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Unlike David, I think an expert is needed to moderate this discussion since we tend not to compare apples to apples - as in comparing our situation in the city during the last storm and heat wave when we did NOT lose power to those living in a house that DID lose power. We need a health expert to talk about the health effects of prolonged exposure to air conditioning and the effects of heat exposure. We need someone to examine and report on economic inequality. Someone to go through the data to see if during heat waves, more people die in cities, rural areas or the suburbs. And we need to take each heat wave one by one. There are so many variables and so many things to consider that I think just listing anecdotes is virtually useless. Someone needs to share the data, someone needs to say there IS data and someone probably needs to interpret it. It's not easy.

The best way to gain knowledge is to TEST knowledge. Not to confirm our own, mine included, biases.

To many people on this blog, that cities are on balance good for the environment is self-evident. To me, it is not. This blog has NOT made the case for that. The blog and its editors have simply not asked enough hard questions. There are other models to consider that might be better (village living, for instance). Lower density cities - see the Economist study. For me, there are too many unquestioned assumptions. I am not saying I think I am correct. I'm just asking can't we put these beliefs to a test? Can't we consider the possibilities, ask the questions and have an in-depth discussion?

The topic is way too broad and complex to have someone like me or really any of one of us usuals probably, begin or moderate it. It's a fascinating topic, and I think it's very very necessary for us to delve in to it.

Oxford examined three scenarios for the future of cities (involving climate change). That is the kind of thing I think we could get started on. And not facing it is kind of being in denial.

The reason I am so up for such a discussion is that I think we can make the city a better place to live, that there are improvements to make and things to watch out for (detailed here and above).

For the tiny minority who may be interested, those who are influential in my thinking are, among others, Wendell Berry and Bill McKibben. Wendell Berry's acceptance speech of the Jefferson Award was a masterful, masterful piece of speechwriting, best I've read in the last 5 years. Great, clear thinker. I can't recommend him enough.

by Jazzy on Jul 8, 2012 8:06 pm • link • report