PLAN100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Ecological Footprint, Urban Ecosystem, Catalytic Cycle
20 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Unprecedented ecological challenges are facing cities threatening their survival. Society must have understanding that cities are part of ecological and biophysical laws in order to have change. Modern cities are incomplete human ecosystems, exist in hostile relationship with nature. Must be remembered that cities are organic by nature, product of change in human ecological circumstance. Adoption of agriculture then gaining ability to produce more food led to catalytic cycle where populations grew, cities born and allowed specialization. Cities have only been around for 1. 5% of the time of modern humans, important to remember that they are a relatively new entity. Switch from nomadic to agriculture changed idea from using what land gave to manipulating the land to get what"s needed. Shift to cities make people forget about rural nature that they come from, can"t see degradation that they"re doing. Humans used to be nomadic, living off the land for necessities.
