Category
Economics
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08.18.10Deadly epidemic rages on, right before our eyes and windshieldsThe image above reflects the Savannah Morning News website as it appeared yesterday morning. Look at the headlines on the right side. Is there a common thread? The individual descriptions of death and injury just wash over us as we read journalists' accounts of automobile "accidents." But consider how we would react to these stories if they reported the spread of a deadly infectious disease, which could be prevented in many cases. I imagine there would be public outcry and demand for swift and comprehensive action to reduce and death and suffering. Yet, we accept the stream of awful news from our ...
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07.22.10Barton predicts Food Lion store will be an oasis in a food desertTom Barton wrote about the new Food Lion supermarket, slated for construction on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, in his Savannah Morning News Column yesterday and reveals it was his first encounter with the concept of a food desert, which he describes as "an area where residents must travel vast distances to do their grocery shopping." Perhaps a better name for this neighborhood and others like it is a food swamp, "a geographic area where the overabundance of high-energy foods (for example, caloric snacks sold at convenience stores) inundate healthy food options." Whatever the term, studies have linked the preponderance of ...
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06.08.10When trends converge: Boycotts, bicycles and a car culture in decline?In recent days, I've heard a lot about boycotting BP to punish it for the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Boycotts against companies have in many ways become the default American reaction against behavior we don't like. Perhaps we have become resigned to idea that our main role in our economy and society is to consume. American consumers (formerly known as American citizens) vote with our wallets. And, we are told, we should vote against BP by withholding our business. Seems straight forward enough. The problem is our dependence on oil is bigger than the Gulf of Mexico and bigger than BP. Deepwater ...
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06.04.10Would oil off our coast cause us to change our ways?In the early days of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, some local media reported the Gulf Coast's loss could be the Atlantic Coast's gain, in the form of tourists reconfiguring their summer vacation destinations. These stories usually included mandatory expressions of sympathy for the region dealing with the environmental catastrophe. Still, the disaster was down there. The major consequence for us would be more difficulty finding space to plant our chairs and umbrellas on the more crowded beaches of Tybee Island, right? Interviews were conducted just to make sure we were in the clear. But now the story may be changing. ...
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05.20.10If you ride your bike to work only one day this year, make it this FridayOver the last several years, I've had the opportunity to talk with elected officials, community groups and individuals aboutthe tremendous benefits the city could accrue from encouraging more citizens and visitors to take to our streets on bicycles. While I think most people can get their heads around the general idea, there's a disconnect for some who can't imagine riding a bike to work, to the store or to school. It doesn't compute for them. They nod and smile, but in the back of there minds, I can tell they are thinking, "Wouldn't it be easier to drive?" It's important to ...
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Transportation, land use, local farming and green building are all potential topics for Sustainable Savannah. The goal is to aggregate content about local events and projects, so there will be a central place to review everything that’s happening. The site is aimed at encouraging collaboration and information sharing between groups and individuals currently engaged in sustainability efforts. The site can also provide a snapshot of Savannah for green-minded people who are considering visiting or moving to to the area.
