mdraheim’s Recent Comments

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  I'm surprised that the criteria NRDC seems to be using is so, well, shabby. As previous commenters notes: LA? Dallas? Please. By that criteria, Washington DC should be way up on the list. We too have a new bike sharing program and are actively increasing bike lanes (one of the cited features of several of these cities), we have a campaign to dramatically increase the urban tree canopy (which in many parts of the city is already very dense), a great system of parks (including the most urban National Park in the country), a city government that is enacting new progressive laws all the time (most recently a tax on plastic bags, but also addressing green building and of course renewable energy), newish combined recycling program which has upped the amount of recycled trash, a great public transit system, one of the highest percentages of residents who walk to work in the country, are an incredibly walkable city, a huge network of farmers markets...and I could go on and on. Of course, there are sections of the city that are lagging behind, and like other cities we have plenty of social problems. But if the likes of LA and Dallas are up there, we more than deserve a place, too. It's too bad NRDC isn't giving props where props are due.

  On The 15 most sustainable U.S. cities posted 4 months, 1 week ago 28 Responses

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  Green cities

  Thank you! I've been happy to see a lot of environmental folks coming around to the idea that cities are, or at least can be, green. I'm a city girl born and raised, so this is very gratifying to me. Walking down the block to the metro to go to work sure beats sitting in a car in traffic every morning! I live in DC where, according to a new study, 11% of our residents walk to work--the highest in the nation. Now, we certainly aren't perfect here, but that says a lot, especially when compared to our suburbs--Northern Virginia has some of the worst sprawl I've ever been unfortunate enough to witness.

  In any case, it's important that we all continue to find ways to make our cities greener, both here and internationally. It's really in all of our best interests to make our cities more livable, so that more people willingly live in them with a lower footprint. With over half of the world's population now residing in cities, maybe the time for the green city has finally come!On Vancouver family does it up right. posted 3 years, 5 months ago 2 Responses

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  Hug a corporation

  Wow.  I had no idea that corporations are scared to talk about the good stuff that they're doing, but it makes a lot of sense.  We really do need to encourage this type of behavior!  In animal training, there is more and more preference for positive reinforcement training, and it works great for humans (kids and adults) as well -- why not corporations?  Makes a lot of sense.  For a great view of positive reinforcement, focusing mostly on animals, but also delving into humans quite a bit, check out "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor.  This seems like a great strategy for new advocacy work!  Thanks for this thought, Dave.On Have you hugged a corporation today? posted 4 years, 8 months ago 3 Responses