Urban Policy Project

New York City is considered by many to be one of the greatest cities in the world. It is also among the most populous cities in America. Being so heavily populated gives New York City a great responsibility to protect the environment. We must take the steps we can to become a more sustainable city. Sustainability aims to protect our natural environment, human and ecological health, while driving innovation without compromising our way of life. The three core elements of sustainability include environmental protection, social development, and economic development. Sustainability is something that must be addressed sooner than later. If not addressed soon, we will run out of fossil fuels, many animal species will become extinct, we will run out of lumber, and the atmosphere will become damaged beyond repair. We must become more sustainable to preserve our qualities of life and the lives of all on this planet.

One major contributor to the city’s high levels of pollution is the astronomical number of motor vehicles on our roads. These vehicles release emissions that are bad for the environment. There are steps that those residing in the city can take to lessen these emissions such as carpooling and using the subway. New York City is home to one of the world’s best metro systems in terms of getting around the city with ease. A 2012 report has shown that the average mass transit ride will prevent 10 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions for the equivalent car ride. Another serious issue hindering the city’s sustainability is the amount of waste produced by residents and the way the waste is disposed of. Every day, the city’s barges transport 3,600 tons of waste down the Hudson River. A major cause of this problem is that people are purchasing far more than they need therefore they are producing garbage at an excessive rate. This overproduction of garbage can be difficult to prevent, however the city has begun taking measures against the waste issue. They have begun issuing subpoenas for illegal dumping, improper garbage disposal, littering from a vehicle, and pedestrian littering. While this cannot stop the high rate of garbage production, it is a step towards being more sustainable in terms of waste management. Some major cities that have done a great job of tackling the issue of garbage disposal are Barcelona, Stockholm, Paris, and London. These cities have installed pneumatic tubes. Waste is transported to collection points through these tubes, which results in more efficient collection, avoiding bags being left on the street.

A great step towards sustainability is cycling. Riding a bike uses minimal fossil fuels and is a pollution-free mode of transportation. On top of it being good for the environment, it is also good for a person’s physical health. Cycling takes up little space and is economical, both in cost by the user and public infrastructure costs. Cycling is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. Another step towards sustainability is using the city’s drinking fountains. Residents can work towards becoming more sustainable if they carry around reusable canteens and refill them in the fountains. This is preferable to single-use plastic water bottles that are not good for the environment. The city can help make this more feasible for residents by maintaining the existing drinking fountains and building more so that access is easier. Another way residents can lead more sustainable lives as a whole is patronizing farmer’s markets. Eating locally grown food significantly reduces emissions that are generated through transportation, which large corporation supermarkets are notorious for having a large contribution to. The food that is grown and sold at farmers markets is transported much shorter distances and is more often grown using methods that are able to minimize the impact they have on the environment. Farmer’s markets promote sustainability in a multitude of ways. The local farmers deliver fresh, local food to shoppers. The farmer’s markets ensure that farmers are able to make a living off of sustainably grown food, while simultaneously providing an outlet where community members are able to find and purchase their products. Sustainability is the main theme in this system. Farmers engage in sustainable farming practices to produce healthy food to sustain the local community, who in turn provide the money necessary to sustain the farmers. Each shares in the success of the other in a mutually beneficial relationship. Farmers who choose to use sustainable practices face a challenging economic climate dominated by large, corporate farms. Many find they cannot compete with the massive volume, low market prices, and government subsidies enjoyed by large operations. Farmers markets offer small and mid-sized farmers a low-barrier entry point to develop and establish a thriving business free from the overhead necessary to sell in large retail outlets. Shopping at farmer’s markets also benefits the local communities within which they operate. When a person shops at a local farmer’s market in their community, that money is going back into their local economy, being sustainable towards their local area. When a person shops at a large corporate super market that money is just going into the hands of the corporation, not their community. New York City should increase the number of farmer’s markets they have and build less large super markets such as Stop and Shop, Whole Foods, Fairway and Foodtown.

A major policy question raised by all of this is the question of how New York City can become a more sustainable city. A policy proposal that politicians have discussed to help New York City increase its sustainability is The Green New Deal. The Green New Deal is a policy proposal aiming to address climate change and economic inequality. A more sustainable environment begins with the economy. It would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cutting them in half by the year 2030. The plan calls for the United States to switch to 100% renewable energy in the next 10 years. Another goal is to upgrade all buildings to be energy efficient, decarbonize manufacturing and agricultural industries as well as United States infrastructure, particularly transportation. The Green New Deal would utilize a carbon tax, a jobs guarantee, free college, single-payer healthcare, and a focus on using public programs. One main positive to The Green New Deal is that it tackles economic inequality simultaneously along with a major environmental problem known as climate change. This satisfies the main three elements of sustainability; environmental protection, social development, and economic development. The social development aspect of sustainability is one that is often overlooked. The jobs guarantee, single-payer health care and free college parts of The Green New Deal aim to break down the economic barriers that the impoverished and minority communities often face. The Green New Deal promises to tackle economic inequality through the creation of high-quality union jobs. The deal also requires that any new infrastructure spending must address climate change. "Adopting these goals would make "green" technology, industry, expertise, products, and services a major export of the United States. As a result, America could become an international leader in helping other countries transition to completely carbon-neutral economies." (Amadeo, K) The Green New Deal is opposed by a multitude of politicians because it would take money, effort, and upsetting an industry that has always been very generous with campaign contributions. Transitioning away from fossil fuels would require the government to raise prices on them, introduce higher energy standards, and undertake a massive industrial project to scale up green technology. Many Republican politicians oppose it because paying for it may require raising the top tax rate on incomes above $10 million. Additionally, many Republicans choose to ignore the concept of global warming as a whole. They tend to see environmentally friendly policies as a burden and a hindrance to business and the economy. What the Green New Deal's opposers do not take into account is the fact that this problem will become more costly the longer it is ignored. While the initial input is quite costly, the output is massive in terms of keeping Earth’s environment livable, the money that will be saved by transitioning away from fossil fuels, and becoming sustainable. Although initially it will be expensive, ignoring climate change far exceeds the price tag of dealing with it.

New York City has a long way to go in becoming a sustainable city. Some major issues that plague New York City include over usage of motor vehicles when mass transit is available, over production of waste and poor management of said waste, and the high levels of pollution that the city expels. New York City is home to many factories, which contributes to the high levels of air pollution. To become more sustainable we must focus on our natural environment, human and ecological health. Sustainability is driving innovation without compromising our way of life. Ways for New York City to work towards this include biking, buying from farmer’s markets, and using the city’s drinking fountains to refill reusable bottles rather than single-use plastic bottles. The Green New Deal is the most comprehensive policy proposal that aims to create a sustainable New York City through a carbon tax, a jobs guarantee, free college, single-payer healthcare, and a focus on using public programs. This policy proposal succeeds at satisfying the main three elements of sustainability; environmental protection, social development, and economic development.

References:

Amadeo, K. (2019, August 1). Why the Green New Deal Is Happening Now.

DSouza, Deborah. “The Green New Deal Explained.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 4 Dec. 2019

Kilgannon, Corey. “Talking Trash in New York, and Taking Photos of It.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Aug. 2019H., Megan. “Why Is Sustainability Important?” The Permaculture Research Institute, 25 Oct. 2017