All posts by Andrew Resnick

Professor Cheng

Green Infrastructure in Action

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In 1929, as a part of the West Side improvement project the state of New York commissioned the High Line. The original goal was to eliminate street-level railroad crossings that ended up in countless accidents between freight trains and other traffic. The High Line runs from the 34th street to St John’s park terminal. In 1999, Friends of the High Line advocated for the preservation of the High Line and reopening as a public space. The northernmost section of the High Line opened in September 21, 2014.

The common problem with many green infrastructure proposals is that they often interfere with the natural landscape. The layout of the High Line reflects the original microclimates of the High Line. Not only is the High Line considered green infrastructure, but a sustainable structure as well. The High Line has composting facilities that enable much of the waste processed into compost. This helps reduce the amount of material entering the waste stream and recycles valuable nutrients back into the soil, eliminating external inputs.

The High Line functions essentially like a gigantic green roof. To cut down on the storm water that normally would run off into the sewer system, There are porous pathways that have open joints that allow the water to flow between adjacent planks and water adjacent planting beds. Supplemental watering is used to control the amount of water to the individual plants that have different needs, while conserving water to the plants that do not need.

To avoid the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers, the Friends of the High Line developed the Integrated Pest Management Program. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers are avoided whenever possible. Green Seal-certified cleaning solutions are used to promote environmentally sound maintenance.

The High Line is an example for how Green Infrastructure should function in our society. By repurposing an aging structure that serves no purpose, we could not only not take away from the environment but we could add to it.

The High Line. Friends of the High Line, Web. 23 Dec. 2016.

<http://www.thehighline.org/about/sustainable-practices>

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What the F**k America?

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As almost every intellectual has been aware of, we have elected a new president. I for one am deeply concerned about everything he brings to the table, but perhaps one of biggest disagreements I have with our president-elect is his policy on climate change.

Donald Trump has stated that “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive” (Yes, Donald Trump…). Assuming that this was none other than an irrational statement to spark controversy, it still highlights the nature of his position. Our next president will not place a priority on fixing the very problem we started. As of April of this year, 97% of climate scientists agree that “climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities” (NASA). So far, Mr. Trump  has vowed to cancel the International Climate Accord, bring back “clean coal,” and keep fracking for natural gas. America should be worried if Mr. Trump stands by what he has said so far stands true.

Of the many troubling things he has said, his claim to bring back “clean coal” has to be the most absurd. According to a report by the World Health Organization in 2008, coal pollution is estimated to shorten approximately 1,000,000 lives annually worldwide. The detrimental effect is multifaceted. The physical burning of coal that is used for energy aerosolizes numerous derivatives of compounds containing mercury, uranium, arsenic, and other toxic substances. Aside from that, the physical mining for coal is extremely detrimental to the surrounding habitat. The biodiversity is drastically reduced in areas of mining. Aside from this, nearby water sources can easily be contaminated from the mine area.

Regarding jobs, renewable energy creates 3 times as many jobs as fossil fuel does, yet receives 1/4 of the subsidy.  Eventually, the fossil fuel supply will run out and we will need to use renewable energy. However, before this is a concern, we would have polluted the earth so drastically that it will probably be inhabitable. Right now, scientists in MIT are working on a nuclear fusion reactor that is capable of producing “huge” (to quote the Donald) quantities of energy, with little to no byproduct. Without the proper funding for such a project, which Stephen Hawking called the penultimate in alternative energy, we will not be able to ever create such a device.

To quote Donald Trump, “To solve a problem, you have to be able to state what the problem is” (Trump Says Clinton Won’t…). However, he refuses to admit this one.  I take this opportunity to combine science with the current political affairs to demonstrate what we have gotten ourselves into by voting for this individual. Seriously, what the f**k America?!?

– Andrew Resnick

NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.
“10 Fun Facts about Renewable Energy.” Gas and Electricity Supplier.
N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.
“Trump Says Clinton Won’t Mention Radical Islamic Terrorists.” @politifact. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.
“Trump Victory Reverses U.S. Energy and Environmental Priorities.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

“Yes, Donald Trump did call climate change a Chinese hoax.” @politifact. Web. 11 Nov. 2016

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Aquaponics: The Major Con

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Andrew Resnick

Aquaponics is a system that combines the seemingly independent practices of cultivating plants in water and raising aquatic life. By taking advantage of the natural symbiotic interactions between the two mini-systems Aquaponics has become a valuable technique to produce food for sustainable living. Although it is a self-sustainable system (for the most part) the effectiveness of Aquaponics as  a larger scale system is largely doubted due to the relatively high startup costs and relatively low food production per square foot.

A question I’ve always had was: why are vegetables and fruits are so much more expensive than fast food from chains like McDonalds? As shown in the documentary Food, Inc. there are families within the United States that make the decision between filling the stomaches of their children, or eating healthy. Since the startup costs of these sustainable systems are so high,to offset them, vendors would likely keep prices for these items at a premium . Besides these startup costs, it is impossible to produce the sheer amount of food equivalent to that of traditional farming techniques. Since the supply would be less, the price of the items would tend to increase. This does not bode well to those that cannot afford these items originally. It does little if anything to improve the situation these people are in on a daily basis.

Just like many previous attempts to promote more sustainable living Aquaponics, although it provides unique benefits, will prove to be insignificant as the majority of America is concerned more with profit margin than environmental consequence. Unfortunately for us, by the time we adapt these innovative systems, it will be too late to make a difference.