The Blue Economy defines economic activities related to oceans and coasts covering a wide range of interlinked, established and emerging sectors from biodiversity conservation and related cultural empowerment, to coastal stewardship and offshore wind. The Blue Economy is similar to the Green Economy which focused on air and soil quality, as well as the preservation of grasslands, trees, and ecosystems in nature. Both aim at reducing environmental degradation as a legacy in preservation for future generations.
Meanwhile, in major regions around the world, there are contrasting and aggressive development changes causing unrestricted city growth called urban sprawl to take place. Corporations have built metropoles for technology use and industry expansion on the edges of middle-class and urban poor communities. Remedially skilled people live on the boundaries of urban sprawl across the United States as well as the United Kingdom, France, India, China and other countries. People are pouring into cities by the thousands each day for work, education and other opportunities that can bring them quality of life. Urban sprawl in many ways has become progress in the form of unprecedented growth in housing and commercial development, which requires built roads and highways over large expanses of land. In far too many cases, development has taken precedent with little concern for urban planning or quality of life for residents. Consequences worldwide have increased reliance on fossil fuels for factories, as well as more dependence on cars, trucks, ships and airplanes - which generates dangerously high air pollution, water contamination and soil degradation where residents live.
Because these ongoing and emerging situations locally, reginally and worldwide, we are providing discussions with leaders and stakeholders about what we can expect in terms of education, workforce preparation and sustainable smart growth. Download the History of Power & Money here. Download more info on the Blue Economy here.
The History of Power & Money takes in an historic perspective on how cities and industries grow, which includes the need to negotiate for the preservation of natural resources such as farmland, parks, open spaces, unused land, walkable cities and quality of life in community neighborhoods. Learn the power of your voice both by watching and taking our online courses as part of the a task we must all undertake in an effort to help control the negative aspects of urban sprawl and invest in the future of smartgrowth. |