Our Urban Amazon

Having just returned from the West Coast and a city which requires wool coats of its residents at 8AM, then t-shirts at noon and wool again in the evening, I was actually enjoying the mugginess for a moment before. Now I am just envisioning a sweaty subway platform at rush-hour, appreciating my walk through Central Park every morning as I commute, shaking off my 15 minute subway ride.  

While it is not a perfect analogy, we can think of the Amazon rainforest as the Central Park of the world. Most non-New Yorkers might be offended at such an analogy, saying that Central Park is actually the Amazon of NYC. But you people get what I’m saying here.

Central Park serves many purposes including air purification, refuge from an urban heat island, etc. The city would certainly be a worse place without it. The Amazon is a carbon capturing, precipitation regulating, wildlife inhabited sliver of the earth. Many people believe that the continued destruction and loss of the Amazon will not do good things for a warming planet. But what about the agricultural boom that has partially been enabled because of such destruction? The predicament is a clear example of how the invisible hand and environmental concerns do not always match up.

As Brazil’s president–Lula, has enjoyed the reputation of being Brazil’s first green leader, the scientists who work for the nation’s space agency have simultaneously announced that the destruction of the Amazon is back on the rise. Agribusiness leaders–who conveniently are also leaders of the nation’s largest agricultural state–are furious saying that the reports are false.

Where is the balance between Brazil’s economic growth and the protection of this much needed rain forest? The real issue here is that there are currently not large scale economic development projects that serve to boost both the economy and the rainforest. It might be in the best interest of Lula to create an influential task force that attempts to bring people together from both sides of the spectrum in an attempt to find viable solutions. Otherwise, we remain in the same paradigm, talking about the same contradictions with environmental protection and economic growth. And not to sound like one of the people who only cares about the Amazon for the whole global warming thing, because I understand that  our narrow minded views of growth allow for us to see resources as money. But Brazil will also suffer from losing the Amazon as they are part of the same world.

And Reporting Live from the Better West Coast

Apologies to readers who have been looking to the Sustainable Cities Blog for upcoming events, running commentary and all things green and considered in NYC. The blog has been on hiatus–along with me, on vacation in sunny California.

But while on this voyage filled with traffic (lots of priuses in there), tick bites (lyme disease is apparently rare..I hope!) and a big parade (that could only happen in San Francisco); I of course have been thinking of you dear reader. The bad news is I am on this trek for another week. The good news is, Bill Solecki, the Director of the Institute for Sustainable Cities is coming to you this week, on the radio.

This Wednesday, the Brian Lehrer Show, the 10:30-10:50 slot specifically, will feature Dr. Solecki of the Institute and Evan Mason of Landmarks West, discussing our ongoing green donuts project. Essentially, this research is looking at the potential benefits of private green spaces in the city–particularly the interior areas of a city block, or donut, in terms of curbing the urban heat island affect. So much of the research and many of the ambitious policies that promote the use of such spaces to address the issue of the urban heat island focus on public lands and large scale projects. What about the acres of private space that stays out of these calculations? Tune into WNYC on Wednesday morning to find out more.

Imagine if Your City was one Big Park

As part of their Urban Forest Project, Baltimore is running an exhibit called the Park Life/City Movement. Initial inspiration for their Urban Forest Project came from New York City’s which took place in 2006. Baltimore’s concept is somewhat different. While the New York project focussed primarily on creating powerful images and visuals from the idea or form of trees, the Baltimore theme is to essentially make the city into a neighborhood of 6 parks through art. 

The project allows for collaboration between more than 350 local artists, designers, college students and K-12 students, in addition to local business, all attempting to raise awareness about the importance of making Baltimore more sustainable.  And the visuals do look extremely pleasing and intriguing. Each participant designed a banner, using the theme of the tree–as in New York. And the leftover banners will be recycled into tote bags–also like New York’s. All proceeds from the project will benefit the Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks Tree Baltimore Campaign for a greener city.

Great project. Love the collaboration and creativity. But what about all the other banners made and not recycled? Perhaps the next city that this project rolls to can figure out how to incorporate those.

Bring it to the Swap Fest this Weekend!

People throw away the craziest stuff in this city. My family members who live in the West Village–an area that experiences lots of upper echelon move ins and outs these days–have practically equipped my kitchen with the stainless steal appliances in it. They were on the sidewalk and not at a sidewalk sale.
My toaster might have come from this pile.

While it is insane and often infuriating that people are so wasteful, I understand that closet cleanses sometimes leave cramped hallways even more obstacle course like. We usually find some excuse to not bag up our stuff and figure out where to take it…even though there are plenty, like the one happening this weekend at Build it Green’s warehouse in Astoria.

The block party/Swap Fest takes place this Saturday, May 10th and is the first one that the lovely people of Build it Green are hosting. New Yorkers discard some 12,000 tons of waste each day that is exported to landfills and incinerators in other states and they are asking us to not be part of that ugly, expensive, and environmentally degrading process. I definitely have some hallway emptying to do. See you there.

Taken right from their website:

WHAT TO BRING: Items that are no longer useful to you, but can be reused
by others. You don’t need to bring anything to take anything (though a
tote bag might help). Bring friends and family too!

WHAT NOT TO BRING: No furniture/large items, drugs/medications,
weapons/dangerous objects, adult movies/magazines or pets/pethair
covered items.

Stop & Swap is being held at the Build It Green! Warehouse

Address:
3-17 26th Ave
Astoria, NY 11102

When:
May 10, 2008
11am-4pm

The New School to be Exact

Eugene Lang College, of the New School offers a course each year entitled Lang on the Hudson in which students learn about the Hudson River estuary, harbor geography and the policies that are shaping the use of this water way after many years of neglect. Then they build a boat and set sail on the very river they have been learning about.

Students construct a 26-foot Whitehall gig, a traditional four-oared rowing vessel specifically designed for the waters of New York Harbor. Once the water warms up, they launch the boat and learn the basics of fixed-seat rowing and harbor seamanship.

From its description, this class seems to have struck the perfect balance of theory, science, politics, and hands on experience. I would argue that there are not that many people in the city who know how to build a Whitehall gig so these folks are clearly at an advantage if we ever need a bunch of those. But really, an opportunity to combine so many disciplines in one course is unique and I am eager to see that boat on the water. For more info, you can email them at langonthehudson@gmail.com.