Category: environment

Gentrification…Yay or Nay?

 

As America continues to develop and thrive economically there is a major issue that is being brought into the light. GENTRIFICATION. Gentrification is defined as the process of renovation and revival of deteriorated urban neighborhoods by means of influx or more affluent residents. Now as far as I’m concerned the verdict is still out on whether or not this process is positive or negative for the communtity. Depending on the demographic a person represents they have strongly supported concerns or validations on this issue.

In theory gentrification is a concept designed to benefit all persons in a specific community. For whatever reason a particular area becomes more desirable and attractive to potential residents thus making the property value in that area rise significantly. The benefits of this action are obvious,  noting that more business will occur in a newly renovated  community resulting in more revenue in that state. However, the negative impacts of gentrification are much more subtle. In order for gentrification  to occur it is only common sense that you have to remove the lower income residents that already reside in that area. The way that the government and the private sector goes about this is by increasing rent prices  to an astronomical price that they know the current tenants will not be able to afford leaving them no choice but to relocate.

My main issue is that I do not understand why as a country we cannot come together and refurbish these impoverished communities without out relocating and destroying the vibrant culture that lives within them. When it comes to the private sector making a profit it seems as though the process of gentrification happens at the snap of the fingers. Yet, if there is not money to be made then investing in an underdeveloped community seems to be an after thought. This observation stems from the legendary but simplistic realization that separate is inherently not equal.

As the inevitable process of gentrification spreads throughout America it leaves one to ponder. Will the divide between those in the middle class and those considered to be upper class become greater and greater? If we do not make a stand to preserve the cultures that are represented in our lower income communities we risk losing the great benefits that diversity has afforded this country. There is no doubt that cities such as Harlem, Atlanta, Oakland, and San Francisco have made major contributions to the America that we live in today. So why is it that we will let our hunger for monetary gain stifle the creativity and innovation that has propelled us into the great country we are today. All in all I am not sure whether or not I am for or against gentrification. Yet, I do realize that the loss of culture that has been developed by the urban communities in question would far out weigh the gain that this country would receive from a few more condominiums.

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Footprint from Mankind

What if told you your great grandchildren will never experience the joy of seeing some of the world’s most exotic and beloved animals, such as lions, tigers, and elephants in their natural habitat. What if down the line your family will never behold the euphoria that accompanies a vacation at the beach house that you may have worked so hard to attain and pass down through the generations. The loss of these luxuries and many other similar fates are ultimately becoming inevitable because of humanity’s irresponsible use of our planet’s resources.

Contrary to some popular political beliefs climate change, global warming, or however else you choose to define our species’ dramatic negative impact on this beautiful sphere called Earth, is real. It amazes me how lobbyists and politicians can come to the consensus that this is a hoax when 97% of scientists agree that climate change is in fact due to the incredible surge in society’s energy consumption. As an American I must in part take some responsibility being that the U.S. is the largest emitter of greenhouse gas in history despite being one of the youngest industrialized nations. Statistics show that the average person in America consumes 10 times as much energy as one citizen of China, 34 times the amount of energy as someone in India, and an astonishing 61 times as much energy as a person in Nigeria. However, most people don’t care until it hits them where it really hurts so let me bring it home for you. At the rate we are going it is estimated that by the year 2060 the effects of climate change will cost American tax payers $44 trillion, yes TRILLION dollars. That is more than double our current national debt just to tend to this issue alone.

We must start by holding our corporations accountable. They have warped our minds into believing that without the use off fossil fuel energy our civilization as we know it will crumble. All the while they continue to muddy our waters, literally and politically, with their egregious use of off shore drilling, tar sands and deforestation, and lobbying against forms of alternative sustainable energy. If we allow this destruction to continue we will only have ourselves to blame for the extinction of some of the world’s most exotic creatures, and the diminishing of the glacier ice along the Artic Ocean. Yet, some will say animals die and ice melts that’s just what it does right?  In the profound words of our current president elect…WRONG! You see some of these beautiful tropically indigenous animals serve crucial roles in helping our environment to thrive and others have been monumental in the discoveries of modern medicines. As for the polar ice caps they may be the most important of all because not only do they reflect an enormous amount of the sun’s rays, keeping Earth at a livable temperature, but if they were to melt it would cause an extreme rise in sea levels submerging any and every body of land in close proximity to a large body of water.

Now I’m not a parent, but if I were I would like to think that it would be of great importance to make sure that I leave this Earth a better place socially and environmentally for my children and for future generations. All hope is not lost, but if we don’t act diligently and with purpose our steps will end up leaving a footprint colossal enough to destroy a planet.