Urban Sprawl: Back Again...

According to my professor of Environment and Society, the average number of children per American household is decreasing. Yet, as the Americans continue to sprawl out of the suburbs, their houses are continuing to getting larger. This concept continues to baffle me. It doesn’t make sense for houses to get bigger while families are having fewer children. It’s a waste of money and resources. Houses are using more and more energy as their size increases and the number of people living in the house decreases. Once again, this situation is an effect of urban sprawl.

The Costs of Urban Sprawl

The following characteristics are only a few of the negative characteristics of America society, high foreign oil dependency, high fuel consumption, congested traffic, strip malls, automobile dependency, loss of country, increase of fast food chains, and an increase waste lines. All of these characteristics of American society can be linked to urban sprawl! Urban sprawl is the spreading of communities to the outskirts of cities. Suburbs are products of urban sprawl. Sprawl is often used with a negative connotation. It has an especially negative impact on the environment. People often don’t realize that sprawl has huge water consequences. Sprawl allows for home owners to have more land and bigger lawns. Neighborhoods waste a ridiculous amount of clean water on watering their lawns. Also, fertilizers that are used to fertilize the lawns can seep into the ground water supply. The grass used on lawns also decreases the biodiversity of the environment. Sprawl also greatly affects the air quality. People in suburbs have bigger houses and use more energy on their houses. Also, since they live farther away from their houses, they have longer commutes to their work. This results in a greater consumption of energy. The main question here is why does America continue to sprawl from the cities when all the negative consequences seem to outweigh the positive effects?

~ We have modified our environment so radically that we must now modify ourselves to exist in this new environment. ~

According to Norbert Weiner, “We have modified our environment so radically that we must now modify ourselves to exist in this new environment.” This quote is shockingly accurate. The coming century is going to be defined by our need to “modify ourselves to exist in this new environment.” Humans are finally beginning to see the impact that they have on the environment. Humans have treated the Earth as if its resources are limitless and at their disposal. After years of these kinds of attitude displayed towards the Earth, humans are beginning to realize that they have altered the course of the environment. As a result people are going to have to adjust to the changes that they have caused. The search for alternative sources of energy is an example of our need to modify ourselves to function in a changed environment. Also, the issues with food security and the availability of food for a growing world population will require new innovations to exist in this new environment. Finding sources of clean water is another modification that humans are facing and will be facing for numerous years to come. Sadly, humans have no one to blame but themselves regarding the necessary modifications to the environment in the coming years.

Green Chemistry

In a environmental class, my professor mentioned something called Green Chemistry. He explained to the class that Green Chemistry is the process of finding new ways to manufacture things we need for our day to day products. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion regarding hazardous chemicals found in day to day products and materials. Some plastics are said to have dangerous chemicals. Studies have shown that some chemicals found in day to day materials are also endocrine disrupters. Studies have also shown that these chemicals may lead to autism and obesity. Green Chemistry is also referred to as Sustainable Chemistry. After talking about Green Chemistry, I became interested in this type of chemistry. In the future companies are going to be forced to find alternative materials for production using safer chemicals. I believe that Green Chemistry is going to play a major role in society. Europe is already ahead of the United States regarding the chemicals that are acceptable to use in industries.

A Story about a Successful City

Below, there is a brief video about a southern city in Brazil called Curitiba. The layout of the city is a successful model for sustainability in a developing country. Curitiba has created a better environment and quality of life than most first world countries. A man named Jaime Lerner has been the city mayor, governor of the state, and most importantly the “designer” of the city. According to Lerner the three central issues for the future of a society are mobility, sustainability, identity. He created Brazil’s first pedestrian malls. Lerner also designed and developed a road system that helped efficiently move traffic in, out, and around the city. Curitiba is also known for its extensive network of parks. This video is very interesting because it is a possible model for other developing countries. I enjoyed the movie and encourage you to watch it too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRD3l3rlMpo&feature=fvw

Environmental Issues around Chapel Hill

Since I am now living in The Research Triangle, I thought I would look at environmental issues concerning my new home. Lake Jordan is located near Chatam and Durham County. For the past few years, there has been a dispute between the two counties concerning an area of about a mile around the boundary of the lake. This area around the lake is the watershed boundary of the lake. The problem began when a private land owner in Durham County conducted his own survey that redrew the lake’s boundaries. As a result, the land that he planned to build on was removed outside of the lake’s water shed boundaries. The area where the development is being proposed is called the 751 assemblage and would compose office and retail space. Chatam County does not want this type of development on the land around the lake. Jordan Lake supplies drinking water for Chatam County’s, Cary’s, Apex’s, and Mooresville’s. It is also on the Environmental Protection Agency’s list for impaired water quality for the past few years. On the other hand, Durham Country advocates the idea of developing the land for retail. The disagreement about Lake Jordan’s water shed boundary has been going on for a couple of years and is still a heated debate between Chatam and Durham County.