This might be my favorite of your recent columns. I wish it could be picked up by AP. Everyone should read it. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said. I grew up in suburbia and even as a young person I felt the wrongness of its design. As soon as I was able, I moved to the city where there are fewer trees, true, but where it's possible to exist without a car (that wasn't the only reason of course). I also appreciate what you said about efforts to fight climate change by only implementing macro solutions. Your description of a possible future community with shade trees and paths is absolutely perfect. Everything you said here just feels like common sense.
Thanks, that's good to hear especially because I didn't get a lot of reactions to this post. Yeah, feels like common sense to me too. There are so many things that are absolutely do-able, but we don't seem to be doing them.
Weird about the lack of interest. It's only been up a couple of days though and you'll get more comments soon hopefully. In San Francisco we usually only have three of four days a year when we need to plug in a fan. Most private homes don't have AC as far as I know. For cooling we utilize a natural twice daily reoccurring system called: fog.
I remember the fog well from when I visited SF. It would be warm and sunny then suddenly a gray and woolly Thing rolled in. I didn't know most homes don't have A/C though.
A great article again, Lynn Cady. I was once at a permaculture association meeting in London, in Forest Gate, I think, in a baking hot, dry July. Carl, our host took us outside and down the Main Street- constant traffic, noise, exhaust fumes, dust, a myriad people, the road and pavements storing and reflecting heat like an oven. A few hundred yards and he turned off into a sudden and unexpected stand of dense trees. Under the canopy, a small hollow, maybe a half acre or so, with running water in the bottom. Within ten steps of entering the dust had gone, the air was cool and moist, the sounds of the city receded and smiles appeared on our faces. Every block should have one!
Lovely!!
This might be my favorite of your recent columns. I wish it could be picked up by AP. Everyone should read it. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said. I grew up in suburbia and even as a young person I felt the wrongness of its design. As soon as I was able, I moved to the city where there are fewer trees, true, but where it's possible to exist without a car (that wasn't the only reason of course). I also appreciate what you said about efforts to fight climate change by only implementing macro solutions. Your description of a possible future community with shade trees and paths is absolutely perfect. Everything you said here just feels like common sense.
Thanks, that's good to hear especially because I didn't get a lot of reactions to this post. Yeah, feels like common sense to me too. There are so many things that are absolutely do-able, but we don't seem to be doing them.
Weird about the lack of interest. It's only been up a couple of days though and you'll get more comments soon hopefully. In San Francisco we usually only have three of four days a year when we need to plug in a fan. Most private homes don't have AC as far as I know. For cooling we utilize a natural twice daily reoccurring system called: fog.
I remember the fog well from when I visited SF. It would be warm and sunny then suddenly a gray and woolly Thing rolled in. I didn't know most homes don't have A/C though.
A great article again, Lynn Cady. I was once at a permaculture association meeting in London, in Forest Gate, I think, in a baking hot, dry July. Carl, our host took us outside and down the Main Street- constant traffic, noise, exhaust fumes, dust, a myriad people, the road and pavements storing and reflecting heat like an oven. A few hundred yards and he turned off into a sudden and unexpected stand of dense trees. Under the canopy, a small hollow, maybe a half acre or so, with running water in the bottom. Within ten steps of entering the dust had gone, the air was cool and moist, the sounds of the city receded and smiles appeared on our faces. Every block should have one!
Yes! What a difference that would make, not just ecologically but for mental health also.