Exercise #3: Connecting Past and Present

October 22, 2023 By: Yu Ming

#1 Urbanization

The article highlights the significance of land reclamation in addressing urbanization, overcrowding, and housing allocation challenges in Hong Kong. By 2018, reclaimed land constituted 6% of Hong Kong’s total area and 25% of its developed land, supporting the growing urban population and business activities. However, the practice has been met with public criticism due to its environmental and cultural consequences, including biodiversity loss, habitat disruption, and cultural heritage destruction. The controversial Lantau Tomorrow Vision, a massive land reclamation project aimed at housing over a million people, faces strong opposition due to its predicted environmental damage, including the destruction of the marine ecosystem, oxygen depletion, and worsened water quality. Balancing the benefits of land reclamation with environmental security is a key challenge for the government as it plans for the city’s evolving urbanization needs.

 

Article: https://earth.org/land-reclamation-hong-kong/

 

#2 Conservation

The article highlights the selection of Crawford Lake in Ontario as the “golden spike” to mark the start of a new proposed geological epoch known as the Anthropocene, driven by human activity. Conservationists consider Crawford Lake a crucial conservation area due to its unique characteristics, preserving climatic, ecological, and environmental records. The selection of Crawford Lake is significant as it offers valuable insights into human impacts on the Earth and allows for a comparison of past and present conditions. However, the proposal to recognize the Anthropocene as a new epoch is met with controversy, with some experts emphasizing that it may be premature to make this designation. The decision-making process involves several more steps, and rigorous evidence is required for formal recognition.

 

Article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/crawford-lake-anthropocene-1.6902999