Putting up all those new shops, condos and schools might seem like a positive step for a community, but it has a dark, anti-green underbelly. It’s estimated the industry contributes about 4 percent of all particle pollution to the atmosphere and has a tendency to dump solvents and chemicals in local waterways. Add to that the fact that very few materials from demolitions are recycled and the use of sustainable lumber is still not standard, and the building trade ranks as one of the worst.
Sure, the presidential candidates pay lip service to the environment, but it’s the folks closer to home who have the biggest impact, and few of them have Mother Nature on their radar screens. It takes a village board to implement smart-growth zoning laws, buy greenspace, or offer property-tax breaks for eco-sensitive development. Without citizen pressure, it’s doubtful that many local politicians will start thinking globally on their own.
Agriculture is broken. Traditional techniques use too much energy and produce too little food for our growing planet. One fix: skyscrapers filled with robotically tended hydroponic crops and lab-grown meat