• Creation of parks, nature reserves and recreational areas for public use • Urban greening programs to reduce heat island effect • Use of energy sources that don’t rely on fossil fuels • Establishment of solar and wind farms • Providing rebates or incentives for private owners to install solar panels • Creating more bike paths and cycle superhighways • Improving public transport options • Reducing public transport emissions by lowering use of fossil fuels • Installing EV (electric vehicle) charging stations to encourage use of electric cars
Green public spaces
Use of renewable energy
Sustainable transport options
SkillBuilder discussion 1. Discuss with a partner or group. Which of the actions listed in TABLE1 you see in your own suburb? 2. Using the list above, create a list of ‘top five’ of actions that you think can easily be adopted by governments. 3. Discuss five of the actions above that your school community should adopt.
15.11.4
What do some of these actions look like in the real world?
Urban greening program, Sri Lanka Producing food in cities provides
FIGURE2 The urban greening program in Sri Lanka has been a success in many communities.
people with an income and improves local environments, as well as reducing the distance that food must travel to a consumer — ‘food miles’. With support from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education and the Youth Services Council, three city councils in Sri Lanka developed a program of community environmental management that led to the creation of 300 home gardens and 100 home-composting programs. It also helped organise and empower community groups, and the idea has now spread to many other municipalities in the country.
Solar panels in Vatican City and Japan Vatican City, Italy
Vatican City is the world’s smallest independent state. In 2008 more than 2000 photovoltaic panels were fixed to the roof of one of the city-state’s main buildings — the roof of the Paul VI Hall — enabling the Vatican to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by about 225 tonnes a year. The 2400 panels heat, light and cool the hall and several surrounding buildings, producing 300 kilowatt hours (MWh) of clean energy a year.
TOPIC15 Changing nations – urbanisation and migration 471
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