The experts weighed in on the last episode of Walls Plus One and they agree that climate change is happening now. What’s going to happen next is still up for debate, but we know for certain that we have a lot to think about when it comes to housing.
Urban sprawl has been attributed to be responsible for about a third of global CO2 emissions. That new, beautiful subdivision on the outskirts of town seems like such a great value, it’s costing us all a lot more than we care to admit.
But the demand for housing never seems to go away. So what’s the solution? Many are turning back to the cities that were all but abandoned when urban sprawl really started to take off. More importantly, there are questions as to whether or not we can retrofit them to be more sustainable.
I have two guests who will weigh in on the future of our cities.
First up is Manny Patole, an engineering professor at NYU and research scholar who specializes in sustainable urban environments. He lives in Brooklyn, so he is no stranger to the challenges faced by city living. He also knows that improving city life is the way forward in a future with a changing climate.
Stephen Poss is a former lawyer turned public school educator. Based out of Baton Rouge, he spends his free time advocating on environmental issues and putting his knowledge to use through green landscaping practices.
During our talk, Stephen schooled me on a couple different things.
First, I had no idea leaf blowers were as environmentally harmful as they are annoying. In fact, some are more harmful than a cross-country trip. I did, however, do a little more research on the topic and found an additional report that suggests the numbers are maybe a little less dramatic than some reports, but even so, they are still worse than one would ever imagine.
ADDITIONAL READING
Verify: Is pollution from a leaf blower equal to a cross country drive
More cities consider bans on gas powered leaf blowers
Second, I never thought about how polluted a lake situated next to a golf course could become from fertilizer and herbicide runoff. In this case he’s talking about the history of the LSU lakes, a major human landmark in Baton Rouge. I wrote a story about the history of the lakes if you’d like to get a little more context regarding how they were created.
Oh, he told me about a fun way to share with people the idea that a traditional lawn is harmful. It’s called Lawns and God.
Finally, I’d like to introduce you to Pepper Roussel. She is the program manager for OneRouge. You absolutely want to listen to her full interview. In it she tells about how she ended up getting a law degree, how she spent time overseas developing her love for food, and then she breaks down the 9 drivers of poverty.
Terms
Impermeable - Not allowing fluid to pass through. Impermeable surfaces contribute to a variety of problems including increased run-off and pollution. The aquifers in the ground are not being replenished as fast as they are being used since most of the water cannot penetrate through the surface. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Permeable - allowing liquids or gases to pass through it. Alternatives to traditional pavement can help reduce runoff by infiltration rainwater and melting snow. These alternative materials which include pervious asphalt, pervious concrete, interlocking pavers, and plastic grid pavers, allow rain and snowmelt to seep through the surface down to underlying layers of soil and gravel. In addition to reducing the runoff from the rain that falls on them, permeable pavements can help filter out pollutants that contribute to water pollution.
Anthropocentric - Regarding humankind as the central or most important element of existence, especially as opposed to God or animals.
Flora - the plants of a particular region, habitat, or geological period.
Fauna - all of the animal life present in a particular region or time.
Amortise - Gradually write off the initial cost of an asset over a period of time. Reduce or pay off a debt with regular payments.
Eutrophication - excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Aquifer - An underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt).
We really want to hear from you. Send us a message on social media, or email us at info@wallsplusone.org. We want to know what you think about the show, what questions you have related to climate change, or just any messages of encouragement you might have.
Future of our cities