On of the most depressing bus rides I have ever taken in Israel was a late-night local from Kfar Saba to Tel Aviv. In addition to its sheer length (an hour and a half ride for a trip that should take 40 minutes), the bus went from suburb to suburb, revealing identical buildings and streetscapes on every stop.
Yet if bland architecture got to me in Israeli suburbs, they have nothing on America. Beyond inventing suburbs, Americans also spent trillions over the years to pave the roads, lay the wires, build the sprawling strip malls and erect the McMansions that have spread over so much of our open land to devour habitats and make us dependent on our cars.
In my first week back in New Jersey from Tel Aviv I have been taking a special glee from listening to James Kunstler’s Kunstlercast, a weekly podcast devoted to “the tragic comedy of suburban sprawl.” Kunstler, the author of “The Geography of Nowhere,” “The Long Emergency,” and other books on the environment and urban planning, believes that suburbs are the worst waste of resources committed in world history, and he eagerly looks forward to their demise when what he calls our “oil fiesta” is over.
In his podcasts, which usually run for 15 to 30 minutes, Kunstler visits suburban shopping malls, where he remarks on the irony of sitting on wooden Adirondak chairs outside an L.L. Bean outdoor goods shop when the only outdoors is the parking lot. He also coins new terms to describe the bleak realities of suburban life, such as “parking lagoons” that sprawl around shops. And he analyzes why America has “a rail system that even Bulgaria would be ashamed of,” and recommends rebuilding it immediately as the first step toward energy independence.
It is easy to hate American suburbs; they are an unusual blend of ugliness and environmental destruction. Moreover, because Israelis are following America’s terrible example, it’s important to understand why the strip malls and shopping centers sprouting faster than a JNF forest may not be the best of news.
Yet Kunstler’s biting sarcasm and his knowledgeable comments infuse a new life into the debate, and you may not even notice how much you learn because you will be laughing so hard.
Photo: http://www.freewebs.com/jadeindustrailmaintenance/
If you live near a school, then you know what 8 am and afternoon pick up times mean for the environment. With all of those parents driving their individual children to and from school, the carbon emissions associated with getting elementary, middle, and high school students to school can be pretty detrimental.
Sustainable Gifts For Your Loved Ones: Many families exchange small
