Density is Green

Collide-a-Scape
By Keith Kloor
Sep 8, 2009 11:45 PMNov 20, 2019 12:35 AM

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

There's no doubt that I live a "greener" life in Brooklyn than I did while living in crunchy granola Boulder the previous year. Of course, I already miss Colorado's vistas, the fox bounding past our spacious abode in the glorious foothills, and most of all, the house's washer/dryer. But the one thing I don't miss is having to jump in my car several times a day for life's basic tasks. Back in Brooklyn, all our family needs can be met within walking distance, from doctor visits and food shopping to school drop-offs and yes, laundry. This is not to shortchange those in Boulder who are honestly striving to leave a lighter carbon footprint. Many green-minded Boulderites are religious about biking. Even in the snow. (They also think they own the streets; big mistake when a New Yorker comes to town.) That said, I think Witold Rybczynski in The Atlantic has nailed this:

The problem in the sustainability campaign is that a basic truth has been lost, or at least concealed. Rather than trying to change behavior to actually reduce carbon emissions, politicians and entrepreneurs have sold greening to the public as a kind of accessorizing. Keep doing what you're doing, goes the message. Just add a solar panel, a wind turbine, a hybrid engine, whatever. But a solar-heated house in the burbs is still a house in the burbs, and if you have to drive to it, even in a Prius, it's hardly green.

1 free article left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

1 free articleSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 LabX Media Group