Impact of Supercities on the Planet

Populations are growing fastest along the edges of the planet's seas, pressing along the shores such as those of the Pacific Rim. The impact of this growth on the global environment can be devastating if countries fail to address energy and environmental issues created by the development of supercities, according to Joseph Knox, director of the UC Davis-based National Institute for Global Environmental Change. Knox believes the Earth Summit earlier this year opened the doors for improved international cooperation in tackling well-known regional problems -- air and water pollution, and the handling of wastes -- while also addressing global environmental issues. Countries can help each other by improving the transfer of appropriate technology, conducting and sharing research that fills in knowledge gaps, forming partnerships, and implementing more environmentally sensitive industrial processes, says Knox. He discussed the environmental impact of the world's major cities during the recent "Supercities" conference in San Francisco.