The World Without Us (September 29,2007 ) Saturday

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James Jiang
YOYO member
文章: 5
註冊時間: 週四 4月 13, 2006 12:04 pm

The World Without Us (September 29,2007 ) Saturday

文章 James Jiang »

Yoyo meeting on September 29,2007(Saturday).
Dear Yoyo friends:
I am James and as my background is an engineer so I would like to share some interesting scientist’s articles with you.
Perhaps some of you may feel this article a little bit ridiculous, but there are also some good comments about this book.
The following is the English and Chinese summary of this book.
Hope it will help in our discussion.

Description:
A penetrating, page-turning tour of a post-human Earth in The World Without Us, Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanity's impact on the planet: he asks us to envision our Earth, without us. In this far-reaching narrative, Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence; which everyday items may become immortalized as fossils; how copper pipes and wiring would be crushed into mere seams of reddish rock; why some of our earliest buildings might be the last architecture left; and how plastic, bronze sculptures, radio waves, and some man-made molecules may be our most lasting gifts to the universe. The World without Us reveals how, just days after humans disappear, floods in New York's subways would start eroding the city's foundations, and how, as the world's cities crumble, asphalt jungles would give way to real ones. It describes the distinct ways that organic and chemically treated farms would revert to wild, how billions more birds would flourish, and how cockroaches in unheated cities would perish without us. Drawing on the expertise of engineers, atmospheric scientists, art conservators, zoologists, oil refiners, marine biologists, astrophysicists, religious leaders from rabbis to the Dali Lama, and paleontologists--who describe a prehistoric world inhabited by mega-fauna like giant sloth’s that stood taller than mammoths--Weisman illustrates what the planet might be like today, if not for us. From places already devoid of humans (a last fragment of primeval European forest; the Korean DMZ; Chernobyl), Weisman reveals Earth's tremendous capacity for self-healing. As he shows which human devastations are indelible, and which examples of our highest art and culture would endure longest, Weisman's narrative ultimately drives toward a radical but persuasive solution that needn't depend on our demise. It is narrative nonfiction at its finest, and in posing an irresistible concept with both gravity and a highly readable touch, it looks deeply at our effects on the planet in a way that no other book has.

Discussion questions (use imagination)

Session I Questions

1. What do you think about the author's approach?

2. What part of Weisman's scenario surprised you most?

3. In his prelude, Weisman wonders if there's "a way for nature to prosper that doesn't depend on our demise." Do you think he finds one?

*********** “break up” for ten minutes *********

Session II Role Play

Imagine your group are the survivors after nuclear war in 2020 .There are no more power supply .What plan will your group take action in order to overcome the coming winter .
Share your group opinion with us .

Links
Read the Discover magazine essay "Earth Without People," which formed the basis for The World Without Us.
http://www.worldwithoutus.com/index2.html

Read New Scientist's take on the subject.

Learn more about extinction from the PBS shows Evolution and Nova.

View maps from the Wildlife Conservation Society that show patterns of human influence around the globe.

See how people around the country are undoing some of the damage done to nature through the science of restoration ecology

 

地球上現在有六十五億人口,而且還在不斷增加,你能想像所有人類都在一夕之間消失會是什麼情景嗎?這似乎很像電影《二十八天毀滅倒數》的情節,美國知名環境作家、亞利桑納州大學新聞學教授魏斯曼(Alan Weisman)的新書《沒有我們的世界》(The World Without Us)就是以此出發,想像出一個人類全部滅亡後的地球。

英國《每日郵報》十四日報導了這本書的內容,照現行環保理論,人類是摧殘地球的禍首,海洋、河流、空氣和地表的汙染,都是人類的生產活動造成,所以一旦人類消失,所有問題都將解決?這可未必。魏斯曼告訴我們,全世界現在有四百四十一座核電廠正在運轉,如果沒有人去照顧,這些電廠馬上會出問題。

在一周內,負責使冷卻水循環交流的柴油引擎都將因缺乏燃料而停擺,之後核子反應器全部因過熱燃燒,導致反應器融化甚至爆炸,幾百起的轍諾堡核子浩劫將同時在世界各地發生,大量的輻射物質進入空氣、河流和海洋。

這樣的發展對動植物的生態會產生何種影響沒人知道。我們確知的是,在轍諾堡核子浩劫之後,周遭的動物和植物反而欣欣向榮。主張環保但也擁核的生態學家拉拉克說,野生的動植物對輻射並不在乎。

去除了人類這個因素,大自然可望逐漸回復從前面貌,只有依附人類生存的老鼠和蟑螂,及被人豢養的牛、羊、豬,將面臨生存困境。

人為世界變化更大,不管是倫敦或紐約等都市或鄉村,大部分建築陸續都會倒塌,所有人類居住活動的地方將成為廢墟,公路、鐵路、橋樑和地下鐵等設施腐朽敗壞,隧道會變成積水的大水溝,但也有少數例外如英法海底隧道,牠本就建在海床底下,可以維持相當長久。

弔詭的是,有些舊東西可能比新東西更經得起時間考驗,例如埃及的金字塔和英格蘭的巨石柱群;另外青銅藝品或塑像,或許可維持幾百萬年,而塑膠袋更是永垂不朽,成為人類最永恆遺跡,和人類留下的不鏽鋼、鋁、銅、鈦等不計其數的廢金屬充斥在地球的每個角落。

人類之後會是哪一個物種主宰地球呢?魏斯曼認為,最有可能的是狒狒,狒狒或許不如猩猩聰明,但數量遠多於猩猩(代表其基因庫更大也更健全),且適應力更佳。或許在二萬五千年後,有隻狒狒撿起了一只塑膠袋,智力會突然受到刺激而發展到更高層次。

但不管哪個物種主宰地球,地球的命運都已註定。幾億年後太陽的燃燒將急速加劇,屆時地球上大多數物種均已滅絕,只剩少數昆蟲或植物可以生存,海洋開始被蒸發,生物進化完全停擺,整個地球只是一個地獄般的荒漠。
______________________________________________________

Agenda
2:15 ~ 2:30 Greetings and free talk among members and guests /recording individual orders/getting newcomers’ information
2:30 ~ 2:40 Opening remarks/ Brief self-introduction

(Session I)
2:40 ~ 3:10 First discussion session
3:10 ~ 3:20 First summarization
3:20 ~ 3:40 Regrouping and taking a break (Intermission)

(Session II)
3:40 ~ 4:10 Second discussion session
4:10 ~ 4:20 Second summarization
4:20 ~ 4:30 Concluding remarks/feedback from newcomers/ announcements

聚會時間:2007/9/29 (星期六) 2:15 pm 到 ~ 約 4:30 pm 左右結束
聚會地點:田中園 (請先告知櫃檯參加YOYO活動並點餐)
地址: 北市南京東路三段303巷14弄2號
電話: 02-27181910
捷運站: 木柵線 南京東路站
走法: 出捷運南京東路站後, 順著慶城街直走 1分鐘到 "Hooters" 時, 右轉直走 50 公尺到"里豆咖啡"時, 左轉後第一條巷子再右轉走10公尺即到達 "田中園"
低消: 90 元

給新朋友的話:
1. 請事先準備2~3分鐘的英語自我介紹;討論完畢後可能會請你發表1~2分鐘的感想(feedback)。
2. 請事先閱討論主題相關內容以及host所提的問題,並事先寫下自己所欲發表意見的英文。
3. 來之前請先讀一下討論主題,思考一下如何回答及討論。
4. 在正式加入之前(繳交可退還之保證金NT$1,000),可以先來觀摩三次。
最後由 James Jiang 於 週一 9月 24, 2007 4:18 pm 編輯,總共編輯了 2 次。
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Lydia
Member
文章: 639
註冊時間: 週二 1月 06, 2004 12:28 am
來自: 台北市

文章 Lydia »

Dear YOYOs,

8 月 15 日的聚會地點在 7 月底發生 "意外的插曲" :shock:
所以將改在 " 田中園 " B1
(北市南京東路三段303巷14弄2號 02-27181910
捷運木柵線 南京東路站
走法: 出捷運南京東路站後, 順著慶城街直走 1分鐘到 "Hooters" 時, 右轉直走 50 公尺到"里豆咖啡"時, 左轉後第一條巷子再右轉走10公尺即到達 "田中園"
更簡單的說: 田中園 是在 "日安。KAFFA" 和 "里豆咖啡" 中間的那個巷子裡 :wink:
低消: 90 元 )


8月 22 日起仍在 日安。KAFFA 喔 :D

日安。KAFFA 星期三晚上的時段 "炙手可熱"
要一直長期預約並不容易
目前正在努力交涉
如果讓大家感到不便
真的很抱歉 ! :oops:
請大家多多包涵 ! :oops:

Lydia
Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

文章 Kooper »

Lydia 寫:日安。KAFFA 星期三晚上的時段 "炙手可熱"
要一直長期預約並不容易
目前正在努力交涉
如果讓大家感到不便
真的很抱歉 ! :oops:
請大家多多包涵 ! :oops:
今天走的時候看到Lydia還一個人在跟店家交涉, 而時間已接近10:00.... :cry:
Lydia 辛苦了, YoYos有妳當會長真是太幸運了 :D
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Lydia
Member
文章: 639
註冊時間: 週二 1月 06, 2004 12:28 am
來自: 台北市

文章 Lydia »

因為 Host 的次序調動
本週六的 Topic 是由 James Jiang 主持的喔 !

而場地也由NINI Lounge Cafe Tea 改為:
田中園: 北市南京東路三段303巷14弄2號 02-27181910
(捷運木柵線 南京東路站)
走法: 出捷運南京東路站後, 順著慶城街直走 1分鐘到 "Hooters" 時, 右轉直走 50 公尺到"里豆咖啡"時, 左轉後第一條巷子再右轉走10公尺即到達 "田中園"
低消: 90 元

請 YOYOs 注意一下喔 !
謝謝 !

Lydia
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Wayne
Member
文章: 1500
註冊時間: 週四 5月 13, 2004 10:53 am
來自: Taipei, Taiwan, Pandemonium

文章 Wayne »

Words and Expressions

大氣層 atmosphere; atmospheric layer;
分解 decompose; break down; break up; resolve;
水銀 mercury
代理孕母 surrogate mother
百萬分之一 one millionth
羊膜穿刺 amniocentesis
制裁 sanction
穿透 penetrate
突變 mutation
計畫趕不上變化 Due to unexpected changes, nothing ever goes as planned.
(Nothing Ever Goes As Planned --> A song by Styx in 1981)

害喜 morning sickness
臭氧層 ozone layer
氫彈 H-bomb; hydrogen bomb
博愛 philanthropy
普通人 common people
童軍課 boy scouting class
微生物 microbe; microorganism; germ
感官系統 sensory system
禽流感 avian flu; bird flu
馴獸師 animal tamer
滲透 infiltrate; permeate
徵婚啟事 lonely-hearts ad; marriage-seeking ad
篩選 screen; filter out
繁殖能力 reproductive capacity; fertility
Knowledge is power -- when shared.
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Lydia
Member
文章: 639
註冊時間: 週二 1月 06, 2004 12:28 am
來自: 台北市

文章 Lydia »

This topic is quite interesting and we talked a lot around the topic. 8)
Thanks to James!
James, please shares more about the interesting part of the meeting and your personal thoughts about how this topic will influence your future. :wink:


Special welcome to Chiron Chen to join YOYO ! :D

Lydia
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James Jiang
YOYO member
文章: 5
註冊時間: 週四 4月 13, 2006 12:04 pm

thank you all

文章 James Jiang »

Dear Yoyo Friends:
Although last Saturday was a working day,
I was glad to see there still members were able to attend the meeting.

We had a wonderful afternoon and exchanged many good ideas not only this topic but also the other life experience.
I would like to thank you all. :D :D :D
Attendants:
Chiron, Kooper Chen, Lydia Liu, Lucy Lin, Richard Liu, James Chiang.
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chiron
YOYO member
文章: 520
註冊時間: 週三 10月 03, 2007 4:23 pm

Compensation from Chiron

文章 chiron »

Hello, James:
Not untuil now did I find the discussion about meeting on last Saturday. I'm surprised by you and Lydia's attentiveness; anyway, I would never reflect what I said after a meeting. I want to compensate something to support my argument on that day since my tone seems to be weaker. When I say "Nature will fix problems caused by human being sooner or later", I really mean it. Many disasters aroud us made by human, which could not be solved by us at the same time, could only be dissolved by time (or nature), or what else could we do. In the example of gas leak, you couldn't do anything except waiting the wind to dilute those thick carbon monoxide. In the huge fire in forest, usually, those smoke, steam and particle (remainder of burned wood) would float into the air again, cause rain to put out the fire almost impossible die out by man. I have to say, even we human being do nothing, the nature must would think out a solution to solve the problem made by us for the reason of whole balance. All in all, I only want to stress we human being's abilit is too little, we should respect the whole nature more instead of exploit it.
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Wayne
Member
文章: 1500
註冊時間: 週四 5月 13, 2004 10:53 am
來自: Taipei, Taiwan, Pandemonium

文章 Wayne »

Words and Expressions 1003 2007/10/6方言

主動:initiative
主觀:subjective; subjectivity
地形:topography
考古:archeology
治安:security
客觀:objective
穿著:dress; apparel;
家畜:livestock
桂林山水甲天下: The scenery of Guilin is the world’s best.
浸泡:soak; steep
游牧民族:nomad
渺小:tiny; insignificant; negligible
領土:territory
廢墟:rubbles; ruins
犛牛:yak
衛生習慣:hygiene
遷徙:migrate
機關:institution; office; mechanism; trap
蘆葦:reed
Knowledge is power -- when shared.
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