|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
||||
|
EcoCity weblog Tuesday, May 28, 2002 Encouraging waste— It was sad to read in today's PD that the Cleveland Division of Water is encouraging people to use more water. Just because Lake Erie provides a seemingly inexhaustible supply of water, doesn't mean we should feel free to waste it—or waste the energy it takes to purify it and pump it to our homes. The water division is trying to sell more because it lost LTV Steel as a big industrial customer. Now the division is looking or other customers to maintain the revenue stream it needs to pay off its bonds and other debts. In similar fashion, the Ohio Turnpike Commission needs people to drive more so it can earn enough in tolls to retire the bonds financing the Turnpike's new third lane. And for many years FirstEnergy has prompted customers in Ohio to use more electricity so it could pay for costly nuclear power plants. There's no incentive for conservation. We seem to be trapped by a system that that requires wasteful behavior to survive.
Friday, May 24, 2002 Living in airports — Jane Holtz Kay of the
Elm Street Writers Group reports that a nation of nervous travelers has
yet to contemplate the other knee-quaking environmental and urban consequences
of our fly-drive society, including growing sprawl around airports. She
asserts that runaway airport expansion has resulted in "airport
city phenomena." It isn't just the clutter of mall-filled mega-terminals
that hit the outburbs, it's also the roads and parking lots for flyers
and workers, the clogged eight- and ten-lane freeways, the airport-convenient
First Suburbs challenges — The Brookings
Institution has released a study, "Valuing
America's First Suburbs: A Policy Agenda for Older Suburbs in the Midwest,"
which draws lessons from the the First Suburbs Consortium of Northeast
Ohio. The study concludes that state and federal governments need to "change
the rules of the development game" to ensure more balanced transportation,
land use, economic development and reinvestment policies that can benefit
first suburbs. But this won't happen without significant intervention
by leaders and advocates from older communities. Relating to water — We like the startling original permutations of buildings and water on display in the Architecture + Water exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, May 22, 2002 Garfield's farm — Folks in Garfield Heights, the community that has long made a practice of filling in the edges of the Cuyahoga Valley, are concerned that a planned recreation area will fill in yet another natural area. One resident writes: "My wonderful city of Garfield Heights had the foresight to purchase 40 acres of untouched greenspace ten plus years ago for use as recreation. This space became known as Wargo Farm and is moments away from the Towpath Trail. Many bicyclists use the rough terrain to make their way closer to and from Garfield Heights fast food stores for a bite during their ride on the towpath. The 40+ acres terrain contains three wetlands, huge boulders aligning the running streams and creeks below them, and open grassy fields. The biodivirsity is just as bountiful, with nesting buzzards, owls, pileated woodpeckers, coyotes, deer and bats. "Our mayor has had the insight to not only purchase this property for recreation but to dedicate himself to its preservation in its most natural state. Unfortunately, Little League baseball sits on the same planning commission for this space's use and has persuaded our mayor into planning to completely grade the terrain covering the streams and putting in six to eight ball fields, a soccer field, pavilion for 300 people, announcement booth, skate park and concession. Although only a few Garfield residents play in this privately operated league and have asked that the space be kept green and in its natural state, the recreation planning commission demands that the 5+ ball fields they use currently are not sufficient. A city wide recreation survey was sent out to determine what the residents of Garfield Heights wanted done with the space. The top request was picnic tables, trails, passive recreation and green space with baseball diamonds ranked closer to the mid to lower requests. "Although this "park" would cost $8-10 million, Garfield Heights is currently $30 million in debt. Mayor Longo sure could use some assistance in his courageous fight to keep greenspace in his wonderful city for much less than the cost of grading, clearing, filling in active streams...."
Tuesday, May 21, 2002 Lakefront ironies — Lorain officials are gleeful that they are getting rid of the dusty, dirty iron ore pellet terminal that has been blocking the redevelopment of their lakefront. Meanwhile Cleveland, which has just begun a major public planning process for the redevelopment of its lakefront, is getting stuck with the pellet terminal, thanks to a private deal by the Port Authority. Hello!? Green development — The high-road, high-value path to economic development should promote the redevelopment of existing communities, not subsidize sprawl, according to an op-ed in Monday's PD by Amy Hanauer of Policy Matters Ohio. Detroit ecovillage — We've had inquiries from folks who are thinking about an ecovillage in Detroit. They have some interesting ideas. Clean Ohio funding — Yesterday the following projects were awarded Clean Ohio Bond funds for open space preservation and water quality enhancements in Cuyahoga County:
EcoCity Cleveland |
Contribute to the weblog: Archive
|
||||
