Greenprofs

I wrote this for a discussion in Green Group on Linkedin.com and was asked to publish it on this website. Feel free to comment!

After keeping up with the news on CNN.com , I watched a video story about NYC raising the New Year’s Ball back up to stay at the top of the pole for the entire year. Elaborating on the millions of colors and configurations, the spokesperson for the city mentions that it is a tourist attraction.

If we are trying to go green, won’t it be more difficult for NYC to be part of the movement? I know that many citizens of NYC independently participated in Earth Hour, ( earthhour.org ), last year, however the ball consumes an awful lot of energy.

On the business side, I can understand not rehiring people to take down the entire attraction if it is just to be reassembled the following year.

In my opinion, if they adopted a wind energy source at the top, from the wind curving between the buildings to power the ball, that it may be an excellent way to introduce a new past time in NYC with the forward thinking of Green Power.

Any thoughts? Anyone disagree due to the economy?

In response on Linkedin, Steve replied, “I agree wholeheartedly about the NYC region NOT being GREEN! For starters, the city, its suburbs and nearby Jersey and Connecticut have streets, sidewalks and grassy public areas filled with ugly and severe uncollected trash and debris. The local “citizen trash culture” conduct would not be tolerated in most other large U.S. cities, especially those west of the Mississippi. Only when New Yorkers stop neglecting their environs and show respect for the Earth’s surface can their city remotely and honestly start calling itself “Green!”!”

Steve brings up a good point, why is NYC one of the largest city in the United States that feels like it’s image needs to be hardened?

I have been to NYC on many different occasions. If New Yorkers pride themselves on a fabulous or fast lifestyle and in a recognizable location, why not be the first to make dramatic and effective change?

If the United States was somehow the leader in most new technology from the cotton gin to the first computer, from the train/road system to the internet, why isn’t the US government taking into toll the benefits of not being the first all green developed country? We are more worried about our stand in other countyr’s politics than the state of our own economy and level of conservation.

Helping others isn’t helping us out at all. It’s time for America to think for itself and worry about home and if we’ll have a home in the future.