Aside from some climate change deniers
Source:
Newton TAB
Aside from some climate change deniers, there seems to be widespread acknowledgment that the earth faces an environmental crisis, and that it is manmade. Many impacts of human consumption are harmful to the planet, and as more countries industrialize and pursue the growth older developed economies have enjoyed, we risk collectively poisoning the planet for future generations, and other species. Globally, there is an understanding that endless growth in people, and the material things they need or want, would exceed the carrying capacity of our planet. Rather than growth at all costs, our goal must be sustainability if we, and our planet, are to thrive. Surely sustainability, rather than growth, should be the goal on the local level too. We've long been advised to "think globally and act locally." That's why community preservationists in Newton have been baffled by the Warren administration's marketing slogan emphasizing "Economic Growth for All," rather than sustainability. Why wouldn't we prioritize improved quality of life and a healthier planet over "growth for all" (or growth at any cost)? Prioritizing an ill-defined "economic growth" enables the wasteful demolition of affordable houses and replacement with much larger McMansions. It's why there's nothing special about developers being given Special Permits to exceed zoning rules - it's the norm. It's why property speculators can push our city further into debt getting rezoning of our commercial tax base to high-density, luxury housing. And why residents are misleadingly told that rising housing prices, displacement, externalized costs and the burden on taxpayers of having to accept 85 percent luxury units to get 15 percent subsidized affordable units is the only way to produce such affordable units. It's why developers can clear cut trees and pave over backyards and greenery, and pretend it's about carbon footprint, when it's actually about property speculation. Inevitably, the people displaced by "smart growth" (or economic growth for all developers) just have to "sprawl" somewhere else that hasn't been rendered unaffordable, and commute in their cars from that place. Here in Newton, sustainability, logically, should mean preserving open space, trees and naturally and subsidized affordable housing, not displacing seniors or low-income residents. It should mean not bulldozing and tossing into landfills perfectly good houses simply for profit. Repair, re-use, recycle, right? We can encourage walking, cycling and public transit, put electric car charging stations in our village parking lots, subsidize energy efficient upgrades to homes, and aim for a zero-waste, 100 percent renewable energy community. It makes sense for Newton to focus on sustainability - in terms of the environment, population, land use, quality of life, affordability and fiscal health. Sustainability translates to community preservation and stability - not property speculation, up-zoning, urbanization, gentrification, and displacement of seniors, working people and the shrinking middle class. That's why at the We wanted to learn about the experiences of other
communities that had experienced up-zoning. We
researched quite a few. During our research, we came
across the connection between the 2009 animated
Disney-Pixar movie "Up" (remember the house floating up
into the sky attached to a huge bunch of balloons?) and
a house in the Ballard section of As part of the NVA's "Setting Our Course in Newton"
speaker series last year, we invited community
preservationists from that Ballard neighborhood in The videotaped event had some audio issues, and so
the video was set aside while the NVA and other
village-based community preservation groups were busy
advocating against over-development in Newtonville,
Waban, Newton Centre and elsewhere, and for
neighborhood-scaled affordable housing in Auburndale and
Waban, historic preservation of the Staples-Crafts
House, new Local Historic Districts, and to save It was worth the wait. Now, in advance of the They also have fascinating things to say about
campaign finance and the contributions property
speculators make to candidates, how green and social
justice organizations can be co-opted by the "growth
machine" and how local democracy is being undermined by
those who seek to transform our communities for their
own profit. Sound familiar? Rather than simply reading
campaign mailers short on specifics and big on
platitudes, before you vote, consider watching "Lessons © 2017 Energy Central http://www.energycentral.com/news/aside-some-climate-change-deniers |