March 13th

I found “The Greening of NYC, as Seen by A Designer,” to be a very informative article shattering the stereotype of New York as a concrete jungle. The presence of specialized schools incorporating the environment into their curriculum, gardens, parks and greenmarkets was a given to me. I recognize that New York is a very diverse place where one can find just about anything one is looking for. Nevertheless, the idea of locally grown produce sounded odd. This concept of agriculture within a large city amazes me even now.

The Solaire living Green is a wonderful example of how human beings can live in an environmentally friendly dwelling without suffering the loss of convince. This building seems almost unreal. It has everything a person could want without a cost to the environment. It is also a rational way of preparing for our future. All this proves is that we can change our ways when we actually make an attempt at it.

The article “Sustainable Urban Ecosystems” paints a very sad picture and then goes about mending it. Every problem that it mentions has a reasonable correction and a profound incentive to take action. Human beings have clearly altered the surroundings in urban areas; however, we do not have to be as destructive as we have been in the past. We have the education and the technology to change. Now all we need are people willing to make an effort. The mere presence of these three articles proves that those people do exist and that their numbers are growing. These articles give hope.