5 ms·

We need to tackle environmental issues at the local level too. Small cities are homogeneous and easier to deal with

natmaka 7y ago
This. Centralization causes many problems. Everything is nowadays decided "far away". Facing whatever problem, most now think that "the government has to do something" or one of the usual variants (the most common one being "with SOMEBODY as president, this would already be fixed!"). The government/president won't fix anything, as usual. Gov/prez are too far away, too absorbed by being re-elected and cronyism, reigning on a too big and therefore heterogeneous and complicated territory... Wherever something is wrong, something is too big. Leopold Kohr described it clearly (~60 years ago)!
- lotsofpulp 7y ago
  The single biggest problem in America is excess consumption due to single family homes with garages and zoning separating residential and business areas. That’s definitely not getting solved on a local level.
  - natmaka 7y ago
    "zoning separating residential and business areas" is absolutely not "local". Back to local, then most problems will be fixed.
    - lotsofpulp 7y ago
      When I've had to appeal zoning laws, I've had to do it on a city or county level. No state I've worked in has involved higher level governments, at least not for homes/small businesses, unless there were environmental concerns.
      - natmaka 7y ago
        Are those cities or counties populated by more than a few hundred souls? They are too big. This is not 'local' in my book, whatever the denomination (city, county...). Moreover some/many underlying principles of many "local" laws are induced by higher level governments, either by direct or indirect pressure (no funds granted without such and such law), or by "culture" (local public servants being, or willing to be/resemble, like the big guns).
_Microft 7y ago
Larger cities are more efficient (in the sense of a lower required infrastructure per capita ratio) though. Not the article I wanted to find but most likely good enough: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/magazine/19Urban_West-t.html https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/magazine/19Urban_West-t.h...
11235813213455 7y ago
global environmental issues come from local ones, come from the accumulation of every individual human. It's everyone's duty to consume less, to respect the environment. I don't think we need to wait for particular laws or infrastructures, from governments, councils, .. It's like a racing sailing boat, every additional weight makes a difference. We could significantly help the environment by changing our life-styles

This. Centralization causes many problems. Everything is nowadays decided "far away". Facing whatever problem, most now think that "the government has to do something" or one of the usual variants (the most common one being "with SOMEBODY as president, this would already be fixed!"). The government/president won't fix anything, as usual. Gov/prez are too far away, too absorbed by being re-elected and cronyism, reigning on a too big and therefore heterogeneous and complicated territory... Wherever something is wrong, something is too big. Leopold Kohr described it clearly (~60 years ago)!

lotsofpulp 7y ago
The single biggest problem in America is excess consumption due to single family homes with garages and zoning separating residential and business areas. That’s definitely not getting solved on a local level.
- natmaka 7y ago
  "zoning separating residential and business areas" is absolutely not "local". Back to local, then most problems will be fixed.
  - lotsofpulp 7y ago
    When I've had to appeal zoning laws, I've had to do it on a city or county level. No state I've worked in has involved higher level governments, at least not for homes/small businesses, unless there were environmental concerns.
    - natmaka 7y ago
      Are those cities or counties populated by more than a few hundred souls? They are too big. This is not 'local' in my book, whatever the denomination (city, county...). Moreover some/many underlying principles of many "local" laws are induced by higher level governments, either by direct or indirect pressure (no funds granted without such and such law), or by "culture" (local public servants being, or willing to be/resemble, like the big guns).

_Microft 7y ago

Larger cities are more efficient (in the sense of a lower required infrastructure per capita ratio) though. Not the article I wanted to find but most likely good enough: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/magazine/19Urban_West-t.html https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/magazine/19Urban_West-t.h...

11235813213455 7y ago

global environmental issues come from local ones, come from the accumulation of every individual human. It's everyone's duty to consume less, to respect the environment. I don't think we need to wait for particular laws or infrastructures, from governments, councils, .. It's like a racing sailing boat, every additional weight makes a difference. We could significantly help the environment by changing our life-styles