Green City Manifesto

Ashli Blow
English 1020
Wendy Sumner
January, 22 2008

I began my research for the term manifesto by asking a friend, “What is a manifesto?” He turned to me and automatically responded with, “like The Communist Manifesto?” I continued to ask a few of my other friends what they thought a manifesto was, and without fail each of them answered with The Communist Manifesto. Apparently, The Communist Manifesto is a document that reflects an attempt to explain the goals of communism. It argues that class struggles, or the exploitation of one class by another, are the motivating force behind all historical developments (Spark Notes 1). This well known manifesto published in February 1848 begins with: A spectre is haunting Europe -- the spectre of communism. All the powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Pope and Tsar, Metternich and Guizot, French Radicals and German police-spies ( Hayes 1-2). The opening statment to this document was very powerful, and lured me in to read more about what this manifesto involved and advised.
Due to reading The Communist Manifesto, I realized that a manifesto is more than just a document of ideas and rules; manifestos are documents written to announce reasoning or demands from a person or a group(Computer Hope 1).Deeper in my research I came across The Hacker Manifesto, written by Lloyd Blakenship in January 1986, which states that hackers choose to hack because it is a way for them to learn, and because they are often frustrated and bored in school(Wikipedia 1). This manifesto is written far more casually than The Communist Manifesto which is organized in four sections discussing theories and relationships between the communist and other parties( Sparks Notes 1 ). The Hacker Manifesto doesn’t have much formal organization, but is written like what you find on a facebook or myspace blog. Despite the organizational structure; both manifestos are informative, establish a well developed idea, and successfully leave some sort of impact on the reader. In my manifesto, my structure will meet in the middle of being organized and casual. Also, I hope to have as established and strong as the other manifestos I have read.

Green City Manifesto

Introduction:

In any busy city regardless of size, the extent of scenery is limited to buildings, statues, and street. Sometimes, a person can catch a dandelion emerging between the cracks of sidewalk and that dandelion will be considered a flower. Unfortunately, a dandelion is just a weed, and in cities there are rarely any flowers or trees to be seen.

Even in small undeveloped towns and suburban areas this has become a problem. Once construction has taken place, the new living areas are vast spaces and foliage is limited to a small amount of newly planted trees.

Homeowner’s gardens should not be the only vegetation in our community’s environment. Constructors and city officials should also be responsible to dedicate areas in the community to flora and trees.

Proposal:

Cities should have a mandatory amount of flowers and trees per mile to be planted and tended to. Although, many would argue there is enough greenery and plants in the rural and suburban area; we have to consider the rate our society is cutting down trees. At the fast pace that strip malls and more housing is sprouting up, soon their wont be any room for natural vegetation at all.

It is an unreasonable request to ask to stop building houses and expanding our shopping centers, because as America continues to grow so must our economy. However, just because our nation’s economy is growing does that mean our natural environment must die? Our society is engulfing Mother Nature’s original design by pounding land with housing and buildings, but as we remodel our land can we not return what we destroyed?

As humanity plants themselves on nature’s land and continues to tear down trees to make additional roads, we should replenish the sides of streets with trees and greenery. When medians are constructed, the community’s leaders should take it upon themselves to flourish it with some sort of flowers like dianthuses or pansies.

Trees are vital to life; they cleanse the air, provide shade, and a cool environment (Tree Count 1). One of the greener city streets is found in Manhattan, New York averaged 49.4 trees per mile of sidewalk (Tree Count 1). If every city could plant half the amount of trees Manhattan has; not only would a bit of our natural habitat be restored, but we could conserve more energy. Studies have shown that if trees are planted in a certain location around homes, they can conserve energy (Garden Tips 1).

In our society does everything around have to be beneficial to us? Flowers or shrubs might not shade area, but they’re not harmful. Then why is it cities you rarely see flowers unless in a flower shop?

Therefore depending on the size, parks should be required to have a certain amount of flowers and shrubbery planted. This would bring back some vegetation that society has replaced with another mall or office building.

When constructing office buildings, shopping centers, or any other public location; a certain amount of space outside of the entrance or in parking lots should be dedicated to flora and trees. To our benefit, this would add property value and benefit the environment.

New suburban housing divisions should also be required to have a certain amount of foliage. More foliage should be required in these areas because there is more space available to plant flower, shrubs, and trees.

Schools in the community should also be considered in the community’s responsibility to increase vegetation. Young children and other students should be in an environment with an abundant amount of trees and flora, therefore in the future they are inspired to continue flourishing our environment with foliage.

Resolution:

With a greener environment, our society would benefit from creating more resources and enjoying a better atmosphere. Although we have not made yet, with out proper actions a lot of damage can be done to our environment if we do not act on it. Our society is on the way to living in a world with out trees and flora. It is an aspect we are taking advantage and won’t realize how much we appreciated it until it’s gone.

By simply adding a few more trees to our streets we can remember what America was before we began building cities and massive communities. We live in a beautiful country, and we can make it more beautiful with a little effort.

Our society can benefit from helping the environment, therefore for many years to come trees and flora can be seen by many generations of people. Our cities can be more than smoke and debris, we a little greenery it can be a healthy environment for humanity to live in.

Work Cited

Spark Notes. The Communist Manifesto.
(n.d.) From Spark Notes.
Web Site: http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/communist/summary.html

Brian j. Hayes.The Communist Manifesto Summary and Qoutes.
May 2000, from age-of-the-sage transmitting wisdom through the ages.
Web Site: www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/communist_manifesto.html - 25k -

Manifesto.
(n.d.), from Computer Hope
Web Site: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/manifest.htm

Wikipedia. Hacker Manifesto.
Last Modified January 2008. From Wikipedia.
Web Site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_Manifesto

New York Tree Count.
(n.d.), From New York Govermeny Parks
Web Site: www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/trees_greenstreets/treescount/treecount_summary.php - 23k -

Garden Tips.
(n.d.), From Life Tips
Web Site: http://garden.lifetips.com/faq/10310/0/do-trees-help-conserve-energy/index.html