vegans for sustainability
i’ve never picked up vegnews before, but their current issue has a little piece on the world’s best examples of eco-cities … something i couldn’t pass up. it is clear that some of these cities are very far from being eco-cities (i.e., chicago and toronto), but the piece does a nice job of explaining how all of the cities on their list have made commitments and strides towards planning for sustainability.
i thought maybe i would post one of their cities everyday or so, and see if i could find a few more details to flesh out the argument. the first city they list is amsterdam, which as vegnews states: 37% of amsterdam residents commute by bike to work, and the city spends about $40 million per year on cycling infrastructure alone. if any of you know montreal, i’d be surprised if they spend $40 per year on cycling infrastructure! (just kidding, montreal boasts some good examples of dedicated bike lanes, but you can never find anything to lock your bike to … ).
amsterdam has also reduced half the parking spaces available for cars, and speed limits have been lowered in many places to 30 km/h (18mph). some other impressive eco-initiatives undertaken by the city include: a recycling program that includes clothing and shoes, as well as chemical waste; and, to deter unnecessary consumerism, residents that buy a new electrical appliance are charged a fee to remove the old one.
if anyone has some more leads on how truly ‘green’ amsterdam is, pass them on. here is a website that shows some of the options for amsterdamians looking to get a little sustainability going on in their life.
