We need to build communication and understanding regarding the complexities of living in a city set within many cities, all of which grew up in a wonderful and yet also awful way. The paradox we have inherited makes thoughtful citizenship and careful dialogue even more important.
My own "environmental concerns" extend to the paradox of simultaneous toxicity and health within my own heart. Citizenship is ultimately rooted in who we are as people, and how we choose to communicate and to structure our community.
The density and speed of urban living are fundamentally violent in this important way: we are all simultaneously confronted with too many decisions of too much complexity within a random dynamic field of people, groups, processes, and organizations. Some of the forces shaping our city dwarf us and our city. Some of the interactions within our city have the potential to fuse new and positive alliances of people, groups, and ideas that bring about enourmous improvements for today and tomorrow.
The fusion of economic and environmental health seems to me to be one of the great ideas we have an opportunity to explore, understand, and develop. Greens, Democrats, Republicans, Independants (-ents?), and others will all benefit themselves and others by taking time to reflect on this topic.
I commend the book "The Divine Right of Capital: Dethroning the Corporate Aristocracy" by Minneapolis' own Marjorie Kelly to all list members in regard to this. See if it is in the library, buy it, or just sit in the bookstore for a few minutes to read the introduction and first chapter or so. Take a break with this book and browse!
Ms Kelly is not a flippant radical, not an ivory-tower sophist, and not a self-righteous finger-pointer. She reflects carefully upon centuries-long processes, ideas, and events which dwarf Minneapolis and yet serve to shape our urban life and self-understanding.
If we the cirtizens of Minneapolis have the courage, I believe we can build a community full of noble ideals, great human respect, and material and spiritual wealth.
I believe that the only way we can address the complex decisions facing our city is to slow our personal paces to the point that we can reflect, listen, sometimes even read, and bring truly thoughtful insights to our civil discussion.
The fusion of the environmental and economic health of our city is, I believe, one of the most important ideas of our time.
Our city is set within a complex network of cities which were essentially designed as though nature is an infinite resource and an infinite waste sink. Our city was also designed with an economic model tied to the rise of corporations whose size and power dwarf that of most nations, let alone cities.
I submit that urban design based on the notion that our natural resources are to be consumed and poisoned with little concern, and that our urban economy must be based without question or reflection upon options bound to the now-imploding myth of noble corporate aristocracy is manifestly destructive to the people of minneapolis.
Agriculture is a case in point. We've had discussion about irradiated meat on this list. I suggest that folks on the list read the NYT Magazine article "Power Steer" to inform themselves about the actual process behind the beef served up all around the town. (Sorry, I don't have a link to the article...perhaps archived by the NYT?)
Huge Ag corporations have a model of production very different from those of CSA farmers in our region. The advent of Farmer's Markets around town is one concrete and positive expression of the link between environmental and economic health in our city. We create a strong regional economy as we support CSA farms through memberships and "farmers markets". Furthermore, we support folks such as Dancing Oaks Farms (at King Field FM, every second Sunday!) who give us better food by far -- in terms of taste, nutrition, and lack of **very harmful** anti-biotics pushed on us by the old huge corporate Ag industry. Not only is the food and our economy improved by developing this link with our bio-region, but so is the land. Local CSA farms are committed to sustainable farming practices which enrich the environment rather than impoverishing it -- and us.
My apologies for the long post! It is late, and work comes early....
I've taken time and care to compose the post, and hope to encourage thoughtful discussion. If I've "hit your hot button" and enraged you, please take some deep breathes before replying. I look forward to further discussion of the fusion of environmental and economic health in our fair city, and I will try not to be so long-winded next time.
A medal, if you've read this far!
-Gary Hoover
King Field
In a message dated 7/1/02 4:54:22 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
This sounds like the typical argument that we must CHOOSE EITHER a
healthy environment or a healthy economy. It is a wrong argument.
Without a healthy environment we will not have a healthy economy.
Without a healthy economy we are more likely to resort to shortcuts
which damage our environment.
Environmental concerns are not merely ideological. Many of them are
necessary concerns which ultimately effect the physical health of us all.
_
