Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Green Infrastructure
A couple days ago in class, we had discussed infrastructure. Specifically, grey infrastructure which is new pipelines, roads, bridges, tunnels, etc. It basically revolved around big urban cities with huge populations. While I do believe that grey infrastructure is a top priority so that people can go on with their daily lives. At the same time, I think the green infrastructure should be tackled. You know, cause people got to look out for the environment. I found a green infrastructure article(https://www.greenbiz.com/article/color-coordinating-how-urban-green-infrastructure-can-build-resilience). The article focuses on combining urban cities with green infrastructure. One of the first points introduced was that it could reduce hazards such as flooding and wildfire. At the same time, green infrastructure will be tackling global warming. The benefits keep on going as one of the only downsides is the cost. Green infrastructure is not a guarantee for better cost-effective grey infrastructure. Obviously, the cost would range on how big the project would be but it would go a long way. To minimize the cost, there should be report cards for green infrastructure as there is for grey infrastructure. This would help the cities and people understand how "healthy their natural assets are". From this, they could build on these reports to see what they need in order to bring out the most of green infrastructure. If green infrastructure is taken into action, it would allow new urban and rural partnerships. Labor would automatically bring new jobs to start projects and keep them going.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like the idea of focusing more on infrastructure that would help the environment. I think it would also be important to let the voters know just how beneficial it could be for the environment and their city as a whole.
ReplyDeleteGreen infrastructure is an interesting idea. You are right that switching to a green economy would likely produce jobs and lead to a better society over all. This source (https://www.fastcompany.com/1730740/cost-building-green-economy-two-percent-worlds-gdp) says it would cost around 2% of the worlds GDP. Forbes says a green economy could save $160 trillion dollars in climate damage by 2050. With that in mind, why do you think people are so opposed to it? The Green New Deal was struck down by both sides (dems voted present), and there hasn't been any major legislation passed regarding green anything. This makes me think that by the time people start to come around, it might be too late.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that a green infrastructure would be just as beneficial as grey infrastructure. While it may take a while for this to come around as we learned in class, there might be a way to improve the plans for the new infrastructure to be more eco-friendly.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea that they should not only do grey infrastructure but also focus on green infastructure at the same time. Almost all scientists agree that global warming is an international crisis and must be addressed. I hope that politicians can finally agree in helping both our infastructure as well as climate change in the coming years instead of merely clashing against each other. These changes will not only help themselves but also help the future generations for years to come.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYES!! I think that it is important for urban planners to understand the huge environmental impact that green infrastructure can make. The urban heat island effect is real, and it is hurting our environment. There are many proactive solutions we can start doing, and politicians should start advocating for these changes. As mentioned in a HUD report (https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/GREENINFRASTRUCTSCI.PDF), this is a cost-effective solution that will help people save taxpayer money and fight against the effects of climate change.
ReplyDeleteI think its super important for green infrastructure to be an important consideration for legislatures to consider. While I think it's important, I think it equally, if not more important to continue developing grey infrastructure because they are vital to our economy, which can help fund future projects that are for more green infrastructure. The trick is finding the balance and finding an efficient cost effective solution to helping our dilapidated infrastructure.
ReplyDelete