The power of maps

Maps fascinate. Show us a map and we get excited; If it is a world map or a treasure map or just the map in our navigation system, it will take us to places we have never been before, in reality or in our head.

Maps are everywhere. Nowadays, we use maps day-in day-out, directly or indirectly. Look at the news or read the newspaper and we are likely to see at least 10 different maps. Take our car and we are navigated over a detailed road map. Did you know that 80% of all data has a geographical link? Moreover, we use the language of maps integral in our lives (e.g. we have achieved something if we put ourselves on the map).

Maps provide overview. If we are lost, we need a map to show us where we are. If there is a flood, aerial or satellite imagery show us a complete overview of the damage. In the more recent map applications, we even each stand, individually, at the centre of our own map!

Maps spotlight. Maps are ideal to set certain issues under attention. Satellite maps showing the rapid melting of the arctic ice put the global warming issue central. Besides indicating the quality of your roof insulation, thermographic heath maps spotlight the importance of energy savings.

Maps answer. Maps give concrete answers to complex and often urgent problems. How many people live in this new refugee camp? What is the financial or environmental cost if this dike would break? Did you know that a considerable contribution to the peace agreements in 95 making an end to the Bosnia-war came from geo-data? Only clear maps and a height model were able to convince all parties to accept the proposed new borders.

Maps monitor. Looking at differences between imagery over time, changes in tropical forests or urban sprawl can be detected and monitored.

Maps predict. Not only can maps look at how it was a century ago, they are also powerful to look at the future. Famine can be predicted through satellite monitoring of agricultural crops. The outbreak of vector borne diseases can be anticipated based on weather forecasts and land cover maps.

Maps tell a story. In many complex problems (e.g. climate change), we lack the ability to imagine how things could be. Often it is not the technology or rules that prevent us from moving ahead, but this disability to see the future! Maps concretise our ideas and paint a vivid picture of what could be. They have the power to simulate future scenarios and hence can function as thé story teller we need to mobilize people in this transition process towards a more respectful and sustainable society.

Maps call for action. One of the most appealing features of maps is that all journeys are feasible. Maps make our idea possible and “invite us” to start with it. Through easy-to-use map applications, we can e.g. indicate geo-located problems to the responsible authorities or suggest other citizen what nice, kids-friendly bar we just discovered.

Maps are powerful! It is not by coincidence that the true opposite of the word “SPAM” is “MAPS”!!

Birds

I will use this forum to go deeper into one of my old passions: birds! When I was 12 years old I started, more as a coincidence, with bird watching. Armed with a small binocular and a bird guide, I started searching with some friends for normal bird species, like the Chiffchaff, the Chaffinch and the Kestrel. It was in a way adventurous for a twelve year old kid away alone and most importantly it was a good time with my friends. But quite fast a “factor” competition came in, as it became the search for rare birds. Probably you think now that the only rare bird in this story is myself, but you could be mistaken. Bird watching is much more practiced then you probably imagine: This rare bird watching e.g. has its own English word: “Twitching”. And there is a Hollywood film about it: “The big year”. Although it has little change to become Olympic, some even call it a sport. But my attempts were more modest and relaxed. At the end, I had on my list species like Fan-tailed Warbler, Lesser White-fronted Goose and the incredible Two-barred Crossbill. Now you are really impressed, no?

Anyway, one thing I liked about birds was the fact that they are so divers; you had of all kinds. And in that sense, they are just like humans. In the rest of my speech I will talk about two bird species and what we can learn from them. The first one illustrates that we are all chicken if it comes down to handle changes and the second one will show that we are also capable to do the opposite.

But first the chicken! We have at home 2 chicken. Great animals: eating all your left-overs, keeping some space herbs-free and giving eggs! Some week ago, I had a problem: the eggs were destroyed every day again. But how did this happen? After a remarkable piece of detective work, I found out that a Magpie, the king of thieves under the birds came in the henhouse and ate the eggs. As a handy handyman as I am, I attached some Plexiglas strips before the entrance of the henhouse. It worked: no more Magpie. One problem: also no more chicken going in the henhouse. At the hour that the chicken normally go into their house, I went outside. One of them was totally “freeking” out and running around like a chicken without a head, as we say in Dutch. And the other one, I could not find directly. Finally, I saw the bum of the missing chicken sticking out of some bushes, as it had isolated itself from the world by putting its head in some green. Hilarious how the world of these chicken tumbled down just by 3 Plexiglas strips. And probably we are not scared of Plexiglas, but if we are honest, aren’t we all a little bit like these chicken when it concerns changes? We are all paralyzed when it comes down to big changes, especially if they are long-term or contain a proportion of uncertainty. We stick e.g. too long to our job, because we are scared of the unknown in a possible new opportunity?

But then there is this second bird and he or she will fly in the story soon. But first I have to put on my running shoes and go out for a tour. And I am lucky, close to my home, I have a nice piece of nature where I love to go jogging. Some months ago, I did my normal tour until I saw a Buzzard, a medium to large bird of prey, landing very close to me on a branch of a tree. Fantastic, I could see clearly its yellow claws and its sharp beak, bringing back all the old memories from my bird watching period. I continued running. But suddenly, I got hit on the head, rather hard. It was that Buzzard that attacked me from the back. I did not have any injuries, but it was quite a surprise: the birder taking by the bird. Later on the internet, I found out that other people, often joggers or bikers, got injured rather severely. But where did this small Buzzard get the courage to attack a relative big and dangerous creature as me? One word: passion! Probably, the Buzzard has a nest in the neighbourhood and this passion, this higher purpose, makes him or her take bold actions in their changing environment. You can see similar things with e.g. swans.

So to conclude: What can we learn from these two birds? Well, when it comes down to important personal choices or to global changes our society is facing, it is really up to us to make the choice. Do we want to be the Chicken or the Buzzard? Are we willing to get out of our comfort zone or do we bury our head in the sand like an Ostrich? All too often we hang onto our stones, while the universe is throwing us diamonds. And the magic spell to mutate from a chicken into a majestic Buzzard is passion! Cultivate this “grinta” and major things will await us.

Grow

Let’s play a simple game and see if you are really smart! I just ate a delicious chocolate. I love these and I absolutely want one more of these. And I am lucky. There are still left in the chocolate box. In fact, there are 3 left. So I am slyly grabbing one more. I have eaten now two and there are still two left in the box. In a next iteration, I ate the third, leaving only one in the box.  The last one … dawn, now the box is empty. But I am still not satisfied. There are really no other sweats in the house? Nothing! So what is happening now?  Can I still take one more?

Not possible! Logic, no?

Well then, it is proven: you are stupid! In fact, we are all stupid. Because if it comes down to our economic system it does not work like that. As you know economic experts and politicians are way more smarter than all of us together; so for them this game does not stop here; in fact it never stops and continues for ever. They keep on picking imaginary “chocolates” from somewhere and they assume that you will be able to pick these sweats forever … . They keep on growing even if there are no more chocolates in the box. How do they do that? Let me explain.

The economy is doing bad. We all know that! You hear it almost every day in the news. And it has to start growing again. From Van Rompuy up to Obama all know it: Economic growth is what we need! Reasonable, no? The assumption that we need growth to get us out of this crisis is evident.

But lets think about that! Experts say the ideal rhythm for this growth is 3 percent per year! What does that mean? This means a doubling of the economy every 23 years! I will repeat it: a doubling of the economy every 23 years (and then we even do not account for the huge world population growth or the upcoming middle class in the developing & growing countries). This exponential growth is also true for the resources (like minerals and oil) we use in our economy. In this doubling period, e.g. from here up to 23 years later we will consume the same amount of resources ever consumed before (by us, our parents, grandparents, etc. up to men making fire out of stones).

But wait a minute: are these resources not limited? Some figures:

• Let’s take “Oil”, the engine of our economy. It is estimated that the peak production of oil was in the year 2006 and by 2030 there will be only the half of that production. Moreover the easy oil has gone, so oil will become terribly expensive. Just to give you an idea on the speed we are consuming that oil:  95% of all oil found up to now is used in something like only 70 years! 70 years, that’s peanuts looking at the period of existence of men kind …. Your grandmother or even your parents were born then already! So we are talking about now and the next generation, not about some far future.
• Some more figures. When will the following resource be totally finished in a scenario of resource growth like it is today?:
• Gas: 2045
• Zinc: 2025 (that’s a big 10 years!)
• Lead: 2025
• And the list continues: your children and grand-children now born will live in a resource-poor world!

“If something is not able to continue, it probably want.” It is just a rational look at it. For centuries we were blinded for the irrational aspects of the system. There are bio-physical limits to economic growth. We can have technological innovations and increase in efficiency, but still, where do we have to keep on getting these resources? At least that is how I, stupid earth creator, think. For our politicians and economists it does not seem to work like that; they keep on putting all their eggs in the growth model, they continue to promote the harvesting of these invisible chocolates out of this box.

So what is the solution? To be clear: there is no simple straightforward solution, but one things sure: We need to go for a better economy, not a bigger economy! A local  and smaller economy, in balance with the world’s resources. An economy serving the people again, not the other way around!

So to conclude:

1. Be aware of politicians and economist: That you knew probably already, but still it is worth a repetition.
2. There are limits to growth. The world resources are finite. Economic growth is not thé solution.
3. “Less is more”, is also viable for our economy.

Maps in revolution

The great explorers of the 15th and 16th century like Christopher Columbus and Vasco Da Gama based their search for land never mapped before on maps like the ancient ones of Ptolemy. John Snow’s map of London’s Soho in 1854, pointed the water wells as the source of cholera outbreaks. There are many more examples of how maps played a fundamental role in history. But the potential impact and scope that maps can have today is from another order! Map geeks of today are truly blessed, as we have the honour to work in these revolutionary times for maps! But are we and our organisations really ready for it?

The last years, the foundations of our small and calm geo-community trembled. As I do not have the ambition here to list all major changes and trends concerning geo-information, I limit myself to 3 of these to make my point. First of all, data collection is no longer a pure high-cost high-tech job. With the arrival of low-cost low-tech sensors, we all became individual sensors and created this unique sensor network just by holding our mobile or other devices. We do no longer only receive information, but we provide passively or actively tons of (geo-)information. A special example of this are the data actively collected through “Volunteered Geographical Information” (VGI). In a few years, we evolved from a data-poor to a data-rich environment and the challenge shifted from data collection to data handling. A second shift took place on the internet. Maps got on the waves of the web and virtual earths, web mapping and now the semantic web pushes the geographical world into the open. At last, the geo-world is shifting towards “openness”. Free and Open Sources software, VGI and Open Data, all considerably gain terrain. Free and open access to geographical data will become the norm and maps will increasingly be seen as an essential public good.

Although these are all giant leaps for the mapping world, the real revolution that I am talking about in my introduction is in its effective user’s uptake. Maps and their applications became ubiquitous in almost every aspect of government and of citizens’ lives. Different mainstream trends like the rise of computing power, the speed of internet and the exponential use of mobile devices make that everybody has in the palm of his hand the whole world, mapped in every detail. We all became the center of our own map: permanently positioned, real-time linked to all types of (geo-)information and interconnected with the whole world. The potential of maps exploded, also for the big mass. What previously was a niche technology, now became mainstream. Although some fail completely, most geo-companies and public organisations do their best to implement and keep track with all these new trends and technologies. But in this hectic and rapid changing environment most fail completely in two basic aspects: adjusting the own internal organisation according to this new environment and effectively communicating to the new “outside” world.

As mentioned in the second paragraph, an important shift lay in this emphasis on “openness” and “networks”. But what do we see too often in our own geo-organisations: a closed, hierarchical structure, lacking completely the true open spirit of this geo revolution. If we want to keep track, we need to incorporate these values in our own organisation. A lot of the young talents, write creativity, openness, values, digital content creation and co-production in a network environment large. By nature, this young group of professionals can be thé engine to push the map revolution to a higher level. Lacking to incorporate these talents fully in our organisation would be a big failure. These horizontal and open networks (so sharing instead of protecting) are really strong as the power of the crowd is stronger than the idea and work of a few individuals. Time of isolated production on our island is gone. We have to embrace cooperation both inside as outside our organization again and give back the true meaning to the word “company“ (derived from the Latin “cum” and “pane” which means “breaking bread together.”). So let’s open up our organisations. Throw this hierarchy, internal competition and piles of rules out of the window. Take away all barriers in order to connect and network within our organisation and to the outside. Go for complete openness, honesty and true communication and (why not …) democracy. Put the “Why” again on top of the agenda! What is your social role in society?

Communication is the second cumbersome aspect many of us face. And that is even quite logic. Because in all these years that we studied Geography, Engineering and IT, how many courses on communication did we get? Probably none. There is a complete distortion between the amount of theory we obtain and how to spread this knowledge to the outside world. For centuries we were sitting relaxed in our niche market, talking our niche language full of slang. But today, the geo-market became mainstream. What does “geospatial” mean for your neighbour? What does even “geo” mean? We have to learn to communicate simple and concrete, with easier terminology. What about “maps”? It will be a little bit peculiar at the start, but we will be rewarded to level down our abstract level of talking. We shouldn’t forget that for many people geo-information is complicated. If we want that the message sticks, we have to step in their world by keeping things clear.

Although more simple, I would like to end by a passionate speech for a less modest communication. In my opinion, we do not stress enough the real power of maps. Maps and their applications are still too often seen as a nice-to-have, handy tool. But maps can mean a lot more for this world in drastic change. The global system (incl. the economic, financial, social & eco sub-systems) in which we are functioning is in crisis and people are scared and paralyzed of what will come. Maps can concretise new ideas and possible solutions and paint a vivid picture of what could be. They have the power to simulate future scenarios and hence can function as thé story teller we need to mobilize people in the transition process towards a new society. Maps can really invoke an explosion of how we see the earth. Maps bring better knowledge and better understanding and this should hopefully bring better judgment. That is what we need to communicate, so we can really turn maps, from being a cute thing to have, into something that really actually matters!

Ice Breaker Speech (#1 Toastmasters)

Hello everybody,

I am Nicolas. For already more then 10 years, I’m working in the geographical sector. So I am making maps, digital applications based on satellite or aerial imagery. You may know one of my projects: the thermographic maps taken over Antwerp to check the quality of your roof insulation? Recently, I quit my job to become a social entrepreneur in smart maps. So as I am a geo-man, I would like to involve you in my ice breaker speech and turn it into a small ice breaker quiz. I will test your geographical knowledge of certain locations that were important in my live? So if you know the place, just shout! Ok?

I was born in a place where the air is still fresh, clean and even a little bit salty and traffic jams are exceptional. A place where they speak officially the same language as here in Antwerp, although you can discuss on that. The city where I went to school still has a top football team at the highest league next year. So no, not in Antwerp, but in ...  Zuienkerke of all places. Close to Bruges, “Brugge”, “Bruhhe” ...

I had a normal and nice youth. My 12 matchbox cars were the only toys I had, but I had one magical and huge playground: the country side! My father had, as a kind of hobby, a small farm, so I just played outside all day long; “buten speeln van s’nuchtens toe s’avonds”. For the rest: some soccer and later on horse riding and bird watching! Fantasic!

There is a saying that goes like this: “We did not stop playing because we became adults, but we became adults as we stopped playing.” So, being 36 years old, I am doing all I can to keep on playing: I still play “football”, or something similar with my old friends of the university and with my two little boys I play again outside in the garden.

An important year in my live was the year that I became 19. Then I went to the university, “op kot” in the major student town in Belgium (??  …). It was a year of extremes. On the one hand, I had a fantastic year with all my new friends and I met Inge, who seems still not to be fed up with me. But on the other hand, my world tumbled down as my father passed away.

By the way, I studied bio-engineer, better now as agricultural engineer. A great thing about this study was also the opportunity you got to see the world. For more then 1 year I was abroad. And now the quiz is really starting … For one thesis I did some study on small animals that live in bananas in a fantastic country in Central America. A country that has no army and is well-know for his huge biodiversity … (capital: San José). I interviewed in another thesis local farmers in a neighbouring country of Mexico, with the capital having the same name as the country; the Maya culture … : Guatemala. And during an Erasmus exchange, I was, poor guy, “forced” to go to this sunny coastal city, the third city in Spain, named …Valencia.

But all good things come to end, so finally I had to start working. After an intermediate stop in Brussels, we ended up buying a house in a city without any Toastmaster club, exactly in the middle of Brussels and Antwerp …  Mechelen!

And to end up with, I will have 3 children of which 2 of them are not born in Belgium. Kas, the eldest, now almost 6, was born during a week-end away in our smallest neighboring country ... Luxembourg; The middle men is Zep; 4 years old and number 3 is born already, but that is all I now for the moment. We are awaiting more news on our adoption child. He/she will be from the horn of Africa, from the only country in Africa never colonized.  Some well known inhabitants were Lucy, Haile Gebrselassie, Emperor Haile Selassie, the spiritual leader of the Rastafa and reague… Ethiopia!

Take the risk (my first speech at Toastmasters)

Hello everybody,

I am Nicolas. I am new at Toastmasters. Something like a big month ago, I came here for the first time. It was a nice experience, but at the same time: scary!

Scary because the level of the speakers was so high and I did not dear to do any table topic until now. I was afraid to fail.

And that is also exactly what I want to talk about today, being afraid to take the risk.

Because if you think about it, that is how it goes in our success-driven society. Success is the norm, failing is not an option. And if you fail, it is always your own dawn fault. So, we are afraid. Afraid that we break a leg. Afraid to loose money. We are afraid that the police will come. Afraid that people will laugh with us …

So, we teach ourselves, and even worse, we tell our children, not to take any risks anymore! Don’t climb that three, you can fall of; don’t throw with that snow ball, the window could get broken and even worse in Antwerp, you can get a fee for that …

That is of course, the wrong message. Because it is only by doing new things, taking a risk that we learn to know our environment and ourselves better. It is like these big turtles that you find in Southern America: “They can become very old, but they can only advance when they stick out their head!”. So everybody, once in a while stick out your head.