Geography Course 198

Some highlights from my camping trip.

How cities can promote environmental justice

Maybe cities aren't the best proponents of environmental justice (as of now).  Most often, cities are the scene of the crime - fires at a Chevron refinery in Richmond, CA, air pollution from the port in Wilmington, CA.  These cases and others like it impact already vulnerable communities the most, but it doesn't have to be so.

Environmental Justice.  It was hard to define this especially because I hear so many different meanings. But the best and clearest definition I've heard comes from activist Majora Carter "no community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits than any other." In her TED talk, Carter speaks of how the creation of a greenway along the South Bronx waterfront transformed the surrounding neighborhoods with green open spaces and mixed-use economic development.

I am inspired to think that cities don't have to be the sites of social and environmental degradation anymore.

Here is Majora Carter on "Greening the Ghetto"

Me on Vacation

From either humortrain.com or failblog.org (I forget)

Ugh, the sad truth. It's spring break and I have to drag myself to go outside. But so far, it has not been a total waste.  I went to a Trader Joe's for the first time and splurged on their chocolate almonds.  It's the small victories that count.

The big victory is that I survived near death by challenging my inexperienced Angeleno legs to bike San Francisco's hilly streets, much to the annoyance of the motorists behind me.  Never mind the hills, the ridiculous wind speed alone almost toppled me into the car's path.  I'm exaggerating, but those winds do travel really fast.  

So, chocolate almonds and conqueror of Market Street, SF. Pretty good start to my first spring break away from home.

Farmer's Market at Market/7th St