One of the biggest challenges we face as a species is how to deal with increased urbanization. More and more of us are living in what can be termed urban centers. The density of population clusters in and around cities continues to rise on a monumental scale. Yes, some of this can be attributed to a growing human population, but what we are witnessing now is whole scale migration from rural areas to high population centers.
Some have argued that urbanization can actually be good for the environment. It is true that with good city planning, an urban center can bring down emissions with the help of mass transit, LEED standard buildings, and city policy that favors practices that take environmental stewardship into account. In New York City, citizens' average carbon footprint is smaller than the citizens of Vermont due to the availability of mass transit and walkability of the city.
Of course this doesn't hold true for every city. Los Angeles is much more car-oriented and therefore has a higher carbon footprint per capita than other cities. There are also other factors we must consider that increased urbanization is having on the environment. As human population continues to increase, food production must increase. By concentrating our numbers in cities, food production must occur with less hands and greater reliance on mechanical and industrial techniques. While it is hoped that technology and policy will help to steer farming practices to an eco-friendly path, this cannot be guaranteed to happen within every country. Food production also relies heavily on the use of water, and without improved techniques can actually degrade overall water quality. After food is produced, it must be transported to cities and preserved until consumption, contributing to the overall human carbon footprint.
Additionally, urbanization requires the development of infrastructure. Construction can be quite carbon intensive, whether it be the building of residential and commercial complexes, or tunneling underground to develop mass transit or sewage systems. While humans are developing sustainable materials and practices, when it comes down to it construction will always be a huge factor in our impact on the environment/climate.
These are just a couple of examples of the challenges we must address as we become an urban species. I am not against urbanization at all (seeing as I'm a proud resident of NYC), but clearly there are better ways to frame a city within an environmental context than others. For our current urban centers, further planning and adjustment must be undertaken to ensure we are reducing our footprint and impact on local ecosystems. For emerging urban areas, city planners and officials must take into account that they have a chance to show a city can be prosperous and environmentally conscious from the outset. Beyond cities, farmers, ranchers, and those who make agricultural policy must look for ways to drastically cut their impacts on the environment. Urbanization is happening, but we must think of the challenges that are appearing and we must take the right steps now.
Some have argued that urbanization can actually be good for the environment. It is true that with good city planning, an urban center can bring down emissions with the help of mass transit, LEED standard buildings, and city policy that favors practices that take environmental stewardship into account. In New York City, citizens' average carbon footprint is smaller than the citizens of Vermont due to the availability of mass transit and walkability of the city.
Of course this doesn't hold true for every city. Los Angeles is much more car-oriented and therefore has a higher carbon footprint per capita than other cities. There are also other factors we must consider that increased urbanization is having on the environment. As human population continues to increase, food production must increase. By concentrating our numbers in cities, food production must occur with less hands and greater reliance on mechanical and industrial techniques. While it is hoped that technology and policy will help to steer farming practices to an eco-friendly path, this cannot be guaranteed to happen within every country. Food production also relies heavily on the use of water, and without improved techniques can actually degrade overall water quality. After food is produced, it must be transported to cities and preserved until consumption, contributing to the overall human carbon footprint.
Additionally, urbanization requires the development of infrastructure. Construction can be quite carbon intensive, whether it be the building of residential and commercial complexes, or tunneling underground to develop mass transit or sewage systems. While humans are developing sustainable materials and practices, when it comes down to it construction will always be a huge factor in our impact on the environment/climate.
These are just a couple of examples of the challenges we must address as we become an urban species. I am not against urbanization at all (seeing as I'm a proud resident of NYC), but clearly there are better ways to frame a city within an environmental context than others. For our current urban centers, further planning and adjustment must be undertaken to ensure we are reducing our footprint and impact on local ecosystems. For emerging urban areas, city planners and officials must take into account that they have a chance to show a city can be prosperous and environmentally conscious from the outset. Beyond cities, farmers, ranchers, and those who make agricultural policy must look for ways to drastically cut their impacts on the environment. Urbanization is happening, but we must think of the challenges that are appearing and we must take the right steps now.
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