The first common event for CHC 250 comprised of two speakers, Jamie Stein from Sustainable South Bronx and Adam Friedman from the Pratt Center, both of whom spoke of methods to increase environmentally green living in NYC. Environmentally conscious living can be accomplished in various ways, specifically by creating equal share of the burden of city living (waste, pollution, to name a few factors) and by increasing the number of jobs in green manufacturing so as to provide a financial incentive for lower class residents to start adopting environmentally responsible practices as well.

Jamie Stein spoke at length about the South Bronx, an area of NYC subject to industry practices that are deleterious to human health. This portion of the Bronx specifically fell victim to industry because it is comprised of a population that has limited political power and representation: low-income minorities. Sewage plants and highways are the main pollutants in the area. The main thoroughfare that has contributed heavily to pollution is the Cross Bronx Expressway, which was not constructed in a practical area. Connecting to Seminar 3’s classroom discussions, Robert Moses chose the ultimate, current route, even though in certain segments, a more more convenient pathway one block south could have been built with more ease. It is increasingly baffling as to why the South Bronx was subject to this overwhelming infrastructure project considering it ultimately proved expensive with just one mile of asphalt totaling $40,000,000. Of course, high costs are most likely linked to construction workers having to building around the Grand Concourse (an existing major highway), a subway line, and an above ground train line. The highway prompted all but the poorest residents to relocate elsewhere. Currently, the South Bronx is plagued by childhood rates of asthma higher than in other NYC areas, decreased property values, and heavy traffic. With regards to the issue of heavy traffic plaguing the South Bronx, Jamie Stein unveiled the city’s approval to transport waste in barges instead of trucks. Considering that 145,000 vehicles traverse the Cross Bronx Expressway daily, this is only a start to decreasing heavy traffic flow.

With the broken windows theory in mind, other polluting industries settled into the South Bronx. The New York Organic Fertilizer Company (NYOFC) moved in and added injurious byproducts, from the city sludge to fertilizer process, to the surrounding air. Of course, Stein’s main point of environmental injustice hit home when she related that 100% of the Bronx’s garbage is destined for the South Bronx, in addition to 40% of the city’s trash. Stein proposes that to mitigate the injustice, new landfill sites be erected in in affluent neighborhoods such as the Upper East Side.

After Stein concluded, Adam Friedman approached the same issue of creating a more sustainable New York City. He approached this on a variety of scales: community-wide, individual, residential, and commercial. He suggested that communities can take a larger role in adopting environmentally friendly practices by converting certain institutions such as churches into more energy efficient buildings/organizations. Since certain institutions have more personal meaning, perhaps this would inspire residents to maintain these beneficial changes longer, and incorporate green living tips in their own homes. On an individual level, Friedman showed how impactful we can be. He specifically gave the staggering statistic of four million plastic cups being used by airlines every day in the US–one speculates how easily this could be mitigated if passengers could bring their own containers or simply refused a drink.

In terms of commercial reform, Friedman suggested that by creating green manufacturing–factories that create products from recycled waste, there would be two advantages: the creation of jobs for low-income residents and decreasing waste. Of course, this method also would hopefully elevate these factory workers to middle class, and this would be provide financial incentive for the workers’ and their families to join the green movement. This ties in to Stein’s topic of environmental injustice which addressed poor neighborhoods as a factor. With the creation of a middle class, hopefully this would result in a more educated, empowered community that could represent its issues to their respective politicians. Then, a solution is more feasible if there is communication between the community and local authorities.

In terms of residential fixes, Friedman advocates retrofitting buildings. This is preferable as opposed to virtually reconstructing a house. Retrofitting refers to increasing energy efficiency of buildings by adding insulation to keep heating costs down, adding ventilation to decrease an A/C bill, and other cost- and energy-saving changes. This also ties in with Seminar 3, specifically the final project my group presented, which was about retrofitting the Macaulay Building. We suggested that solar panels be installed on the roof, as well as the above mentioned suggestions. When tackling practicality, we pointed to government subsidies that reduced or eliminated the cost of installing solar panels. If we could just start following Stein’s and Friedman’s suggestions, then environmentally sustainable New York City buildings and neighborhoods are certainly viable. Of course, the backing of residents and any other important individuals or groups needs to be ascertained, which will hopefully occur as more speakers like Stein and Friedman educate communities.

By Patricia Paredes