The ungreen city – or the polluting countryside? Topic: Statistics & Environment Group Four Members: Chan Yong Ming, Kwek Zi Wei Bernetta, Peh Ching Hui Timothy Presenter: Chan Yong Ming

Assigned Reading Group four: Smaje, Chris (2011). The ungreen city - or the polluting countryside? Significance, 8(2), pp. 61- 64.

Outline Background Key Issues How does statistics affect? Possible implications What can be done?

Which do you prefer? http://www.petertsaiphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/rocinha_comunidade_favela-41.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/82/6a/84/826a84cbea6db938fb99462b906c67ce.jpg

Less pollution? http://www.petertsaiphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/rocinha_comunidade_favela-41.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/82/6a/84/826a84cbea6db938fb99462b906c67ce.jpg

http://www.edie.net/news/1/Rural-areas-see-more-days-of-heavy-pollution-than-urban-neighbours/10992/

COMMON MISCONCEPTION “People living in urban or city areas contribute to less impact on the environment than people living in the countryside or rural areas”

Findings Satterthwaite, D. (2008) Cities’ contribution to global warming: notes on the allocation of greenhouse gas emissions. Environment and Urbanization, 20, 539–549.

Ecological Footprint Impact of a person or community on environment Expressed as amount of land required to sustain use of natural resources http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/img/footprint_leaves_vertical_359002.gif

Key Issues Fallacy of composition Problems of reification and confounding Tension between economies of scale Comprehensiveness

Issue 1: Fallacy of composition

Atomistic Fallacy Applying correlation based on individuals towards the aggregates correlation observed among individuals may not apply to aggregated data

Biased Sample Fallacy Drawing conclusion about a population based on a sample that is biased Sample chosen that reflects the population on average being different than it actually is

Fallacy of Composition Something is true of a part cannot be inferred to the whole City dwellers lower-impact lifestyles than country dwellers Data does not support

Issue 2: Problems of reification and confounding

Problems of reification and confounding Reification = complex idea for when you treat something immaterial Confounding factors Greater affluence in cities  Greater Ecological footprint?

Electrical Appliances Facial cleansers with microbeads http://cpsresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/appliance-electronics-industry.jpg http://mashable.com/2015/03/07/beauty-products-environment/#PagmdODcsOqT

Lower Environmental impacts https://www.smrt.com.sg/portals/0/Corporate/Our%20Identity/SMRT%20logo_small.png http://oliveventures.com.sg/act/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/MB_image4_L.jpg

Problems of reification and confounding Urbanisation  Affects Environmental Impacts Need to include Confounding factors (Underlying relationships)

Issue 3: Tension between economies of scale

Tension between economies of scale EOS = Proportionate saving in costs gained by an increased level of production “Diseconomies of urbanity” = economic disadvantage due to city life Resulting sewage sludge?

http://www.nib.int/filebank/a/1445602674/009b8036c66a414e9b7f008985abbcf0/4866-2013_Petrozavodsk_WWT_Sludge_Photo_DA_web.jpg?fb_bfn=4865- 2013_Petrozavodsk_WWT_Sludge_Photo_DA_web.jpg

Issue 4: Comprehensiveness

Comprehensiveness Many environment studies look only at direct impact Heating up urban apartment vs rural cottage Other Impacts: Street lighting, transport fuel, waste disposal

http://marriottexecustay.com/furnished-apartments/kansas-city-mo/45-madison/property_photos/KansasCityFurnishedApartmentExterior-368x277.jpg http://www.cheznous.com/99266-cider-cottage.jpg http://cdn.decoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Living-room-of-the-renovated-apartment-embraces-a-white-backdrop.jpg https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wmDBy2Q0IG8/maxresdefault.jpg

http://www. sunviewled http://www.sunviewled.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/SVL-SML-960X640-002.jpg https://johnnycat.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/gas1.jpg http://il2.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/16147342/thumb/1.jpg http://www.fish-on-friday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sewage-Pollution.jpg

Possible Implications People living in city continue to be unaware 2 billion more people on Earth in 2050 Building new city of a million people every week for next 40 years!

What can be done? Identifying different pollution sources Setting regulatory standards Better statistical analysis of both pollution and measures taken to address

http://www.aladat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Plato-my-friend-famous-isaac-newton-quotes-aristotle-greatest-truth-contemporary-white-background-picture-drawing-simple.jpg

Let’s do our part in stopping pollution today! https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/65/e8/0f/65e80f5ffd534394796e46b495f0e230.jpg