Bronx ecology : blueprint for a new environmentalism / Allen Hershkowitz ; foreword and original designs by Maya Lin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hershkowitz, Allen

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Industrial ecology--New York (State)--New York.

Industrial ecology.

Waste paper--Recycling--New York (State)--New York.

Waste paper.

Waste paper--Recycling.

New York (State)--New York.

Physical Description:

xv, 281 pages, 20 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), 1 map ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : Island Press, [2002]

Summary:

"The Bronx Community Paper Company teaches us that we have the power, if we muster the will, creativity, and cooperation, to recover lost pieces ofAmerica's environment, return them to good health, protect other lands andresources from being destroyed, and even create environmentally friendly jobs in the process." -President Bill Clinton

In 1991, frustrated by the failure of lawmakers to produce meaningful progress on environmental issues, Allen Hershkowitz, a scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) opted for an innovative approach. Resolving to put market forces to wok for the environment, Hershkowitz devised a plan to develop a world-scale recycled-paper mill on the site ofan abandoned rail yard in the South Bronx.

Created in collaboration with colleagues at NRDC, the private sector, government, unions, and community groups, and with a building designed by renowned architect and designer Maya Lin, the Bronx Community Paper Company (BCPC) was intended to put the ideas of industrial ecology to workin a project that not only avoided exacerbating environmental problems butactually remediated them. One of the primary goals of the project was to show that environmental protection, job production, social assistance, economic development, and private-sector profitability can work together in a mutually supportive fashion.

Unfortunately, it didn't quite turn out like that.

In Bronx Ecology, Hershkowitz tells the story of the BCPC from its earliest inception to its final demise nearly ten years later. He describes the technical, economic, and competitive barriers that arose throughout the project as well as the decisive political and legal blows that doomed their efforts to secure financing, ultimately killing the project.

Interwoven with the BCPC tale is Hershkowitz's vision for a new, engaged environmentalism, complete with principles for a new era of industrial development that combines social and environmental responsibility with a firm commitment to profit-making. As Hershkowitz explains, while the project was never built, its groundbreaking collaboration can hardly be considered a failure. Rather the BCPC, in the words of veteran environmental journalist Philip Shabecoff, "can be seen as the beginning of a learning process for entrepreneurial environmentalism, a pathway to a new approach in the 21st century." Bronx Ecology offers a compelling vision of that exciting new pathway.

Contents:

Introduction: The Hopes behind the Bronx Community Paper Company 1

The Seeds of Discontent 6

The Rise and Fall of the National Recycling Act 8

A New Beginning 15

The BCPC 17

1. A New Blueprint: The Practical Side of Idealism 27

Why Government-Dependent Advocacy Is Inadequate 30

The Prevailing Green Strategies 37

An Industrial-Ecological Approach 40

Eco-Realism 46

2. The First Step: Choosing a Target 57

A Dreadful Record of Damaging Impacts 59

The Enormous Surge in Paper Consumption 61

Upstream Burdens 62

The Problems with Tree Plantations 72

Downstream Impacts 76

The Influence of Government Subsidies 77

3. The Keys to a Better Ecological Bottom Line: Raw Materials and Siting 87

Using Recycled Raw Materials 89

Why a Brownfield Site Makes Sense 96

The Challenge of Infrastructure Issues 102

4. Confronting the Technical and Economic Facts 121

The High Cost of Brownfields 122

Cleanup 124

Permitting and Zoning 129

Construction-Labor Costs 146

Managing Water 151

Coping with Energy Expenses 159

The Difficulties of Using Recycled Raw Materials 162

Designing the BCPC: Introduction: Working with Maya Lin Concept Design Collages

5. Clearing the Social Market 171

Understanding the Social Forces Shaping Market Possibilities 172

The Challenge from Existing Businesses 174

The Difficulties of Working with Community Groups 176

The Interests of Local Political Leadership 178

Litigation Intimidation from Construction Companies 183

The Impediments That Color Dealing with Unions 185

Dealing with the Culture of Business 188

Old-Guard Resistance to Environmentalists in Business 191

6. Getting Practical: Implementing Industrial Ecology 197

Guidelines for the New Industrial Developer 197

Understanding Systemic Barriers to Sustainability 205

Building Bridges: The Power of Collaboration 209

7. Forming Partnerships: Moving Past the Roadblocks 215

Creating a Development Partnership 220

Choosing Construction and Engineering Partners 225

Working with Investment-Banking Firms 228

Encouraging Community and Environmental-Group Participation 232

Fostering Mutual Respect among Collaborators 245

8. Getting Started: What Is to Be Done? 251

What Environmentalists Can Do 257

Allies Who Can Help 261

Establishing Mutual Respect and Trust 266.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1559638648

OCLC:

50243120