Maybe it’s time for Earth Week.
Earth Day came and went last month with little universal fanfare. At a time when most causes somehow merit their own celebration (May 2-8 is Cartoon Art Appreciation Week, in case you were wondering), the idea of giving Earth Day a little extra breathing room is especially attractive.
Because in case you haven’t noticed, at the rate our environment is changing, cartoon art may not have a very long shelf life. Increased oil consumption, rising temperatures worldwide and changing weather patterns – amid a host of other factors – have led to increased calls for environmental awareness, which the conscientious among us have been heeding in a number of ways. From conserving energy at home to changing commuting patterns, people have found ways to integrate green living into their daily lives.
But what about our larger communities – specifically, our towns and villages, who are trying to find ways to plan for a more environmentally sound future? Where resources abound for people who want to green their lives, public officials face a more difficult challenge when seeking advice on maintaining biodiversity while battling rapid growth. The concept of environmentally conscious planning is a growing field, but instructions for municipalities, developers and builders on reducing environmental damage can sometimes be limited.
Which is why the work of the Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance (HVSGA), in organizing a biodiversity conference at Marist College this week, should be commended. The group, a diverse regional partnership of conservation experts, municipal officials, businesses and planning agencies, is trying to spread awareness about the affect of development throughout the Hudson Valley. The focus on biodiversity is intended to help officials protect local habitats and promote smart growth even as land-use issues continue to vex developers and municipal leaders.
The HVSGA also promotes seven smart growth principles, which are:
• Think regionally, act locally.
• Protect landscape legacy.
• Build close-knit, interconnected communities.
• Respect the past, build for the future.
• Give growth back its good name.
• Make connections more convenient.
• Streamline without sacrificing quality.
All are designed to make the development process less harmful to individual environments, while at the same time integrating the unique ecosystems of an area into a growth pattern that is sustainable and safe. That kind of growth – in everything from living quarters to food systems and roadways – is going to be the key to keeping our environment livable in the future. Understanding the relationship between nature and the habitats we live, work and build in will make biodiversity principles easier to understand and work with.
And that, ultimately, may help keep the Earth Days coming.