Case study: Masdar City- Abu Dhabi

http://www.masdar.ae/en/home/index.aspx

The Masdar Initiative is driven by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company.
"search for solutions of mankind's most pressing issues: energy security, climate change and the development of human expertise in sustainability"
Masdar City's aim- valley for clean, green alternative energy. A city where current and future technologies will be funded, researched, developed, tested and implemented.

Masdar City Clip-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWVsi0UtmgI&feature=related
Key points-
A model for energy conservation
A city free from all cars and emissions
Waste = zero, carbon emissions = zero, fossil fuel consumption = zero
No one is more than 200 metres away from central facilities.

Key Words

Scheme of Sustainable development: at the confluence of three constituent parts

Defeintion of Sustainable development

Like most concepts sustainable development is hard to define. Sustainable development is particularly hard to define as it is an oxymoron. This simply means how can one sustain something (in this case the environment) at the same time as developing it. sustain means to keep the same and develop means to progress and change. This notion is cause for greater debate however the most commonly used definition used in reference to sustainable development is the Brundtland Commission created in 1987:

" Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

The Brundtland Commission was convened by the united nation to address the growing concerns on the increasing deterioration of the human environment, the stress on natural resources and the consequences this deterioration and stress will have on the economic and social well being of our planet.

Exploring the concept of Sustainable Development at Key Stage 3

The following link is a tutorial which explores the concept of Sustainable development along side other key concepts in key stage 3.
http://www.geographyteachingtoday.org.uk/images/text/KS3_SusDev_script.doc

National Curriculum Case Study

The following link relates to flooding in North Yorkshire. The study provides students with a better understanding of environmental interaction and sustainability and new skills using maps and GIS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD6w8QTajrc

The Geographical Association on Environmental Interaction and Sustainable development

http://www.geographyteachingtoday.org.uk/curriculum.making/glossary/environmental-interaction-lotc/

Acceptance of the dynamic interrelationship between physical and human accounts if the world is central to school geography. Making sense of the world is often enhanced by a synthesis of perspectives and understanding across at least three areas of concern

1) Social fairness
2) Economic prosperity
3) Environmental quality

The interaction of these fundamental motivations provides the basis for geographic study of the environment. Thus, geographical perspectives are central to understanding sustainable development.