over a quarter of a billion mobile subscribers on the continent. Mobile penetration has risen from just one in 50 people at the beginning of this century to almost one third of the population today. To that end, we are excited to launch a test of Google SMS Search in Ghana and Nigeria.
Google SMS Search provides access to information through a mobile phone without internet. You simply create an SMS message about what you are looking for and send it to the Google number (4664 or 'GOOG') and wait for a response by SMS. The service is free from Google, but carrier charges do apply [...]"
What An African Woman Thinks: Welcome to the World, President Obama
What An African Woman Thinks: Welcome to the World, President Obama:
"...My hope is that you, being in many ways a citizen of the world, will help America come to the realisation that she is a part of the world, but that the converse is not true, that the world is not a satellite of America. I think that confuses America sometimes. I know we, the rest of the world, are not entirely exempt from blame in this regard [...]"
great student project
geography.middlebury.edu:
"First, the project is really about helping people visualize connections to their food system in a fun and compelling way. The hope is that students, Dining Services staff, alumni, and the general public will begin to realize that they have choices, and that each choice has impacts on our environment as well as the local and national economy [...]"
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