Geography 2013

Works with Google Earth to Create WONDERFUL 3D Maps

The confusing names we give to people.

The challenge is to manage a river catchment so that after 100 years you have a healthy economy and a healthy environment

Population is a complicated topic. With the worldwide population slated to top 7 billion in 2011, we decided it was one we needed to tackle. But we wanted to do it in a way that gives readers room to think.

It seems everything is peaking these days. You've heard of peak oil - the point at which our global oil extraction starts falling. There's also discussion of peak food, peak wood, peak phosphorous, peak water and peak rare earths. Now here's a new one for you: peak cars.

Shrinking stature Climate change is reducing the size of many animal and plant species, including some which supply vital nutrition, according to a new study. From micro-organisms to top predators, nearly 45 per cent of species for which data was reviewed grew smaller over multiple generations due to climate change, researchers found.

Human interaction with endangered species isn't always a death sentence for the animals. With careful coaxing and vigilance, some species have been brought back from the edge of extinction to thrive once again. KNOWN LOCALLY AS 'AL MAHA', the Arabian oryx ( Oryx leucoryx) is a regal-looking beast that features in Arabic poetry and paintings.

The humble backyard vegie patch is back in vogue in the suburbs of Australia. But can growing spuds and greens in the cities really avert a coming food crisis? "WE HAVE TWO SETS of needs as humans...sociability and sustenance," says Carolyn Steel, author of Hungry City and lecturer at Cambridge University.

See movements of the world's air traffic

Dimensions takes important places, events and things, and overlays them onto a map of where you are. Type in your postcode or a place name to get started.

Share worksheets with your Cool Kids. We provide a personalised link to forward to your students. This allows your students to complete their activity and send it back to you. It will be automatically recorded and linked to your Cool account. You will find your students' work in your dashboard.

Extremely useful blog if your school/students are interested in using Geography apps for iPad. 

Create maps re: Food Security using the Latest FAO Data

Today a food security index that ranks individual countries on food affordability, accessibility, availability, nutritional value and safety was published for the first time. A food security index is becoming increasingly important given the growing world population (expected to swell from 7 billion to 9 billion people by 2050) and the potential limits on our ability to provide food in coming years.

With the GBCA officially launching their new Green Star - Communities PILOT rating tool last week, questions are once again arising surrounding sustainable communities - and rightly so. The human race is living beyond its means, with the impacts of that behaviour evident in human-induced climate change, soil degradation, depleting resources, food scarcity, loss of biodiversity, species extinction and more.

The Green Building Council of Australia's (GCBA) recently-released Green Star - Communities rating tool has been received an overwhelmingly positive response since its announcement. "This great new tool goes to the heart of what we are seeking to achieve with our National Urban Policy - and that is to make our cities more productive, sustainable and liveable," said Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Anthony Albanese upon the announcement of the rating tool.

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has released a national rating tool, which is being lauded as the standard that will 'transform Australia's cities and communities'. Green Star - Communities is the highly speculated upon new rating system that goes beyond the certification of singular buildings and offers to raise the standard of and recognise sustainable communities.

There once was a creek that began in the hills of Rainworth (Brisbane, Australia) and flowed through what is now Rosalie Village, where it mingled with a large swamp (now Gregory Park) before winding its way through Milton to the Brisbane River.

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