Space

I found the presentation on space to be very informative. With an increasing population and the growing problem of carbon emissions, we must find a way to use space efficiently and lower environmental impacts.  One solution to the problem is the New Deal of 2009 which is a plan to create a national high speed rail system.  The system would be less dependent on bio fuels and lower environmental impacts. Although the system would reduce the amount of carbon emitted from cars driving long distances, it does not solve the problem of the short driving distances in everyday life.  The presentation also focused on sprawl and the suburbs.  I was surprised to learn that suburbs aren’t the fabulous places they are made out to be.  In fact, suburbs used to be for people of lower income.  After WWII, they began to boom as the invention of new modes of transportation allowed people to travel farther.  Suburbs were now a luxury because they were less congested then the inner city and people had their own private yards.  However, suburbs actually have a large carbon footprint and greatly impact the environment.  Neighborhoods grow outward instead of upward taking up more space and possible animal habitats.  The farther outward the suburbs grow from the inner city results in more driving to and from work, stores and other places of need.  Having a green lawn in your front yard does not mean you are living an environmentally friendly lifestyle.  In fact, it probably means your causing more damage to the environment then those living in apartment complexes in the inner city.  The presentation definitely gave me a new perspective on suburbs and may affect the choices I make in the future when it comes to buying my own home.  Although some solutions have been presented, we need to continue to find ways to reduce our impact on the environment and use the space we have available efficiently.