Friday News and Links

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1. Hans Rosling dispels common misconceptions about modernization and “the developing world.”  (His other TED talks are also impressive.)

[ted id=620]

2. What’s producing methane on Mars?  (New York Times)

3. 2011 saw more billion-dollar weather-related disasters than any other year in US history. (Associated Press)

4. The necessity and relevance of GIS-related studies in modern K-12 classrooms.  (Directions Magazine)

Quote: “…geospatial technology is helping people be inquisitive, exploratory and analytical. Many situations and problems demand unique, iterative explorations and the ability to analyze data. Life is not a single-threaded linear existence. Educators need to model exploration and analysis, and then give students more and more opportunities to the do same.”

The GSC and the Waukegan Harbor Citizens’ Advisory Group

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The GSC has begun to partner with the Waukegan Harbor Citizens’ Advisory Group in conservation and restoration projects near Waukegan Harbor.  Following a series of three severe storms this past August, geographer and GSC Director Steve Jansen has recorded and mapped the location of downed trees in Bowen Park. Future projects will include mapping gully erosion in Glen Flora Ravine and habitat restoration areas.  This wealth of spatial information will help botanists analyze various data, such as species vulnerability and wind and run-off patterns during storms.  It is also aiding park officials participating in clean-up efforts.