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The great wide open

Same story as the last picture: In the 1930s and 1940s, Puerto Rico was almost totally deforested for agriculture (chiefly as sugar, coffee and tobacco plantations for export to the United States). Now, forests cover around 50% of the island. Some other Columbia students and I have been researching what factors brought about this change.

In the northern karst region we found a limestone cave, which, after winding through it in total darkness, opened out on a sheer cliff face, with a breathtaking view of a lush, forested valley beneath.

Uploaded on Dec 20, 2009

2 notes / 28 comments

Passages

I recently returned from a short trip to Puerto Rico. For the past year, I have been collaborating with some other students to write a paper that analyzes the change in land-use on the island. In the 1930s and 1940s, Puerto Rico was almost totally deforested for agriculture (chiefly as sugar, coffee and tobacco plantations for export to the United States). Now, forests cover around 50% of the island. It's pretty dramatic. As a reward for our efforts, Columbia's Earth Institute paid for us to see it with our own eyes.

We drove extensively over the island to try to find the story of the forest transition. In the northern karst region we found a limestone cave, which, after winding through it in total darkness, opened out on a sheer cliff face, with a breathtaking view of a lush, forested valley beneath.

Uploaded on Dec 19, 2009 | Map

3 comments

An appeal to symmetry

A break from the Bangladesh climate change photos for a while.

South Asia is, of course, home to some of the longest cultural traditions on the planet, and of particular interest, it is home to some of the most spectacular contact cultures that have ever existed. The Taj Mahal is perhaps the prime example - a work of art that relied on influences from a dozen cultures all meeting at a certain time in history.

A picture can't quite capture it, but many people, including myself, try. And as usual, I took a lot of pictures of people taking pictures of it too!

Some rights reserved

Uploaded on Nov 30, 2009

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Eyes to the world

Many developing countries, like Bangladesh, are now looking out into the world for help to adapt to the negative impacts from climate change. We can only hope that at the Copenhagen climate change talks next month, the global community can develop an effective system to fund poorer countries for climate change adaptation.

Being able to pay may be only the beginning, but it's beyond time to start.

To see why I was in Bangladesh click here, or look at the previous or next photo. If you are interested, please view the series.

Uploaded on Nov 27, 2009

3 comments

Answer

A lot of people talk about climate change. It has implications for our very way of life. But what should be driving all of this care is a concern for the people who are suffering. In many cases, people who deserve it least. These are the people that the Red Cross Red Crescent work with in Bangladesh and around the world.

These children might inherit a world worse than the one we were born into. In twenty years, I do not want to have to face them again, and say I did nothing to try to prevent that.

To see why I was in Bangladesh click here, or look at the previous or next photo. If you are interested, please view the series.

Some rights reserved

Uploaded on Nov 26, 2009

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amirjina uses Flickr – so can you!

amirjina's photostream

The great wide open

Passages

An appeal to symmetry

Eyes to the world

Answer

India and Bangladesh

Most Interesting, 一番面白いの

Japan, 日本

Spectrum、虹