5.0 Global Sustainability Devices
- The World Bank Group is launching the first-ever global "Apps for Development competition" to make its remarkable data collection more usable for a broader audience.
- The competition is open for entries from October 7, 2010 through January 10, 2011.
- Access to data and the knowledge that comes with it can empower the poor.
Since ASP.NET offers the capacity to build online applications, access to databases, media production and web services (which can be shared worldwide) this website has a quality of being a device.
Suppose, for example, one develops a freshwater model which is coupled with annual rainfall. Two or more nations which share a common resource (river, lake, aquifer) could then resort to the model for up to date information and by convention or treaty set their extraction (use quotas) to match. Water use is generally divided between household (drinking water), agricultural (irrigation), and industrial use each with its own brand of effluent which has to be monitored. Industrial use particularly is subject to environmental studies (industrial environmental (ecological) science). Appending these models to the system would provide a comprehensive freshwater ecosystem management supervisory toolkit.
By accessing a common trusted site and using built in decision making software nations (provinces, districts, cities) could sort out allocations and concessions on the spot. This idea is especially attractive when coupled with the notion of building water transfer pipelines and native reservoirs, thus reducing flood and diminishing dry spells. This would greatly help water use planning and governance.
Similar models can be envisioned with respect to both intra- and international food production, land use and ecosystem balancing. A model of marine and coastal ecosystems (with monitoring and regulating) is needed for fish catches. Going without regulating national quotas the world risks global fisheries collapse. This risk is particularly salient with respect to energy models, biofuels and ecosystems, and climate-change, where strict regulatory capacity currently is a very high priority. These models therefore being the measure used in treaty or trade agreement would have to open source and truly transparent. By synchronizing an all in (i.e. forest, grassland, agriculture, and freshwater) ecosystem monitor with trade (material flows) we certainly improve our chances to govern in a way that will leave the next generation with an improved natural capital base.
device: A contrivance or an invention serving a particular purpose, especially a machine used to perform one or more relatively simple tasks. A technique or means. plan or scheme, (but) especially a malign one. A literary contrivance, such as parallelism or personification, used to achieve a particular effect. A decorative design, figure, or pattern, as one used in embroidery. See synonyms at figure. A graphic symbol or motto, especially in heraldry. The act, state, or power of devising.
While having negative connotations in part, the name 'device' , does overall serve a purpose to promote understanding, and especially to promote sustainability.
This website does not pretend by any means to be the only device but hopefully one of many. It takes direction from the ideas of theatre and anticipates publishing and promotion, communication, presentation, education and even entertainment such that the peoples of this earth will be both engaged and absorbed, inspired and transformed through intelligent use of media correlated to these system outputs. As such earthmodal is aiming at a benign rather than malign scheme, in order to inspire the imagination of the many people who need support at this time and in the future.