In class and in our reading we’ve been learning about the divide between the environmental justice movement and the environmental movement. This article talks about another split in the environmental movement; between those who support investing in a “smart-growth policy” in urban areas and those who don’t. Developing environmentally friendly “green” building projects (parks, housing) seems like a good idea, but the Sierra Club has been experiencing a lot of opposition. Many club members are against the new focus on urban environment and “see efforts to promote density as colluding with developers.”
Do you think this represents an outdated vision of environmentalism? Is incorporating urban development into the environmental movement a good thing? (Do you agree with Arreguin, that the club should “look at the bigger picture of how (we) can be more sustainable”?)
And finally, is it possible to bring these movements together despite the apparent conflicting ideals and differences?
In my opinion the benefits of urban parks are far greater than just improved scenery for walking to work. In Marjora Carter’s speech about “greening the ghetto” she mentions that by building an esplanade park in the south bronx she was able to clean up the pollution in that area as well as instal new public transportation in the area. As a result the people of her community no longer had to be exposed to as many toxins in the air and on the ground as they were going to work and could use public transportation instead of driving, thus reducing fuel emissions. It’s unrealistic to think the only way to save the environment is to preserve open spaces and allow the big cities to run wild with pollution and just accept that cities will never be environmentally sound. By improving the cities it takes some of the pressure off of the rest of the planet.
Cooper
Although I think that Mr. Arreguin is correct when he says “we need to sort of break this mode of thinking that just building taller is going to solve climate change. We need to look at the bigger picture of how we can be more sustainable,” I disagree that environmentalists are colluding with developers by supporting smart-growth policies. As we all know, urban areas around the world hold the majority of the global population. Thus focusing on development in the cities cannot be overlooked. Because populations in urban areas continue to increase, we need to build environmentally friendly buildings near transit hubs in order to curb sprawl and limit emissions of greenhouse gases. I think it is unrealistic for environmentalists to only focus on saving and protecting open spaces and ignoring cities/urban development if their goal is a healthier planet.
Alex