“UT philosophy prof tackles conservation” plus 2 more |
- UT philosophy prof tackles conservation
- Elegance and Dynamic Performance At The First BMW Design Night In Beijing
- Conference to celebrate 150th anniversary of 'On Liberty'
| UT philosophy prof tackles conservation Posted: 25 Apr 2010 07:03 PM PDT By Asher Price AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF When the environmental group Conservation International was working a couple of years ago with an Indonesian energy company to figure out how to develop some land sensitively, it turned to a University of Texas philosophy professor. Sahotra Sarkar, who specializes in environmental ethics, and other scholars have been changing how environmental groups and businesses set aside land and parks. Last month, in the online edition of the journal Biological Conservation, he fleshed out what he called the "social ecology" model of folding local values into the decision-making process. The Indonesian company, Medco, was planning to build a power plant and a wood pulp and paper mill in New Guinea. Conservation International was hoping to get some concessions for land preservation. Enter Sarkar, who urged that the conservation group and Medco take into account the needs of the people who live near the industrial sites. "It might be obvious now, but traditionally nongovernment organizations, based in London, operated in the Third World and would not have done that," he said. Conservation International recently sent several development options to Medco, which is expected to choose one of them soon. Sarkar's work is cutting edge, said Kenneth Young, the interim chairman of UT's geography department. "Most of our institutions and training is not set up this way," said Young, who added that a third of the classes in the geography department are dedicated to "human-environment interactions." Especially sophisticated about Sarkar's work is the way he mathematically tabulates and models the spectrum of needs in a community, Young said. "The world faces many different dilemmas and crises, and the education system is just now producing professionals that can deal with these complex issues," Young said. A philosopher by training, Sarkar began teaching at UT in 1998, spending half his time since 2003 in the philosophy department and half in the integrative biology department. The social ecology model, he and a co-author wrote in Biological Conservation, contrasts with the "fortress" model of conservation work, which excludes human habitation and use from parks and open space. A fortress-model project to build tiger reserves in India, for example, failed in large part because the villagers who were expelled to create the parks then collaborated with poachers to decimate the tiger population, he said. In Peru, on the other hand, the World Wildlife Fund has worked with indigenous groups to protect lakes that are also important fishing areas. He traces part of the difference between the models to a cultural gulf between a "stridently vocal group of Northern conservationists" and their counterparts in the global South. The northern conservationists "view humans as categorically distinct from the natural world," while people in the South "view nature as a resource." That difference in how land is set aside, and the degree of local involvement, has important consequences, he writes. "In central Texas, attempts to list species under the (endangered species act), delineate critical habitat for them, and develop habitat conservation plans, have long been controversial, often leading to ugly confrontations between landowners and conservationists," he writes in Biological Conservation. "Now, imagine that an environmentalist from Mongolia decides to come to Texas, claim expertise on desert landscapes and cave ecology (perhaps justifiably), and demands that prime real estate around Austin be converted into a national park. It is intriguing to speculate on the reactions from gun-toting Texans." asherprice@statesman.com; 445-3643 Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Elegance and Dynamic Performance At The First BMW Design Night In Beijing Posted: 26 Apr 2010 03:08 AM PDT MUNICH – April 26, 2010: With an exclusive Design Night on the evening of the first press day at Auto China in Beijing (April 23rd toMay 2nd 2010), BMW provides an in-depth insight into its design philosophy and development strategy. The program of the BMW Design Night is modular in structure and presents extensive background information on the premium automobile manufacturer's innovative design culture. In addition to highlighting the long versions of the BMW 5 Series developed specially for the Chinese market, the main focus is on an elegant 4-door vehicle with striking dynamic proportions: the BMW Concept Gran Coupé. The concept study on display symbolises the outstanding design expertise of BMW. The BMW Concept Gran Coupé concentrates the fundamental values of the brand. Its body design authentically captures a sense of superior dynamic performance and high-quality elegance. The shaping style, which follows a coherent pattern down to the last detail, convincingly visualises BMW's philosophy as an automobile manufacturer. As with the Concept CS 2007, BMW once again sets new benchmarks in the design of 4-door coupes with a distinctive sporty character. Based on a powerful tradition in this segment, the BMW Concept Gran Coupé carries the essence of brand values and the genes of BMW design into the future. The concept shows the classic features of all BMW coupes: the long wheelbase, the vaulted bonnet with forward-pointing lines, the set-back greenhouse, the flat silhouette, the coupe-style roof line and the short front overhang reflect the dynamic potential of the vehicle. The surface structures and the fact that the design quality is geared towards perfection illustrate the aspiration of the brand BMW to build 4-door high-performance coupes with the sportiest proportions and the most elegant design. In the BMW Concept Gran Coupé, BMW presents the vision of a 4-door vehicle which combines the exclusivity of a Gran Turismo with the fascination of a high-performance sports car. The design of the concept study underscores the expertise of the brand BMW in the development of vehicles with a distinctive sporty character which offer space for more than two occupants. This reflects the particular quality of the BMW Group design philosophy, which consists in precisely and authentically translating the specific values of product substance into an aesthetically convincing shaping style. The design process is set through with a passion for aesthetic appeal and dynamic performance, precision and perfection. This is how the uncompromising premium aspiration of a BMW Group product, the unmistakable style of the brand BMW and the precisely defined character of each model are given concrete form. The body design of the BMW Concept Gran Coupé expresses sporty flair in its ultimate form. The 4-door vehicle clearly signals the very highest level of dynamic performance with its extremely elegant, flat and coupe-like proportions. Stretching the entire length of the vehicle and therefore measuring almost 5 metres, flowing lines dominate the design, giving rise to outstanding aerodynamic levels, just as the low centre of gravity reflects an agile driving response. The front section is defined by the BMW kidney grille characteristic of the brand - an icon of body design which is not just central but also a dominating element of front design. The kidney grille of the BMW Concept Gran Coupé has a flat appearance, with an asymmetrical side view which emphasises the close attention to detail. The central section with the kidney grille is formally separated from other BMW icons such as the headlights and air inlets. The clarity of the LED front lights highlights the vehicle's precision and premium aspirations. The air inlet runs back an extremely long way into the side section, making the front section appear particularly wide. All elements of the front section appear to merge to form a single, elegantly curved movement. The sporty, flat silhouette provides an impressive body height of just under 1.40 metres. This makes the BMW Concept Gran Coupé up to 100 millimetres flatter than the BMW 5 Series or the BMW 7 Series Sedan. The roof line tapers off gently into the rear, thereby elongating the vehicle's proportions. The forward-tilted shark nose visually extends the bonnet and creates characteristic BMW proportions with its forward-pointing dynamism. This stretched character is also highlighted by the side lines, where there is a deliberate avoidance of the typical sill line. The flat proportions make the window graphics appear extremely narrow and dynamic at the same time. Another BMW design icon, the Hofmeister kink, is especially strikingly formed - additionally emphasising the exclusive character of the vehicle. The frameless doors give the BMW Concept Gran Coupé a modern character since the glass surfaces appear to merge seamlessly without being interrupted by columns. At the rear, only design elements such as the lights and tailpipe trim appear to be visible at first sight. The entire rear section appears slimmer and lighter at the centre, though still exuding power and dynamic performance since the volume is reinforced towards the sides. The L-shaped light banks feature a slight, almost subtle curve and the entire design of the lines and surfaces highlights the vehicle's elegant overall appearance. The third brake light, positioned in the rear window, is also fitted with LED technology. It takes up the kink in the roof and illuminates the entire width of the rear window. The powerfully flared wheel arches above the rear axle highlight the particularly sporty character of the BMW Concept Gran Coupé. Another highly sporty and also elegant feature is the rim concept in which the individual spokes extend deep into the centre of the rim towards the hub, giving the rim a striking three-dimensional quality. The spokes themselves are not solid but relief-milled, giving them a visual lightness. The sculptural shaping style characteristic of the entire body design of the BMW Concept Gran Coupé permits a unique interaction between concave and convex surfaces. It also enables the light to be selectively reflected and channelled. Thus the exterior mirrors integrated in the window shaft appear very light, blending harmoniously into the side view since their shape assimilates the entire line styling. The BMW Concept Gran Coupé is a further development of the classic design of a notchback sedan in which the individual body sections merge harmoniously into a flat, elongated and at the same time dynamic overall image. The effect of this 4-door vehicle derives not just from specific highlights but from its overall appearance, which authentically reflects its character. The car's dynamic potential is embodied in its proportions and lines, signalling power but also elegance and forward thrust. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Conference to celebrate 150th anniversary of 'On Liberty' Posted: 25 Apr 2010 10:28 PM PDT | Conference to celebrate 150th anniversary of 'On Liberty'
Charleston — Eastern Illinois University's Philosophy Department will host the Mill Memorial Conference on Saturday in Coleman Hall.
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