Question
he group is Tahiti.
Officials at the United Nations welcomed the proposal. Still, they have not joined the plan to create floating cities.
Nearly all scientists agree that global warming is caused by the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. People burn fossil fuels such as coal and oil. When we burn these fuels, carbon dioxide is released into the air. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. These gases remain in the atmosphere and trap heat. Over time, that has made average temperatures go up worldwide.
Sea Levels Estimated To Rise As Much As 7 Inches
Coastal cities are running out of land. They're becoming increasingly endangered as sea levels are estimated to rise as much as 7 inches in some places by 2030. Ninety percent of the largest global cities are at risk because of climate change, said U.N. official Victor Kisob.
Amina Mohammed is one of the U.N.'s leaders. She said the proposal is more unusual than approaches the United Nations would have taken even four years ago. "We are trying to think ahead," she said.
The floating platforms will be made of wood and bamboo. Each platform is about the size of three White Houses. This would be a small piece of a potentially bigger puzzle, said Bjarke Ingels of the Bjarke Ingels Group. It's the architectural business partnering with Oceanix.
Each platform would house 300 people. Markets, farms, apartments, and solar panels would stack atop the platforms. The city would grow in a pattern: Six linked platforms, like a hexagon of a honeycomb, would become a village. Six of those villages would be a 10,000-strong town covering 185 acres. That's about the size of Disneyland.
The platforms could continue to be linked together to house as many people as needed.
"We would continue to grow this as the demands grow," Collins Chen said.
Oceanix communities would follow local laws. They would not be for rich people only, Collins Chen said. He told The Washington Post he was "not ready to share" estimated costs. However, he said construction costs would stay low. That's because the floating hexagons can be mass-produced in factories and towed to destination bays.
Governments, including the United States, often charge for people to rent space on water. This costs a few dollars per acre per year, Collins Chen said. Meanwhile, the price of land in a large coastal city is extremely high. "One square meter of land in Hong Kong costs $150,000," he said. Hong Kong is a large city in East Asia. More than 7 million people live there.
The United Nations will not be paying any of the cost to build an initial model.
Oceanix's plans resemble communities that already exist: the houseboats that gather in Sausalito, California, are an example. The human-made reed islands in Lake Titicaca, in the South American country Peru, are another example. These islands are home to the Uros tribe. Some of these coastal communities are wearing away, though. People are heading to land to find work.
Islands Could Power And Feed Themselves
What makes an Oceanix city different, Collins Chen said, is the islands could power and feed themselves. Turbines in the air above the platforms and water below would provide energy, as would solar panels. Rain and salt-removal systems would provide fresh water. Greenhouses, airborne farms and gardens on the water would provide food.
Weaving together energy use, food production, housing and the water environment is also a huge challenge. Human systems and nature systems are complex, cautioned Joseph Stiglitz. He's a Nobel Prize-winning economist. He studies how countries make decisions about using resources. These resources can include everything from money to space for people to live. These resources are scarce, meaning there is not enough for what people would like.
Though Stiglitz wasn't sure the islands would work, the only way to know if it works is by trying, he said.
This article is MOSTLY organized using problem and solution.
Why do you think the author chose to organize the information this wa
Officials at the United Nations welcomed the proposal. Still, they have not joined the plan to create floating cities.
Nearly all scientists agree that global warming is caused by the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. People burn fossil fuels such as coal and oil. When we burn these fuels, carbon dioxide is released into the air. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. These gases remain in the atmosphere and trap heat. Over time, that has made average temperatures go up worldwide.
Sea Levels Estimated To Rise As Much As 7 Inches
Coastal cities are running out of land. They're becoming increasingly endangered as sea levels are estimated to rise as much as 7 inches in some places by 2030. Ninety percent of the largest global cities are at risk because of climate change, said U.N. official Victor Kisob.
Amina Mohammed is one of the U.N.'s leaders. She said the proposal is more unusual than approaches the United Nations would have taken even four years ago. "We are trying to think ahead," she said.
The floating platforms will be made of wood and bamboo. Each platform is about the size of three White Houses. This would be a small piece of a potentially bigger puzzle, said Bjarke Ingels of the Bjarke Ingels Group. It's the architectural business partnering with Oceanix.
Each platform would house 300 people. Markets, farms, apartments, and solar panels would stack atop the platforms. The city would grow in a pattern: Six linked platforms, like a hexagon of a honeycomb, would become a village. Six of those villages would be a 10,000-strong town covering 185 acres. That's about the size of Disneyland.
The platforms could continue to be linked together to house as many people as needed.
"We would continue to grow this as the demands grow," Collins Chen said.
Oceanix communities would follow local laws. They would not be for rich people only, Collins Chen said. He told The Washington Post he was "not ready to share" estimated costs. However, he said construction costs would stay low. That's because the floating hexagons can be mass-produced in factories and towed to destination bays.
Governments, including the United States, often charge for people to rent space on water. This costs a few dollars per acre per year, Collins Chen said. Meanwhile, the price of land in a large coastal city is extremely high. "One square meter of land in Hong Kong costs $150,000," he said. Hong Kong is a large city in East Asia. More than 7 million people live there.
The United Nations will not be paying any of the cost to build an initial model.
Oceanix's plans resemble communities that already exist: the houseboats that gather in Sausalito, California, are an example. The human-made reed islands in Lake Titicaca, in the South American country Peru, are another example. These islands are home to the Uros tribe. Some of these coastal communities are wearing away, though. People are heading to land to find work.
Islands Could Power And Feed Themselves
What makes an Oceanix city different, Collins Chen said, is the islands could power and feed themselves. Turbines in the air above the platforms and water below would provide energy, as would solar panels. Rain and salt-removal systems would provide fresh water. Greenhouses, airborne farms and gardens on the water would provide food.
Weaving together energy use, food production, housing and the water environment is also a huge challenge. Human systems and nature systems are complex, cautioned Joseph Stiglitz. He's a Nobel Prize-winning economist. He studies how countries make decisions about using resources. These resources can include everything from money to space for people to live. These resources are scarce, meaning there is not enough for what people would like.
Though Stiglitz wasn't sure the islands would work, the only way to know if it works is by trying, he said.
This article is MOSTLY organized using problem and solution.
Why do you think the author chose to organize the information this wa
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The author chose to organize the information using the problem and solution structure for several reasons:
1. **Clarity of Issue**: By presenting the challenges posed by global warming and rising sea levels first, the author creates a clear context for why floating cities are being proposed. Highlighting the problem helps readers understand the urgency and significance behind the initiative.
2. **Focus on Innovation**: Following the description of the problem with a potential solution makes the discussion about floating cities more compelling. It emphasizes human ingenuity and creativity in addressing significant environmental challenges. This structure provides a narrative arc that captures the reader’s attention by transitioning from a bleak situation to a hopeful and innovative response.
3. **Engagement with the Audience**: Beginning with pressing global issues makes the topic relevant and relatable to readers who may be concerned about climate change and urban development. Presenting a solution offers a sense of optimism and possibility, potentially inspiring readers to think about future possibilities.
4. **Highlighting Feasibility**: By discussing the current challenges and then moving to proposed solutions, the organization allows the author to address potential skepticism around floating cities. This structure opens the door for exploration of how these solutions might realistically address the challenges outlined earlier.
5. **Encouraging Dialogue**: The problem-solution format invites readers to engage in discussions about both the issues at hand and the viability of the solutions proposed. It encourages critical thinking about the complexities of climate adaptation and urban planning.
Overall, this organizational structure effectively conveys the urgency of the climate crisis while simultaneously proposing a framework for innovative responses, making the article both informative and forward-thinking.
1. **Clarity of Issue**: By presenting the challenges posed by global warming and rising sea levels first, the author creates a clear context for why floating cities are being proposed. Highlighting the problem helps readers understand the urgency and significance behind the initiative.
2. **Focus on Innovation**: Following the description of the problem with a potential solution makes the discussion about floating cities more compelling. It emphasizes human ingenuity and creativity in addressing significant environmental challenges. This structure provides a narrative arc that captures the reader’s attention by transitioning from a bleak situation to a hopeful and innovative response.
3. **Engagement with the Audience**: Beginning with pressing global issues makes the topic relevant and relatable to readers who may be concerned about climate change and urban development. Presenting a solution offers a sense of optimism and possibility, potentially inspiring readers to think about future possibilities.
4. **Highlighting Feasibility**: By discussing the current challenges and then moving to proposed solutions, the organization allows the author to address potential skepticism around floating cities. This structure opens the door for exploration of how these solutions might realistically address the challenges outlined earlier.
5. **Encouraging Dialogue**: The problem-solution format invites readers to engage in discussions about both the issues at hand and the viability of the solutions proposed. It encourages critical thinking about the complexities of climate adaptation and urban planning.
Overall, this organizational structure effectively conveys the urgency of the climate crisis while simultaneously proposing a framework for innovative responses, making the article both informative and forward-thinking.