This Is Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa where students with the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) will be working on environmental research projects! GreenGertrude will be working with a group of students aka interns and guiding them through the world of blogging and twitter to increase awareness to other group's research projects. Monday July 7 is the first day of the program which will last to August 15. Keep watching GreenGertrude on Twitter for updates and the blogs our interns will create! We will be using the hash tag #greenphilly to communicate between the multiple groups and so interested individuals can follow the progress!
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Year of Change
2009 is definitely the year of change and as I'll be working with ITSRG and Philadelphia Youth Network under Mayor Nutter's Greenworks Initiative, a new blog is totally suitable.
Thank you for all your support and interest in environmental injustices, I promise the new blog will contain the same quality, if not highter, of posts.
It's still a work in progress but new information is being added, Feel free to check it out!
www.greengertrude.wordpress.com
yours truly,
Green Gertrude
Thank you for all your support and interest in environmental injustices, I promise the new blog will contain the same quality, if not highter, of posts.
It's still a work in progress but new information is being added, Feel free to check it out!
www.greengertrude.wordpress.com
yours truly,
Green Gertrude
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Final Thoughts
Through out the course of researching and writing for this blog, I have learned a great deal about policies along, within, and around the Delaware River and largely those contributing to environmental injustices in the city of Chester.
Before committing to this project, I knew very little about the Delaware River or the greed and injustices associated with it. I had originally planned to research about the political and economic aspects of environmental policy associated with the Delaware River, but found myself drifting to the results of poor environmental and economic polices.
The Clean Water Act was the main focus of this project as its implementation created almost immediate effects and enhanced water quality. But this only happened in certain areas, largely around Philadelphia but just south of the city, another was deteriorating. Chester had once been a booming port city with plenty of jobs and wealthy residents but the city's prosperity soon diminished as cancer rates sky rocketed and wealthy residents moved elsewhere.
Environmental policies have huge faults and Chester falls right into one, as the quality of life in this city is far lower than those neighboring it. The fault in policies involving the Delaware River is pollution dumping in and around the river. In Philadelphia, the city can afford to enforce such laws and enhance the surrounding area. The city of Chester does not have the funds to enforce pollution laws and because of the manufacturing businesses in the city, little government intervention is favored so environmental policies can easily be disregarded.
Profit maximization, dirty economic policies, and loop holes in the environmental laws have ruined the lives for the residents of Chester because they cannot afford to stand up against the industries that ruin their environment.
Through this blog, I hope to increase awareness on the issues involved with environmental injustices and polices along the Delaware River. From research I have gathered I can strongly conclude that this is not only happening in Chester, but in many cities all over the world and it's extremely unfair for a group of people to suffer for the betterment of others. But I also wonder about the ethics and history involved with such issues, as individuals have been suffering for the enhancement of a group for centuries (think slaves, pyramids and Cleopatra). Regardless of how much one group has suffered, our environment has been suffering the most time after time and it's time we start taking care of people and the environment, perhaps a lot of problems would be solved if world poverty was eliminated and a sustainable lifestyle established and enforced.
I hope this blog has been informational and inspires you to find out more information about environmental injustices and to create change in your community.
Before committing to this project, I knew very little about the Delaware River or the greed and injustices associated with it. I had originally planned to research about the political and economic aspects of environmental policy associated with the Delaware River, but found myself drifting to the results of poor environmental and economic polices.
The Clean Water Act was the main focus of this project as its implementation created almost immediate effects and enhanced water quality. But this only happened in certain areas, largely around Philadelphia but just south of the city, another was deteriorating. Chester had once been a booming port city with plenty of jobs and wealthy residents but the city's prosperity soon diminished as cancer rates sky rocketed and wealthy residents moved elsewhere.
Environmental policies have huge faults and Chester falls right into one, as the quality of life in this city is far lower than those neighboring it. The fault in policies involving the Delaware River is pollution dumping in and around the river. In Philadelphia, the city can afford to enforce such laws and enhance the surrounding area. The city of Chester does not have the funds to enforce pollution laws and because of the manufacturing businesses in the city, little government intervention is favored so environmental policies can easily be disregarded.
Profit maximization, dirty economic policies, and loop holes in the environmental laws have ruined the lives for the residents of Chester because they cannot afford to stand up against the industries that ruin their environment.
Through this blog, I hope to increase awareness on the issues involved with environmental injustices and polices along the Delaware River. From research I have gathered I can strongly conclude that this is not only happening in Chester, but in many cities all over the world and it's extremely unfair for a group of people to suffer for the betterment of others. But I also wonder about the ethics and history involved with such issues, as individuals have been suffering for the enhancement of a group for centuries (think slaves, pyramids and Cleopatra). Regardless of how much one group has suffered, our environment has been suffering the most time after time and it's time we start taking care of people and the environment, perhaps a lot of problems would be solved if world poverty was eliminated and a sustainable lifestyle established and enforced.
I hope this blog has been informational and inspires you to find out more information about environmental injustices and to create change in your community.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Presentation
The day before earth day is my capstone presentation where I will show the big M all the progress made over the semester, this is going to be so much fun! On our class blog, managed by the big M, is a list of questions we should answer while giving our presentation.
- Explain how the individual project contributes to the group project
-My individual project looks at policies and implementation of the clean water act which is an important component of the Delaware Water Basin. - Explain what is unique about the individual project as compared with the group project
-Looking at how the clean water act was implemented and the effects on surrounding areas makes my individual project unique. Not In My Back Yard, environmental injustices, and loop holes in the law are the keystones of my project dealing with causes and effects of pollution in the Delaware Water Basin - Discuss your strategy for balancing between group and individual activities
-Up date my twitter and blog when i feel the urge. Update group facebook and twitter whenever one of us has something we want the world to know about. - Discuss your plans for the further development of your individual social media project
-Environmental injustices have always urged me to write about the unfairness of this world and I most likely will continue. However, I have grown quite found of my Green Gertrude character and may progress my greengertrude.blogspot.com more and tie it into my twitter account, which tweets about green news in philadelphia and whatever else catches my eye.
What are you doing on Earth Day?
Philadelphia has been celebrating earth day ever since Saturday from what I have gathered. And in fact events will be held throughout the city all week long! woo hoo!
On April 22, 2009 I'll be twittering about earth day events in Philadelphia, along with pictures and videos of all I see. If you want to join in from 5:30-7:30pm I'll be twittering from the green roof of Philadelphia's free public library!
But get ready for the Tweetup between 8pm to midnight! What you'll need to do is gather some interesting facts, pictures, news, or just your green self and use #greenphily as much as you can!
Our goal to to trend sometime during the day, and if that's achieved hopefully our professor gives everyone in the class an A! :)
On April 22, 2009 I'll be twittering about earth day events in Philadelphia, along with pictures and videos of all I see. If you want to join in from 5:30-7:30pm I'll be twittering from the green roof of Philadelphia's free public library!
But get ready for the Tweetup between 8pm to midnight! What you'll need to do is gather some interesting facts, pictures, news, or just your green self and use #greenphily as much as you can!
Our goal to to trend sometime during the day, and if that's achieved hopefully our professor gives everyone in the class an A! :)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Pollution economics
Pollution in the Delaware River results largely from the dense population that resides along its banks. Below is some brief information to to help us understand why pollution is an economic problem, especially pollution in the Delaware.
Most environmental problems are the result of economic activity and are economic problems. Environmental problems can be solved if economic activity is channeled in ways that are environmentally safe. Otherwise, any attempt to resolve environmental problems is pointless.
Environmental resources have 4 valuable functions with positive economic value, if they could be purchased and sold in the market place.
1. supplies natural resources that are used as inputs in the production of economic goods and services
2. serves as a potential receptor of wastes generated by production and consumption activities. However, the environment has a limited capacity for these wastes.
3. contributes fresh water and food necessary to sustain life and provides other life-support functions suitable for life.
4. provides direct amenities that enhance human enjoyment, education, and spiritual well-being
Most environmental problems are the result of economic activity and are economic problems. Environmental problems can be solved if economic activity is channeled in ways that are environmentally safe. Otherwise, any attempt to resolve environmental problems is pointless.
Environmental resources have 4 valuable functions with positive economic value, if they could be purchased and sold in the market place.
1. supplies natural resources that are used as inputs in the production of economic goods and services
2. serves as a potential receptor of wastes generated by production and consumption activities. However, the environment has a limited capacity for these wastes.
3. contributes fresh water and food necessary to sustain life and provides other life-support functions suitable for life.
4. provides direct amenities that enhance human enjoyment, education, and spiritual well-being
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