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This thematic paper in the World Resources Report, “[Towards a More Equal City](http://citiesforall.org/),” produced in collaboration with Yale University, analyzes data on urban expansion by measuring both the outward growth and upward growth in 499 global cities. It examines the challenge of rapid outward expansion for cities in the global South and highlights strategies
PIRatE Lab's insight:
By the numbers: The world's fastest-growing cities are stretched too thin to serve their gargantuan populations. The crisis will only deepen as they grow, says Anjali Mahendra, co-author of a new report from the World Resources Institute.
In 60 years, Lagos, Nigeria, grew from a city of 200,000 to 22 million. But less than 10% of Lagos' population has a sewer connection, and just one-fifth has access to tap water. Mexico City, which is home to 20% of the country's people and has seen its population double in the last decade, attempted to build affordable housing on the periphery of the city center to address the boom. But the homes were too far from jobs and have remained largely empty, Mahendra says. In Bangalore, like many big Indian cities, amenities like paved roads and piped water drop off just 3 miles from the center of the city. The outskirts, where the population is just as dense, has seen a spike in unregulated well digging for access to drinking water, Mahendra's research found. "In Kenya, the largest number of un-immunized children are in the slums of Nairobi, not the hinterlands," says Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, which vaccinates children. The bottom line: "There’s still a lingering belief that the next success story will be an exporter," says Karen Harris, managing director of Bain Macro Trends. But in many of the world's poorest, biggest metro centers, "you've created a labor force without anything to apply it to." 
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California has the largest economy in the US. It's also the state with the most immigrants. These two facts are not unrelated, but the way immigrants build that economy is complex.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
This story starts with an example from right here in Ventura County and the complex relationship between immigrants and our national economy. This is an important part of the picture, but we should also note that there are other aspects to the story: justice, freedom, and the character of a nation welcoming to the rest of the world.
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Even unseen, the encyclical is attracting outrage from conservatives and praise from environmentalists. Via Acquisti & Sostenibilità not-for-profit
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It's time for a more ethical smartphone, and the Fairphone, which puts social values first, could usher in a new era of transparency and openness in electronics.
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There’s a growing effort to merge economic-justice and climate activism. Call it climate democracy. Via Anita Woodruff
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The return of violent mobs to Rio's most populated beaches is a sign of what's to come. And none of it's good.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
The beaches of Rio have long been a place where tourists and the well off could be relatively confidant that the poor would not show up (or at least not do so visibly on the highest "rent" locales). This appearrs to be changing and falling back into some of the anarchy and in-your-face inequality that has in recent years been motly confined to the hillside slums.
It is clear from my travels and work over the past many years that inequality and corruption must be solved and justly addressed before any true semblance of effective management can be brought to bear across any particular segment of the coastal zone.
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By Bob Wing Oil has been a source of tremendous wealth for Los Angeles, but the city’s 1,071 active oil wells also pose serious health risks for the nearly 628,000 Angelenos who live near them. That’s why residents and environmental justice organizations ar
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The Economist offers authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science, technology and the connections between them.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
This well-researched article totally ignores issues of nutrition, soil health, water supply, food justice, etc. This is an interesting read to be sure, but at times most closely tracks with big Pharma and the Monsanto-esque approach to food production that is firmly in the driver seat of our food policy these days. Biotech approaches are truly impressive and are clearly part of the mix now and in the future. But there are many more layers of the onion here than "simple" technofixes and whiz-bang things that appear to "solve" the hard choices and difficult decisions that are necessitated by a world of perhaps 9 billion very hungry humans.
Thanks to Rachel Langley for flagging this piece.
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Robert Bullard, who keynotes the eco-geek conference, says the war for climate justice will be won (or lost) in the South. Via SustainOurEarth, Anita Woodruff
PIRatE Lab's insight:
The south really is a distinct region of our nation. Dealing with the nation as if we are all the same and approaching climate issues from the same page is not an effective way to move us all forward.
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Marc Bamuthi Joseph for Creative Time Reports: Environmentalism in the US today has come to simply mean buying the right products. What if you can't afford them? Via Anita Woodruff
PIRatE Lab's insight:
Pro-environment does not equal wealthy.
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The state Department of Toxic Substances Control has issued an emergency order directing a Vernon battery recycler to clean up lead and other metals that have been deposited near the Exide Technologies plant.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
As I have posted before, this particular situation in Boyle Heights (a traditionally poor, hispanic neighborhood in Los Angeles) appears to be a pretty clear example of environmental injustice.
Having worked on instances of materials/waste stored too close to a waterway/floodplain, I can say that the potential water contamination issue is a relatively simple one to remedy and should be something correctable over the course of a few days/weeks. The aerial emissions is a different story and is a case of needing to expend much money and enact various engineering/design modifications. That is likely to be a substantial cost to Exide and take on the order of many, many months (if not a year or more) to complete.
I am very sensitive to the regulatory burdens our heavy industries here in California are subjected to. They are often onerous and not necessarily the most efficient/effective wayd to achieve an environmental or public health benefit. And regulators not infrequently turn a deaf ear to the plight of heavy industries in a global marketplace. But having said that, this case does indeed appear to be an example where regultory enforcement should proceed forthwith. The apparent foot dragging here by the company is disappointing.
The classic proverbial environmental justice question here is; "Would Exide be allowed to be operating this way in L.S.'s tonier locales of Santa Monica, Malibu, or Pacific Palisades?"
It is also important to note that I like the Exides of the world operating here in the U.S. and California in particular. I believe it is the height of hypocracy to allow this work to happen in Inda, China, Nigeria, etc. when the users/consumers of these products are in the developed, affluent world. We should bear the burden of these industries and assure that they operate under our laws and pass on the cost to we the consumers, not our poorer friends around the world least able to manage such industrial activities. The goal here should be justice both for responsible industries and the airshed/people/ecosystems where they operate. Beware the siren song of the folks who would simply have us drive this producer permanental away, out of sight and out of mind.
PIRatE Lab's curator insight,
December 19, 2013 2:02 AM
As I have posted before, this particular situation in Boyle Heights (a traditionally poor, hispanic neighborhood in Los Angeles) appears to be a pretty clear example of environmental injustice.
Having worked on instances of materials/waste stored too close to a waterway/floodplain, I can say that the potential water contamination issue is a relatively simple one to remedy and should be something correctable over the course of a few days/weeks. The aerial emissions is a different story and is a case of needing to expend much money and enact various engineering/design modifications. That is likely to be a substantial cost to Exide and take on the order of many, many months (if not a year or more) to complete.
I am very sensitive to the regulatory burdens our heavy industries here in California are subjected to. They are often onerous and not necessarily the most efficient/effective wayd to achieve an environmental or public health benefit. And regulators not infrequently turn a deaf ear to the plight of heavy industries in a global marketplace. But having said that, this case does indeed appear to be an example where regultory enforcement should proceed forthwith. The apparent foot dragging here by the company is disappointing.
The classic proverbial environmental justice question here is; "Would Exide be allowed to be operating this way in L.S.'s tonier locales of Santa Monica, Malibu, or Pacific Palisades?"
It is also important to note that I like the Exides of the world operating here in the U.S. and California in particular. I believe it is the height of hypocracy to allow this work to happen in Inda, China, Nigeria, etc. when the users/consumers of these products are in the developed, affluent world. We should bear the burden of these industries and assure that they operate under our laws and pass on the cost to we the consumers, not our poorer friends around the world least able to manage such industrial activities. The goal here should be justice both for responsible industries and the airshed/people/ecosystems where they operate. Beware the siren song of the folks who would simply have us drive this producer permanental away, out of sight and out of mind.
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Top climate strategists see clear benefit to U.S. slashing CO2 emissions no matter what China does.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
This and the following story are great examples of "why should we even try?" when it comes to dealing with global impacts of global problems. In this case, why should we even try with our California-based policies?
Several of my former colleagues are interviewed. Make sure to pair this with the follow-on (see below) with correspondents in other polluting countries.
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