Essay On Environmental Gentrification

The displacement of BME and low-income groups leads to the issues of environmental gentrification. If city planners are working to increase green infrastructure within an impoverished community, will they find success in creating a healthier, “greener” space or in a wealthier, “whiter” space? Although plans for city green space include sustainable initiatives, they oftentimes lack the advocacy for environmental justice. This inadequacy depicts the concepts of sustainability and going green with a political intent rather than an environmental intent. Looking further into past environmental programs by the government of New York City, a common hypocritical theme is found. In 2007, Mayor Michael Bloomberg published a program that would plant one million trees by 2030 in the streets of NYC. Meanwhile Bloomberg’s office approved developments that would build on top of the remains of forestry. Another plan was established to increase healthier transportation such as biking when the government also supported plans for the development of automobile industries. Another example dates back to the 30’s when Robert Moses’s created …show more content…
Many ethical issues arise when health improvements from green infrastructure are only available to the eco-elite. Re-introducing green resources into our current lifestyles continue to face obstacles when trying to reach an authentic and natural state. Large fields of grassland that once was trimmed by the feeding of sheep are now cut by the power of fuel in lawnmowers. Pesticides are used on lawns to keep away the natural biodiversity of weeds and bugs that we don’t appreciate. We throw out our food when it contains the toxins we put into our air and water to keep from consuming this poison. We want green, but prefer an immaculate structure of uniformity over shades of green spotted with crawling species.