The experts weighed in on the last episode of Walls Plus One and they agree that climate change is happening now. What’s going to happen next is still up for debate, but we know for certain that we have a lot to think about when it comes to housing. 

Urban sprawl has been attributed to be responsible for about a third of global CO2 emissions. That new, beautiful subdivision on the outskirts of town seems like such a great value, it’s costing us all a lot more than we care to admit. 

But the demand for housing never seems to go away. So what’s the solution? Many are turning back to the cities that were all but abandoned when urban sprawl really started to take off. More importantly, there are questions as to whether or not we can retrofit them to be more sustainable. 

I have two guests who will weigh in on the future of our cities. 

First up is Manny Patole, an engineering professor at NYU and research scholar who specializes in sustainable urban environments. He lives in Brooklyn, so he is no stranger to the challenges faced by city living. He also knows that improving city life is the way forward in a future with a changing climate. 

Stephen Poss is a former lawyer turned public school educator. Based out of Baton Rouge, he spends his free time advocating on environmental issues and putting his knowledge to use through green landscaping practices. 

During our talk, Stephen schooled me in a few different areas. 

First, I had no idea leaf blowers were as environmentally harmful as they are annoying. In fact, some are more harmful than a cross-country trip. I did, however, do a little more research on the topic and found an additional report that suggests the numbers are maybe a little less dramatic than some reports, but even so, they are still worse than one would ever imagine. 

ADDITIONAL READING

Verify: Is pollution from a leaf blower equal to a cross country drive

More cities consider bans on gas powered leaf blowers

Second, I never thought about how polluted a lake situated next to a golf course could become from fertilizer and herbicide runoff. In this case he’s talking about the history of the LSU lakes, a major human landmark in Baton Rouge. I wrote a story about the history of the lakes if you’d like to get a little more context regarding how they were created. 

And finally, he told me about a fun way to share with people the idea that a traditional lawn is harmful. It’s called Lawns and God.  

Also in this episode is an introduction to Pepper Roussel, the program manager for OneRouge. 

To gain access to full interviews and bonus material, sign up to become a Walls Project Insider. With a donation of $10 a month or more, you will help sustain this podcast as well as the many programs sponsored by this organization.

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