Just finished this excellent book by Scott Huler, “On the Grid“. This is Everyman’s guide to infrastructure in America. The author points out both the miracles and the mind-boggling failings of the US systems from storm water management in Raleigh NC, to the bridges across the Hudson in New York. He writes”No matter how often someone reminds us that these systems are important and need our attention, we don’t change. China spends 9 percent of its gross domestic product on infrastructure; Europe spends 5 percent, the United States spends about 2.4 percent, and that’s down from 3 percent 50 years ago.” His advice: “Get out your wallet.” (And buy his book, for starters.)
Meanwhile, “Off the Grid“, written by Nick Rosen, champions an alternative lifestyle chosen by a handful of Americans who attempt to live their lives on their own steam, as it were. As he says in a great NPR interview with both authors, “living off-grid doesn’t mean doing without electricity and water–it means providing your own electricity and water.”
Big news on May 28th when Google released a Plug-inwhich makes it possible to view Google Earth, including 3-D buildings and KML files in a browser window, without downloading the full version. Very much excitement about this, and there will certainly be some great applications very quickly. Exploring this topic, an interesting application for US boaters surfaced. EarthNC is a low-cost application/service which allow the user to add all kinds of water charts for US coastal and inland waters to Google Earth — online or offline. It looks amazing (though I don’t have any charting know-how), and appears to have been enthusiastically received. Hope to hear back from them about whether a Dutch / European version is on the way.
This same developer (EarthNC) has just released an online converter which allows you to create Google Earth Plug-in code with your own KML files or MyMaps URLs, which can then be embedded in your website. TakeItWithMe for Embedded Earth is in “Beta” form, but works handily. Demo here soon.
A visit to the Water: H2O=Life show at the Museum of Natural History was thought provoking and alarming. This could be the issue of the 21st century, drowning all others. (Sorry, no laughing matter.)
Water is not in short supply in the Netherlands, but management is and always has been a central concern. This Dutch website translated as “the Netherlands Lives With Water” uses Google Maps to show water projects, events and attractions, a nice application created by GeoStart. One event we will try to take in is a sculpture exhibition at the castle in Muiden, called “the power of water“.
Just finished this excellent book by Scott Huler, “On the Grid“. This is Everyman’s guide to infrastructure in America. The author points out both the miracles and the mind-boggling failings of the US systems from storm water management in Raleigh NC, to the bridges across the Hudson in New York. He writes”No matter how often someone reminds us that these systems are important and need our attention, we don’t change. China spends 9 percent of its gross domestic product on infrastructure; Europe spends 5 percent, the United States spends about 2.4 percent, and that’s down from 3 percent 50 years ago.” His advice: “Get out your wallet.” (And buy his book, for starters.)
Meanwhile, “Off the Grid“, written by Nick Rosen, champions an alternative lifestyle chosen by a handful of Americans who attempt to live their lives on their own steam, as it were. As he says in a great NPR interview with both authors, “living off-grid doesn’t mean doing without electricity and water–it means providing your own electricity and water.”
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