Comments on The Environmental Blog: Green Metropolis, David Owen

This posts focus on authenticity, posing, and "gre...

2010-08-02T09:39:00.309-07:00

This posts focus on authenticity, posing, and "green" status make me think it's about a religion.

There is much useful and valid commentary in David...

2010-07-11T13:05:19.533-07:00

There is much useful and valid commentary in David Owen's book. Unfortunately -- as he'd have discovered if he'd contacted me first -- many of his facts about my house in Snowmass are wrong and his conclusions about it are thoroughly misleading. If he contacts me, I'll be happy to explain.
More broadly, I think people are very diverse, want and need to live in different kinds of places (I'm a mountain person), and with careful attention and focused effort, can live responsibly wherever they choose to be. -- Amory Lovins

I read this book and enjoyed it but believe the au...

2010-06-01T18:51:54.140-07:00

I read this book and enjoyed it but believe the author was a little harsh on other areas trying to make living more sustainable. The author did a good job showing how it's important to think of per capita usage and the benefits of density and shared resources. However, the rips on places like Portland were a little over the top and rude.

I like what you said about "livability". The author never addresses this. There needs to be a balance between density and livability, and from what you wrote it sounds like Portland is finding this balance.

In response to Chewbear who asked, "what is the po...

2010-06-01T14:38:34.570-07:00

In response to Chewbear who asked, "what is the point of making a leaf shaped solar panel? I believe she is referring to the drawing in the shape of a tree that I believe is also indicative of a subway map - thus going to the author's contention that real greenness is not driving, not emitting emissions, as opposed to living in a low density lifestyle that he himself does (which is something I'm still grappling with - I'm sure I'm not the first to ask about that inconsistency).

Great book. Emotional review. The facts are, a l...

2009-11-24T08:47:54.068-08:00

Great book. Emotional review. The facts are, a lot of current green stuff is nonsense. My neighbours gutted their house and re-filled it with sustainable materials. And they drive their prius, self-righteously, to take their kids to school even though most of us (in London England ) walk and use public transport. But it is also true that not everyone, indeed most people, don't want to live in Manhattan. Indeed even David Owen moved to the country to raise his kids. And those who can afford to live in a manhattan penthouse also probably fly a lot on holiday, and fill up their car outside Manhattan (which is one reason gas consumption is so low). Portland is trying to show a way towards a more sustainable but also somewhat suburban lifestyle. But lets not kid ourselves, the vast majority of people in Portland still drive everywhere. Only with much higher gas taxes, and taxes on parking and tolls on city centre roads will people reduce car use. Farmers markets are nice but they won't change the world.

Hi, It should be noted that the purpose of the ur...

2009-10-03T13:55:41.695-07:00

Hi,

It should be noted that the purpose of the urban growth boundary in Portland is to prevent urban sprawl. Specifically, Portland plans to become more like NYC over the years vs. more like LA. If that is in fact how it turns out I expect that benefits of NYC high density will eventually be in PDX but with the added benefits of newer technology and sustainable development.

What I find troubling about some of Owen's ideas i...

2009-09-29T12:18:49.999-07:00

What I find troubling about some of Owen's ideas is the near exclusive focus on energy use. There is much more to city life and people's quality of life in a city than super-duper low energy use. Paving over everything in a city and buiding super tall structures isn't healthy for us.

Bits of green and nearby nature in a city help us cope with the flip side of dense living --high noise levels, low privacy, crime, and dirty air--all of which add up to stress whether one knows it or not. Studies from the public health and psychology fields document how green space helps maintain mental and social health. I'm not saying a Central Park everywhere or soccer fields, but pocket-sized spots of green spread around would do just fine.

And what about adding a physical health benefit to that green space? To heck with city dwellers across the U.S. relying on stuff trucked in from Calif. during the summer months. Urban agriculture can feed some portion of a city for some part of the year. It's far better for people's health than relying on the agriculture and trucking industries and their respective energy inputs and attendant enviro. impacts.

If we don't figure out how to make cities dense AND livable for more than just single, young people, suburbia starts to look pretty good, despite its energy-sucking, auto-addicted, obesigenic ways.

while i agree that you can't just cite public tran...

2009-09-24T21:13:56.552-07:00

while i agree that you can't just cite public transportation as proof of a sustainable lifestyle and i do think Portland sounds like a great place (i have never been but have been meaning to, i live in NYC), i have one complaint about what you have written about. what is the point of making a leaf shaped solar panel? it is purely for aesthetic reasons i am guessing. it is not necessary and probably made the manufacturing process more complex than it needed to be (therefore expending more energy in the process).

Awesome review I utilize Portland's mass transit d...

2009-09-20T23:26:58.107-07:00

Awesome review I utilize Portland's mass transit daily, work in a local community garden, and get so much of my food from the Saturday Market.. I have never lived in a city with such a progressive attitude toward sustainability and building practices that actually create an enjoyable, truly livable urban environment.