These examples illustrate how an interesting story may lead to a topic.
Non-Native Species and Shipping
Ballast water is an aspect of the shipping industry that
contributes to the dispersion of species around the globe. When
ships unload their cargo, they often fill their ballast tanks
with water to provide balance for their return journey. Many aquatic
organisms are sucked into these tanks and given transport. A ship
will then empty its tank, along with various aquatic stowaways,
at the next port. Many invasive species have been introduced this
way. A relatively simple control mechanism is to exchange ballast
water on the high seas between ports. Other methods being explored
are using filters to trap organisms or heating the water to kill
them.
Thinking Questions: What impact do invasive species have on life
in effected regions? What impact might invasive species have on
businesses regionally or globally? What other industrial processes
impact plants, animals and the environment? What is the right
balance between business and environmental concerns?
Other Possible Categories: Science & Technology
Space Tourism
Astrium, a joint venture of the European Aeronautic Defense and
Space Company (EADS) and BAE Systems, is developing the "Hopper",
a re-usable transport system scheduled to become operational by
2015. The unmanned Hopper, with a maximum takeoff weight of 400
tons, will transport payloads of up to seven tons into close-earth
orbit and payloads of up to five tons into the geostationary transfer
orbit. Hopper will land back on the Earth's surface like an airplane
and can be quickly prepared for the next mission. The long-term
goal is to use Hopper for the transportation of passengers. Many
in the space industry anticipate that Astrium is also poised to
develop, build and supply a hotel in space, as well as to organize
the necessary transportation.
Thinking Questions: Is outer space the next frontier of the hotel
and travel industry? Are there other proposals for doing business
in space? How might space age enterprises impact or change industries
on Earth?
Other Possible Categories: Science & Technology
Irrigation Pump in Africa
The MoneyMaker is a low-cost water pump that is changing the lives
of East African farmers. In the past, farmers had to rely on carrying
buckets of water to irrigate their crops. The MoneyMaker, a portable
pump that is powered entirely by foot, allows farmers to water
larger pieces of land more easily. It can transport water from
a depth of 23 feet and spray it up to 46 feet in the air, allowing
farmers to switch from subsistence farming (growing just enough
food to feed their families) to farming as a small business. One
example is Janet Ondiak, who used to struggle to irrigate a small
piece of land with buckets of water. She purchased the MoneyMaker
and now operates a vegetable farm business with three full-time
workers. The MoneyMaker was developed by a nonprofit organization
called ApproTEC, who estimate that the pump has helped create
16,000 new jobs and $30 million per year in profits and wages.
Thinking Questions: Will agriculture continue to be important
in East Africa in the 21st Century? What other forces are shaping
business and industry in this region? What are the prospects for
farmers in the global economy; do they differ for farmers in the
developed and developing worlds? What other technological breakthroughs
have occurred in agriculture?
Other Possible Categories: Science & Technology
Citations:
- “Fact Sheet – Invasive Species.”
Home page. Ecological Society of America. 29 July 2003 <http://esa.sdsc.edu/invas3.htm>.
- A World Transformed. Map. Washington, D.C.:
National Geographic Maps, Sept. 2002.
- “Astrium Explores Challenge of Outer
Space Tourism.” Space Daily 8 Oct. 2000. 7 Aug. 2003 <http://www.spacedaily.com/news/tourism-00a.html>.
- Stevens, Jane Ellen. “Martin Makes
a Middle Class. Stanford grad Martin Fisher has gone low-tech
in search of solutions for Kenyan farmers.” San Francisco
Chronicle. 8 Dec. 2002. 19 Feb. 2004 <http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/
article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/08/CM151986.DTL>.
- “Micro-irrigation Technologies.” Home page. ApproTEC. 19 Feb. 2004
<http://www.approtec.org/tech_irrigate.shtml>.
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