Reactions to December 5th Presentations:

I found the second round of presentations to be very interesting. When considering the topics in relation to my case study, I find that Chapter 13 regarding Coalitions between cities and suburbs to be relevant. I especially find the discussion on brownfield to be interesting and relatable to my city of Paterson. Paterson has a bunch of areas deemed as brownfields so it would be interesting to further look into that. My presentation on Chapter 11 regarding diesel may also be beneficial to consider for the case study. I never previously considered the true effects of diesel and the relationship to smog. I will definitely look into the health of Paterson residents and even see if I could find regulation enforced by Paterson to combat with the issue diesel. 

Reflections on Group Presentations:

The group presentations provided interesting topics to consider when writing my case study on my city. My city was not directly mentioned in the chapters presented. The topics of Latinos in urban communities and food injustice would be great topics to discuss during my case study. 57% of Paterson's population is hispanic so it would be interesting to see their role in this urban community. Furthermore, when thinking about food injustice, there are several food pantries currently present in Paterson, NJ serving those in need. When I have visited Paterson, from experience, I never came across many supermarkets in the area. I noticed more smaller grocery stores present on the main street. This is a topic that could be expanded upon to see a first hand example of food insecurity in an urban community like Paterson for example. 

Chapters 3 and 7 of the text. 

Transportation Program in Paterson, NJ

Master Plan Link: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/njchoices/pdf/paterson.pdf

In terms of understanding transportation, there are many major highways that lead to Paterson including the Garden State Parkway, Route 80, and Route 46 being the largest among others. There is also NJ transit that runs through Paterson serving about almost 400 passengers on an average weekday. You can reach Paterson by taking the train from Hoboken or from the newly opened Secaucus station which makes connections much easier for those taking public transportation. The train comes every 30 minutes weekdays and every 60 minutes weekends. NJ Transit also operates 18 bus routes throughout the Paterson. Data shows there was an increase in riders by about 8% during the 2000 to 2005 time period. In 2002, there was shuttle service created to provide the public access to two Preakness Healthcare Centers in Wayne. This Preakness Shuttle operates seven days a week as ridership on this shuttle doubled from 2002 to 2005. As it is noticeable, there is much means of public transportation for those living in Paterson. Even if you don't have a car in a congested area like Paterson where parking can be limiting (I don't too far away and have seen it first hand), you are still able to get around through other means developed by either the state or county. 

Advocacy in Paterson NJ

Advocacy is the public support for a cause or policy. Advocacy can take many forms like on the individual level, group level, or advocacy through an organization. Ways to maximize advocacy could include getting the word out through advertisements to the public, dialogue, and other means. Additionally, organizations can develop projects that enact change through campaigning. The U.S City I chose to focus my final paper on is Paterson, NJ. One non-profit organization found in Paterson is Paterson Alliance. This organization aims to "to advance the quality of life in the City of Paterson through the creation of community partnerships and collaborations." They work closely with other sectors especially the non profit community to improve the city for all taking into account the vast diversity. They are located in the heart of Paterson right on Main Street. 

What is Environmental Justice?

Environmental Justice is a very interdisciplinary issue addresses the fact that our most vulnerable populations (based on low income, socioeconomic status, or race) are living in environmental hazards. Environmental hazards can include pollution like in rivers, exposures to hazardous waste sites, and much more. Environmental Justice advocates support for environmental injustices to be addressed being that everyone should not have to extremely burdened by their environmental conditions while others are fortunate to be living in a community that is more environmentally protected. Usually those who live in poorer communities don't have much say in environmental policy. This environmental inequality continues to set back those with a lower income or minorities compared to the wealthy that have access to better environmental conditions. If the health of minorities deteriorates, how are they expected to live a productive life? These already vulnerable individuals are not safe. To begin to address environmental justice, one must first bring awareness to the issue. Other means can include advocating for ways to improve living conditions in these communities which can include cleanups.

 

Reactions to an Inconvenient Truth:

As we began to watch this film, I found myself to be very engaged in all that was being shown and stated. The graphs showing carbon dioxide emissions and the connection to an increase in temperature was very interesting. I knew that global warming was very problematic but I don't think I ever realized the extent. When he used that ladder to increase his height to reach the predicted global temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations, I was truly taken aback. I also liked how he connected what he was saying to tangible things or what we can physically see like the glaciers melting or the rising sea levels. Or even how coral reefs are becoming bleached and we are losing our valuable biodiversity. He definitely put it all into perspective giving reasons why we should care and believe in the existence of global warming. I admire how he incorporated scientific data and his arguments were incredibly compelling. I would honestly love to finish watching the film in my free time. I thought the film represented the urgently to act now before it is all too late. I just wish more people could watch this film and truly understand the importance of doing our part so that future generations can appreciate what we all have.


Source:

David, L., Bender, L., & Burns, S. Z. (Producers), & Guggenheim, D. (Director).

(2006). An Inconvenient Truth [Motion Picture]. United States: Paramount Classics.

Urbanization and Sustainability: New Zealand

The largest city in New Zealand is Auckland with a population of 1.4 million people. The population living in this city is expected to continue growing within the next decade. One of the negative effects of many people moving into the citizens has an effect on the exports and ability of New Zealand to sustain itself. New Zealand economy is based on its farming and production of dairy products in the rural areas. If all of New Zealand's residents more to the cities, there will be no farmers. The farmers help keep New Zealand afloat and if they all move away, New Zealand as a whole will greatly suffer. New Zealand has also been working to make it's city more sustainable. They have recently incorporated a metro rail system to help transport people to deter the use of motor vehicles. This rail system is still a work in progress but helps those in Auckland get around with its minimal routes. They are also planning to incorporate more cycle lanes and room for pedestrians to walk being that that is also environmentally friendly. With all the people living in one city, it is great to see New Zealand making attempts at trying to find ways to make it better for everyone including our environment. 

Image on top is of city of Auckland and Image on the bottom is of metro rail found in Auckland

Source:

http://www.mercatornet.com/demography/view/increasing_urbanisation_in_new_zealand1/12943

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/is-the-rural-dream-dead/12470499/Urbanisation-is-good-lets-make-it-sustainable

Food Insecurity and Sustainability: New Zealand

When I first began thinking about food insecurity in relationship to New Zealand, I figured this would not be a severe problem since New Zealand is a pretty wealthy country that values the health of their citizens. After conducting some research, I was surprised to see that that was not the case. According to the New Zealand's Qualifications Authority which is an organization that deals with all aspects related to education, they find that 40% of households in New Zealand are NOT food secure. I believe that New Zealanders are surprisingly not considered to be food secure since many New Zealanders live in cities where food prices are very high. About 1 in 5 households with children do not have enough food. This causes detrimental affects on the success of children in school as stated by the NZQA. New Zealanders are resorting to fast food and other easy ways of getting food as prices of fresh produce and petrol have gone up. New Zealanders are working long days and still can't make ends meet. According to a New Zealand paper, the cost of living and fuel are rising forcing many families to struggle to make ends meet. The issue of fuel can be related to some environmental issues facing New Zealand. There also seems to be limited access to fresh foods where food banks are the only source of such nutritious food. I truly hope this issue of food insecurity is being addressed by the New Zealand government. 

Sources:

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/qualifications-and-standards/qualifications/ncea/NCEA-subject-resources/home-economics/91301-B/91301-expB-student1-001.pdf

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/food-bank-demand-rises-in-past-two-weeks-report-says-insecurity-new-norm

http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2011/08/12/food-insecurity-the-issues-and-the-solutions/

Sustainability and Health

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), The number 1 cause of the death in New Zealand is heart disease killing about 4.6 thousand people. Other causes of death include stroke, Alzheimer's, and cancer which kill a very small portion of the population. This is interesting compared to large countries like the United States where Alzheimer's and cancers are the top causes of death. The top cause of the death in children is considered to be prematurity. The average life expectancy for a New Zealander is about 70 years old. What I found interesting with New Zealand's health profile was that death due to diseases like malaria or HIV were at 0. It was reported that 92% of children at age 1 received the Measles immunization. Additionally, 100% of the population is using sanitized and clean water. This data shows that New Zealand really values the health of their citizens. There is an apparent link between sustainability and health. For example, in general, if citizens are using household products that are bad for their health and contain dangerous chemicals, odds are it is terrible for the environment too. The creation of safer household items and the use of those items in turn too benefits the environment. Or if New Zealand's water contained harsh chemicals like lead and chromium, that would detrimental for humans leading to disease while also dangerously impacting their environment.

WHO, 2016.  “New Zealand: WHO Statistical Profile.”  News Release.  2015 January.  URL: http://www.who.int/gho/countries/nzl.pdf?ua=1 [downloaded October 29, 2016]

Social Integration

According to an article published in the New Zealand Herald entitled, "Govt may invest more in Housing First - Bennett," it discuss the issue of homelessness faced by those who live in New Zealand. There are currently about 40,000 homeless people in New Zealand with the majority being from the Maori tribe. The people who are homeless are not who you typically think of as homeless but are working and just cannot make enough to make ends meet. The government is trying to follow an idea known as Housing First which was developed in Canada to help provide more housing to those who need it. What is a bit challenging about enacting this is that the national government doesn't seem to what to take part while other parties like the Maori and Greens parties. After colonization by the British, the Maori population declined as their tribe was introduced to disease by the settlers. They had to fight for their land and currently only make up a small portion of all who live in New Zealand. It is great to see that an issue like this is making headlines in their paper as it is a serious issue. The poor indigenous Maori tribe is still being displaced and facing problems long after colonization. I hope that soon the Maori will be given more respect and the proper treatment as they were in New Zealand look before the British colonized the land. 

This is an image of Maori warriors showing a bit of their culture

Understanding environmental constraints

Some of the biggest environmental concerns present in New Zealand include human-induced climate change from agricultural means, change in land use, and loss of biodiversity. The main contributors to these environmental constraints include the impacts of agriculture and population. To start with,  emissions from agriculture plays a main role in causing climate change. New Zealand's main exports are agricultural and it can be stated that the carbon dioxide emissions from agriculture are much higher than the carbon dioxide from land use. From FAOSTAT, figure 1 below shows the agricultural emissions to be consistent at about 40 gigagrams per year from 1990-2012 while land use amount results in values below 0 gigagrams per year for that same time frame. 

Figure 1: Carbon dioxide emissions per year (Source FAO)

 

Enteric Fermentation from livestock is found to be the largest source of emissions at 55.3%. A lot of methane is released into the air which is also considered to be a greenhouse gas and can cause climate change. The second largest source came from manure left on the pasture at 31.9% (Figure 2). There is also known water pollution present as fertilizers and pesticides are getting into their water supply as runoff.

Figure 2: Portions of Emissions based on the 1990-2012 time frame (Source: FAO)

Besides the concern of agriculture, there is also the issue of land usage and loss of biodiversity. New Zealand's population is very small being only half the size of New York City. But since colonization, the population has taken over the land, changed the landscape, and altered the original unique biodiversity present in New Zealand. Back in the 1950s, New Zealand's population was found to be 2 million and is expected to triple to 6 million by 2100 (See figure below).

Figure 3: New Zealand Population growth from 1950 to 2100 ( Source: UN Population Division)

As the population increases, the land present will be altered to accommodate the growing number of people inhabiting the two islands of New Zealand. Forests are being cut to give people more living space while using the timber as an export. Forests make up the lowest land resource found in New Zealand in 2011 (FAO New Zealand). Deforestation can also putting more carbon dioxide into the air contributing to climate change. Additionally, in an article published in New Zealand's Journal of Ecology, only 10% of pre-European wetlands remain today (Robertson 2016). New Zealand has utilized much of the land even though the population size isn't vast. The loss of biodiversity with such unique organisms like the flightless Kiwi is devastating. If the habitats of these unique organisms are continued to be destroyed, these organisms will sadly only be a distant memory. 

Comparing Economic Development: New Zealand

In class on Wednesday, I had the opportunity to see where my country stood in terms of economic development. To start with, according to the Fortune 500 website, New Zealand has zero fortune five hundred companies while larger countries like Russia have many which make them leaders in industrialization. What I find is that the more fortune five hundred companies a country has, the more  policies are favored towards their interests and success as opposed to legislation geared towards the environment and sustainability. I also found that New Zealand is very much geared towards sustainability as their government is much more open to enacting new legislation. Within the last 25 years, New Zealand had enacted the Resource Management Act of 1991 that sets out to monitor physical resources such as the land, air and water to make sure the environment is not being compromised. This piece of legislation helps maintain sustainability in New Zealand. Additionally, organizations like New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities are constantly researching ways to make urban areas more sustainable since many New Zealand live in the cities. What is also pretty cool is that organizations like Air New Zealand which is a prominent airline in New Zealand have tried to find ways to make flying environmentally friendly creating a sustainability advisory panel.

Even though New Zealand has made much more progress than larger countries, they are still trying to address problems associated with exports and production. New Zealand's main exports include meat, wood, wool, and dairy. They thrive through agricultural means which in turn influences their environment. About 2/3 of New Zealand's forests have been destroyed. New Zealand has issues with air pollution the the use of fossil fuels from transportation via cars is contributing to this issue. Carbon emissions are also very high. Another issue New Zealand faces is water pollution due to pesticides and other wastes from farms that become run off. Additionally, New Zealand has also had an issue with biodiversity being that as soon as people occupied the land, the biodiversity on the island has dropped significantly. When I first researched New Zealand, I had failed to see all the environmental issues this country faced only focusing on all the great things this country has done thus far in terms of sustainability.

Australia and New Zealand were placed together in a category terms of understanding sustainability. What makes our countries unique is that we both were colonized by the British and hold a high amount of biodiversity. Unlike other countries, we are not leaders in industrialization nor do we have major political power and ties. I feel like our countries focus more on their citizens and issues affecting them such as education and health as opposed to more international affairs. By placing all the countries students' chose in groups, we are able to better get a sense of how the economy, society, and environment all play a role in achieving sustainability. I enjoyed being able to work with another individual whose country was similar to my own. It really gives me perspective in comparison with others around the world. I can now appreciate the complexity of sustainability and how all the factors in that ven diagram really influence where a country stands in terms of sustainability.

Economic Development in New Zealand

The country I have decided to focus my sustainable development research on is New Zealand. New Zealand is an island found in the southwest Pacific Ocean. New Zealand was colonized last by humans and contains a great presence of biodiversity. Today, it is currently a British colony where the majority of people speak English. I would say that New Zealand is a laggard in industrialization while it is known to be a developed country today. There are no fortune 500 companies located in New Zealand as its GDP is much smaller in comparison to the top 10 fortunate 500 companies. The main source of production in New Zealand comes from agriculture with some top exports being dairy, wool, meat and wood. In terms of government, New Zealand is a democratic country. I would consider New Zealand to be a sustainable country with a decent economy. They also have one of the best educational systems and really value the health of their citizens. New Zealand has also enacted some major legislation on sustainable development such as the Resource Management Act of 1991 which focuses on how land, air and water can be used. New Zealand is also working towards being a "green" country by promoting eco-friendlyness. Environmental organizations in New Zealand are also promoting ways that habitats can be restored to help preserve the biodiversity present on the island. 

Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability_in_New_Zealand

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand

I really like the image above as it relates what sustainability is to New Zealand. Note that Kiwis is a nickname given to the people of New Zealand as their national bird is the Kiwi.

Development Metrics: Where does New Zealand stand?

Table 1.  Common Demographic and Economic Development Indicators: Recent Data for New Zealand
	New Zealand	New Zealand
Indicator:	Value:	Year:	Source:
GDP	$173,754.08 million	2015	WDI
GDPPC, PPP	$126.6 billion	2010	Gapminder
HDI	0.157	2014	UNDP
Life Expectancy	81	2015	Gapminder
Educational Attainment (mean years of school for women, 25+)	12.5	2013	UNDP Human Development Reports
Infant Mortality (infant deaths per 1,000)	5.9	2013	Gapminder
Crude Death Rate (deaths per 1,000)	7	2014	UN Population Division
Fertility Rate (total fertility rate)	1.9	2014	WDI
Urbanization Rate (% urban)	86	2015	WDI
Urban Growth (urban population growth)	1.9%	2015	World Bank

Link to Interesting Gapminder Analysis Graph:

www.bit.ly/2dxjoQ9

I placed life expectancy on the y axis to see that New Zealand had one of the higher life expectancies  at 81 slightly over the United States's expectancy at 79. Additionally, this graph shows that more children are out of primary school at 1,833 million in New Zealand compared to only 1,023 million in the United States. It is also important to note that the United States has a drastically larger size population at about 310 million compared to New Zealand's 4.37 million. I would definitely be interested in learning more about how the educational systems differ between the two countries.

Defining Sustainability:

According to Jeffery Sachs, author of The Age Of Sustainable Development," Sustainability is described as a form of development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Sachs 5). Sachs then discusses how sustainable development through a normative approach which is understanding society holistic and developing synergy of all components to in turn make society prosperous. We especially should take account for the triple components of sustainability where environment, society, and economy work together to achieve sustainability.  The role of government should also be a factor of importance when thinking about sustainability. The normative approach focuses more on setting a plan and following through with.  He also mentions an analytical aspect of just understanding the linkage between all aspects of society.  In terms of how I view sustainability, I do agree with the definition that Sachs provide. We need to find ways to make society work well for us but also consider what would be left for future generations. Sustainability is not an issue that can addressed in days but rather an issue that involves deep planning and cooperation of all parties involved. Sustainability is analytical requiring a game plan derived in logic that can benefit all parties involved. It can be also normative if we develop a way to make society better now that will be implemented by our generation and future generations to come. If the government and society don't stand up for our environment, who will? It is time to take into account the interests of all to make the future a brighter place for our children.

In terms of better understanding sustainable development, I would like explore sustainable development in Sweden (1st choice) and Australia (2nd choice).

A Book Review on The Bet

"The Birth of Free-Market Environmentalism" By Nicholson

1. Observe the book review: How was the book review written? [What was the structure of the review?; What was the author’s approach to writing the review?; Often a book review begins with a summary, followed by some reflections on the book, other times a book review is an editorial platform]
   The book review was written summarizing the role Simon and Ehrlich played in creating free-market environmentalism and their impact on government and policy. He also uses The Bet as a way to explain environmental history and policy in the United States as a story while also incorporating what is happening at the international level both currently and in the past. Nicholson took a very neutral approach mainly describing the opinion and influence of these two contradicting ideas. At the end, he comes out to say that the middle ground seems to be where we should stand since both sides do make valid points that should not fully dismissed.
2. In what ways did you agree and/or disagree with the book reviewer?  

I agree with the book reviewer that we should consider both arguments when making a final determination as to ways we address overpopulation and environmental needs. If we dismiss the ideas of Ehrlich, we would be living with ignorance while also dismissing the ideas of Simon would be useless when determining a possible solution to overpopulation. I agree also that our environment is deteriorating and it requires us all to come to a consensus on how to make our world a better place for all. I also want to add that support what the author is stating about how Simon's beliefs tailor towards free market and economic growth over environmental protection. I can also see how our society has shifted from addressing the needs of our environment valuing Ehrlich's perspective in the 1970s and 1980s to a viewpoint today that sides more with Simon using economic growth and technological advances as a solution to environmental concerns. Our society has shifted from the Nixon, Carter, and Reagan presidencies that focused on environmental legislative and solutions to more recent presidents like George H. W Bush who supports economic growth believing Americans shouldn't have to sacrifice their way of living. I do concur with the author that there is some question as to whether using Simon's belief of free market environmentalism can be a beneficial solution to addressing environmental concerns.