arbritt-blog

[arbritt-blog]

“But rather than making environmental standards more stringent, the Trump administration is moving to scrap a number of regulations and has proposed cutting the Environmental Protection Agency budget by almost one-third. The administration also collected 60 percent less in civil penalties from polluters through July 31, 2017, than any of the previous three administrations had collected during a similar time frame, according to the Environmental Integrity Project.”

One thing that I am really big on is politics. With that being said, I never thought that Trump would be good in office. While he has been in office, my point is being proven more and more each day. I do not agree with almost anything he has said or done. One of them being, his non eco-friendly side. Trump and the people who work for him do not look to see how bad our ecosystem is. They just keep destroying land, and making businesses and homes. For the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget to be cut down, over anything else, in my opinion, is the worst thing that could happen. In the past chapters we have read and learned that many people do not care to help unless something is in return for them. So for this Agencies money to be cut, there will be less workers, or less motivation to help this economy. And we will continue to struggle with pollution problems, etc. As a “leader” for this country, Trump should be seeing the problems we are facing economically, and find ways to fix them. Or if anything, cut down the money he puts into things that are not going to happen, or other businesses to help fund for the agency.

“City officials say they are working on conducting a health assessment of the community sometime in the next five years as a part of beautification projects in the area. The plan aims to ‘transform’ Parramore into one of the highest neighborhoods in the city and to make following a healthy lifestyle simpler by building a Parramore farmers market, community gardens and a bike path.”

Honestly, this statement gets me excited about the future when the right people are in control on their cities. America has the highest rates on medical and products for good health (such as healthy foods). With this city trying to work on things to help the cost of being well taken care of and to live a better life style, people will be trying more on their end too. I hear all the time, even from myself, that no one will see a doctor if something is wrong because the refuse to pay the huge bill at the end of the visit. Or people will not get their medications because it cost them an arm and a leg. Adding on, even little things like a bike path will get people to want to be outside more. If there are safe ways to go places that are not by a vehicle, people will want to be involved. It will help with their fiancés (less money put towards gas); also helping with their lifestyle (being more active); and it will help with the ecosystem and helping to sustain our planet (less gas will be polluted into the air).

“Mixed-used development has multiple benefits. The more varieties of activities are available within a neighborhood, the fewer numbers of automobile trips are required. Shops, inviting streets, and great public spaces help foster a sense of place, build a sense of community, and encourage casual social interactions among neighbors. Neighborhoods tend to have residents active at different times of day and days of the week; the result is more ‘eyes on the street,’ an important element in crime prevention.”

This statement has the best points on why there should be more mixed-used developments. Not only is the crime rate better because of the eyes that will be wondering during other peoples sleeping hours. But it also brings business. If there are shops, people can walk right to them to meet their friends or family, letting those businesses make more money. People can feel at peace and at home by friendly faces and a nice place to live. People can have more communication with others by just walking around their block and seeing others. There is an endless positive list about having everything close to one another to help with a sense of community.

Sources: 

Robertson, Margaret. “Chapter 11: Livable Cities.” Sustainability Principles and Practice, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2017, pp. 208-223.

Jackson, et al. “Chapter 4: Even Breathing is a Risk in One of Orlando’s Poorest Neighborhoods.” Sustainable Future: Equality, Ecology, and Economy. 2018, pp. 34-39 .

Picture URL:

https://www.google.com/search?q=mixed-use+development&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS780US780&sxsrf=ACYBGNS170dsnt8xlCuWzTEEgwqOk-5jgA:1571100091788&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2ooL3g53lAhWQtlkKHRUcDfwQ_AUIEygC&biw=1242&bih=568#imgrc=b1K3ZG4bLf6a0M:

[arbritt-blog]

What is Sustainability?

“Sustainability means enduring into the long-term future; it refers to systems and processes that are able to operate and persist on their own over long periods of time. The objective ‘sustainable’ means ‘able to continue without interruption’ or ‘able to endure without failing’.”

This phrase is important for people to truly read and understand. People can learn to be sustainable in many ways. By watching their spending, making sure that they make a savings instead of living from pay check to pay check. By being more eco-friendly and helping the earth stay alive. The first step in sustainability is knowing what it truly means, then taking the action steps afterwards. Sustainability is not just about the ecosystem. It truly relates to many different things in our day to day lives. Again, such as the income we make and how to grow with it. Also, by the jobs we carry, making it a career, having to stay in one place and building upwards. By families even being there to help and supporting others. Some might not think that those qualify, but they do. If it stays constant, or makes a positive impact on you or others, it is sustaining the life of living.

“We face multiple, global-scale issues including food scarcity, aquifer depletion, pollution, habitat destruction, extinction destabilization, social inequity, failing states, growing control by powerful corporate interests, and widening gaps between rich and poor.”

           It is important to me that this is understood. It is important because us humans are growing in size by the day. Animals are dying, land is being destroyed and water is being more scarce. By trying to take action in helping the planet, we can help bring back some forests, watch how much water is being taken from certain places on the planet, etc. Global warming is getting worse as the years go on, and sadly it is our fault. By the gas we put in our car, by the trees we take down, and by the animals we put away for food. Even if we all take a day biking instead of driving our car to go somewhere, we can help tremendously.

“A functioning ecosystem depends on webs of interactions among all the species of plants, animals, fungi, and microbes together with rocks, soil, water, and climate.”

           This phrase amazes and interests me at the same time. Not everyone (even including myself), think about the interactions in the universe. Or even how one thing helps so many others survive. It is fascinating to know that  one thing lives off of, or needs another to survive, or to help adapt and build on to. Such as bees needing plants to get nectar, but the plant needs water, and without the plant getting water, the bees would have nothing to make honey. Everything interacts with another in some way. By deleting one thing from the equation, it could lead to so many other things falling apart or to slowly disappear/die.

 Citations:

Robertson, Margaret. “Chapter 1: What is Sustainability?” “Chapter 2: A Brief History of Sustainability” Sustainability Principles and Practice, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2017, pp. 6-25.

Picture URL:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bees+in+a+flower&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS780US780&sxsrf=ACYBGNRKAwF0vBzpBNRUE12ti8Vc4XWqHA:1569642318476&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwigvsSmzfLkAhWSm-AKHQCqAdoQ_AUIEigB&biw=575&bih=529#imgrc=RpzCTsWpXIsc8M: